In order to attract more new immigrants to better promote Canada's economic development, on April 22nd, the Canadian Immigration Bureau announced a series of favorable immigration policies to help more applicants obtain permanent residency and work and live better in Canada. The main highlights of the new policies are:
1. The Federal Express Entry (EE) system will resume invitations starting from July of this year. The federal Express Entry program, which paused immigration invitations in 2020-2021, will resume drawing invitations in early July 2022. This includes three categories: Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Class (FSW), and Federal Skilled Trades Class (FST). Officials have stated that processing times will be accelerated, with the majority of new applications processed within the standard 6-month timeframe.
2. The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) for international students expiring in 2022 will be extended by 18 months. For international students whose PGWP is set to expire between January and December 2022, the government will allow them to apply for an extension of up to 18 months, providing them with more opportunities to immigrate to Canada. According to Immigration Canada statistics, in 2021, over 157,000 international students were approved for Canadian permanent residency, with approximately 88,000 applying directly for permanent residency through the PGWP. The new policy is expected to benefit 50,000 applicants by extending their PGWP.
3. Applicants under the Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident (TRPR) pathway from the previous year can leave Canada while waiting for their approval and can apply for a new open work permit. For applicants under the Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident (TRPR) pathway introduced in 2021, they can leave Canada during the waiting period and apply for a new open work permit that extends until 2024. This measure ensures that applicants have sufficient legal residency time in Canada before receiving permanent residency approval, without the need for further work permit extensions. Additionally, immediate family members of the applicants can also apply for open work permits.
