IRCC held the largest Express Entry draw in the history
On February 19, 2020, Canada conducted the largest invitation round since the launch of the system in 2015. In round #137, which was the fourth round in 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 4,500 Invitations to Apply (ITA) for a permanent residence. Despite issuing a 1,000 ITAs more than in round #136, the Comprehensive Ranking System cut-off score decreased for only two points and was 470. The tie-breaking rule for this round was January 13, 2020 at 10:52:52 UTC. As of February 14, 2020, there are 144,042 profiles in the pool of candidates, 1,551 more compared to the previous round. The number of candidates with the CRS score in the range 451-600 is 21,116. In total, Canada issued 14,800 ITAs in 2020.
#Express_Entry, #IRCC, #ITA
British Columbia invited 53 persons in the Tech Pilot
On February 19, 2020, British Columbia held the fifth draw in the Tech Pilot of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). This time, the province invited 53 candidates 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 traditionally was 90 points. In 2020, British Columbia invited 349 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in the Tech Pilot. In total, BCPNP issued 850 ITAs to date.
#British_Columbia, #BCPNP, #Tech_Pilot, #PNP
Quebec can benefit from Agri-Food Immigration Pilot
On February 19, 2020, the Quebec Ministry of Immigration, Francisation et Intégration (IFI) announced that although the Agri-Food Immigration Pilot that was recently launched by the federal government is not available in Quebec, some Quebec employers can still benefit from it if a temporary foreign worker’s job is in one of the NOCs eligible for the pilot and belongs to specific industries. In such cases, they can get a two-year Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) as part of the program. Foreign workers hired through the pilot could apply for PR by submitting an application in the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) in the Arrima portal.
#Agri_Food_pilot, #Quebec, #PR, #LMIA, #PEQ, #Arrima
BC has removed guaranteed ITA scores
On February 19, 2020, British Columbia has officially removed guaranteed invitation scores for the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) that serves the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP). This provincial points-based system was launched in 2016. Previously, the province published these scores to demonstrate the minimum points required to be invited to apply. However, since BCPNP regularly publishes scores for each category, candidates can assess their chances based on current scores. The average processing times in the BCPNP is 2-3 months.
#BCPNP, #British_Columbia, #SIRS, #ITA, #PNP
New Brunswick to increase a minimum wage
On February 19, 2020, the New Brunswick government announced the increase of the minimum wage to $11.70 per hour that will be in effect on April 1. The current minimum wage in the province is $11.50 per hour. The official statement of the provincial government noted that the minimum wage rate is indexed to the province’s consumer price index, rounded to the nearest five cents. The consumer price index in New Brunswick grew by 1.7% in 2019. The Atlantic provinces harmonize the date of effect of any minimum wage rate increase to April 1.
#New_Brunswick, #Wages
