Over the past five months, Canada's Minister of Immigration has either created, modified or re-opened five separate categories for immigration to Canada in the economic program.

Canada's Immigration program is divided into two segments: the economic program and non economic program. Of the 250,000 - 260,000 immigrants that Canada accepts annually, 60% are economic applicants and the other 40% are family class, refugee or humanitarian and compassionate applicants. Last year Canada accepted approximately 160,000 economic immigrants.

 

Skilled Worker Class

The Skilled Worker Program has been the cornerstone of Canada’s economic immigration program. In recent years it has developed a backlog of almost a million applicants and so the Minister of Immigration introduced ministerial instructions to be able to be able to specify which occupations were eligible under this program. The program has recently reopened as of May 4, 2013, and currently 24 occupations are eligible under the skilled worker program. 

 

Phd Student Stream

This is the subset of the Skilled Worker Category that allows PhD students that are about to graduate or have graduated from Canada to apply for permanent residence from within Canada.

 

Arranged Employment

Arranged employment leads to permanent residence where an employer obtains a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from Service Canada specifying that the individual is intended to both work and ultimately reside in Canada. This is changed from the previous criteria of having an independent offer of employment. 

 

Canadian Experience Class

This immigration program grants permanent residence to those people who have previously worked or studied in Canada. Applicants may only have 1 year of work experience in Canada to be able to qualify. 

 

Federal Skilled Trades

This new program was introduced on January 2, 2013, and allows a certain trade to be eligible for permanent residence to Canada. This program is designed to alleviate Canada’s shortage of skilled trades people.

 

Provincial Nominee Program

These programs allow provinces to determine and select immigrants that will suite the needs of individual provinces. The volume of applications under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) are growing each year.

 

Live-In Caregivers

The Live-In Caregiver program is designed for those who provide in home care to children or the elderly. Applicants must first obtain a work permit and complete 24 months of work experience of full time employment after which they and their dependents are eligible to apply for permanent residence. 

 

 Catherine Sas (csas@millerthomson.com) is a practicing immigration lawyer based in Vancouver. For more information go to  www.canadian-visa-lawyer.com.