29 Sep IRCC held the first category-based Express Entry draw for agriculture and agri-food occupations
IRCC held the first category-based Express Entry draw for agriculture and agri-food occupations
On September 28, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the first occupation-specific Express Entry draw and issued 600 Invitations to Apply (ITA) to candidates working in Agriculture and agri-food occupations. In round #267, the cut-off score was the record low for 2023 – 354 points. The tie-breaking rule for this round was June 12, 2023, at 10:23:21 UTC. As of September 26, 2023, there were 214,000 profiles registered in the Express Entry pool. This year, Canada issued 86,048 ITAs through the Express Entry draws.
Express_Entry, #IRCC, #ITA, #immigration_to_Canada, #PR, #Occupation_Specific_draws #agriculture
Backlogs in immigration inventories have slightly increased
On September 28, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated the data on immigration inventories and backlogs. According to the last update, there were 2,198,700 applications for permanent residence, temporary residence, and citizenship approvals in all IRCC inventories. According to the update, 38.4% of applications in the inventory exceeded service standards. IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within their service standard, though some complex cases may require a comprehensive assessment. Currently, 39% of temporary residence requests – including ones for visiting, studying, or working abroad and 45% of permanent residency applications are in backlog. Additionally, 21% of citizenship applications are also exceeding service standards.
IRCC, #immigration_backlog, #service_standards, #application_processing_times, #backlog
Ottawa to close the temporary visa application centres for CUAET applicants
On September 28, 2023, the Government of Canada announced the closure of the temporary visa application centres (VACs) in Bratislava, Budapest, and Krakow on September 30, 2023, and Prague on October 19, 2023. In addition to the permanent Warsaw VAC, the application centers in Vienna (Austria), Lviv, and Kyiv (Ukraine) will also continue serving clients. The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) was launched on March 17, 2022, to allow Ukrainians and their immediate family members to come to Canada as temporary residents for up to three years.
CUAET, #Ukraine, #VAC, #visa_application_centers
Quebec invited over 1,000 candidates in the new Arrima draw
On September 28, 2023, the Quebec Ministry of Immigration (MIFI) published the results of the 53rd invitation round in Quebec’s online system Arrima. On September 21, 2023, MIFI invited 1,018 candidates to apply for a Quebec Selection Certificate under the Quebec Skilled Worker Program. Candidates invited in this round had a minimum score of 579, at least level 7 oral proficiency in French, and a valid job offer outside the territory of the Montreal Metropolitan Community. This year, MIFI invited 14,759 candidates through the regular Arrima draws.