13 more countries now qualify for visa-free travel to Canada

https://overseas-to-canada.blogspot.com/

June 6, 2023, 11:30 a.m.—Winnipeg 

Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, announced the addition of 13 countries to the electronic travel authorization (eTA) program. Travellers from these countries who have either held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa can now apply for an eTA instead of a visa when travelling to Canada by air. 

Effective today, eligible travellers from these 13 countries qualify for the program:

Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Costa Rica, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay

Quick facts

The eTA is a digital travel document that most visa-exempt travellers need in order to travel to or transit through Canada by air.

The eTA application is used by Canadian officials to conduct light-touch, pre-travel screening of air travellers. It costs CAN$7 to apply, and most applications are automatically approved within minutes.

To apply for an eTA, travellers need only a valid passport, a credit card, an email address and access to the Internet.

Within the next year, Canada expects to receive 200,000 (or 20%) more visitors from these 13 countries. 

Within a decade, increased travel from these countries is expected to bring almost $160 million in additional tourism revenue.

Full details of this announcement

Find out about Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

Types of Canadian Government Representations Overseas

 https://overseas-to-canada.blogspot.com/

The first category of Canadian Government Representations Overseas is location.

https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/country-pays/description_bureaux-offices.aspx?lang=eng

The second category of Canadian Government Representations Overseas is personnel.

https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/country-pays/description_bureaux-offices.aspx?lang=eng

The third category of Canadian Government Representations Overseas is governing rules of international treaties.

Treaties under which Offices Operate

Canadian government offices abroad are established in accordance with the following two international treaties:

• Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (PDF Version 277 KB)
• Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (PDF Version 470 KB)

Canada launches new process to welcome skilled newcomers

 Canada launches a new process to welcome skilled newcomers with work experience in priority jobs as permanent residents

With employers eagerly seeking to fill countless vacant positions across the country, immigration emerges as a solution.

 Recognizing this reality, the Government of Canada is building an immigration system that acts as a catalyst for growth, empowering businesses, helping address their labour needs and strengthening French communities.

The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the first-ever launch of category-based selection for Canada’s flagship economic immigration management system, called :Express Entry. 

Category-based selection will allow Canada to issue invitations to apply to prospective permanent residents with specific skills, training or language ability. Further details on the timing of invitations for individual categories and how to apply will be announced in the coming weeks.

This year, category-based selection invitations will focus on candidates who have

• a strong French language proficiency or
• work experience in the following fields:
  • healthcare
  • science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions
  • trades, such as carpenters, plumbers and contractors
  • transport
  • agriculture and agri-food

By allowing us to invite more skilled workers in these professions, category-based selection supports Canada’s commitment to welcoming in-demand professionals into communities across the country. Additionally, by placing a special focus on Francophone immigration, the Government of Canada is ensuring that French communities can continue to live their life in Canada in the official language of their choice.

Category-based selection will make Express Entry more responsive to Canada’s changing economic and labour market needs, while building on the high human capital approach that has been a hallmark of Canada’s successful economic immigration system. These priorities maintain the focus on bringing in skilled workers with the potential to integrate and contribute to Canada’s future.

Quotes– The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

“Everywhere I go, I’ve heard loud and clear from employers across the country who are experiencing chronic labour shortages. These changes to the Express Entry system will ensure that they have the skilled workers they need to grow and succeed. We can also grow our economy and help businesses with labour shortages while also increasing the number of French-proficient candidates to help ensure the vitality of French-speaking communities. Put simply, Canada’s immigration system has never been more responsive to the country’s social or economic needs.”

Quick facts

• Express Entry is Canada’s flagship application management system for those seeking to immigrate permanently through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program.

• In June 2022, the Government of Canada made changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to allow for the selection of immigrants based on key attributes that support economic priorities, such as specific work experience or knowledge of French. 

• Legislative requirements to use these new authorities include that the Minister engage in public consultations, prior to establishing a new category, with provinces and territories, members of industry, unions, employers, workers, worker advocacy groups, settlement provider organizations, and immigration researchers and practitioners. Each year, IRCC must also report to Parliament on the categories that were chosen during the previous year and the selection process, including the rationale for choosing them. 

