The New Express Entry Drawing: What’s the Passing Score?

On September 14, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued 3,250 invitations to apply for the next Express Entry, the sixth since the July 6 renewal of all programs.

The minimum Comprehensive Rating System (CRS) score was 510. No specific programs were identified in the draw, meaning that invitations were issued to applicants from Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). The Express Entry Program is one of the most prominent ways to immigrate to Canada.

Prior to the last drawing on August 31, the number of applicants who received an ITA increased by 250 with each drawing. Last week there was a significant increase of 500, and the latest drawing is a continuation of this trend. There has also been a gradual decline in the minimum CRS score, which loses eight to nine points with each draw. However, this draw differs from the others in that the minimum score has dropped by only six points. The minimum CRS score in the July 6 drawing was 557.

The IRCC has suspended all Express Entry draws for 18 months, beginning in December 2020. During that time, only applicants eligible for CEC or PNP permanent residency were invited to apply. However, in September 2021, the CEC drawings were also suspended.

What has Canada done for Ukraine in six months of war?

It has been six months since Russia launched its February 24 attack on Ukraine, causing loss of life, destruction and international condemnation.

From the start of the invasion, Canada spoke out in support of Ukraine, offering financial, military and humanitarian aid, and the House of Commons unanimously declared what was happening in Ukraine “genocide.”

The federal government joined with other countries in imposing sanctions against an ever-growing list of individuals and entities, promising that retaliatory measures would be taken despite Russia’s opposition.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that while he hopes the war will end “quickly,” Canada “will support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people with whatever it takes for as long as it takes.”

In May, Trudeau made a surprise weekend trip to Ukraine.

During the visit, designed to show Canada’s support for the country, the prime minister reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to provide military assistance to Ukraine and also imposed another package of sanctions against Russia.

Trudeau went with Chrystia Freeland and Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie. They toured the devastation in the Kiev suburb of Irpen, which had been heavily bombed by the Russians.

The visit followed trips to Ukraine by other world leaders and was seen as a symbol of solidarity and strength.

What fields are Canadians going to work in after the pandemic?

Amanda Ryan, who lives in New Brunswick, had her own cleaning business until last year, when she decided to become a realtor.

“I had a cleaning business for a long time, and my body was starting to feel the effects of constant cleaning,” says Ryan, a mother of two.

A year after changing careers, Ryan says the work has proven challenging, but enjoyable. And more rewarding.

Such career changes come amid a tightening labor market, which leads to shortages in the industries that workers have left. Overall, Canada’s unemployment rate remains at 4.9 percent, the lowest since 1970.

Examination of the data also shows long-term changes in the country’s labor market, caused by demographic shifts that have occurred over the decades. The data show a sharp shift toward certain sectors, such as government, educational services and real estate, and away from others, such as catering, agriculture and construction.

Labor economist Fabian Lange of McGill University in Montreal says many workers seem to be moving up the “job ladder” toward industries with better compensation and benefits, a phenomenon he is now documenting in the U.S.

Amid such a tight labor market, offered hourly wages have risen substantially in some sectors, such as technical and information services, while in other areas, such as manufacturing, food service and retail, they continue to lag.

 

New Express Entry draw: Pass rates down, invitations up

Canada held its fourth draw for all Express Entry programs since July 6.

The IRCC issued 2,250 invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residency. The Comprehensive Rating System (CRS) qualifying score was 525.

No specific program was specified in this drawing, which means that candidates from the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) were eligible for the invitation.

A total of 7,500 candidates have received an ITA since the July 6 renewal for all programs. The number of invited candidates has steadily increased by 250 with each drawing, and the minimum CRS score has steadily decreased by eight to nine points. The current minimum score is 32 points lower than the July 6 draw of 557.

Canada plans to admit 55,900 permanent residents through Express Entry in 2022, and that number will rise sharply to 111,500 by the end of 2024.

By inviting applicants through Express Entry, IRCC can process applications more efficiently because applicants already meet the basic eligibility level, according to their CRS score. Now that the draw has resumed, IRCC is aiming for a six-month review period for new applications.

However, the IRCC is considering future Express Entry draws focused on specific skills and occupations instead of relying solely on CRS scores. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said in June that this way Canada could select more immigrants who are already job-ready.

In Canada, people are more attached to language than country

According to a new study, more Canadians say they are strongly attached to their primary language than to other identity attributes, including the country they call home.

The Leger survey, commissioned by the Association for Canadian Studies, found that 88 percent of respondents felt a strong attachment to their mother tongue, while 85 percent said the same about Canada.

The high importance of language was particularly characteristic of Francophones and Indigenous peoples.

Evidence of strong attachment to the primary language trumped all other markers of identity, including geography, ethnic group, race, and religion.

