StatementOttawa, June 13, 2018--The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, issued the following statement:
“Canadian workers are among the most highly educated and skilled workers in the world, but for Canadian firms to stay competitive in the global marketplace, we must attract the best minds from other countries and sustain the prosperity of our businesses across Canada. That’s why the Government of Canada launched the Global Skills Strategy (GSS) one year ago, which gives Canadian employers fast and reliable access to top talent from around the world.
“The goals of the GSS are simple: to help get skilled temporary workers into our country faster, so that they can help propel businesses across Canada forward. 
“The GSS has four pillars:

• First, we are processing work permit applications in two weeks for high-skilled workers, providing Canadian employers across the country an edge in recruitment. Gone are the days when a highly specialized expert chose a job opportunity elsewhere because of a slow and daunting process to get a work permit in Canada.
  This policy has yielded very positive results: Between the launch last June, and the end of March 2018, we received more than 10,000 work permit applications, with an approval rate of 96 per cent. The top occupations of those approved for work permits under the GSS include computer analysts, software engineers, interactive media designers and university professors – precisely the type of talent we envisioned when the GSS was announced. 
  

• Second, we have developed new work permit exemptions for highly skilled talent coming for 30 days or less and researchers coming for 120 days or less. This has reduced the administrative burden on employers and research institutions, and cleared the way for short-term collaboration on everything from scientific research to product launches.

• Third, we have implemented a dedicated service channel to help meet the needs of companies seeking to make a job-creating investment in Canada. This measure provides firms with tailored client service to navigate the immigration system. As of May 2018, nearly 100 companies across the country have been referred for immigration help as a result of this measure.

• Finally, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) facilitates the labour market impact assessment process for companies seeking unique talent using the Global Talent Stream. ESDC has committed to a 10 business day service standard for jobs in high demand, jobs offering high wages, and jobs with a short work duration – the types of workers we need to grow industries across the country.

“The impact of the GSS has been keenly felt by flourishing companies in Canada, such as Ubisoft, who have used these policies to help expand in both Toronto and Montreal. Ubisoft representatives noted that they “are now able to quickly bring top talents to [their] studio which allows [their] studio to remain a key player in [their] industry.”
“Similarly, up and coming tech firm Thalmic Labs has leveraged the fast visa processing times to secure 12 visas under the new program. CEO Stephen Lake has said that the GSS has helped Thalmic recruit PhD candidates across the world to help with a new highly specialized product for the consumer market.
“The speed and reliability of the GSS process helps “…reflect the pace of change and the need to cross borders quickly, instead of being stuck in a visa queue,” says Paul Davidson, president of Universities Canada. Mr. Davidson also notes that the GSS has helped facilitate a global research infrastructure, by allowing inter-disciplinary, international and collaborative research to flourish, thanks to the speed at which short-term researchers can be brought into Canada.
“After only one year, the GSS is already filling a need in Canada’s economy. By helping highly skilled, experienced workers get work permits faster, and by helping Canadian companies grow, the GSS is creating more jobs for Canada’s middle-class and a stronger economy for all.
“Financial-tech company Wave, based in Toronto, is the perfect example of what the GSS aims to achieve. According to CEO Kirk Simpson, “[i]n the last 12 months, Wave created just shy of 100 brand-new jobs in technology, and hired three people through this program. Hiring specific, skilled workers doesn’t take jobs from Canadians. Rather, it keeps Wave growing quickly, so we can create a number of new jobs that employ even more Canadians.”
“With that sort of success to draw on, I am confident that the GSS will continue to help fuel economic growth in Canada.”
​

News releaseMay 28, 2018 — Ottawa, ON – Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, announced today during a meeting with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, that the Government is lifting the visa requirement for UAE citizens on June 5, 2018.
This decision is based on a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the UAE against Canada’s visa policy criteria. The evaluation found that the UAE meets Canada’s criteria for a visa exemption.
Emirati citizens will no longer need a visa as of 5:30 a.m. ET (1:30 p.m. Gulf Standard Time) on June 5, 2018, to travel to Canada for short stays (normally for up to six months) for business, to visit family and friends or for tourism.
However, Emirati citizens, similar to other visa-exempt travellers, will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to, or transit through a Canadian airport. The eTA allows Canadian officials to screen travellers for admissibility before they board their flight to Canada. Emiratis will be able to apply online for an eTAafter 5:30 a.m. ET (1:30 p.m. Gulf Standard Time) on June 5.
In the meantime, they can continue to apply online for a visitor visa, or use the services of one of the visa application centres (VACs), including the VAC in Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

