Welcome to the weekly newsletter from Malhi Immigration Services, your trusted Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant based in British Columbia, Canada. We are dedicated to providing you with the latest updates and information on immigration matters to help you navigate the complex Canadian immigration system with ease.

MAJOR RECENT UPDATES:

• Government of Canada will set an intake cap on international student permit applications to stabilize new growth for a period of two years.

  For 2024, the cap is expected to result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, a decrease of 35% from 2023.

  

• Study permit renewals will NOT be impacted.

  Current study permit holders will NOT be affected.

  Those pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, and elementary and secondary education are NOT included in the cap.

  

• To implement the cap, as of January 22, 2024, every study permit application submitted to IRCC will also require an ATTESTATION LETTER from a province or territory.

  

• Starting September 1, 2024, international students who begin a study program that is part of a curriculum licensing arrangement will

  NO longer be eligible for a post­graduation work permit upon graduation. Under curriculum licensing agreements, students physically attend a private college that has been licensed to deliver the curriculum of an associated public college.

  

• Graduates of master’s and other short graduate-level programs will soon be eligible to apply for a 3-year work permit. Under current criteria, the length of a post­graduation work permit is based solely on the length of an individual’s study program, hindering master’s graduates by limiting the amount of time they have to gain work experience and potentially transition to permanent residence.

  

• Open work permits will only be available to spouses of international students in master’s and doctoral programs.

  The spouses of international students in other levels of study, including undergraduate and college programs, will no longer be eligible.

  

• Individual provincial and territorial caps have been established, weighted by population, which will result in much more significant decreases in provinces where the international student population has seen the most unsustainable growth.

  

What is BC PNP TECH Pilot Program ?

The BC PNP offers skilled workers in select, in-demand technology occupations a pathway to permanent residence. To meet the unique needs of B.C.’s technology sector, priority technology occupations are not required to have a permanent job offer.

Workers in the technology sector must meet the following requirements to benefit from targeted invitations to apply:

• the job offer must be in one of the priority technology occupations

• the job offer must be at least one year in duration (365 days)

• there must be at least 120 calendar days remaining on the job offer at the time of application

Priority technology occupations:

• 10030 Telecommunication carriers managers

• 20012 Computer and information systems managers

• 21100 Physicists and astronomers

• 21210 Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries

• 21211 Data scientists

• 21220 Cybersecurity specialists

• 21221 Business systems specialists

• 21222 Information systems specialists

• 21223 Database analysts and data administrators

• 21230 Computer systems developers and programmers

• 21231 Software engineers and designers

• 21232 Software developers and programmers

• 21233 Web designers

• 21234 Web developers and programmers

• 21300 Civil engineers

• 21301 Mechanical engineers

• 21310 Electrical and electronics engineers

• 21311 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)

• 21320 Chemical engineers

• 21399 Other professional engineers

• 22110 Biological technologists and technicians

• 22220 Computer network and web technicians

• 22221 User support technicians

• 22222 Information systems testing technicians

• 22310 Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians

• 22312 Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics

• 50011 Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts

• 51111 Authors and writers (except technical)

• 51112 Technical writers

• 51120 Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations

• 52119 Other technical and coordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts

• 52112 Broadcast technicians

• 52113 Audio and video recording technicians

• 52120 Graphic designers and illustrators

• 53111 Motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and performing arts assistants and operators

Occupations listed here are not the only ones eligible for the BC PNP. Priority occupations may receive a targeted invitation once a registration is submitted.

BC PNP DRAW - JAN 16, 2024

CEC DRAW - JAN 23, 2024

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