Canada is still facing a considerable labour shortage in the health care sector. The government hence is investing in a project to benefit healthcare professionals and the Canadian healthcare system as a whole.
The parliamentary secretary to Sean Fraser pledged about $1.5 million in funding for healthcare workers in Canada. The funds can promote information sharing and collaboration in the health sector. Also, internationally educated health care professionals can get their credentials recognized faster.
Background Information related to this Update
Canada works with CHEO or Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario to build on the success of the N4 or National Newcomer Navigation Network. It was launched in 2019 to provide support to newcomers who are willing to navigate the Canadian healthcare system.
The latest investment of $1.5 million will make it faster for internationally trained healthcare professionals to work in Canada.
It isn't restricted to that. The new investment enables N4 to serve as a platform for newcomers to find information on credential recognition and foreign qualification in all territories and provinces outside Quebec.
Alex Munter, CEO and President of CHEO, said, “Newcomers are an integral part of our communities. Their full inclusion in our health-care workforce will help us address staffing shortages, while also incorporating richly diverse voices of lived experience and better supporting other newcomers.”
Where does the funding come from?
The funding of $1.5 million comes from a stream within the IRCC’s settlement program. The program invests in projects that support future settlement programing. As per public records by CIC news, IRCC allocated $1.02 billion in settlement services within 2022-2023.
Express Entry Programs for Health Care Workers
Express Entry entails an online system that manages immigration applications for the federal government. It ranks eligible candidates based on their age, skilled work experience, education and official language proficiency. The candidates with the highest scores get to apply for permanent residence in bi-weekly Express Entry draws.
Draws for FSWP and CEC have been paused due to the pandemic. But, Minister Fraser announced that it would resume in early July.
PNP for Health Care Workers
IRCC has the final say when it comes to choosing who can immigrate to Canada. However, the provinces can nominate eligible candidates through the PNP or Provincial Nominee Programs. Some PNPs cater specifically to health care professionals. Others, on the contrary, have more general work experience requirements. These requirements may end up holding back immigration nomination draws.
At times, PNPs draw candidates from the Express Entry system to invite them for a provincial nomination. They get 600 CRS points to their Express Entry score if the candidates are nominated. The award lets the candidate apply for permanent residence.
Some PNP pathways for healthcare professionals:
The Labour Market Priorities Stream of Nova Scotia occasionally holds draws that invite health care professionals to apply for provincial nomination.
IEN program caters to foreign nurses who can speak French or English.
Saskatchewan brought forth an International Health Worker EOI pool for health care professionals.
British Columbia includes a Health Care Profesional category under Skills, Immigration and Express Entry pathways.
Ontario also invites health care professionals to apply via Human Capital Priorities Stream.
Our team at Onkar Immigration is here to help you match with the best PNP for a smooth Canadian immigration journey. So, consult with the professionals to clear all confusion.
Quebec
There is a completely separate immigration system in Quebec. Programs such as Express Entry isn't available here.
You will, however, find the Quebec Experience Program and Regular Skilled Worker Program here. Healthcare professionals may be eligible for any one of these immigration programs. In both cases, you need to show your proficiency in French.
Caregiver pilot programs
There’s good news for caregivers as well. You may also be able to apply for permanent residence via the Home Child Care Provider Pilot or Home Support Worker Pilot. You need to have a job offer to work in either of these two eligible occupations and meet the eligibility criteria. You need to comply with the work experience requirements of NOC codes 4411 or 4412.
You can also become eligible for permanent residence. For that, you must show a full-time work experience of at least 24 months in the 36 months before applying. You also need to show post-secondary education credentials and the Canadian Language Benchmark score.
Canada is one of the most sought-after destinations for tourists, immigrants, students and foreign workers. The wide slew of Canadian immigration laws makes it 10X easier for individuals to fulfill their Canadian dreams. But, things cannot be as simple as it sounds.
So, what’s the catch?
Well, a criminal record may restrict you from entering Canada. Even common convictions or minor charges from years ago can make you inadmissible to Canada.
Common Convictions that Make you Inadmissible to Canada
The common offences include:
Drug offences
Driving offences that involved drugs or alcohol
Assault
Reckless driving
Frauds like using bad credit cards or bad cheques
In Canada, different crimes have different levels of severity. For instance, they consider crimes with a maximum prison sentence of fewer than 10 years non-serious. The crimes, however, would fall under serious criminality if the maximum prison of an offence is 10 years or more.
How to Overcome Inadmissibility to Canada Due to Criminal Offences?