News ReleaseFrom Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Potential sponsors will soon have the opportunity to express their interest to sponsorDecember 22, 2017 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian citizens and permanent residents will soon be able to take the first step in applying to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada, when the Parents and Grandparents Program reopens in 2018.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced a new process in 2017 for application intake for sponsoring parents and grandparents to make it fairer and more transparent for applicants. Now, potential sponsors must first notify IRCC that they are interested in sponsoring their parents and grandparents by submitting an “Interest to Sponsor” form. Using a random selection process, IRCC will then invite potential sponsors to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents.
Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that the “Interest to Sponsor” form will be available at noon EST on January 2, 2018. Those who wish to apply to sponsor their parents and grandparents in 2018 must first fill out this online form. It will be available until noon February 1, 2018.
To help ensure the efficiency of the system and to allow as many eligible sponsors as possible to bring their parents and grandparents to Canada, it is important that only those who meet the sponsorship eligibility requirements submit an “Interest to Sponsor” form. Additional questions have been added to the 2018 version of the “Interest to Sponsor” form to help potential sponsors self-assess whether they are eligible to sponsor.

November 17, 2017 – Ottawa – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is expanding its Visa Application Centre (VAC) Network in China, increasing its geographic reach as Canada looks for new ways to support the growth in applications. So far this year, more than 500,000 applications have been received from China, a 15 per cent increase from 2016.

By offering greater flexibility and accessibility for Chinese travellers, Canada continues to demonstrate its commitment to a growing cultural exchange between the two countries.

Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, attended the opening ceremony of a VAC in Nanjing this week to mark the opening of seven new centres located in Chengdu, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Nanjing, Shenyang and Wuhan. They join the existing network of VACs in Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

These new VACs will play an important role in meeting the growing demand for visas for Chinese residents.

VACs offer support to applicants before, during and after their temporary resident visa application is assessed by an IRCC officer. VAC service agents are available by phone, email or in person to answer questions in local languages and to make sure that applications are complete.

As ties between Canada and China continue to grow, IRCC remains committed to making it easier than ever for Chinese residents to apply for a visa.

To this end, a new pay option will also be put into place beginning in early 2018. IRCC will begin accepting payments through UnionPay, one of the largest payment processing providers in China.
    
This improved flexibility will make it easier for travellers to come to Canada, and by extension, open the door to new opportunities for economic and cultural exchange.

​

Processing surge puts Government on track to largely eliminate Live-in Caregiver Program backlog by end of 2018December 3, 2017— Toronto, ON – Caregivers and their families will be reunited and the inventory of Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) applications will be largely eliminated by the end of 2018, thanks to the commitments made today by the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Great progress has been made on the backlog in recent years. As of October 1, 2017, there was a 63% reduction in the number of caregivers and their family members waiting for their permanent residence applications to be finalized since reaching its highest level in May 2014.
This fall, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) dedicated additional resources to process LCP applications and encourage caregivers and their family members to submit any documents that were missing from their applications. With this focus, IRCC is on track to finalize 5,000 more cases than originally planned by the end of 2017. This surge will allow IRCC to welcome 20,000 new permanent residents in the caregiver category in total this year, reaching the high end of the target range as set out in the 2017 levels plan.
Having taken these steps, IRCC is committing to:

• Finalizing a minimum of 80% of the cases that were in the LCP inventory as of October 1, 2017 by the end of 2018;
• Processing 80% of new, complete LCP applications submitted on or after October 1, 2017 within 12 months; and
• Admitting high numbers of LCP caregivers and their family members as permanent residents until the remaining cases are processed.

The multi-year levels plan for 2018-2020 set out targets for the number of permanent resident admissions in the caregiver category that will allow IRCC to meet these commitments.
Earlier this year, the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration recommended that the Government deliver a plan to end the backlog of Live-in Caregiver Program applications. With this plan in place, caregivers waiting for their Live-in Caregiver Program applications to be finalized should get decisions on their cases and be reunited with their families soon.

​

News ReleaseFrom Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
November 17, 2017 – Ottawa – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is expanding its Visa Application Centre (VAC) Network in China, increasing its geographic reach as Canada looks for new ways to support the growth in applications. So far this year, more than 500,000 applications have been received from China, a 15 per cent increase from 2016.

By offering greater flexibility and accessibility for Chinese travellers, Canada continues to demonstrate its commitment to a growing cultural exchange between the two countries.

Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, attended the opening ceremony of a VAC in Nanjing this week to mark the opening of seven new centres located in Chengdu, Hangzhou, Jinan, Kunming, Nanjing, Shenyang and Wuhan. They join the existing network of VACs in Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

These new VACs will play an important role in meeting the growing demand for visas for Chinese residents.

VACs offer support to applicants before, during and after their temporary resident visa application is assessed by an IRCC officer. VAC service agents are available by phone, email or in person to answer questions in local languages and to make sure that applications are complete.

