New Canadian Immigration Programs in 2021

On April 14 the Canadian Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship has announced the start of a new way to get Canadian permanent residency in 2021. It is worth mentioning, that this pathway is developed for over 90,000 workers and international graduates who are essential to Canada`s economy and health care system today. Temporary workers and international graduates who are already in Canada and who possess the skills and experience needed to fight the pandemic and accelerate the economic recovery of Canada will be able to get permanent residence status. New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021 puts special emphasis on temporary workers employed in Canadian hospitals and long-term care homes and on the workers of other essential sectors, including international graduates.

To be eligible to apply for a New Pathway Immigration Program in Canada, workers must have at least one year of Canadian work experience in a healthcare profession or another pre-approved essential occupation. International graduates are allowed to participate in the program if they have completed an eligible Canadian post-secondary program within the last four years, and no earlier than January 2017.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will accept applications under the three following streams:

• stream for temporary workers in health care (20,000 applications);
• stream for temporary workers in other selected essential occupations (30,000 applications);
• stream for international students who graduated from a Canadian institution (40,000 applications).

New Pathway to Canadian Permanent Immigration in 2021 streams will open on May 6, 2021, and remain open until November 5, 2021 (or until they reach their limit). It is worth mentioning, that three more streams have also been launched for French-speaking or bilingual candidates. Immigration remains critical to the Canadian economic recovery, as the country continues the fight against the pandemic.  

New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021 is designed to encourage essential temporary workers and international graduates to stay in Canada and help the country retain the talented workers it needs, particularly in the healthcare system. 

According to the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada will welcome 401,000 new permanent residents this year. COVID-19 pandemic has shown the need to fill many essential occupations. New Permanent Residency Program in2021 can help to stabilize the workforce both for pandemic recovery and lead to future economic recovery. It is also worth mentioning, that many foreign workers have made extraordinary contributions to Canada during times of pandemic, but they also face difficulty in qualifying and applying for permanent residence in the country. This pathway is a direct response to this contribution and the challenges, which temporary workers and international graduates face.

Throughout the pandemic period, applications for permanent residence continued to be accepted and processed. But the global travel restrictions and capacity constraints in 2020, have led to a shortfall in immigration admissions. The New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021 addresses foreign nationals who are already employed in Canada, who contribute to the labor market of the country and are consistent with the goals of Canada’s economic immigration programming. 

The New Pathway to Permanent Immigration in 2021 eligibility requirements for principal applicants differ depending on a stream. To be allowed to apply for permanent residency, a foreign national must:

1. have at least one year of full-time work experience in Canada or the equivalent of part-time experience. Their occupation must be listed in Annex A or Annex B of the New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021;
2. be employed in Canada at the time of application for permanent residency;
3. meet the definition of work under Regulations 73(2);
4. must have been authorized according to the Act and Regulations;
5. must not have been self-employed (exception - working as a medical doctor in a fee-for-service arrangement with a health authority);
6. demonstrate a level of language proficiency of at least benchmark 4 in English or French (the evaluation must be less than two years old when the permanent residence application is received);
7. live in Canada with valid temporary resident status 
8. be physically present in Canada at the time the application for permanent residence is received and approved; 
9. plan to live in a province or territory other than the province of Quebec.

If the above mentioned requirements are met, you can start the application process. To apply for the New Pathway Immigration Program in Canada in 2021, you must submit the forms provided by the Department for this public policy. The application must include all proof that is necessary to satisfy a delegated officer and demonstrate that you meet the eligibility requirements. It is also possible to submit your application under the New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021 using electronic means. Applicants who are unable to electronically submit any document or provide a signature or information because of a disability may submit the application by any other means that are available for that purpose. Remember, that foreign nationals are not inadmissible under the Act and Regulations.

All the abovementioned supporting documents are necessary to assess whether an applicant meets the conditions of the New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021 at the time of their application. Delegated officers also retain discretion to request additional supporting documentation to confirm admissibility and eligibility throughout the processing of the application under the New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021.

In-Canada family members of a principal applicant for the New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021 are eligible to be granted permanent residence too. They must meet the following conditions:

1. be a foreign national living in Canada;
2. be included as an accompanying family member in an application by a principal applicant of the New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021;
3. be a “family member” according to the Regulations; 
4. be not inadmissible pursuant to the Act and Regulations.

The delegated officer must also determine that the principal applicant meets all eligibility requirements to receive permanent residence pursuant to the New Pathway Canadian Immigration Program in 2021.

Family members of a principal applicant who live abroad are also eligible to be granted permanent residence under the New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021. They must meet the following conditions:

1. be a foreign national living abroad;
2.  be included as an accompanying family member in an application for permanent residence by a principal applicant under the New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021;
3. be a “family member” according to the Regulations; 
4. be not inadmissible pursuant to the Act and Regulations.

The delegated officer must also determine that the principal applicant meets all eligibility requirements to receive permanent residence pursuant to the New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021.

All the application fees, including fees for processing, must be paid at the time of application for the New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021.

The New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021 comes into effect on May 6, 2021, and will end on November 5, 2021, or once the intake cap of the applicable stream is reached. The applications will be processed under this temporary public policy of Canada, subject to the applicable intake cap. It is worth mentioning, that any applications received after the intake cap for the respective stream of the New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021 has been reached, will not be processed by the IRCC.

Today Canada faces serious demographic challenges, there are 3 people of working age for each senior and by 2035 there will be only 2. That is why the Government of Canada initiated the New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021. It applies to workers in 40 healthcare occupations and 95 other essential jobs including caregiving, food production, and distribution. International graduates and workers must be proficient in one of Canada’s official languages and meet the general admissibility requirements of the pathway. Remember, New Pathway to Permanent Residency 2021 includes dedicated spaces for French-speaking or bilingual candidates and has no limit on applications for them.

 

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