Of all the identity markers examined in the study, Canadians were the least likely to report a strong attachment to a religious group.

Jack Jedwab, president of the Association for Canadian Studies, said the findings highlight the important role of language in people’s self-image.

Jedwab said people should remember not to downplay the importance of language, given how meaningful it can be to society. He said language serves the dual function of facilitating communication and being a manifestation of culture.

91 percent of Canadians whose primary language is French said they felt strongly about their language, compared to 67 percent who said the same feeling about Canada.

 

Canada approves new language test for immigration

The IRCC recently approved a new language test for economic class immigration applicants.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) anticipates that the test will begin in early to mid-2023.

Currently, there are only four designated organizations: IELTS and CELPIP for English, and TEF and TCF for French.

The IRCC says that despite some initial difficulties during the pandemic, the number of designated testing organizations continues to meet demand. Nevertheless,

the growing number of language test organizations seeking status is a reason for the IRCC to improve the situation.

The announcement says the IRCC will be reviewing potential proposals over the next 12 months. If implemented, these changes are expected to result in even more organizations being interested in seeking status.

Departmental roles and responsibilities related to language testing are currently not clearly defined and have an overlapping policy and operational implications.

The language testing team at the IRCC, part of the Immigration Division, must balance the work of maintaining the file and promoting the new policy priorities.

The IRCC is currently reviewing the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) because some are concerned that it is too granular for testing purposes compared to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Instead of a score on a scale of one to seven, CEFR examiners receive a score on an alphanumeric scale: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2.

Interesting facts about Canada

Every country in the world has its peculiarities, and Canada is no exception to the rule. The most striking of these differences have been brought together. Canadians are a very distinctive people whose traditions and customs are due in no small part to the country’s geographic location, climate, and historical past.

 The following interesting facts about Canada and Canadians themselves are a prime example of their diversity

 

Famous Canadians

 In fact, Canada has given the world quite a lot of famous personalities, but not everyone knows about their Canadian origins. Thus, this list includes actors who have achieved fame in Hollywood, musicians and even authors of graphic novels. Here is a list of the most famous of them: 

Justin Bieber – musician; 

Michael Bublé – singer; 

James Cameron – filmmaker;

 Jim Carrey – actor; Celine Dion – singer; 

Ryan Gosling – actor;

 Rachel McAdams – actress;

 Mike Myers – actor; 

Ryan Reynolds – actor; 

William Shatner – actor, writer;

 Brian Adams – musician;

 Neil Young – singer; 

Avril Lavigne – singer;

 Joe Schuster – co-author of the graphic novel SupermanFacts about Canada’s geography 

 

As we can see, Canada surprises the world not only with its celebrity descendants, but also with some geographical facts that are perhaps only possible in this country. 

Here are a few of the most interesting features: 

Canada is the second largest country in the world; 

Ottawa is the capital of Canada and one of the coldest capitals in the world; 

Montreal is second only to Paris for the number of French speakers;

 Canada is home to 9% of the world’s renewable water resources; 

Canada has six time zones; 

The city of Calgary in the province of Alberta has a strange feature – a weather phenomenon that can cause the air temperature to rise by 10 degrees in a matter of minutes. This phenomenon is called Chinook wind; 

Despite its vast territory, Canada has one of the lowest population densities. In the country, there are only three people per square kilometer;

 Almost half of Canada’s population was born in other countries;

 It rains 330 days a year in Ocean Falls, British Columbia; 

The sunniest place in Canada is Estevan in the province of Saskatchewan. There the sun shines for 2,537 hours a year. 

 

Interesting facts about life in Canada

 Canadians love to spend time in front of the television and prefer to live in cities. Many residents of the world can agree with them on this. 

In Canada, 81% of the population lives in cities;

 Canadians can deduct a number of things on their tax returns. For example, dog food is not tax deductible; 

Canadians like to end a sentence with the word Eh;

 Canadians call a one-dollar coin “Looney.” 

In Canada, 17% of the population are smokers; 

Canadians spend 21 hours a week watching TV. 128,000 Canadian homes have a television in the bathroom.

 

Sports in Canada 

Few countries in the world can boast such a number of Olympics and such a love of winter sports. The national sports in Canada are hockey and lacrosse; 

Canada invented the baseball glove in 1883; 

Canada has hosted the Olympics three times – Montreal (1976), Calgary (1988) and Vancouver (2010);

 The first game of indoor ice hockey was played on March 3, 1875 in Montreal, Vancouver. 

Famous Inventions 

In fact, the list of notable Canadian inventions is quite long, listed below are just the most significant. 

