Immigrants turn to Canada after the U.S. bans immigration visas

Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order to ban the influx of permanent and temporary residents for the year 2020. It is believed that nearly 525,000 individuals will be affected by this ban. They will not be able to move to the U.S. as a permanent or temporary resident. Due to the economic recession caused by coronavirus pandemic, a large number of workers have lost their jobs in America. Trump wants to ensure that the citizens of America get the first chance at jobs post-coronavirus. So, the U.S. has suspended employment visas, such as H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and other visas, to protect the jobs of its citizens. Also Read: How to get Canada PR visa? Step by step guide. The Immigration system of Canada is also affected by the pandemic. However, the country is still accepting a plethora of permanent resident applications. Canada is welcoming new permanent residents and it is holding the citizenship ceremonies online. In addition, Canada is allowing some temporary foreign workers to enter the country despite the travel restrictions.

Canadain Immigration pathways

Although Canada and the U.S. both are federal countries, Canada provides more authority to its provinces regarding immigration. Canada has more than 80 economic class immigration programs designed for skilled workers. The Express Entry is a prominent immigration system in Canada. It was introduced by the Canadian government in 2015 replacing the “first-come, first-served” approach with a new fast-track process. Through this immigration system, candidates can apply for permanent residence of Canada through the following three economy class programs:

Express Entry allows Canada to select skilled candidates who can contribute to the growth of the country’s economy. The government conducts express entry draws every two weeks. Even during the pandemic, Canada has conducted express entry draws by inviting program-specific candidates only. Another pathway to permanent residence in Canada is through Provincial Nominee Programs. Every province and territory in Canada has its own PNP to invite skilled workers. Candidates can submit their applications to the province they want to live in, or they can also submit express entry profiles and be invited by a province through an express entry linked stream. During the coronavirus pandemic, nearly all the provinces have issued invitations to apply for a provincial nomination. Candidates can also immigrate to Quebec through its separate immigration program. Proficiency in the French language plays an important role in immigrating to Quebec.

Temporary resident programs

Individuals can immigrate to Canada and live there temporarily as a skilled worker through two immigration pathways. The first pathway to immigrate to Canada temporarily is the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. TFWP is specially designed for employers who face labor shortages and need foreign workers to fill the labor gap. Also Read: 9 Easiest Ways to Immigrate to Canada Through this program, employers can select foreign workers with the required skills for a particular job. However, they need to demonstrate that no Canadian was available to fill the vacancy and therefore they are hiring talent from abroad. Another pathway is the International Mobility Program. Through this program, employers can hire talented workers without an LMIA. Due to the free trade agreements between Canada and many other countries, skilled workers can work in Canada. Candidates can move to Canada through Entrepreneurs Streams and Global Talent Stream. The latter allows the employers to hire tech workers within 10 days and an LMIA is not required. Several experts believe that immigration will splurge in Canada after the immigration ban announced by the U.S. Individuals who wished to get a green card from the U.S. and explore several career opportunities need not be disheartened. Canada can be the best alternative destination for them as the country is immigration-friendly and still welcoming a large number of immigrants.