Immigration records and other news of the week

More than 5,900 immigration invitations, a record score drop in Express Entry, and other important events from July 3 to July 9.

Toronto held a mayoral election. Olivia Chow, a representative of the New Democratic Party, won. The new mayor's plans include affordable housing, city beautification, public safety, and regulating the rights of landlords and tenants. Chow intends to slightly raise property taxes and vacant homes and spend more of the budget money on affordable housing.

The 30% rule no longer works in Canada. Under this principle, spending on a mortgage or rent should not exceed 30% of a person's or family's income. This used to be the guideline for banks and landlords, among others. Now residents of Canada can spend on housing and 50% of their income, while economists and real estate agents believe that it is necessary to assess the whole situation of a particular family, rather than abstract indicators. But the undisputed advantage in this matter of couples without children, as both people can work. Families with children, on the contrary, have a more difficult time.

Finances are an aspect that Canadians are very concerned about right now. In a recent survey of what causes Canadians stress, money took the top spot, beating out areas such as personal health, relationships, and work. This result has been observed for the past 6 years. The reason for this is rising prices for goods and services, and inflation also plays a role.

Visas and immigration

Canada's Minister of Immigration announced that the government will attract more freelancers. But there are no special visas for digital nomads, so people with remote work can come to the country on a visitor visa. This allows you to stay in Canada for up to 6 months while working for a non-Canadian employer. The stay can be extended. The Minister also promised that if a freelancer finds a job in Canada, they will be able to change their visitor visa to a work visa, and in the future to get a permanent residence permit.

There are other reliable ways to immigrate. These include immigration through education. One of our partners, Algonquin College, offers more than 300 study programs, including paid internships in the workplace. A special feature of the college is the use of modern technology in the educational process. You can enroll without taking a language test. More information about the college is available in our article.

When immigrating, everyone is primarily concerned with the issue of paperwork. And how to behave on an airplane and at the airport? In a new survey, Canadians told what behavior they consider polite. The rules are pretty simple: don't violate the personal space of others, don't slow down traffic, don't be loud, don't take off your shoes during the flight, don't be too intrusive in conversations with unfamiliar fellow travelers, and treat people more tolerantly.

Work and business

A competitor to the ChatGPT chatbot appeared in Canada. Cohere develops products that help companies with text generation, describing their products as articles, and many other processes. But Cohere's chat models are geared specifically toward businesses, not regular users. That said, the company is confident that it will be in high demand among large entrepreneurs.

The popular Costco store chain is on the list of top employers in Canada and offers its employees various bonuses. The minimum hourly rate in the chain is CAD 17.50 per hour, and the average is CAD 29.76. Thus, cashiers can earn up to CAD 70,000 per year, which is higher than the average salary in Canada. In addition, there are great discounts for store employees and they are the first to get access to new products. The company also offers a good social package and career growth opportunities. Read more about all the bonuses in our article.

Immigration draws

Last week was particularly busy with immigration draws in Canada. In total, more than 5,900 people were invited.

The Express Entry selections were particularly pleasing. On July 4, Canada conducted a draw for all candidates with a passing score of 511. This is a very high figure, but then the scores started to go down.

On July 5, a selection was held for candidates with professions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Invitations were extended to 500 applicants with a score of 486. On July 6, the drawing was held for 1,500 healthcare professionals with a score of 463. That's already a good score, but the scores dropped even further.

The record-breaking draw took place on July 7. It selected 2,300 candidates with a good level of French, and the passing score for them was only 439. This is the lowest score in the last year.

Canadian provinces also conducted rounds of invitations. On July 4, Alberta selected 12 people with health professions.

On July 5, British Columbia hosted a drawing for 137 applicants with in-demand occupations. They were technicians, educators, and healthcare professionals.

On July 6, 748 people received invitations to immigrate to Ontario. They also had in-demand occupations but in IT. And Saskatchewan on the same day sent out invitations to entrepreneurs. 35 people were the lucky winners.