Canada’s Parent and Grandparent lottery began on October 10, 2023 and will resume until October 23, 2023. In this time, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) intends to issue invitations to apply to 24,200 prospective sponsors who have expressed interest. These invitations will be randomly selected from the existing pool of submissions from 2020. IRCC’s objective is to secure 15,000 complete applications through this process. If you filled out the interest to sponsor form in 2020 but did not receive an invitation to apply for the PGP in 2021 or 2022, please keep a vigilant eye on ..read more

The Biden administration is announcing the provision of temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans currently residing in the United States. This move promptly allows them to seek employment opportunities. This decision comes as the administration faces an increasing influx of individuals escaping Venezuela and other regions, with their sights set on reaching the U.S.-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security intends to grant Temporary Protected Status to approximately 472,000 Venezuelans who have arrived in the country by July 31, simplifying the process for them t ..read more

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is an automated system that assists in determining eligibility to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and whether such travel poses any law enforcement or security risk. Upon completion of an ESTA application, a traveler is notified of his or her eligibility to travel to the United States under the VWP. Who Is Required to Apply for ESTA? Prior to boarding a US-bound airplane or vessel, all qualified nationals or citizens of VWP nations who plan to travel to the United States for temporary business or pleasure und ..read more

On September 19, 2023, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of IRCC, announced that the initial set of invitations for occupations in the transportation sector using a category-based selection in the Express Entry system will take place this week. This targeted strategy focuses on individuals with a background in the transportation sector, including occupations like commercial truck drivers, pilots, and workers in the assembly of aircraft. The objective is to increase the industry’s capacity to draw top talent from around the country. The Express Entry system in Canada has been designed t ..read more

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced a new requirement mandating clients to enable multi-factor authentication and verify their identity each time they access their IRCC secure accounts using GCKey login, whether they are logging in for the first time or accessing existing accounts. What Is GCKey? A GCKey user ID grants clients secure access to the Government of Canada’s online services. This comprises a user-selected GCKey username and password, with the additional step of creating security questions to safeguard their data. This account is used for a number of ..read more

According to U.S. State Department officials, it appears that the United States is poised to grant the highest number of student visas in a single year since fiscal 2016. The count of visas issued in fiscal 2023 has now surpassed 392,000. To provide context, in fiscal 2016, a total of 471,728 F1 visas were issued. In comparison to fiscal 2022, where over 411,131 international student visas were granted, including F1 visas, the U.S. will need to issue more than 40,000 international visas by the end of September to surpass the prior year’s numbers. An F1 visa is intended for individuals attendin ..read more

Canada has unveiled a fresh initiative designed to tackle labor shortages and streamline the hiring process for repeat users of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). This new pilot project, set to launch in September 2023, is known as the Recognized Employer Pilot (REP). The REP is aimed at simplifying the experience for employers who frequently rely on the TFW Program to staff essential roles in specific fields. Under this program, eligible employers will have the opportunity to secure extended Labor Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs), which will be valid for up to 36 months. This repre ..read more

A Canadian government initiative aimed at attracting highly skilled technology professionals from the United States had to close its application process on the day following its launch due to reaching the maximum limit of applicants. In the previous month, Sean Fraser, the former Immigration Minister, unveiled a fresh employment authorization designed for individuals holding H-1B visas in the United States. This move forms part of a broader strategy by the federal government to lure overseas talent. H-1B visas allow foreign individuals to work temporarily within the U.S., particularly in speci ..read more

Employment and Social Development Canada reported that the number of professions facing shortages doubled between 2019 and 2021. In the data released by Statistics Canada for the fourth quarter of 2022, job vacancies were divided into the Trades category, which included both wholesale trades and retail trades. The total number of job vacancies in wholesale trades was 30,930, while in retail trades, it was 108,795. IRCC conducted a public consultation to enhance Express Entry through category-based selection. This process involved gathering feedback and suggestions from various stakeholders and ..read more

Marc Miller has been appointed as the new Immigration Minister of Canada. This announcement was made during a recent cabinet shuffle conducted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The outgoing Immigration Minister, Sean Fraser, will now assume the position of Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities. Fraser has been serving as the Immigration Minister since October 2021, succeeding Marco Mendicino. The Canadian cabinet consists of ministers chosen by the Prime Minister, responsible for formulating policies and priorities within their respective departments. Cabinet shuffles occur appr ..read more