Best wishes to you and your loved ones for a very Happy New Year!
This blog is directed to the many individuals who contacted the law offices of Abrams & Krochak in 2010 or 2011 to explore the possibility of immigrating to Canada as a skilled worker with Abrams & Krochak’s assistance. If you have not already applied and are still considering migrating to Canada as a skilled worker and had your eligibility to do so favourably assessed by Abrams & Krochak, we STRONGLY suggest that you proceed NOW with your proposed Canadian Immigration plans. Otherwise, you might lose out on your one and only opportunity to create a new life and a bright future for yourself and your loved ones in this country.
Much is happening in Canada, right now, which could negatively affect your eligibility to immigrate:
1. Federal Skilled Worker Quotas
For the period of July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) imposed a quota of 20,000 new Federal Skilled Worker Applications with a maximum of 1,000 applicants in each of the 29 jobs that appeared on the General Occupations (Demand) List. For the period of July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, CIC kept the same General Occupations (Demand) List of 29 jobs; however, it slashed the quotas in half. CIC imposed a new quota of only 10,000 new Federal Skilled Worker Applications with a maximum of 500 applicants in each of the 29 jobs that appeared on the General Occupations (Demand) List.
Who knows what quotas CIC will impose when it publishes the new General Occupations (Demand) List on July 1, 2012?
As of January 9, 2012, quotas for the July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012 time period were already filling fast. A total of 6,205 Federal Skilled Worker Applications out of a possible 10,000 had already been received by CIC and the quotas for the following jobs had already been filled:
0631 – Restaurant and Food Service Managers
1122 – Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management
2121 – Biologists and Related Scientists
3131 – Pharmacists
3152 – Registered Nurses
Furthermore, the quotas for the following jobs were very close to being filled:
3111 – Specialist Physicians
3112 – General Practitioners and Family Physicians
3113 – Dentists
2. Federal Skilled Worker Points System
CIC is proposing changes to the Federal Skilled Worker program to help Canada select immigrants who have the best chance of integrating and making a better contribution to the Canadian economy.
CIC is consulting with stakeholders and the public on the proposed changes. The input received through the consultation process will be taken into account in the development of new regulations, which could take effect as early as the late spring/summer of 2012!
What are some of the proposed changes?
introducing minimum official language thresholds and increasing points for language;
making changes to the assessment of education points to reflect a foreign educational credential’s value in Canada;
redistributing points for age to benefit younger immigrants who will be active members of the workforce for a longer timeframe;
reducing points for foreign work experience and increasing points for Canadian work experience;
increasing the integrity of and simplifying the process for the Arranged Employment factor; and
facilitating the immigration of skilled tradespersons through criteria that are more specific to those in the skilled trades.
3. Federal Skilled Worker General Occupations (Demand) List
In late June/early July 2012, CIC will be releasing a new General Occupations (Demand) List for the July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013 period. There is a misconception on the part of many people that the List will be a repeat of this year’s List. To set the record straight, there is ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEE that the new List will remain the same as the old List and that the jobs that appear on the old List will also appear on the new List. If your job is currently in demand and on the List but disappears from the new List, you will lose the opportunity to migrate as a skilled worker unless you have Arranged Employment (which is difficult to obtain).
4. What Does This All Mean?
With so much uncertainty in the air as to what will happen with the Federal Skilled Worker Class (i.e. its quotas, the way points are assessed and which jobs will be in demand), one thing IS certain: NOW is the time to apply if you know you qualify and the quota for your occupation has not yet been filled.
To retain/engage Abrams & Krochak’s services, please follow the instructions that were previously provided to you by our firm. If you have misplaced or deleted those instructions, please send us a message at http://www.akcanada.com/contact.cfm and we will be pleased to send you those instructions, via e-mail, again.
If you would like your eligibility to immigrate to Canada as a Federal Skilled Worker reassessed by Abrams & Krochak, please visit:
http://www.abramsandkrochak.com
It is a New Year and time for new beginnings. Start a new life for yourself and your loved ones in Canada while you still have the chance!