Among the most significant changes in the immigration sphere, the following can be noted:
* creation of a new immigration program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the start of receiving applications under it from January 2, 2013;
* change in the pass requirements for the Canadian Experience Class program;
* announcement that from May 4, 2013, they plan to start accepting applications for the updated Skilled Worker Class program.
Below is a description of each of these programs, as well as an assessment of the situation with business programs.
Federal Skilled Trades Program
On January 2, 2013, the acceptance of applications began for a completely new program – the Federal Skilled Trades Program, aimed at specialists in trades that do not require higher or secondary specialized education. The selection of applicants under this program is based on an assessment of their labor skills, i.e., professional suitability.
In order to immigrate under this program, the applicant must meet the following requirements:
– have appropriate training and work experience in one of the specialties listed in the list of in-demand occupations. At least two years of experience in the specialty out of the last five years is required. The applicant must also meet all the requirements for that specialty according to the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC).
– demonstrate English language proficiency on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) scale at a level not lower than 5 for speaking and listening, and not lower than 4 for writing and reading. To confirm these skills, results of the CELPIP or IELTS test must be provided. If the primary language is French, then results of the TEF test must be provided.
– have a job offer from a Canadian company for a period of at least one year, or at least a certificate of qualification issued by the relevant regulatory body of one of the Canadian provinces. Therefore, before submitting an immigration application, one must first make a request to the organization that issues licenses and undergo a preliminary assessment to determine if you meet the requirements of that organization.
Under this program, there is a list of 43 trades for which immigration applications are accepted. These are mainly specialties related to construction, industrial production, natural resource extraction, heavy machinery operation, and agriculture.
For 2013, a quota of 3,000 applications has been allocated for this program. After 3,000 applications have been received, acceptance will be suspended until the next year.
The advantage of this program is that it is completely focused on representatives of trades, including reduced requirements for education level and English language proficiency. Additionally, the applicant does not need to achieve a passing score (as in the Skilled Worker Class program), and there are no age restrictions.
As for the disadvantages of this program, there are several.
– relatively weak formalization of the requirements for the applicant under this program. It appears that the decision will be made by an immigration officer based on subjective impressions, which already makes the process unpredictable. For example, the factor of age. Obviously, although there are no formal age restrictions, this factor will be taken into account when considering the application.
– the quota for the number of applications accepted seems quite small, and will likely be filled quickly.
– obtaining a certificate of qualification may take time, and there is no guarantee it can be obtained.
– taking an English/French language test is mandatory. And despite the lower required level (compared to the Skilled Worker program), achieving even the specified 5 and 4 points will not be easy.
In any case, it is good that such a program has been created, as it provides a chance for trades professionals to immigrate to Canada. It is also worth noting that the immigration department states that processing times for applications will not exceed 12 months.
Skilled Worker Class
The Skilled Worker Class is one of the most popular immigration programs, aimed at qualified specialists with good education and a profession in demand in Canada. Applications for this program were suspended on July 1, 2012, although the program actually became unavailable to most immigrants as early as 2010, when quotas on the number of applications were introduced and a list of eligible occupations was established.
According to information from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the acceptance of applications for the Skilled Worker Class program should resume on May 4, 2013.
Regarding how this program will look, it is highly likely that the points-based system will be retained, where a passing score must be achieved to successfully undergo the immigration process. From what was previously announced, great importance will be placed on knowledge of English or French, and age will be an important factor. For details on how points will be awarded, you can read the review prepared by the editors of "Russian Toronto" in early 2012 (Skilled Worker Class – New Rules for Points Allocation).
In mid-2012, the immigration department announced small changes to the points allocation system, but they are not significant enough to write about separately. In any case, the final version of the points system has not yet been announced, and specifics can only be discussed closer to the start date of application acceptance, when Citizenship and Immigration Canada publishes instructions.
If the points system is more or less clear, the question of quotas and the list of in-demand professions remains open.
Continuation: CANADA: OUTLOOK FOR 2013 (Part 2)
Elena Ryabinina.