Don’t panic if you have a criminal history. There are ways to overcome inadmissibility to Canada due to criminal history. Here’s how:
Temporary Resident Permits
A TRP is a temporary option for anyone planning to enter Canada. Follow the steps below:
Explain why you want to come to Canada to the border officials.
The authority will then consider if your visit to Canada is safe for Canadian society or not.
They consider the number of offences you committed, the duration of time since the offence and more aspects related to criminal history.
Criminal Rehabilitation
The option mentioned above is temporary. This one is a permanent solution. You are eligible for this option if it has been five years since you have completed your sentence.
The fees differ depending on the nature of the crime. The Canadian Government translates the foreign crime to the Canadian equivalent to figure out the charge.
If your crime was non-serious, you might be rendered rehabilitated after 10 years of completing the sentence. This is beneficial if you have only one non-serious conviction on your record. In the case of multiple convictions, apply for criminal rehabilitation. A legal opinion letter comes in handy when meeting border officials.
Legal opinion letter
You can combine this letter with any of the options mentioned above. It helps Canadian border officials determine why you should be allowed to enter Canada. This is especially helpful if you have a pending charge without conviction.
It is always suggested to make the right preparations beforehand to avoid complications at the border. Connect with the team at Onkar Immigration if you want help immigrating to Canada with a criminal history. We will guide you thoroughly.
The Canadian government has always prioritized family reunifications. The recent changes in the super visa program also intend to bring families closer for a longer time. The new changes in the super visa program let parents and grandparents visit you in Canada easily and stay for a longer period of time.
What are the new changes in Super Visa Program?
The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, revealed the improvements in this super visa program. The changes will come into effect from 4th July 2022.
Here’s what the new changes are about:
Super visa holders stay for a longer time
Parents and grandparents can stay for five years longer in Canada through this improved super visa program.
Super visa holders can get medical insurance
The new changes in this program will allow the Minister of IRCC to provide medical insurance coverage to the super visa candidates. For now, super visa applicants can receive the essential medical coverage only from the Canadian insurance providers,
Canadian citizens and permanent residents can reunite with their parents and grandparents through this super visa program. Initially, the reunification lasted for two years. But, this new improvement added 5 years more.
Three Major Changes as Proposed in Bill C-242
Seeback, a member of the Conservative Party, sits on the Standing Committee under Immigration and Citizenship. He proposed three changes to the super visa program.
Parents and grandparents can stay for five consecutive years without renewing their visas.
The super visa candidates can purchase medical insurance from other countries besides Canada. According to Seeback, this step would help families save thousands of dollars in insurance.
The Canadian government is expected to reduce the low-income cut-off for Canadians planning to host their families.
Seeback said, “The view of bringing a parent or a grandparent to stay with you is an economic burden is wrong. What I actually found… is that when a parent or grandparent comes, it enhances the economic well-being of that family… It can be that they’re providing some reduction of daycare costs because the parent or grandparent is there to help with the family.”
Some Background Details on Super Visa
The super visa program began in 2011. It lets Canadian citizens and permanent residents host their parents and grandparents in Canada for extended periods of time. You must meet certain minimum income requirements to qualify for this program. And your parents and grandparents need to get through a medical exam and present proof of private health insurance.
Previously, your parents and grandparents could stay up to two years at a time. The new announcement is the result of the discussion of the Parliament’s citizenship and immigration committee on private member’s bill C-242. The latter was introduced in February and sponsored by MP Kyle Seeback.
Onkar Immigration is always a step ahead when it comes to keeping track of changes in immigration norms and laws. Whether you have queries regarding the super visa or you want guidance to get through the program, we are here at your disposal. Connect with us today.
How often have you been frustrated by the uncertainty and complexity of processing times? The new changes to the online processing tool supposedly can end your worries now. Sean Fraser, the Canadian immigration Minister announced the recent update on 31st March 2022. The update would let the processing tool provide accurate information about the processing times.
A Brief Overview of this Online Processing Tool
The tool is not limited to showing accurate processing times. It also provides new weekly calculations based on previous data of six months.
In short, future immigrants can plan their visits better with the new updates to this tool.
Current Processing Times of Specific Immigration Applications
Over 2.13 million people are awaiting processing for Canadian Immigration. Adding to the pressure, the pandemic caused major haywire in the processing times of applications. No wonder this update is a hit among people interested in immigrating to Canada.
Here are some current processing times as per the update.
