Canada releases application guide for 6 new immigration programs

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released the full details on 6 new immigration programs through application guides for international students and essential workers.

The guide on the government website gives official instructions on how to apply for the new limited-time immigration routes opening May 6 at noon EST. No more applications will not be accepted from November 5 or when the maximum capacity has been reached for the immigration program.

Overview on application guides

• Before you apply, you must take the following points into account:
• You must be working in the country when you applied under these programs.
• Can practice any profession when you apply. For essential workers, they must at least 1,560 hours of work in the past three years and graduate stream applicants must have a Canadian degree.
• Must apply with all the required documents that include the language test result report, and then pay the fees.
• Apply for multiple feeds if you wish, but you will need to pay a fee for each application.
• The admission process will be first in, first out.
• If you currently live in Quebec, you may still be eligible, provided you can demonstrate to the agent that you intend to move to another province or make a job offer in another province.
• Independent experience does not count for these streams.
• Wet signatures are not required on documents except for the use of the representative form. There will be a certificate at the end of the online application, which will serve as a signature.
• The fee can be paid online in advance and upload the receipt with your application. If you overpay, IRCC will start processing your request and send you an automatic refund.

What is the application process?

The application portal will start accepting applications from May 6 at noon Eastern Standard Time. 

The government website has an eligibility tool. This tool will allow you to select the immigration stream for which you want to apply and display the eligibility conditions. This is not a necessary step, but it is for your information.

You can then create an account. After that, you will see a document checklist.

After agreeing to terms and conditions, you can create an account with your email address and password. You will receive a message sent to the email address you provided with a verification code, which you can copy and paste. With your email and password log into the portal.

Then you will get a document checklist. You should make sure to validate your forms and submit them with 2D barcodes. This form has no signature. A certificate at the end is considered a signature by the customer. Representatives form requires a wet signature. There is a separate place to download this form.

Documents for your eligible work or study experience are also required to be submitted with the application. There will be additional locations for dependents to add files.

After this step, you will be provided with an acknowledgment and consent form with a privacy statement.  Click on the “Submit” button after you have completed your application. Finally, a page will confirm that your application has been submitted.

You will be able to view your submission after submitting your request.

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What are the documents required for these new immigration programs?

• According to the official government website, the following are the forms that are required as a principal applicant:
• Generic Application Form for Canada [IMM 0008] 
• Annex A - Background / Declaration [IMM 5669] 
• Appendix 3 - Pathway from Temporary Residents to Permanent Residents: Streams A and B and International Graduates (including Francophone Streams) [IMM 0130] 
• Additional Family Information [IMM 5406]
• Additional Information - Your Trips [IMM 5562

Forms to be completed for you (principal applicant), if applicable:

• Additional dependents / Declaration [IMM 0008 DEP] 
• Declaration of parent / non-accompanying guardian for minors immigrating to Canada [IMM 5604]
• Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union [IMM 5409] 
• Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] 

There are some tips published by IRCC for filling out the application forms:

• Make sure you have Adobe Reader 10 or higher and JavaScript is enabled. If you are having trouble downloading, right-click on the link and choose "Save Target As ..." or "Save Link As ..."
• Fill out the forms on your computer rather than by hand. It's easier and reduces errors that can cause delays.
• Annex 3 must be completed on your computer.
• Complete, print, sign and date your application forms.

IMM 0008 is a bar code form. You will need to validate it and submit all pages.

You will also need to do your biometrics if you are between 14 and 79 years old, even if you have submitted biometrics in the past. IRCC will send you a letter when it is time to provide biometrics, but you must pay the biometrics fee when you submit the request. You will have 30 days from the date you receive the letter to give your biometric data. Temporary COVID-19 measures are in place for biometric requirements and collection procedures.

Basics on graduate stream applicants

You can work part-time at the time of application, as long as you have obtained a Canadian diploma and meet the language requirements. International graduate applicants will be required to have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) or a Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) score of 5.

International students who have graduated from a designated Canadian educational institution and who are currently pursuing another degree may be eligible, provided they are also working.

Basics on essential worker stream applicants

You must have a CLB or an NCLC of 4 to apply for any of the Essential Worker in Canada streams.

If you are applying under the Healthcare Worker Stream, you can work in any profession. However, you must have one year of work experience in an eligible health profession, listed in Appendix A.

For the other essential workers’ stream, candidates can work their experience of occupations in Annex A (health occupations) and Annex B(other essential worker occupations).

Why are these programs introduced?

Travel restrictions in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 have had major impacts on the job market. Canada generally depends on immigrants from abroad to deal with labor shortages.

Canada has set ambitious immigration targets for 2021, seeking to welcome 401,000 new immigrants by the end of the year. As a result of its commitment to achieving this goal, Canada has introduced six new immigration streams. These flows help those already residing in the country to obtain permanent residence.

Half of the flows are intended for French speakers. This is because Canada is seeking to increase bilingual and francophone immigrants outside Quebec.