Steven Owen

Employer Liaison Officer

November 2017

Canada’s Economic

Immigration Programs

Outline of Presentation:

1. Economic immigration context

2. Express Entry Overview and Reforms

3. Overview of Temporary Foreign Workers

4. Global Skills Strategy

Context: Canada’s Economic Immigration Programs

Canada’s immigration system leverages both temporary and permanent resident programs as a way to enable the entry of foreign workers.

A temporary Work Permit (WP) offers employers a way to fill urgent, immediate or temporary labour shortages, either through the: Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) or International Mobility Program (IMP).

While a Permanent Resident (PR) application provides immigrants with a way to settle permanently in Canada. Express Entry (EE) is an electronic system designed to manage applications for permanent residence under the: Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and A portion of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).

Express Entry: Overview of the Process

Express Entry Pool

2. COMPREHENSIVE

RANKING SYSTEM

1. MINIMUM ENTRY

CRITERIA

3. INVITATION

TO APPLY

Expression of

Interest

Application

Processing

• With Express Entry, Canada’s economic immigration system moved from a first-in-first-out process to a system that actively and purposefully issues invitations only to the candidates who are best positioned for economic success in Canada.

• As a result, Express Entry eliminates the possibility of backlogs and enables:

– Much faster processing (6 months* or less instead of 12-14 months);

– Strong immigrant economic outcomes; and,

– A greater role for employers and provinces and territories.

Express Entry: Creating an Express Entry profile

6

– Completing an Express Entry profile is free and does not require an immigration representative

– Candidates need to be prepared to answer questions about their skills, work experience, language ability, education and other details

– To get into the pool, candidates need to meet the criteria of at least one of the federal economic immigration programs managed by Express Entry

Canadian Experience Class

Key criteria

• At least 12 months of skilled Canadian work experience (in a NOC 0, A or B job) within the last three years

• Language skills (for NOC 0 and A jobs = CLB 7 in all 4 abilities; for NOC B job = CLB 5 in all 4 abilities)

Notes to remember

The following work experience is excluded from CEC eligibility:– work while enrolled in full-time

studies in Canada– self-employment– unauthorized work

Express Entry: National Occupation Classification (NOCs)

7

– A NOC code is a number or letter that is used to identify and describe the work performed by individuals with similar jobs in an occupational area

– Work experience for immigration programs managed by Express Entry use three of these codes: 0, A or B

NOC 0 (zero)

Management jobs

NOC A Professional jobs

NOC B Technical jobs and skilled trades

Express Entry: Highlights for Employers

8

User friendly, online system from profile creation to application for permanent residence

Creating an Express Entry profile is free and a profile is active for up to one year

No occupation lists or caps for programs

Fast processing of permanent residence applications – within 6 months in most cases

Job offers and provincial nominations under an Express Entry stream are an asset, but not a requirement

Points are awarded for job offers of eligible candidates here on LMIA exempt work permits.

Job offers need to be for at least one year once an applicant receives permanent residence.

Candidates may be eligible for more than one program

The top scoring candidates in the pool are invited in every round

1. Core factors • Age• Education• Official language proficiency • Canadian work experience

2. Spouse or Common-Law Partner factors (if applicable)

3. Skills transferability factors e.g., • Education + strong language skills• Education + Canadian work experience• Canadian + foreign work experience• Foreign work exp. + strong language skills• Cert. of qualification + strong language skills

4. Additional points available*• P/T nomination• Valid job offer• Education in Canada above high school

Express Entry: Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS)

*Candidates can only receive a maximum total of 600 additional points.

Spouse or

Common-

Law Partner

NO YES

1. Core factors 500 460

2. Spouse or common-law partner factors N/A 40

3. Transferability factors 100 100

4. Additional points available*

P/T Nomination 600 600

Job Offer – NOC 00 200 200

Job Offer – NOC 0, A or B 50 50

Education in Canada – one- or two-

year diploma or certificate

15 15

Education in Canada – three-year

program, Master’s, doctoral, entry-

to-practice professional degree

30 30

Express Entry: Additional Points for Valid Job Offers

10

• A total of 200 points are awarded to candidates with a valid job offer in a NOC 00 occupation (Senior Managers)

• A total of 50 points are awarded to candidates with a valid job offer in any other NOC 0, A or B occupation (any skilled occupation)

• A job offer must be for a minimum of one year once an applicant receives permanent residence.

