The Canadian Government actively encourages immigration to smaller communities across the country

According to a report from the Conference Board of Canada, immigration programs that bring people to Canada's smaller cities and towns – such as the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) and Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) – promise higher economic output for lower costs.

These initiatives could be some of the most beneficial investments in developing Canada's economy.

Canada's two regional immigration programs, the AIP and the RNIP are designed to promote immigration to smaller, more rural areas.

The employer-led AIP is a unique initiative which encourages candidates from abroad to fill job postings where employers are having difficulty in finding Canadian workers.

#AIP, #RNIP, #Rural_immigration, #immigration_to_Canada, #rural_communities

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2022/01/government-of-canada-invests-35-million-to-expand-settlement-services-for-newcomers-in-small-towns-and-rural-communities.html

January 30, 2023

2022 had the highest share of the older working-age population

As of 2022, one-fifth of Canadians within the working population was between 55 to 64 years old - indicating that they are reaching retirement.

There was only a 6% growth rate for children under 15 compared to an increase six times greater among those 65 and older, resulting in a total count of 6 million seniors.

Canada's workforce is undeniably aging as the number of individuals nearing retirement age grows, and the number of young people entering the labour force remains stagnant.

#Statistics, #population, #retirement, #aging_population

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-working-age-poupulation-census-1.6432398

https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/subjects-start/older_adults_and_population_aging

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/4/27/canada-workforce-has-never-been-older-statistics-agency-says

January 19, 2023

Canada plans to clear the visitor visa backlog by February

To reduce the backlog of visitor visa applications, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is planning to decrease the Visitor visa applications backlog.

The government is considering decisive measures by lifting some eligibility criteria for nearly half a million applications.

This necessary action will significantly shorten wait times while allowing more people to visit Canada. An IRCC memo revealed two potential strategies to reduce the number of visitor visa applications.

The first approach would involve processing an estimated 195,000 applications in bulk, while the second option considers relaxing eligibility criteria for as many as 450,000 candidates.

#IRCC, #immigration_backlog, #visitor_visas, #visitor_visa_backlog

https://leverageedu.com/blog/canada-aims-to-clear-visa-backlog-news-2022-09/#:~:text=Canada%20has%20recently%20been%20on%20a%20hiring%20spree,in%20visa%20applications%2C%20which%20added%20to%20the%20backlog.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/canada-starts-clearing-visa-backlog-to-process-applications-by-2022-end-122092200445_1.html

January 18, 2023

Ottawa updated work permit instructions due to the phase 2 NOC implementation

On January 17, 2023, the Government of Canada published a program delivery update regarding the updates to work permit instructions due to the Phase 2 National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 implementation.

To ensure accuracy, the instructions have been updated to reflect the new Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) categories which replace all references of skill type 0 and levels A, B, C, and D. Furthermore, all 4-digit NOC code has also been changed to a 5-digit version in accordance with 2021 standards.

#NOC_2021, #TEER, #work_permits, #NOC_2021_implementation

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/updates/2022-noc-phase-2.html

January 18, 2023