Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander today celebrated the successful launch of Express Entry – a highly anticipated new application management system designed to get people with the skills to succeed in Canada’s economy here faster than ever.

Starting today, skilled workers who want to apply to Canada’s key economic immigration programs are able to create an online profile and express their interest in coming to Canada permanently.

Candidates who meet the minimum criteria will be accepted into the pool and will be ranked according to various factors. These include language proficiency, education and work experience. Each is a leading indicator of one’s likelihood of integrating fully and quickly into Canada’s economy and Canadian society.

The highest ranking skilled workers will be invited to apply for permanent residence and most will see their application processed in six months or less. The first invitations to apply will be issued during the last week of January.

For more information, please click here.

Eligible spouses or common-law partners will now have the opportunity to work in Canada while they wait for their application for permanent residence to be processed.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will issue open work permits to certain spouses or common-law partners who are applying for permanent residence from inside Canada, before the approval in principle decision on their application is made.

Effective today, as part of a one-year pilot, CIC will begin issuing open work permits to eligible applicants in the current inventory.

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Today, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced that the parent and grandparent program (PGP) will re-open on January 2, 2015. A maximum of 5,000 new, complete applications will be accepted in 2015.

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Today, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced that Canada will unveil a pilot program in January 2015 to attract experienced business immigrants who can actively invest in the Canadian economy, stimulating innovation, economic growth and job creation.

In addition to making an investment of $2 million for a period of 15 years and having a net worth of $10 million, immigrant investors will be required to meet certain program eligibility criteria related to language and education, and have proven business or investment experience.

This new pilot program will begin accepting applications in late January 2015 and will provide a pathway to permanent residence for approximately 50 immigrant investors and their families.

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Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander, and Steven Blaney, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, today announced that the temporary suspension of removals for Haiti and Zimbabwe has been lifted, effective immediately. With the suspension now lifted, affected individuals will be provided with an additional six months to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

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Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander today confirmed it’s one month and counting until Express Entry launches a new phase of active immigration recruitment to meet economic and labour market needs. Potential candidates can create their profile on January 1^st, 2015, with the first Invitations to Apply issued within weeks.

For more information, please click here.

Live-In Caregivers have two new pathways to permanent residency:

1. Caring for Children Pathway: A pathway to permanent residence for caregivers who have provided child care in a home, either living in the home or not. Eligibility will be based on a minimum of 2 years of Canadian work experience as a home childcare provider, with a work permit, and a 1 year completed Canadian post-secondary credential, or equivalent foreign credential, and a language level of at least initial intermediate.

2. Caring for People with High Medical Needs Pathway: A pathway to permanent residence for caregivers who have provided care for the elderly or those with disabilities or chronic disease at higher skill levels in health facilities or in a home. Eligibility would be based on a minimum of 2 years of Canadian work experience as a registered nurse, registered psychiatric nurse, licensed practical nurse, nurse aide, orderly, patient service associate, home support worker or other similar occupation, with a work permit and a 1 year completed Canadian post-secondary credential, or equivalent foreign credential, and an appropriate level of language proficiency to practice their occupation, ranging from initial intermediate to adequate intermediate.

The penalty for misrepresentation has now increased from a two year period of admissibility to a five year period. The ban on applying for permanent residence has also increased to 5 years.

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As of October 31, 2014, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC”) will not process new visa applications nor continue to process pending visa applications for temporary residence in the worker, student or visitor class of foreign nationals who have been in an Ebola affected country (which includes having resided, travelled or transited), within three months prior to the date the application is received by CIC.

CIC will not process new visa applications nor continue to process pending visa applications from foreign nationals who are intending to travel to an Ebola affected country.

CIC will not process new permanent resident visa applications made by foreign nationals who have been in an Ebola affected country (which includes having resided, travelled or transited) within three months prior to the date the application is received by CIC.

For further information, please clock here.

Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Chris Alexander, announced significant reforms to the Caregiver Program. Changes to the program include ending the live-in requirement, and providing eligible caregivers with two pathways that will lead to permanent residence within six months.

One pathway features criteria for child care providers that are very similar to current requirements, but without the need for the caregiver to live in the home of their employer.  In addition, caregivers in a variety of health care occupations, including registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, licensed practical nurses, nurse aides, orderlies, patient service associates and home support workers, will also have a pathway to permanent residence. Eligible caregivers in this stream would be able to gain their work experience either in providing in-home care or care in a health-care facility to an elderly person or a person with a disability or chronic medical condition. This pathway offers more career options for eligible caregivers, and targets workers in occupations that are expected to face labour shortages in the future. Applications in this stream would also be processed within six months.

As part of the 2015 Levels Plan tabled today in the House of Commons, Canada will welcome 30,000 new permanent residents in this category.

Caregivers who have already applied for Live-in Caregiver Program work permits, and any who apply based on an employer’s approved Labour Market Impact Assessment submitted before November 30, will also be able to complete the work requirement on a live-in basis and eventually apply for permanent residence.

For more information, please click here.