Blue Bird Blog

Canada’s non-permanent resident population is 2.2 million people

Statistics Canada has just released a major report that changes how it counts Canada’s non-permanent residents (NPRs).
According to the latest population estimate, NPRs account for 2,198,679 people in Canada. A difference of over one million from Census 2021.
The report is significant because Statistics Canada acknowledges that it previously undercounted the country’s NPR population. The revised methodology has significant implications for Canadian public policy in a variety of areas, including immigration, economic and labour market planning and housing, among other important areas.

Top 10 questions about Canada’s work permit process

A work permit allows a foreign national to work in Canada temporarily. Navigating Canada’s work permit options and process can be difficult. Here are answers to some of the questions asked most often about Canada’s work permit process.

IRCC to introduce new automated tools for faster PGWP and work permit extension processing

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced the introduction of new automated tools to assist processing of Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) and work permit extensions.
Currently, not much is known about the new automation tools apart from the fact that they will take on two important tasks usually handled by IRCC officers: triage (a first assessment to determine the urgency of applications) and the eligibility assessment of applications.

Canada’s government proposing new affordability measures

Canada’s Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, has tabled a new bill with the House of Commons to improve affordability in Canada.
Bill C-56, the Affordable Housing and Groceries Act, has two main components. The first is to change the Excise Tax Act to add an enhancement to the GST New Residential Rental Property Rebate.

IRCC invites candidates in first ever category-based Express Entry draw for agriculture and agri-food occupations

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has issued 600 invitations to apply (ITAs) in the first ever category-based Express Entry draw for agriculture and agri-food occupations.
Candidates required a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 354.