From Far & Wide Immigration Inc.

There are generally two parts to getting your foreign credentials recognized in Canada: for immigration purposes or for licensing in your occupation.  For Immigration Purposes: the ECA (Educational Credential Assessment) There are 5 organizations currently accredited to evaluate a foreign credential and determine its equivalency compared to Canadian standards. These organizations are: Comparative Education Service (CES) International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) World Education Services (WES) International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) ECAs are valid for 5 years and must be valid at the time an application for permanent residence is submitted. As a general rule, only the highest level of education should get assessed. In some cases, where an applicant has two credentials with one of at least 3 years, two assessments might increase the chances to be successful with their application for permanent reside...

Excited about the chance to settle in Alberta, Canada through the Tourism and Hospitality Stream? This newly introduced stream under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) provides exciting opportunities for individuals with work experience in Alberta's tourism and hospitality sector.  Eligibility Requirements Explained The Tourism and Hospitality Stream is a new option under Alberta's Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) , which allows nominees to apply for permanent residence in Canada. As with any immigration program, understanding the eligibility requirements is crucial before applying.  Approved Employer Requirements: To qualify under the Tourism and Hospitality Stream, candidates need a job offer from an eligible Tourism and Hospitality employer in Alberta. Employers' primary business activities must belong to an eligible industry as defined by the Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB) – Alberta industry code or exempt activities: Museums/Art Galleries: WCB indust...

Who, Where, When, What, Why - Understanding Immigration Medical Exams in Canada Immigrating to Canada involves both eligibility requirements for the respective program for temporary or permanent residence (PR) as well as admissibility to Canada. Undergoing a medical examination is required to determine if an applicant is medically admissible. Immigration medical exams are an essential part of the Canadian immigration process, ensuring the health and safety of both applicants and the Canadian public.  Who Needs a Medical Exam? Generally, individuals applying for permanent residence in Canada are required to undergo a medical examination. Some temporary residents, such as international students or workers , may also need a medical exam depending on their length of stay, type of application and work in Canada, and travel history. Medical exams can be required for temporary residents if they travelled in designated countries for a certain amount of time, if they are applying for a par...

Family sponsorship programs are designed to reunite Canadian citizens and permanent residents with their loved ones from around the world. In contrast to economic programs such as Express Entry or Provincial Nominee Programs , family sponsorship is solely based on the foreigner's relationship to a Canadian citizen or  permanent resident . These programs enable eligible sponsors to bring spouses and children, parents and grandparents, and other close relatives to Canada, fostering family unity and community diversity. To qualify as a sponsor, you must commit to providing financial support for the individuals you are sponsoring for a specified duration, known as the "length of undertaking." Keep reading for an overview of these family sponsorship programs, highlighting their key features and requirements. Spouses and Children So-called Spousal Sponsorship refers to Canadian citizens and permanent residents who wish to sponsor their legally married spouse, common-law partn...

Canada's Express Entry system received a significant update with the introduction of category-based selection. This new approach aims to enhance the immigration process by providing more tailored pathways for skilled workers to become permanent residents. Express Entry is Canada's flagship program for managing the intake of skilled workers who wish to immigrate and become permanent residents . It operates through a comprehensive ranking system, where eligible candidates are awarded points based on factors such as age, education, language proficiency, and work experience. These points are used to determine an individual's Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which ultimately influences their chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency. Under the new category-based selection system, candidates in the Express Entry pool are grouped into different categories based on their skills and attributes. These categories are designed to align with Ca...

Immigration minister Marc Miller has announced new restrictions for open work permits (OWP) in order to address labour shortages in Canada. Family members of foreign workers and international students in Canada are only eligible to apply for their own work permits in specific situations. Time to look at these options in more detail! Terminology Foreign nationals, who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of Canada, require a valid work permit to legally work in Canada. There are generally two options to obtain a work permit: the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), wherein the Canadian employer applies for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) in order to hire a foreign worker, and the International Mobility Program (IMP), which covers various exemptions that let employers hire a foreign worker without an LMIA. LMIA-based work permits and most LMIA-exempt work permits are employer specific. This means that the foreign national can only work for the employer named on thei...

NOC 2021 With the implementation of the new NOC 2021, the federal and provincial governments are updating the requirements for their immigration programs. British Columbia (BC) used this opportunity to revise their Provincial Nominee Program's (PNP) Skills Immigration in order to strengthen the integrity of the program while protecting the safety of British Columbians. Applications received before November 16, 2022 will continue to be processed using NOC 2016. All registrations and applications submitted on or after November 16, 2022 will now use NOC 2021. The general eligibility criteria were updated to reflect the new Training, Experience, Education and Responsibilities (TEER) categories of the NOC 2021 rather than the Skill levels of the previous NOC 2016. If those eligibility criteria are met, a candidate can register for the BC PNP Skills Immigration and receive a score based on human capital factors. A registration is considered an expression of interest to be considered for ...

Transition to online applications for most PR pathways Over the coming weeks, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will gradually move most permanent immigration programs to a completely digital application process in an effort to improve client service and modernize the Canadian immigration system. The new Permanent Residence Portal  has been online since March 2021, allowing some clients to apply online for certain immigration programs and confirming their permanent resident (PR) status through virtual landings once their application has been approved. IRCC has been expanding the portal over the past months and it is currently open to most PR applicants. Following the schedule below, IRCC will begin the transition to 100% online applications on September 23, 2022 . While there will be an alternative submission process for applicants who are unable to apply online and require accommodations, such as for a disability, all other applications received after the stated...

