Canada issues nearly 5000 ITAs in February 2019

It’s been a busy year for immigrating to Canada with the Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Programs issuing nearly 5000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) this month. With some programs already full, now is the time to apply for immigration. Canada is on track for their goal of gaining over a million immigrants in their workforce by the year 2021. This sets the goal for 2019 at 330, 800 successful new permanent residence applications - an exciting prospect for many hopeful candidates who did not receive their ITAs in February.

The Express Entry Issues 3, 350 ITAs

The Express Entry system has been busy this year with 14, 500 invitations already issued this year. This system is highly popular as it allows successful candidates to process their applications for permanent residence in as little as 6 months! February saw a wait of over 3 weeks before another draw was done but the number of invitations issued this time around reflects a 70% increase compared to this time last year.

The lowest score on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) was 457, a fairly significant increase from the previous draw in January. However, applicants scoring below this should not be discouraged from applying because this figure is likely the result of a longer waiting period between draws. This means that with a high probability of more frequent draws over the course of the year (as the government attempts to meet its quota) the average score will also lower.

The Process

1. Create an online profile through the Express Entry (EE) system.
2. Apply through the Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Trades or Canadian Experience Class categories.
3. Meet the criteria for your selected program.
4. Accumulate points to compete with other candidates.
5. Wait for the draw (typically every two weeks) where top applicants are issued ITAs for permanent residence.

Provincial Nominee Programs Issue Over 1400 ITAs

Province	ITAs Offered in February 2019	Categories/Streams
Nova Scotia	22	Entrepreneur Stream
Manitoba	782	Skilled Workers Overseas (Human Capital Pathway) Skilled Workers Overseas (Strategic Recruitment) Skilled Workers in Manitoba International Education Stream
Saskatchewan	83	International Skilled Workers Subcategory (EE)
Prince Edward Island	199	Business Impact Stream Labour Impact Category & Express Entry
British Columbia (BC)	368	EEBC - Skilled Worker Stream EEBC - International Graduate Stream SI - Skilled Worker Stream SI - International Graduate Stream SI - Entry Level & Semi-skilled Worker Stream
Ontario	90	French-speaking Skilled Worker Stream

Nova Scotia

On February 19th, there was a draw that falls under the Entrepreneur Stream where 22 ITAs were issued to candidates who scored a minimum of 112 points. This stream is for applicants with business ownership or senior management experience.

The Process

1. You submit an Expression of Interest (EOI).
2. You are issued an ITA.
3. You are interviewed for a Business Performance Agreement.
4. You establish yourself in Nova Scotia with a temporary work permit.
5. Once you meet all the criteria you can put in a request for a Provincial Nomination.
6. Once you are nominated you are invited to apply for permanent residence.

Requirements

• Age 21 or older
• Minimum net worth of $600, 000
• Minimum investment in starting or buying a local business OR 5 years in a senior business management role
• A minimum score of 5 in at least one language on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) which measures proficiency in English and French in terms of speaking, reading, writing and listening

Manitoba

Manitoba has several streams under which applicants can apply to be considered for an ITA. On February 15th, programs that issued invitations included the Skilled Workers Overseas Program which issued 22 invitations to candidates under the Strategic Recruitment Stream with a minimum score of 726, Skilled Workers in Manitoba which sent out 120 with a minimum score of 574 and the International Education Stream* with 34 ITAs which requires no minimum score. On the 15th and again on the 21st, the Human Capital Pathway Stream (which also falls under the Skilled Workers Overseas Program) sent 338 invitations with a minimum score of 566.

The Process

1. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI).
2. Meet the criteria and get a score based on the province’s criteria.
3. Wait to receive an invitation to submit an application for a Provincial Nomination.
4. After a successful nomination, you are encouraged to make a separate application to the Government of Canada for permanent residence.

*The International Education Stream provides the following pathways and requires studies in Canada:

• Career Employment Pathway
• Graduate Internship Pathway
• International Student Entrepreneur Pilot

Saskatchewan

On February 27th, Saskatchewan issued 83 ITA to candidates under the International Skilled Workers Subcategory which is linked to the Express Entry system. The minimum score for this program is 60 while the lowest scoring candidate for this draw received a 68.

The Process

1. Create a profile online through the Express Entry system.
2. Meet the criteria for the Express Entry program (Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades or Canadian Experience Class) as well as the International Skilled Worker Subcategory under the Provincial Nominee Program.
3. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the program.
4. Wait for a successful nomination.
5. Thereafter you wait for the Express Entry draw for an ITA for permanent residence.

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island works on an Expression of Interest System which works by candidates creating an Expression of Interest profile while already in the Express Entry selection pool. On February 21st, P.E.I. issued 29 ITA under the Business Impact Category* for the Work Permit Stream with a minimum score of 117 as well as the Labour Impact Category** which issued 170 ITA.

The Process

1. Review the criteria for your selected stream.
2. Submit an expression of interest.
3. Increase your score based on this category’s system points grid which measures your eligibility out of a 100.
4. Prepare your application and relevant documents.
5. Wait for an ITA.
6. Submit an application for a nomination.
7. Once a provincial nomination has been achieved, you can create a separate application for permanent residency.

*The Business Impact Category is now only comprised of the Work Permit Stream as of September 2018.

**The Labour Impact Category is made up of the following streams:

• Skilled Worker Stream
• Critical Worker Stream
• International Graduate Stream

British Columbia

British Columbia is focusing heavily on their Tech Pilot immigration scheme which seeks those in the technical industries to apply. On February 5th, British Columbia issued 32 ITAs, on February 12th 308 ITAs and on Feb 19th 28 ITAs. These were across the following programs:

Express Entry System

• Skilled Worker Stream
• International Graduate Stream

Skills Immigration System

• Skilled Worker Stream
• International Graduate Stream
• Entry Level & Semi-skilled Stream

The Process (Tech Pilot)

1. Match one of the 29 occupations on the Tech Pilot eligibility list.
2. Register your profile online with the Express Entry or Skills Immigration systems, selecting your preferred stream.
3. Wait for a successful draw.
4. Complete your online profile and then either wait for the Express Entry draw or use your Provincial Nomination to create a seperate application for permanent residence.

Ontario

Ontario works on a Notification of Interest basis which On February 1st, Ontario issued 20 ITAs and on February 7th, 61 ITAs, for the French-speaking Skilled Worker Stream (for which there are no minimum points) which is linked to the Express Entry System.

The Process

1. Create an online profile through the Express Entry system under the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class.
2. Meet the criteria for Express Entry as well as the French-speaking Skilled Worker Program*.
3. Wait for a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the province of Ontario.
4. You can then apply for a Provincial Nomination under the French-speaking Skilled Worker Program.
5. Once you achieve a successful nomination, you wait to be invited to apply for permanent residence.

*You need a score of 7 in French and 6 in English on the Canadian Language Benchmark test to qualify.

How You Can Join Them

Immigration is a lengthy process and requires a keen eye for documentation, an understanding of the over 70 programs available and knowledge of Canadian immigration policy. This is where a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) is extremely helpful, especially if you're wondering why you were not one of the candidates who received their ITAs in February.

Sign up with our service today to get started on your journey to living and working in Canada. We can guide you through which programs you are best-suited for and give you advice on how to improve your profile, giving you the best possible chance of meeting all the criteria and obtaining a score that could result in an ITA for permanent residence.