The Parents and Grandparents (PGP) Program has seen many recent improvements and is still persistently climbing – in 2019 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will accept 20 000 sponsorship applications. That’s 4 times the number of invites compared to when the program launched in 2014, when only 5 000 applications were accepted. Things are […]

Nova Scotia launched a new immigration stream that takes a flexible and innovative approach to address the province’s unique labour market needs. The new immigration stream, called Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities, is being introduced on August 8, 2018, and will examine the current needs of the local workforce and invite immigrants who can fill desired positions […]

Finding employment is a struggle for many newcomers and refugees to Canada. In efforts to match newcomers to jobs, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Ministry of Small Business and Tourism have started a pilot program that will provide employment across Canada in the hotel industry. Also joining the project are Tourism HR […]

For individuals with disabilities, medical inadmissibility has been a potential roadblock while applying for temporary or permanent residency. To align the medical inadmissibility policy with Canada’s 21st century outlook, the Canadian government has amended the policy. These changes are intended to update the 40-year-old policy and allow for individuals who otherwise would be able to […]

Fifteen hundred jobs, many of them in IT, will be up for grabs this month at the largest Virtual Career Expo to be held in Canada. Over 50 employers from cities across Canada will be participating in the online job fair, which runs April 19 and 20. Companies like IBM, Pythian, Microsoft and the Bank […]

Immigrant Services Calgary (ISC) announced the recipients of the 22nd Annual Immigrants of Distinction Awards that are given for outstanding achievements and contributions to the greater Calgary community and are presented in different categories. This year’s theme was “Inspire Support Connect” and the award recipients are as follows: Achievement Under 35: Hyder Hassan Arts and […]

Minors (under the age of 18) applying to the Citizenship Act under subsection 5(1) will be paying much lower application fees now than before. Citizenship application forms 5(1) are for minors that are applying without a Canadian parent or without a parent who is also applying for citizenship at the same time. Previously, the fee […]

Immigrant Services Calgary will announce the finalists for the 22nd annual Immigrants of Distinction Awards (IDA) at the gala on March 9, 2018 at The Westin Calgary. About 600 guests are expected at the event, including representatives from all levels of government and the corporate and non-profit community. The Immigrants of Distinction Awards are given to […]

The Canadian government has promised that it values family reunification – and it hasn’t let us down. Major improvements to the sponsorship program means significant cuts to the backlog and wait time for spousal sponsors. Over the past year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) fulfilled its promise to reduce the backlog of spousal applicants […]

e-ACCES is an online resource collection that equips newcomer job seekers with information that can help them find meaningful work in Canada. The site is an international extension of ACCES Employment, a Toronto-based non-profit organization that campaigns for a fully inclusive labour force in Canada. e-ACCES helps job seekers to prepare for career success through […]

For newcomers with years of experience in their sector, transporting their skills to a Canadian workplace can be difficult without a bit of language training. Along with other colleges across the country, Humber College in Toronto offers a number of occupational specific language training (OSLT) programs that can help professional immigrants adjust to working in […]

Bhanu Aery worked in Tech Support back home in India and had an MBA to his name as well. He chose to move to Canada because he saw greater opportunities here. However, things seemed very different when he landed here. He struggled with the cold and struggled to find a good job. Even though he lived in Vaughan, […]

For all Canadian citizens and permanent residents looking to sponsor a parent or grandparent in 2018, the month of January is an important time to act. The first step in the application process requires an online “Interest to Sponsor” form to be submitted. Form submissions open noon EST on January 2, 2018 and close a month later […]

A multi-year immigration plan has been announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that sets out to welcome more immigrants in the coming years than Canada has seen in recent history. Starting in 2018, there are an expected 310,000 permanent residents to immigrate to Canada. The following years 2019 and 2020 will bear even […]

Bill C-6 is rolling out its second round of amendments to the Citizenship Act on October 11, 2017. Changes include adjustments to physical presence requirements and the age range that determines which applicants need to meet language and knowledge requirements. Bill C-6 was introduced on June 19, 2017 as an amendment to the former government’s […]

Attaining a designation with CPA (Chartered Professional Accountants) is a goal for many immigrant accountant and business professionals and it’s also a popular choice for those looking to make a career shift in a new country. The University of Lethbridge hosts a CPA bridging program designed with adult learners, career changers and internationally-trained professionals in […]