British Columbia Canada's westernmost province is world-famous for its beautiful scenery and cosmopolitan flair. The metropolitan area of Vancouver and the capital city of Victoria account for almost half of BC's five million residents. Many others are drawn to the province's scenic mountains, coastline and lakes, and settle in more rural areas.  How can I immigrate to BC? There are 6 steps to immigrating under the Provincial Nominee Program of British Columbia (BC PNP): Step 1: Choose the stream that is right for you, and register with BC's Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS). SIRS is similar to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) used for Express Entry but considers other factors such as annual salary and intended region within British Columbia. Step 2: Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). The BC PNP will periodically invite people who are in the registration pool to submit an application to the program. The information provided in registrations will b...

Rounds of invitations resume for all Express Entry programs The month of July saw the first two all-program draws under Express Entry since the beginning of the pandemic. For 18 months, no candidates under the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Federal Skilled Trades (FST) programs were invited, and since September 2021, Express Entry rounds of invitations were exclusively held for provincial nominees. On July 6, a total of 1,500 Express Entry candidates with a minimum CRS score of 557 were invited to apply for permanent residence (PR). This was the highest score since 2015 when the Express Entry system was implemented. The second draw on July 20 saw a slight increase in invitations for a total of 1,750 invitations which dropped the required score to 542.  Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has since confirmed that both rounds of invitations included candidates under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Worker (F...

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) currently refers to occupational codes under the National Occupation Classification of 2016 (NOC 2016) to determine eligibility for temporary and permanent residence programs. The revised NOC 2021 and its TEER structure was implemented in November 2022. The new TEER structure replaced the previous skill type/level classification as follows: NOC 2016 NOC 2021    Skill Type 0      TEER 0 Skill Level A     TEER 1 Skill Level B TEER 2 TEER 3 Skill Level C TEER 4 Skill Level D       TEER 5 This resulted in minor changes for most programs (e.g., the use of new terminology), but more substantive changes are needed for programs with narrower occupational criteria where the current Skill Type/Level groupings are used, including those managed under Express Entry (i.e., Federal Skilled...

Settlement funds required to immigrate to Canada increase as of July 28, 2025. These numbers are updated every year, based on 50% of the low income cut-off totals. The table below shows how much money you need to settle in Canada. If you are invited to apply for permanent residence under the Express Entry system, written proof is required that these funds are readily available to you.  Number of family members Funds required (CAD) 1    $ 15,263 2    $ 19,001 3    $ 23,360 4    $ 28,362 5    $ 32,168 6    $ 36,280 7    $ 40,392 For each additional family member    $ 4,112 Family Size The minimum settlement funds required depends on the size of your family that you support. To determine your family size, you must count: yourself, your spouse or common-law partner, your dependent childr...

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is Canada’s national system for describing and classifying occupations. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses the NOC to determine eligibility in several programs for temporary and permanent residency. The NOC is updated every five years, with major revisions every ten years to ensure it remains reflective of the occupations in the Canadian labour market. The current revision, NOC 2021, involved extensive structural changes which were implemented on November 16, 2022. These adjustments are crucial to IRCC's mandate to support the selection of immigrants. The NOC 2021 Version 1.0 overhauled the "Skill Level" structure by introducing a new categorization representing the degree of Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) required for an occupation. These changes significantly improved how the NOC classification takes into account the distinctions in formal training and educational requireme...

Adjusted for Inflation To finance its programs, the Government of Canada follows an approach where most of the costs are the responsibility of those who receive the services and benefit directly from them. To account for inflation, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) increased permanent residence (PR) fees in 2020 for the first time since 2002. It was announced then that most fees for permanent residence would be adjusted by the cumulative Consumer Price Index (CPI) every 2 years. The most recent increase came into effect on April 30, 2026. As it is now required by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), fees are increasing for all permanent residence applications on April 30, 2026. This includes economic, family, permit holder, and humanitarian classes. The fees do not increase for permanent resident cards, permanent resident travel documents, and certification or replacement immigration documents. Fee Increases For most applicants, fees are increas...

In response to the crucial need for more healthcare workers and early childhood educators (ECEs), BC has implemented changes to their Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) to prioritize these occupations, effective March 10, 2022. Priority Access for Care Occupations Targeted invitations to apply will give priority access to select occupations in the care economy, specifically registrants whose occupation is on a pre-determined list of in-demand health occupations as well as early childhood educators. The Health Care Professional category has been renamed Health Authority category and is open to all occupations employed by a health authority. Targeted invitations to apply (priority access) replaces the registration points awarded for high demand occupations in the Labour Market Outlook. The total registration points and total points for economic factors have been adjusted accordingly. Periodic general draws will be conducted for other skilled and semi-skilled workers who meet program cri...

In most cases, applicants for permanent residence in Canada need to prove their language skills in English or French. To do so, they must take an approved language test. There are five language tests accepted for immigration to Canada; three for English and two for French: •   Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program ( CELPIP) •   International English Language Testing System ( IELTS) •   Pearson Test of English ( PTE)  •   Test de connaissance du français ( TCF) •   Test d’évaluation de français ( TEF) IRCC will use the test results as proof of an applicant's language skills. In order to be valid, test results must be less than two years old at the time of application for permanent residence. There are provisions if a candidate cannot complete one or more sections of the language test because of a disability. The Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) (or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) for French) was crea...