British Columbia issued ITA to 57 candidates in the Tech Pilot
On July 7, 2020, British Columbia conducted a new invitation round in the Tech Pilot of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). The province distributed 57 invitations to apply for a nomination in four categories: Skills Immigration – Skilled Worker, Skills Immigration – International Graduate, Express Entry British Columbia – Skilled Worker, and Express Entry British Columbia – International Graduate. The lowest score in all categories did not change and was 80 points. So far, British Columbia invited 1,285 Tech Pilot candidates in 2020, which is almost one-third of the total 4,272 invitations issued by the province this year.
#British_Columbia, #BCPNP, #Tech_Pilot, #PNP
The international students from the US may flee to Canada
On July 6, 2020, the United States government announced new regulations for international students studying online due to COVID-19. Under the new rules, international students may be requested to leave the USA if their program will be taught remotely. The same applies to new foreign students. Such students may be prohibited from entering the country if the courses will be delivered online in the fall term. Immigration experts predict that majority of such students will turn face to Canada, especially given the fact, that Canada allows international students to study for up to 50% of their programs remotely and maintain their eligibility for the Post-Graduate Work Permits (PGWP).
#international_students, #USA, #Study_in_Canada, #PGWP
15,350 asylum seekers claims were processed in 2020
According to the recent data by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the total number of asylum claimants processed from January 1 to May 31 is 15,350. This number could increase when the current border restrictions are relaxed. The CBSA officials confirmed they turned back 21 individuals who tried to enter the country from the South in May to make a refugee claim. The data from the Immigration and Refugee Board states that from February 2017 and March 2020, about 58,255 irregular migrants crossed the US-Canada border. Only 28,644 cases having been heard so far. Among them, 14,420 cases have been approved, 11,948 have been rejected, and the others were withdrawn or abandoned.
#refugees, #USA, #IRCC, #IRB, #CBSA
BC allows putting applications on hold for up to 24 weeks
On July 7, 2020, the government of British Columbia announced new temporary measures in the BC PNP caused by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to help prospective candidates applying for the provincial nomination, the officials enable the opportunity to put the applications on hold for up to 24 weeks. Nevertheless, the latest date for the hold is August 30, 2020. The main reason for the above updates is to align with changes to the temporary layoff provisions pursuant to the Employment Standards Act. Skilled Immigration Stream candidates may also refer to the Addendum to the BC PNP Skills Immigration and Express Entry BC Program Guide for additional information.
#BCPNP, #BCPNP, #Skills_Immigration, #EEBC, #PNP, #COVID_19