As ties between Canada and China continue to grow, IRCC remains committed to making it easier than ever for Chinese residents to apply for a visa.

To this end, a new pay option will also be put into place beginning in early 2018. IRCC will begin accepting payments through UnionPay, one of the largest payment processing providers in China.
    
This improved flexibility will make it easier for travellers to come to Canada, and by extension, open the door to new opportunities for economic and cultural exchange.

Active applicationsAs of December 13, 2016, an application in progress is no longer subject to cumulative duration, whether it is work with a permit [R200] or without a permit [R186]. However, officers must continue to be satisfied that the requirements of paragraph 183(1)(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) are met, along with other eligibility criteria, such as the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Clients who are within the restoration period may reapply for a work permit. Foreign nationals in Canada who do not hold a valid work permit and are not eligible to apply for restoration must apply for a work permit from outside Canada.
Applications under processingIn situations where the processing officer has requested that the client provide further evidence that they are within the four-year limit, the client may need to be contacted. The officer will inform the client that cumulative duration no longer applies, and further evidence is no longer required. Other eligibility criteria, such as the need for an LMIA, will be assessed.
Applications where a decision is made before December 13, 2016For applications where a final decision is reached before December 13, 2016, cumulative duration applies. Closed files will not be re-opened for reconsideration; however, an applicant previously refused solely on the basis of paragraph R200(3)(g) may submit a new work permit application if all other requirements are met. This includes the payment of any applicable fees.
Applicant in CanadaIf an applicant wishes to remain in Canada on a work permit and the period of time they have been working in Canada meets or exceeds four years, they may apply to extend their stay in Canada as a worker, provided they meet the eligibility requirements.
Applicant outside CanadaIf an applicant departed Canada because they had previously met the four-year cumulative duration limit, they may apply for a new work permit without having remained outside Canada for four years.

December 14, 2016—Ottawa, ON – Family reunification is a key immigration commitment of the Government of Canada. The Parent and Grandparent Program brings together thousands of families each year. For 2017, the Honourable John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, today announced changes to how sponsorship applications will be submitted under the program.
In recent years, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada limited the number of parent and grandparent applications it would accept, in order to manage intake and interest in the program, and keep the number of applications from growing. Rather than the January rush to submit applications by courier or mail, those wanting to bring their parents or grandparents to Canada will now have 30 days to fill out an online form to indicate their interest. IRCC will then randomly choose 10,000 individuals from those who filled out the form, and those people will be invited to send in their complete application package.
The online form will be available starting January 3, 2017. Sponsors will have 30 days to submit the form.

Program delivery update – November 21, 2016Update to processing instructions for applications submitted under Express EntrySummaryDue to various amendments to the Ministerial Instructions and Regulations as part of the Express Entry reform, the following updates to the processing instructions have been made, along with some minor corrections to content:

• The job offer duration requirement has changed from indeterminate to at least one year.
• The requirement for clients to respond to an Invitation to Apply (ITA) by submitting an application for permanent residence has changed from 60 to 90 days before the client’s ITA expires.
• The requirements for arranged employment have been updated to reflect that some job offers will be Labour Market Impact Assessment exempt if they meet the new criteria.
• The generic document checklist has ceased to be in use as of the launch of Express Entry on January 1, 2015.
• Proof of funds has been moved to the Mandatory documents (only if applicable) section, since proof of funds has never been mandatory for Canadian experience class applicants.
• Information on documentation attesting to a civil status of legally separated has been included.
• Wording on the Express Entry Provincial Nominee Program has been corrected to ensure consistency in guidance.
• Wording on federal skilled worker adaptability has been corrected to reflect the current version of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations since the May 2013 amendment.
• The requirements regarding translated documents, police certificates and medical assessments in the submission of a complete application for Express Entry have been clarified.

