From Far and Wide Immigration Consultancy

Citizenship is the culmination of an immigration journey and a major highlight for those who made it to the finish line. Did you know that Canada's passport ranked 8th most powerful in the world? As of 2022, Canadian passport holders can visit 185 countries visa-free. Eligibility In order to apply for Canadian citizenship, you need to become a permanent resident (PR) first. After living in Canada for at least 3 years (1,095 days to be exact) within the past 5 years, you can submit your citizenship application. Typically, you will also need to have filed your taxes, pass a citizenship and prove your language skills in English or French. Canada allows multiple citizenship but it will depend on your home country's policies if you're able to keep your citizenship and become a dual citizen. Application Process As Canada is modernizing its immigration system, applications for adults can now be submitted online. If you want to apply with a minor, you can only apply on paper at the...

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...

What is maintained status? Foreign nationals that entered Canada legally  have temporary resident status. Temporary residents  must leave Canada at the end of their authorized period of stay . However, a temporary resident may apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to extend their period of authorized stay before it ends. In this case, they are considered to have legal status as a temporary resident d uring the processing period  and may still be able to study and/or work in Canada  until a decision is made on their application . This is known as maintained status (previously called implied status ). When do I need to apply? The date and time the application was received are important for determining if status is maintained. You can only benefit if the new application was submitted before the current status expired. For online applications, IRCC uses Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) around the world to ensure that time is equal for al...

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...

Random testing resumed on July 19, 2022 for fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Canada by air to the four major Canadian airports, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. After a brief suspension of the program, testing locations for all air travellers, including fully or partially vaccinated and unvaccinated people, are now located outside of airports in an attempt to reduce delays. Travellers must have been vaccinated with a primary series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to be considered fully vaccinated. Boosters are not required at this point in time. Travellers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated, unless exempt, must continue to quarantine for 14 days and test on Day 1 and Day 8. Testing remains an important part of the government's surveillance program to track the importation of COVID-19 virus into Canada and identify new variants of concern. How does it work? Air travellers who are selected for mandatory testing will receive an email notification within 15 min...