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It is a sad reality that when business people come to consult with our Vancouver immigration lawyers for Canadian immigration opportunities, we have very few options to provide them with. The Federal Investor and Entrepreneur programs were terminated in 2014. The current Start Up Visa category requires securing a Canadian financier to invest in a prospective business concept.

In the past several years, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have set ambitious immigration targets to attract newcomers to Canada. The majority of these newcomers are economic immigrants who bring human capital to our country and enrich our communities by sharing their unique set of skills, knowledge and experiences from abroad.

Canada’s Express Entry selection system can be a challenge for prospective immigrants who must score enough Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points in order to garner an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Now mid way through the fourth year of Express Entry, applicant scores earning an ITA have ranged from a high of 886 to a low of 413 but have recently settled in the mid 400’s over the past year. However, the bulk of prospective applicants in the pool, hover around the 400-point score range. How does a prospective Canadian immigrant increase their CRS score to be able to apply for permanent residence under Express Entry? Here are some tips to increase your CRS point score from the point of view of a Vancouver immigration lawyer.

As with most things in life, the success of your immigration case will often come down to timing. Having a basic understanding of the immigration application process and how long you can expect to wait to be approved can often be the difference between a successful or unsuccessful outcome because most immigration strategies will require sufficient time to successfully execute. By obtaining advice and becoming familiar with these application processes, program requirements and estimated processing time frames, you will be the master of your own immigration destiny.

International students are a key part of Canada’s economic immigration program. Under the Express Entry selection program, which is the cornerstone of Canada’s economic immigration program, applicants who have studied or worked in Canada garner more points than those who haven’t. Obtaining work in Canada is not so easy to arrange when you are in a different country and on another continent.

At the end of February 2018, the Canadian government announced its commitment of $440 million to help Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) fulfill its goal of increasing overall immigration levels over the next three years.

On February 7, 2018, Canada’s Minister of Immigration formally announced the closing of our two immigration programs for caregivers - the Caring for Children and the Caring for Persons with High Medical Needs.

Canada’s high-tech sector is booming and both the federal and B.C. provincial governments are welcoming workers with new fast track programs: The Global Talent Stream and the BC Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Tech Pilot. As a Canadian immigration lawyer, I have seen firsthand how these programs offer strategic opportunities for existing businesses who need highly skilled tech workers or for new companies looking to establish a Canadian branch office for their global tech operations.