An overview of proposed changes to the Citizenship ActAn Act to Amend the Citizenship Act was introduced today. The changes in the proposed legislation would provide greater flexibility for applicants trying to meet the requirements for citizenship, and help immigrants obtain citizenship faster. They would also repeal provisions of the Citizenship Act that allow citizenship to be revoked from dual citizens who engage in certain acts against the national interest. Additional changes are also proposed to further enhance program integrity.
Repealing the national interest grounds for citizenship revocationLegislative changes that came into effect in May 2015 created a new ground for citizenship revocation that allowed citizenship to be taken away from dual citizens for certain acts against the national interest of Canada. These grounds include convictions of terrorism, high treason, treason or spying offences, depending on the sentence received, or for membership in an armed force or organized armed group engaged in armed conflict with Canada.  The Bill repeals these new grounds. All Canadians who commit crimes should face the consequences of their actions through the Canadian justice system.
The ability to revoke citizenship where it was obtained by false representation, by fraud or by knowingly concealing material circumstances will remain in place. The Minister would continue to have authority to revoke citizenship in basic fraud cases, such as identity and residence fraud (which constitute the majority of cases), and the Federal Court would continue to have authority to revoke citizenship in cases where the fraud is in relation to concealing serious inadmissibilities concerning security, human or international rights violations, war crimes, and organized criminality. 
Repealing the intent to reside provisionSince June 2015, adult applicants must declare on their citizenship applications that they intend to continue to reside in Canada if granted citizenship. The provision created concern among some new Canadians, who feared their citizenship could be revoked in the future if they moved outside of Canada. The Government is proposing to repeal this provision. All Canadians are free to move outside Canada. This is a right guaranteed in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Reducing the length of time someone must be physically present in Canada to qualify for Citizenship To help immigrants achieve citizenship more quickly, the Government is proposing to reduce the time required to be spent in Canada for citizenship for adults to three years (1095 days) within the five years before applying for citizenship. This will mean applicants can apply one year sooner than they can now. This offers greater flexibility for immigrants who may need to travel outside of Canada for various personal or work reasons.  
Currently, the Citizenship Act requires applicants to be physically present in Canada for four years (1,460 days) within the six years immediately before applying for citizenship.
Allowing time in Canada before Permanent Residency to count toward the physical presence requirementUnder the Citizenship Act, people cannot count time they spent in Canada before becoming a permanent resident towards meeting the physical presence requirement for citizenship. 
The changes in the new Bill would let non-permanent resident time count toward the new three year physical presence requirement for citizenship, for up to one year. Under this change, each day that a person is authorized to be in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person before becoming a permanent resident could be counted as a half-day toward meeting the physical presence requirement for citizenship.
These changes support the Government’s goal of making it easier for immigrants to build successful lives in Canada, reuniting their families and contributing to the economic success of all Canadians. The time credit will also encourage skilled individuals to come to Canada to study or work, and benefits groups like protected persons and parents and grandparents on visitors’ visas.
Eliminating the 183 days of physical presence requirementThe Bill proposes to remove the supplemental physical presence requirement, as keeping it would not allow applicants to benefit from the new non-permanent resident time credit. Applicants would no longer need to be physically present for 183 days in Canada during each of four calendar years that are within the six years immediately before applying for citizenship.
Amending the age range for language and knowledge requirementsSince the first Canadian Citizenship Act in 1947, citizenship applicants have had to have an adequate knowledge of English or French, as well as knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. Previous changes to the Citizenship Act expanded the age range of applicants who must meet the language and knowledge requirements from those aged 18-54 to those aged 14-64.
The Government is proposing to return to the previous 18-54 age requirement, removing a potential barrier to citizenship for applicants in both the younger and older age groups. For younger applicants, learning English or French and having an adequate knowledge of Canada is already achieved through schooling. For the older age group, language skills and knowledge of Canada are offered through a wide range of integration services.
Adult applicants aged 18-54 would still be required to provide evidence that they understand English or French and are able to hold a short conversation about common topics, understand simple instructions, and use basic grammar. They are also required to pass a knowledge test on Canada and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.
Program Integrity EnhancementsA number of changes to further enhance program integrity are also proposed.

• Conditional Sentences: Currently, the Citizenship Act prohibits a person under a probation order, on parole or incarcerated in a penitentiary, jail, reformatory or prison from being granted citizenship or from counting that time towards meeting the physical presence requirements for citizenship.  However, the provisions do not include conditional sentences (i.e. sentences served in the community with certain conditions) served in Canada.  So currently, an applicant who is sentenced to a conditional sentence order could be granted citizenship or count that time towards meeting the physical presence requirements for citizenship. These amendments would change that.  This change would apply to both new applications and those still being processed.
• Maintaining requirements for citizenship until Oath taking: The Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act introduced a rule that would not allow applicants to take the oath of citizenship if they no longer met the requirements for citizenship after the decision was made. Before this change, there was no authority to prevent an applicant in that situation from taking the oath. The time between the decision and taking of the oath is typically two to three months. However, the rule only applies to applications received after June 11, 2015, when the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act came into force, and not to applications received before that date.
  The proposed change would require all applicants to continue to meet the requirements of citizenship until they take the Oath, regardless of when their application was received.
  
• Ability to Seize Documents: Unlike existing authorities under the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act, citizenship officers did not have the authority to seize fraudulent documents.  This Bill would change that, giving citizenship officers authority under the Citizenship Act to seize fraudulent documents provided during the administration of the Act, including during in-person interviews and hearings. This improves the ability for Citizenship officers to carry out investigations and prevent further use of fraudulent or suspected fraudulent documents.