Job offers must also be non-seasonal, at the NOC 0, A or B level and supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) unless one is not needed

Candidates who don’t have a valid job offer can still get points for Canadian work experience

Notes to remember

In November 2016, several Express Entry reforms were introduced, including:

A reduction of points for job offers– To strike a better balance between labour market responsiveness and immigrant

outcomes

Introduction of points for Canadian study– To ensure more former international students are invited to apply

More facilitative job offer requirements– To better reflect current labour market realities, including easing the job offer

requirements

In June 2017, some additional changes were made, including:

Points for French-speaking candidates:

– To support the vitality of Francophone Minority Communities by attracting more

French-speaking candidates to the Express Entry pool and increasing the likelihood

that these candidates will receive an invitation to apply

Points for candidates with siblings in Canada

– Having a sibling in Canada has been shown to improve health and social outcomes

by accelerating a newcomer’s integration into their new life in Canada

Express Entry: Recently-implemented Reforms

12

Express Entry: Invitation to Apply (ITA)

• ITAs are issued to the highest scoring candidates in the pool in each round

• Candidates could be among the top scoring if they: • Have a high level of skills, education, language and work

experience;

• Are nominated by a province or territory under an Express Entry stream;

• Have a valid job offer; or

• Have studied in Canada. 11

Context: Canada’s Economic Immigration Programs (Part 2)

While processing times for bringing in economic immigrants on a permanent basis have improved significantly with the introduction of Express Entry, some employers still find than a commitment of “80% of applications processed within 6 months” does not satisfy immediate job pressures within highly competitive industries trying to draw on top global talent.

As a result, the use of Work Permits (WP) under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and Immigrant Mobility Program (IMP) continues to represent a great portion of all economic immigrants coming to Canada.

In that context, the Government of Canada launched on June 12, 2017 the new Global Skills Strategy (GSS) – a suite of facilitative measures aimed at providing faster and more predictable access to top global talent through the TFWP and IMP: Two-week processing (IRCC) Work permit exemptions (IRCC) Dedicated Service Channel (IRCC) Global Talent Stream (ESDC)

Temporary foreign workers are a solution for employers with urgent, immediate or temporary labour shortages.

Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)

Employer-specific work permit, with requirement for Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

To apply for an LMIA*, among other things, you will need to:

• demonstrate the efforts you have made to recruit or train Canadians;

• offer salaries and work conditions that meet the standards;

• pay the $1,000 fee.

*Apply to Employment and Social Development Canada / Service Canada

International Mobility Program (IMP)

Work permits that are exempt from LMIA based on reciprocal benefits and competitive advantages for Canadians

There are several streams, including:

• Employer-specific work permits: Intra-company transferees (C12), Mobilité francophone (C16), NAFTA professionals (T23), Provincial Nominees (T13)

• Open work permits: Post-graduation employment (C41), Spouses of international students and of highly-qualified foreign workers (C42), International Experience Canada (C21)

Temporary Foreign Workers: Overview

• Canadian firms need to be able to access the skills and expertise of talented workers from around the world to succeed in the global marketplace.

• Although the Canadian labour market is a source of strength, our core working population is small relative to our competitors, meaning that employers are not always able to source experienced, skilled workers from within Canada.

• As a recognized leader in economic immigration, Canada’s immigration programs need to adapt to accommodate the emphasis on speed, predictability and responsiveness that increasingly drive investment decisions.

• The Minister of Finance announced the Global Skills Strategy as part of the Fall Economic Statement. Co-led by the departments of IRCC and ESDC, the strategy had the explicit objective of facilitating employer access to highly-skilled foreign workers.

• After extensive stakeholder consultation throughout early 2017, the Strategy launched on June 12, 2017.

Global Skills Strategy: Context

Two-week Service Standard

to support economic growth &improve predictability

Work permits for high-skilled talent will be processed in two weeks or less.

Work Permit Exemptions

For short duration, high-value work

Skilled workers and top research talent able to come work in Canada for short periods with less red tape.

Dedicated Service Channel

For employers bringing significant investment to

Canada

Departmental staff ready to guide employers through the immigration process to help meet their specific needs.

IRC

C

Global Talent Stream (ESDC)

For skilled occupations in shortage and for employers with specialized talent needs

Processing global talent applications from Canadian employers in 10 business days while tracking benefits for Canadians on job creation, knowledge and skills training investments.

ESDC

Global Skills Strategy: Pillars

• For more information about the Employer Liaison Network

– Canada.ca/ExpressEntry

– Click on the link Hire permanent workers to learn about Express Entry from an employer perspective

• To request the advice of an ELN officer about how to access IRCC’s economic immigration programs, or to schedule a presentation in your region:

– Email EEengagement@cic.gc.ca

IRCC Employer Liaison Network (ELN): Contact Information

Thank you

Steven Owen

Employer Liaison Officer

Immigration Refugees and

Citizenship Canada

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program

2nd Annual Simcoe County Manufacturers’ Forum

November 30, 2017

Overview of Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program

• The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is Ontario’s provincial nominee program.

• The Program provides a pathway to permanent residence for economic immigrants who can help meet Ontario’s labour market needs.

