Canada experiences a significant rise in the number of applications from Hong Kong
Canada has received more than 5,700 applications after Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the start of the new Immigration pathway for residents of Hong Kong on February 4, 2021. Alexander Cohen, press secretary to Minister Mendicino, said Canada typically received about 1,500 to 2,000 work-permit applications from Hong Kongers annually. This means the outstanding amounts of applications submitted in the first three months, roughly triple the number that usually applies in a full year. According to the special Immigration pathway for Hong Kongers, applicants may apply for open work permits for up to 3 years if they graduated with a Canadian post-secondary diploma or degree in the last 5 years.
#Hong_Kong, #IRCC, #PR
May 25, 2021
Canada extended travel restrictions for flights from Pakistan and India
After the one-month-long travel ban ended on May 22, the Government of Canada extended travel restrictions for all direct passenger and business flights from Pakistan and India for another month, until June 21, 2021. Only cargo flights carrying vaccines and protective equipment from and to these countries will continue to be allowed into Canada. Passengers, decided to come to Canada, will have to do so via an indirect route. They will need to get a negative result of a COVID-19 test from their last point of departure.
#Covid_19, #Travel_restrictions, #India, #Pakistan
May 25, 2021
The Government of Canada extended international travel restrictions
According to Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, international travel restrictions have been extended for another month, until June 21, 2021. State borders with the United States (US) have also been extended until June 21. Canada imposed travel restrictions on non-essential international travel and closed the US border in March 2020, and since then both international and US restrictions will have been in place for 15 months. Now, people can only cross the border for “humanitarian and compassionate reasons,” such as attending a funeral or applying for refugee status.
#Travel_restrictions, #Covid_19
May 21, 2021
The number of permanent residents waiting to take the citizenship test increased
In March 2020, the Immigration Department postponed all citizenship tests due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which left hundreds of thousands in a difficult situation. The number of permanent residents willing to take the citizenship test increased from 87,000 in March 2020 to 102,000 this year. As of January 31, 2021, 311,259 people were waiting to complete the entire procedure for obtaining citizenship. Of these, 102,989 have been in the waiting mode for 13 to 18 months. Citizenship tests are now conducted online. At the end of April, 65,893 exam invitations were sent via the Internet, and 43,697 people passed the citizenship exams.
#IRCC, #Citizenship, #Citizenship_test