Canada invented the popular board game Trivial Pursuit; 

The first telephone was invented in Canada by Alexander Graham Bell; 

The game of basketball was invented by Canadian-American teacher James Naismith; 

The snowmobile was invented by Canadian Joseph-Armand Bombardier;

 Canadian scientist Thomas Ahern patented the electric water heater and electric furnace; 

Canadian filmmaker Graham Ferguson invented IMAX. The digital system was widely used in all cinemas around the world;

 Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, was first discovered by Canadian physician Frederick Bunting and his assistant Charles Best; 

University of Toronto biophysicist James Till and his colleague Ernest McCulloch proved the existence of stem cells.

 

Food and Drink in Canada 

Canadians love to eat good food and you can’t take that away from them. By the way, they also like to drink, but it’s not at all what you think. Canada is famous for its ice wine, which is made from pressed frozen grapes. It is usually a dessert type of wine; 

Cheddar is the most popular cheese in Canada. On average, Canadians consume 10.6 kilograms of cheese per person per year; 

Canada has the highest number of donut stores per capita than any other country; 

Canada has the highest number of people in the world drinking fruit juice. 

Other interesting facts about Canada 

The smallest prison in the world is located in Edmonton, with an area of 24.3 square meters; 

The province of Saskatchewan has no daylight saving time; 

The West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Canada is so huge that it is the fifth largest in the world;

 Canada produces the most uranium in the world; 

There are 459 cars for every thousand people in Canada;

 The 9.3 kg lobster is the largest recorded lobster. It was caught in Nova Scotia in 1977.

Education on Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is one of the Maritime Provinces in eastern Canada, located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence east of New Brunswick and north of Nova Scotia. The island is known for its red sand beaches, lighthouses, fertile lands, and large quantities of harvested seafood, including lobsters and mussels. The provincial capital, Charlottetown, is home to Victorian-style government buildings and a modern Confederate Arts Center with a theater and art gallery. 

There are only a few educational institutions on the island that are popular with students.

The University of Prince Edward Island , or UPEI for short, is the public and only university in the province of Prince Edward Island.

It was founded in 1969 by an Act of the Provincial Parliament, resulting from the merger of Prince of Wales College and the University of St Dunstan. University campus, located on the site of the former Father St. Dunstan’s in Charlottetown.

 

UPEI has four faculties :

– Faculty of Arts. 

– Faculty of Education

– Faculty of Special Sciences.

– Atlantic Veterinary College

In addition to this faculty, the university also has a School of Business and a School of Nursing and Nursing 

Holland College is a provincial community college in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. It is named for Captain Samuel Holland, an engineer and surveyor in the British Army.

It was formed by the Prince Edward Island government in 1969 as a result of the education reform policy of the Prince Edward Island Comprehensive Development Plan, which closed the province’s two religiously affiliated institutions of higher education, St. Dunstan’s University and Prince of Wales College, and created the non-denominational University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) and Holland College.

Campuses and Centers:

– Atlantic Police Academy, Slemon Park, Summerside

– Prince of Wales Campus, Charlottetown

– Belmont Center, Charlottetown

– Tourism and Culinary Centre, Charlottetown (home of the Culinary Institute of Canada and Canada’s smartest cuisine)

– Georgetown Centre, Georgetown

– Maritime Learning Centre, Summerside

– Summerside Waterfront Campus, Summerside

 

Holland College offers more than 60 one-year certificate and two-year diploma programs.

The college offers nearly $500,000 in scholarships and benefits to eligible students. In 2010, the college joined Project Hero, a scholarship program co-founded by Gen. (Ret.) Rick Hillier for the families of the fallen.

Features of working in Canada

Canada has a fairly high standard of living, excellent salaries, quiet friendly people, low crime rate and many other positive qualities, attractive to all who dream to move. 

What do I need to move and work in Canada?

A work visa is required for foreigners to work in Canada. Being in the country on such a visa, you can move your family there. Even a temporary job is a big plus and the first step on your way to success. If you have experience working for a Canadian company, it will be a big advantage when you are looking for a new job.

Obtaining a work visa can be quite difficult. The Canadian government seeks to provide jobs primarily for its citizens, so there are different requirements for both the employer and the foreign applicant. One of them is the level of proficiency in English or French. 

Who is in demand in Canada?

In Canada, it is easiest to find a job for highly skilled IT specialists, programmers. Engineers, welders, electricians, mechanics, mechanics, plumbers, harvesters are also always needed. For women, there are jobs as nannies, caregivers, saleswomen, maids, cleaners, etc.

How much do they pay for different jobs in Canada?

Skilled labor pays an average of $2,500 per month. Hourly pay is often common. For example, programmers may be paid $32 an hour at the start (probationary period). Workers with low qualifications receive $1,500 to $2,000.

 

The main peculiarities of the Canadian job search: what do you need to know?

Canada belongs to the number of countries, whose economy is in need of specialists of different professions with a high level of qualification, as well as handymen, cleaners, nannies, caregivers. The number of citizens wishing to go to this country is constantly growing. It is extremely important for each of them to find their first job as soon as possible.

