Canada Immigration News

Migrants will soon be able to apply for 'Express Entry,' for Canada under a new scheme which will be launched in January 2015.

Citizenship and immigration minister Chris Alexander has urged employers to make sure they are ready for the new Express Entry scheme. Meetings are currently being held across the country with stakeholders and business leaders, to ensure the transition to the new scheme runs smoothly when it is launched in the new year. More meetings are set to take place within the coming months.

The Canadian government has launched a new initiative to speed up the visit visa application process for citizens from India and Brazil, in order to try and encourage tourists to visit from these two countries.

As part of this pilot program, applicants will no longer have to visit immigration centres but can apply online, reducing the turnaround time to complete the visa application process.

The Canadian immigration minister Chris Alexander has welcomed the first immigrant to come to Canada under the Start-Up visa for entrepreneurs. Alex Zadorozhnyi is an IT entrepreneur from Ukraine. He and his business partner have launched Zeetl Inc, a tech start-up with assistance from Canadian venture capitalists.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada have issued new guidance for staff processing applications for work permits for Intra Company Transferees with 'specialized knowledge'.

The new guidelines introduce tougher requirements to come in as a 'specialized knowledge' worker. In some cases there will also be a minimum wage requirement.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Canadian federal government's immigration department, has announced major changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

The TFWP allows foreign workers to acquire Canadian work permits.

On Friday 20th June 2014, Canada's employment minister Jason Kenney and the immigration minister Chris Alexander announced the changes in a joint press conference. The two ministers said that their "reform" of the system would help to prevent abuse.

The main reforms are

More than 1,400 Chinese citizens who had their applications for Canadian permanent residence visas terminated when the Immigrant Investor Program was closed are suing the Canadian government.

The 1,400 are part of a class action launched in the Canadian federal court on 4th June 2014 after Canadian immigration minister Chris Alexander announced the closure of the program in February this year.

They have been joined by another 100 disappointed applicants from other countries including Turkey, the UK, South Africa and India.