On August 1, 2023, Marc Miller, the new Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), announced the first occupation-specific Express Entry draws for professionals working in skilled trades occupations.
Starting this week, Express Entry will also focus on candidates with trades expertise in plumbing, carpentry, and welding, attracting skilled talent to Canada’s construction sector. The selection rounds will continue throughout the year, alongside general invitations.
The Government of Canada changed the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in June 2022 to allow for the selection of immigrants based on key attributes that support economic priorities.
On May 31, 2023, Sean Fraser announced the launch of a category-based selection to welcome skilled newcomers with work experience in priority jobs as permanent residents.
#Express, #Entry, #Occupation_specific_draws, #EE_Skilled_Trades, #Skilled_Trades
August 4, 2023
Since taking office in 2015, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has increased immigration, adding an estimated 2.5 million new permanent residents and driving the population above 40 million.
Thanks to immigration, Canada's GDP growth has been just over 2%, well above the G7 average of 1.4%. However, a TD report shows new arrivals are now contributing to an overheating economy and straining public services.
The Bank of Canada is struggling to manage the impact of the newcomers, as they add to both supply and demand, increasing the need for higher interest rates.
Immigration has eased the labour shortage and increased consumer spending and housing demand, leading to growing strains on transit, housing, and healthcare.
Municipal and provincial leaders are calling for more funding to address these issues.
#Immigration_to_Canada, #Canadian_population, #population_growth, #newcomers, #TD
July 28, 2023
On July 25, 2023, the Government of Canada made a new update regarding the Afghan refugees arriving in the country.
The last update shows that Canada has accepted 520 Afghan refugees since July 18, 2023. As of now, Canada has welcomed a total of 35,235 Afghan refugees.
Canada received 19,310 Afghans and their families' applications under the Special Immigration Measures Program for Afghans who had assisted the Government of Canada in Afghanistan.
11,150 Afghans arrived in Canada under that program, and 18,245 Afghan nationals came under the Humanitarian program.
In addition, Canada admitted 2,170 applicants under the pathway for extended family members of former interpreters.
#Afghan_refugees, #refugees #IRCC #Afghanistan
July 27, 2023
On July 18, 2023, the Federal Government announced increased support for asylum seekers in Canada due to the rising number of people claiming asylum.
The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Sean Fraser, announced a one-time injection of approximately $212 million in funding into the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) until March 31, 2024.
This includes roughly $97 million in new allotment for the City of Toronto. The IHAP provides funding on a cost-sharing basis to provinces and municipalities for interim housing for asylum claimants.
Additionally, IRCC has been working with the most impacted provinces and territories to increase the amount of temporary housing, including over 3,800 hotel rooms in six provinces to provide temporary housing to asylum claimants.
#IRCC, #Fraser, #asylum_seekers, #refugees, #investment, #funding
July 24, 2023