 

Let’s take a look at what kind of employees are preferred by Canadian employers and what special requirements they have for applicants.

Four basic requirements for candidates

Entrepreneurs, farmers, and business owners in various industries are looking for professionals who are capable of solving tasks efficiently, within the specified time frame. Therefore, first of all, they take specialists who have sufficient experience in a certain field of activity.

 

The candidate for the position must meet the following 4 criteria:

  1. Sufficient knowledge of English, and in the region of Quebec it is desirable to understand and be able to speak French. Proof of language skills is the IELTS certificate, as well as an understanding of the task in hand without further explanation, and the ability to independently locate the information required to solve problems quickly and efficiently.

 

  1. Documentary proof of qualifications, educational documents. If the diploma, which the applicant for the vacancy provides, was obtained in an educational institution of another country, it is necessary to carry out the procedure of evaluation. Evaluation is a full translation of the educational documents, including notes and annexes with the list of academic subjects, courses and grades, as well as an evaluation of the level of your qualifications according to Canadian standards. 

 

3) Canadian work experience. The requirement is seemingly strange and impossible to fulfill, as a newcomer to the country cannot have this experience. There are two ways to turn this seemingly impossible situation in your favor:

– agree to work outside of their field of study;

– to become as a volunteer.

Having gained this experience, you will be able to apply for vacancies that match your education and professional level.

And the fourth requirement to potential candidates is also not quite usual: the applicant should not be overqualified, i.e. have skills that are more complex than necessary in a particular case. Therefore, when submitting your resume and supporting documents, make sure they are fully relevant to the job you have chosen.

 

An immigrant who has no Canadian experience and is unsure of the realities of life overseas is ready to accept any offer. The employment process will go much faster and more successfully if you remember that Canadian employers are looking for the candidate who best meets the requirements. There are several important things to keep in mind as you decide which fields are right for you:

– Prepare a separate package of documents for each position: resume and references;

– Be sure to think of a strategy for the interview;

– Inquire about the level of salaries in the region in your chosen industry or social area.

Although at the first stage the key criterion should not be money, but the fact that the candidate who is able to cope with a certain range of responsibilities has advantages.

Employers in this country are not interested in all of your accomplishments and skills in various fields. They want to see that your abilities are commensurate with the job requirements. The purpose of the application is to get an invitation to an interview where you can demonstrate your ability to meet the challenges. The document can be drawn up independently, using free templates, or you can save money and hire a professional.

 

And one more important detail: in order to learn as much as possible about you, you need to deliver information to them. To do this, you should not only send a letter directly to the office of the company, but also place your resume on specialized sites of recruitment agencies. 

Preparing for an interview

An invitation to a meeting is a good sign for the job seeker, the main thing is not to miss the chance, to convince the manager who conducts the interview in the ability to perform the tasks described in the vacancy. You can read about the basics of proper behavior at the interview on the websites or sign up for training and be trained by professionals.

Recommendations .

When going to a meeting with a potential employer, you should be prepared for the fact that he will ask for references. There are several ways to get references:

– Asking a business acquaintance or previous manager;

– Earn money through volunteering.

If you ask for a reference, make sure that it is unvarnished, because every business owner values his or her reputation. Characteristics should not be forged by stating a fictitious name and nonexistent contacts, because the person willing to give you a job, most likely will want to personally communicate with those who signed the letter of recommendation, and fraud is exposed.

To summarize, it is possible to save yourself from unnecessary problems and successfully solve the problem of employment. It is necessary in advance, even before you leave your home country, to study in detail the information about the principles of job search, to know who to ask for help, and to prepare a full package of necessary documents.

 

How to Immigrate to Canada as a Web Developer

Web development is a noble profession and Canada welcomes web developers from all around the world. If you are a qualified specialist you can find a better future in Canada by applying for the immigration process with us.   

Every occupation on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) is assigned an immigration code and the code for those looking to emigrate to Canada as a Web Developer is 2175. This is also known as the NOC Code for Web Developers.

Most likely you have read online that having a job offer to move to Canada is a requirement for accessing the Express Entry process. 

However, as a Web Developer, you also have other options to secure your Canadian Visa from the beginning.

This is great news for Web Developers worldwide hoping to live and work in Canada.

Express Entry for Canada is not a visa class at all, it is simply the method or a database that Canadian Immigration uses to select the right candidates for a permanent residency visa and in that case, as a Web Developer looking to immigrate to Canada we’ll be looking at the Federal Skilled Worker visa and Provincial Nominee program.

Once you initiate contact with our agency we will take care of the complicated details that the process ensues and we will make sure you get the best opportunities provided for you to move to Canada in accordance with your experience and skill.