Provincial Nominee Programs to grant more visas

The Canadian government has finally succumbed to pressure from a number of provinces that have been lobbying to remove the visa cap in the Provincial Nominee Program, after it has become very apparent that Canada is in dire need of more foreign workers due to labour shortages.

On Tuesday, August 10th, Canadian immigration officials announced that despite saying the numbers of visas under the Provincial Nominee Program would be reduced in June, that they will increase the numbers instead.

In order for someone to work under the Provincial Nominee Program, in most cases, they must already have a job waiting for them.

Saskatchewan was initially allowed 3,700 but will now get 4,000 visas and Manitoba will get 5,000 visas, up from 4,600.

British Columbia will receive 300 more, giving the province 3,500 total provincial nominees, and Alberta will receive 5,000 as opposed to the original 4,400 they were allocated.

In Ontario, the Provincial Nominee Program allows skilled workers to be nominated by the province and receive approval for their permanent residency visa sooner. Workers need to have a job waiting for them along with a Nominee Application package from Opportunities Ontario, have at least two years of work experience within the last five years in the occupation and have been offered a salary that meets the prevailing wage in the area for that application.

As of April 2010, international students can also use the Provincial Nominee Program if they have completed their post-secondary education at a Canadian institution or received their PhD from an Ontario University.

Have a question about Provincial Nominee Programs? Contact Niren and Associates immigration law firm.

President & CEO

Michael Niren

Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.