Blue Bird Blog

Can you apply for 2 Canadian immigration programs at once?

IRCC says immigration law does not prohibit multiple applications, but there will be no refund of processing fees paid.

With more than 100 economic class immigration programs to choose from, it is possible to be eligible for more than one Canadian immigration program. So, it begs the question, can you apply for more than one at the same time?

Maybe you are eligible for Express Entry, but don’t necessarily want to cross your fingers for an Invitation to Apply (ITA), and that base Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) looks a little more interesting— even if it might be a longer process. Can you apply for both?

According to Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), you can have two applications at once, but you may have to withdraw one before a decision can be made on the other— and you will not get a refund on any processing fees paid.

In an email statement to CIC News, IRCC wrote the following:

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations do not prohibit multiple applications from being made in the economic stream. However, prior to concluding one of the applications, the immigration officer will advise the applicant that the other application(s) must be withdrawn.

Furthermore, while multiple applications may be submitted, the applicant must also be aware that there will be no refund of processing fees paid for the other application(s) once processing has begun.

You cannot have more than one Express Entry profile

Canadian immigration law does not allow you to have more than one profile at a time. The IRCC website says having more than one profile will not give you a better chance at being invited, nor allow you to be invited under another program.

You may, however, include your spouse or common-law partner on your Express Entry application. Every application through Express Entry has a Principal Applicant (PA), who gets a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. The PA can add a spouse and dependent children to the application.

When applying as a couple, only one partner can be the PA. The couple can choose which partner is the PA as long as both partners qualify for at least one Express Entry-managed program. This rule is important because one partner will likely have a CRS score higher than the other.

Having a profile in the Express Entry pool does not guarantee you will receive an ITA. You may receive an ITA if your CRS score meets the minimum cut off in a given Express Entry draw.

Sources: cicnews.com

Visitors no longer allowed to apply for work permits from within Canada

As of August 28, temporary residents in Canada on a visitor visa are no longer permitted to apply for a job-supported work permit from within Canada.
The temporary policy allowing visitors to apply for these work permits was introduced in August 2020 to assist some visitors in Canada who were unable to return home because of border closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic—with the further aim of aiding employers to fill key labour gaps, by allowing some visitors who met certain conditions to apply for an job-supported work permit from inside Canada.

Is it worth applying for Express Entry after you turn 35?

Prospective Canadian immigrants are sometimes discouraged from applying for Express Entry after they turn 35 years of age.
This is largely due to points lost on their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.
The Express Entry application management system uses the CRS to rank and order eligible Express Entry candidates based on their human capital factors before they can receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The average cost of buying a home in Canada’s largest cities

Housing has become a key issue for Canadians in 2024, with much attention given to the impact that changing interest rates, population increases, natural emigration patterns, and other factors have had on housing costs.
After compiling a guide on rental costs across Canada in 2024, CIC News has prepared the following guide on the costs of buying a home in Canada, considering the largest cities and population centers in each of the country’s provinces.

Quebec announces suspension of LMIA processing for some low-wage temporary foreign workers

Starting September 3rd, the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) to applicants in Montréal will be suspended for job offers with hourly wages below $27.47 CAD (the Quebec median hourly wage). This measure is expected to be in place for the next six months and has been approved by the federal government of Canada.

Here’s why the number of temporary workers in Quebec has nearly quadrupled in eight years

According to a recent report by a Quebec-based non-profit think tank, the province’s growth in temporary immigrants was primarily driven by two programs: the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP).
According to this report, published by the Institut du Quebec (IDQ) last month, Quebec’s temporary resident population grew 46% in 2023 and most of this growth was due to an influx of temporary workers. Specifically, Quebec had 167,435 temporary work permit holders last year, almost four times as many as in 2015.