Citizenship & PR cards
PR card renewal- 60 days
New PR card- 71 days
Citizenship renunciation- 15 months
Citizenship resumption- 23 months
Search of citizenship records- 15 months
Citizenship certificate- 17 months
Citizenship grant- 27 months
Family Sponsorship
Parents/grandparents- 34 months
Common law partner/spouse living inside Canada- 15 months
Common law partner/spouse living outside Canada- 23 months
Canadian Passport
Passport application mailed from outside Canada- 20 business days
In-Canada urgent pick-up- Almost at the end of the next business day
In-Canada New Passport- 10 business days for standard pickup and regular application submitted in person
In-Canada Express pick-up- 2-9 business days
Economic Class
Start-up Visa- 31 months
Federal self-employed- 41 months
Quebec skilled worker and business class- 32 and 64 month respectively
Federal self-employed- 41 months
Non-Express Entry PNP- 27 months
Atlantic Immihgration Program- 18 months
Canadian Experience Class- 11 months
PNP through Express Entry- 21 months
FSTP- 43 months
FWP- 26 months
Temporary Residence Application
Study permit- 12 weeks (outside Canada) 3 weeks (inside Canada)
Study permit extension- 210 days (by paper) and 66 days online
Work permit outside Canada- 3 weeks
Work permit inside Canada- 151 days (by paper) and 147 days online
IEC- 7 weeks
Visitor visa inside Canada- 29 days by paper and 171 days online
Visitor visa outside Canada- Depends on the country
Parents/grandparents Super Visa- Depends on the country
Visitor extension- 213 days by paper and 191 days online
Connect with Onkar Immigration for More Details
It can be difficult to track the changes in Canadian application processing times. This is where we come in. Connect with us to gather more information about the updated processing times of any Canadian Immigration application. Our team is here to guide you through the entire procedure of each application.
Canada uses the National Occupational Classification or NOC to determine the educational and skill level required to pursue a career in Canada. IRCC uses this NOC to determine the eligibility of occupations under permanent and temporary residency programs.
The Canadian Government will start following the new National Occupational Classification from November 2022. According to the new NOC system, 16 new occupations will be eligible to apply for Express Entry programs. And three occupations will be ineligible for the same.
16 New Occupations Rendered Eligible in New NOC System
NOC 2021 also brings forth new terminology and a revised classification structure. Here are the 16 new occupations the new NOC considers eligible:
Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors
Other repairers and servicers
Heavy equipment operators
Transport truck drivers
Payroll administrators
Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators
Pest controllers and fumigators
Sheriffs and bailiffs
Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
Residential and commercial installers and servicers
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associate
Estheticians, electrologists and related occupations
Correctional service officers
Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
3 Occupations that are Rendered Ineligible
Dressmakers, furriers, dressmakers and milliners
Other performers
Program instructors in sports, fitness and recreation
Skill-Level Update in New NOC System
Initially, NOC consisted of four skill levels such as
NOC A- Jobs that require a university degree
NOC B- Jobs for skilled trades and require a college diploma
NOC C- Jobs that require job-specific training or intermediate skills
NOC D- Labour jobs that require on-the-job training
The new NOC system ditches the concept of skill levels. Instead, it organizes occupations on the basis of Education, Training, Responsibilities and Experience. The NOC skill levels transfer to the new system as shown:
NOC 2016
NOC 2021
Skill type 0
TEER 0
Skill type A
TEER 1
Skill type B
TEER 2
Skill type B
TEER 3
Skill type C
TEER 4
Skill type D
TEER 5
As you can see, the new NOC will use a five-tier hierarchical system for classifying occupations. NOC 2021 also replaces the four-digit codification system and embraces the five-digit system.
Categories of Each TEER System
TEER 0
Management Occupations
TEER 1
Multiple years of experience from TEER 2
A bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree
TEER 2
Two-three years of post-secondary education program at CEGEP or community college
An apprenticeship training program of 2-5 years
Years of experience in TEER 3
Occupation with significant safety responsibilities
TEER 3
A degree in the post-secondary education program of less than two years
Apprenticeship training of less than two years
Years of experience in TEER 4 occupations
At least six months of on-the-job training
TEER 4
Secondary school completion
Secondary school education along with weeks of on-the-job training
Years of experience in TEER 5 occupations
TEER 5
No formal education requirements
Short work demonstration
Wrapping Up,
The NOC system embraced the TEER system, instead of the skill type model due to two reasons:
Provides more clarity on the work experience and educational qualifications required to work in Canada
Gets rid of artificial categorisations between high and low-skilled jobs
Connect with us for Instant Solutions
It can cake time to adapt to the new NOC system. Consult with our team at Onkar Immigration and get a thorough idea of NOC 2021. Our team guides you through the new NOC system. We ensure that achieve your Canadian dream hassle-free.
Read More