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...

Background 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) announced in 2017 that fees would be adjusted by the cumulative Consumer Price Index (CPI) annually. In accordance with the Service Fees Act (SFA), the application fees for foreign nationals applying to regain their status or return to Canada after being inadmissible will be adjusted for inflation on December 1, 2023.  This ensures that fees remain current and reflect the costs of delivering services, while the SFA improves the transparency, accountability and predictability of government service fees. These fees have been adjusted to account for the yearly rate of inflation since April 2018. Following the regular schedule, the next annual increase of inadmissibility fees is expected on December 1, 2024. What's the...

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 response to the situation in Ukraine, IRCC is taking steps to support Ukrainians and make it easier and faster for Canadian citizens, Canadian permanent residents and their immediate family members to return to Canada.  A dedicated Ukraine enquiries phone line was set up for clients in Canada and abroad: 613-321-4243, collect calls accepted. Clients contacting IRCC by WebForm should add the keyword “Ukraine2022” in their enquiry and they will prioritize their requests: https://secure.cic.gc.ca/enquiries-renseignements/canada-case-cas-eng.aspx  IRCC is implementing urgent processing of travel documents for Canadian citizens and permanent residents in Ukraine who do not have valid passports. They are prioritizing renewing work and study permits for Ukrainians currently in Canada, so those who receive a job offer can stay in Canada and start working while they wait for their work permit application to be processed. They are also prioritizing citizenship grant applications for ...