• The categories have been determined following extensive consultations with provincial and territorial partners, stakeholders and the public, as well as a review of labour market needs. A complete list of eligible jobs for the new categories is available on our website.

• The first category-based invitations to apply are expected to be sent this summer. 

• Immigration accounts for almost 100% of Canada’s labour force growth, helping to addresses labour shortages in key sectors.

• According to Employment and Social Development Canada, the number of occupations facing shortages doubled between 2019 and 2021.

• Under the Canada–Québec Accord, Quebec establishes its own immigration levels. From 2018 to 2022, admissions under the Federal High-Skilled program accounted for between 34% and 40% of overall French-speaking admissions outside Quebec.

additional details here:

New Canadian scholarship program

 Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly,  promoted the value of studying in Canada and the Canadian International Development Scholarship 2030 (BCDI 2030) program at the Sommet de la Francophonie (Francophonie Summit) in Djerba, Tunisia. 

Announced earlier this year, the $80 million program funded by Global Affairs Canada will educate, train, and empower thousands of bright, talented people in developing countries.

Over the next eight years, the BCDI 2030 program will provide people in 26 developing countries (see map below) with high-quality, inclusive education and training opportunities, with the intention of addressing inequality, bettering their lives and their communities. 

Colleges and Institutes Canada and Universities Canada are proud to jointly administer this ambitious new scholarship program in partnership with Union économique et monétaire ouestafricaine (UEMOA), the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and the Association of African Universities (AAU).

BCDI 2030 will directly reach more than 7,000 people — 51% of whom will be women — in eligible francophone countries, Commonwealth countries and Small Island Developing States. Participants will be provided opportunities to learn about entrepreneurship and leadership development, or take part in other tailor-made and thematic training, in their own country/region or in Canada.

Training and education will focus on key priority areas such as science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); climate action; artificial intelligence; health sciences; green and blue economy; and governance and administration.

The program will leverage Canada’s post-secondary education network of 236 colleges and universities — 62 of which are francophone — and the long-standing partnerships that Canada’s post-secondary institutions have in developing countries.

Link to additional Canadian scholarship program information:

https://www.univcan.ca/media-room/media-releases/new-canadian-scholarship-program-addresses-inequality-in-developing-countries/

 

Vietnam to Canada to Study and Tour

Vietnam
Official Title: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Capital: Hanoi
Population (million): 84.401
Total Area: 329,560 km2
Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND)
Language(s): Vietnamese, Chinese

Canadian Representation in Vietnam
Embassy of Canada in Hanoi
Address: 31 Hung Vuong Street
Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel.: 84 (4) 734-5000
Fax: 84 (4) 734-5049
E-mail: hanoi@international.gc.ca
Link to Canadian Embassy in Vietnam

Consulate General of Canada in Ho Chi Minh City
Address: 9th Floor, The Metropolitan
235 Dong Khoi Street
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel.: 84 (8) 827-9902
Fax: 84 (8) 827-9935
E-mail: hochi@international.gc.ca

Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
470 Wilbrod Street
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6M8,
Telephone (613) 236-0772
Fax (613) 236-2704

How can I come to Canada as a visitor, worker or student?

Citizenship and Immigration Canada has created an online tool called Come to Canada.

This CIC tool will help you figure out whether you can come to Canada as an immigrant, visitor, worker or student.

This CIC tool will help you understand the requirements for immigrating to, visiting, studying in or working in Canada.

This CIC tool guides you through some questions and based on your responses and your situation and provides a list of options and step-by-step instructions on how to apply.

For additional Citizenship and Immigration Canada information use this link

Study Work Live Retire in Canada

Study Work Live Retire in Canada is an information blog that will cover immigration topics, provide web resources information articles, how to immigrate tips, who to contact, what to prepare, how to start, what to expect, English language training requirements and job training and how to get a job as an immigrant in Canada.