• The federal government has responsibility for immigration selection. Through provincial nominee programs, provinces and territories are able to “nominate” individuals for permanent residence.

• Once nominated, individuals can then apply to the federal government for permanent residence.o Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada screens nominees for admissibility (health,

security, and criminality) when they apply for permanent residence.

• Each year the federal government determines how many individuals Ontario can nominate for permanent residence.

o Ontario's nomination allocation for 2017 was 6,000. Ontario fulfilled its allocation on November 22nd, 2017

OINP Stream Categories

OINP has three program categories:

1. An Employer/Job Offer Category that allows Ontario businesses to fill HR needs in professional, managerial, skilled trades and certain low/semi-skilled occupations with foreign workers and international students. Recruited workers may be hired from within or outside Canada.

• There are three streams under the Employer Job Offer category:• Foreign Worker• International Student• In-Demand Skills (introduced in 2017)

2. A Human Capital Category for individuals with the skills, education, and language ability in English and/or French needed to succeed in Ontario’s labour market. A job offer is not required for this category.

• There are five streams under the Human Capital Category:o Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Prioritieso Ontario’s Express Entry French-Speaking Skilled Workero Ontario’s Express Entry Skilled Trades (introduced in 2017)o International Students - Masters Graduateo International Students - PhD Graduate

OINP Stream Categories, cont’d

3. A Business Category targeting individuals and corporations with a viable business activity that will bring significant economic benefit to Ontario. There are two streams under this category:

• Corporate Stream: • Targets established international corporations looking to expand into Ontario or buy

an existing business.• Key staff have the opportunity to be nominated for permanent residence once their

business has been successfully established.

• Entrepreneur Stream: • Targets experienced entrepreneurs from outside Canada who are looking to implement

a new business initiative or buy an existing business in Ontario.• Entrepreneurs have the opportunity to be nominated for permanent residence once

their new business has been successfully established in Ontario.

Stream Criteria: Employer Job Offer

Requirement

Employer Job Offer

Foreign WorkersInternational Students In-Demand Skills

Legal Status (if in Canada)

Job Offer NOC 0, A or B occupation NOC 0, A or B occupation

7 eligible NOC C or D

occupations

Work

Experience2 years in the last 5 years in

the NOC of the job offer 1 year in the last 3 years in

the NOC of the job offer

Education

Language

Ability

Intention to

Reside

Employer

CriteriaActive Business

Business Premises in Ontario

Regulatory Compliance

Gross Annual Revenue

Number of Employees

Recruitment Efforts

Stream Criteria: International Graduates and Express Entry

RequirementInternational

Graduates

(Masters and PhD)

Express Entry

French-Speaking Human Capital Skilled Trades

Legal Status (if in Canada)

Job Offer

Work

Experience NOC 0, A or B

occupation

NOC 0, A or B

occupation

Select NOC B

occupations

Education

Language

Ability

Intention to

Reside

Applying to the OINP

• All applications to the OINP must be submitted online via the OINP e-Filing Portal.

• The OINP e-Filing Portal makes it easier for applicants to apply to the program and improves processing times.

• The OINP e-Filing Portal is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Through the e-Filing Portal, applicants are able to:

• Submit an application and all supporting documents online

• Submit electronic payment

• Appoint a representative, and

• Check the status of their application at any time.

• Fees for the program are:

• $1,500/application for international students with a job offer; Express Entry streams; international graduates; and foreign workers outside of the GTA;

• $2,000/application for foreign workers within the GTA;

• $3,500/application for Corporate and Entrepreneur streams.

Questions?

Children & Community

Services Department

International Experience Counts!

Population

2016, SimcoeCounty

Population:479,650

Immigrants 61,605

2031 projections:667,000

Population Contributors:

Natural Increase

Migration

International

Interprovincial

Intraprovincial

Source: Statistics Canada for 1996-2010 and Ontario Ministry of Finance Projections (Spring 2011).

Population Estimates and Projections for the Census Division of Simcoe,1996-2036

Source: 2011 Stats Canada National Household Survey

Non-Metro Intraprovincial Migration:

All Ages

Source: Data from Rural Ontario Institute.“Focus on Rural Ontario.” September 2014,

http://www.ruralontarioinstitute.ca/.Accessed August 18,2015

County Distribution: Language

2016 Immigration

61,605 (13.07%)

Recent Immigrants

4,115

Asia: 2,065

Europe: 1,095

Americas: 720

Africa: 190

Oceania: 40

Get Connected

Hireimmigrants.Simcoe.ca

Employment Ontario Agencies

Simcoe MuskokaWorkforce

Development Board

Job Central

Employer Education Sessions – Spring

2018

Hire Immigrants Makes Good Business

$ense

Questions

Simcoe County Local

Immigration

Partnership

Sandra Lee

sandra.lee@simcoe.ca

sclip@simcoe.ca