Blue Bird Blog

In 2023, Canada aims to welcome 465,000 new permanent residents. By 2025, this target is increased to 500,000. Pakistan is one of the top source countries of new immigrants to Canada, which is currently home to over 300,000 Pakistani people. The largest share of Pakistani people live in Ontario, especially in Toronto, Mississauga and Milton.

On July 16, Canada introduced a new Open Work Permit (OWP) for H-1B visa holders as part of Canada’s new tech talent strategy.
The OWP gives candidates in specialized occupations the ability to work for almost any employer in Canada, is valid for up to three years and holders are allowed to bring their immediate families to Canada with them.
It proved to be an extremely popular option and the cap of 10,000 applications was reached within two days, leaving some wondering what other options are available for H-1B holders to immigrate to Canada.

On June 29, the Government of Ontario announced it would cap rent increases for 2023 at 2.5%.
Each year, Ontario releases a rent increase guideline that landlords can then use to raise the cost of tenants’ rent by a specific percentage to align with the cost of living. The province typically uses Ontario’s Consumer Price Index as a baseline for inflation. However, the recent high rate means that by this standard, landlords would have been able to raise rents by 5.3% for the year, which is not sustainable for most tenants.

Family reunification is a core pillar in Canada’s immigration strategy and a new measure by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to make it possible for more families to be together. Spouses, partners, and dependents of permanent residents, Canadian citizens, temporary workers, and students already in Canada may now be eligible for an Open Work Permit.

Three of Canada’s provinces have nominated candidates through streams of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
A candidate that receives nomination by a province becomes much more likely to receive an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residency from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This is because the federal and provincial governments share responsibility for immigration in Canada and being nominated by a province means you are considered a good fit for the provincial labour force.