What's new in Canada Immigration?

CANADA EXPERIENCE CLASS

The Citizenship and Immigration Canada has introduced a new immigration program. Now foreign students and temporary foreign workers can become permanent residents of Canada, meeting the following eligibility criteria:

1. Temporary Foreign Workers: As a temporary foreign worker, you must have two years of full-time (or equivalent) work experience in Canada ("full-time" is at least 37.5 paid hours per week).Your work experience must be gained within three (3) years of filing the application. Applicant's work experience must be in Skill Type 0, A or B (managers and high-skilled workers) on the National Occupation Classification (NOC).

Applicant has to fulfil the language requirements.

2.Graduates: The applicant must be a graduate of a Canadian post-secondary educational institution and have one year of full-time work experience in Canada after graduation. Such work experience must be achived within two (2) years of applying.

Applicant can gain work experience by applying for the Post-Graduation Work Permit after graduation. Work permits may be valid for up to three (3) years with no restrictions on the type of work the applicant can perform. Work experience under the permit must be in Skill Type 0, A or B on the National Occupation Classification (NOC). Your work experience must be gained within two (2) years of the date of filing the application.

3. Education: The applicant who has taken a full-time Canadian post-secondary educational program of at least two (2) years or a one-year Master’s program other than a certificate and diploma and an additional year of education obtained in Canada, before admission into the one-year program (for a total of two years). Language requirements must be met.

Clarification on continuous work experience under the Federal Skilled Class:

Operation Bulletin 173 issued by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada states that the requirement of having at least one year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the last ten years in “one or more” NOC code in the recent instructions means that a skilled worker applicant may use any combination of full-time or part-time work experience in more than one eligible NOC category in the last 10 years in calculating their one year of continuous work experience, as long as their experience adds up to at least one year. Previous instructions that an applicant cannot make up the one year of continuous full-time employment experience in a series of continuous periods of employment in different occupations that total one year are revoked.

STUDENT PARTNER PROGRAM

Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges has launched a new program for students from India called Student Partnership Program (SPP). Instructions are issued for applicants who intend to study in particular community colleges.

NEW LIST FOR SKILLED WORKERS

Effective from July 01, 2011, only the applicants who have at least one year of experience in the following occupations or who have an Arranged Employment Offer (AEO) will be processed :

Restaurant and Food Service Managers,Primary Production Managers (Except Agriculture),Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management, Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners,Biologists and Related Scientists,
Architects,Specialist Physicians,General Practitioners and Family Physicians,Dentists,Pharmacists,Physiotherapists
Registered Nurses,Medical Radiation Technologists,Dental Hygienists & Dental Therapists,Licensed Practical Nurses
Psychologists,Social Workers,Chefs,Cooks,Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades,Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades,Electricians (Except Industrial & Power System),Industrial Electricians,Plumbers,Welders & Related Machine Operators,Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics,Crane Operators,Drillers & Blasters — Surface Mining, Quarrying &
Construction,Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service.

Note: Only 10,000(500 per occupation) applications will be processed per year under the FSWP. This does not include applications with Arranged Employment Offers.

CHANGE IN PARENTAL SPONSORSHIP

Effective November 05, 2011, Immigration Canada no longer accepts parental or grandparental sponsorship applications for upto 24 months. However, applications already filed will be processed. This willl lead to reduction of backlog and faster processing.

PARENTAL OR GRANDPARENT SUPER VISA

Effective December 01, 2011, new class of visitor visa, called Super Visa, is introduced. Parents or grandparents can get upto maximum of 10 years. Parents/grandparents can enter and live in Canada upto 2 years and then have to leave Canada but can re-enter again. Parents/Grandparents are required to get medical insurance to become eligible for this status.