Visas issued to international students fall 22 percent this year
While restrictions on international travel have resulted in fewer international students arriving in Canada this year, the number of study permits issued to international students also fell 22.3 percent in the second quarter. There are indications that admissions for the fall semester are also likely to be much lower this year. Colleges and universities are likely to face a loss of billions of dollars this year because of lower admissions. This sharp fall in the number of international students arriving in Canada is considered bad for the Canadian labour market. The consequences may be a potential labour shortage for some employers, who engage students in the near-term for work placements and internships, and then a longer-term dip in new graduates joining the labour force.
#International_stusents, #study_permits, #study_in_Canada
Immigration and Refugee Board begins in-person hearings
After more than five months of being closed due to COVID-19, in-person hearings will again resume at the Immigration and Refugee Board. It’s important to know that there is a process that must be followed to avoid infection. Everyone must wear masks and there will be protective plastic shields for each person. In order to speed up the process, the Board is asking refugee claimants to voluntarily do their hearing virtually. Another measure being implemented is that cases from refugee-producing countries where there are a lot of problems are being accepted without a hearing, simply by reviewing their documentation which corroborates that the person would be in danger if sent back to their country of origin. Many cases from the Middle East and Venezuela are being processed this way, based on documents and without a hearing. It’s unknown whether the Immigration and Refugee Board will have to close down in-person hearings again due to the second wave of COVID-19. This would complicate things, but it looks like virtual hearings are here to stay even if in-person hearings get cancelled again.
#Refugees, #IRCC, #IRB, #COVID_19
Surrey organization launches a campaign in support of foreign students, workers and refugees
The Hope Welfare Society in Surrey launched a campaign in support of work permit holders, international students and refugees. The society is calling on the government to grant permanent resident status to refugees and temporary visa holders. They say that the government announced it would provide PR options for frontline workers who provided services during the pandemic. The government must consider other temporary resident visa holders including international students and refugees to treat them the same way. Canadians urged community members to send emails to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Immigration Marco Mendicino to make them aware of this request.
#international_students, #foreign_workers, #refugees
Canadian immigration numbers dropped by 60% in July
In July 2020, Canada accepted a total of 13,645 new immigrants, a decline of 60.29% compared to July 2019, the largest year-on-year decline this year. Since 2020, Canada has accepted 38.25% fewer new immigrants comparing to the same period in 2019. Immigration Canada stated that the main reason for the decrease in the number of new immigrants was due to the inadequate processing capacity of Immigration Canada due to the pandemic. The approval time for all immigration applications has been extended. The current situation has not fundamentally improved. According to data from IRCC, the number of new immigrants dropped by 63.18%, with only 5,780 successfully landed in Ontario in July 2020. Ontario still has the highest number of new immigrants in Canada.
#PR_admission, #IRCC, #PR