Labor shortages, border opening and other news of the week
The week of August 6-12 was very busy!
Immigration selections
In the past week, Canada's provinces have held just three draws. Quebec continues to break its record, holding selections every week and inviting more than 500 people at a time. In the last drawing, 517 candidates were selected. Luck is likely to strike a similar number of lucky winners next week.
Saskatchewan also had a major draw, inviting 528 people and lowering the passing score. The province hasn't had such a major draw since February of this year.
British Columbia, on the other hand, sent very few invitations this time. Only 34 candidates were called in the selection for IT professionals. This is the lowest figure for 2021.
Immigration news
New Brunswick will launch a new immigration pilot for those who graduate from one of the colleges in the province in a suitable major. There's not much information about the program yet, but it's not encouraging, as the pilot has some very serious downsides, and it's likely not going to be a good fit for many people.
Have you heard that immigrants in Canada get free help from the government? Statistically, more than half of immigrants do not know about it. And you can get this help even before you move! The government pays special attention to employment for new residents.
Jobs in Canada
Canada's economy is recovering from the pandemic, but one problem is slowing it down — lack of workers. The number of open jobs in the country is on the rise, with more than 815,000 in June, for example. Hospitality, healthcare and retail sectors are particularly in need of employees.
Despite the high demand, there aren't many willing to fill empty positions. About 70% of businesses across Canada need workers. Meanwhile, 35% of unemployed Canadians aren't even going to look for work. Some blame it on government benefits, while others are waiting for more immigrants to come to the country.
Many people who are planning to move to Canada are concerned about vaccinations. Private companies have the right to enforce their vaccination policies, and many are thinking about making vaccination mandatory for all staff.
Entering Canada
The borders are finally opened! It is now possible to enter the country without a valid reason and on a tourist visa, but only fully vaccinated foreigners are allowed to enter, and the vaccine must be approved in Canada. Also, a number of sanitary measures must be followed upon arrival.
Some people who applied for a visa before the borders opened can apply again to speed up the review process. Immigration Canada has highlighted a list of circumstances under which this is possible.
Alex Pavlenko, founder of the emigration portal Immigrant.Today
