The pandemic has been one big and long heartburn for all foreign skilled workers seeking to immigrate to Canada.

First, there was no immigration shutdown like the US, which meant those already in Canada found it easier to qualify for ITAs and move to their next stage of immigration processing.

Next, there was a massive Express Entry draw where more than 27,000 ITAs were issued at a ridiculously low minimum cutoff score.

And after the announcement of maintaining its immigration targets, Canada came up with a big announcement on May 6, 2021. Six new permanent residence streams for healthcare workers, non-healthcare essential workers, and international graduates.

Three for French-speaking applicants with no maximum application cap. Three streams for English-speaking with a cap of 90,000 applications—50,000 visas for essential workers and 40,000 visas for international graduates.

And such is demand for Canada immigration that International Graduates stream hit its cap limit in just 25 hours.

So, have the best Canada immigration opportunities come to an end? Have you missed the bus and have no choice but to live with the regret it won’t ever be so easy to immigrate to Canada?

Definitely Not! The various measures including the monster draw and the six temporary streams for permanent residence have very important lessons for those planning on immigrating to Canada.    

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Canada Needs You as Badly as You Need Canada

Canada needs people and it definitely prefers skilled workers, entrepreneurs and businesspersons over immigrants under other non-economic programs and categories.

There’s more to Canada immigration than just 27,000 ITAs or 90,000 PR visas. Canada needs many millions of skilled immigrants over a significantly long period of time. So, stop feeling all left out and focus on how you can qualify when the pandemic ends and the situation normalizes.

Be Prepared or Get Left Behind

The six new streams for permanent residence caused a lot of heartburn even among those already in Canada. Only those with language proficiency test results in hand could apply, which meant all those who had chosen to delay or defer their language tests missed out.

So, irrespective of whether you are in or outside Canada, it’s imperative that you remain prepared to get your application in at the shortest notice.

This is not as easy as it sounds, which is why you need to work with an immigration professional to ensure all your documents and details are updated and ready for submission at all times.

The Francophone Advantage

Three streams for English-speaking essential workers and international graduates have a cap of 90,000 visas. The other three streams for French-speaking applicants do not have a maximum cap, which means these streams will remain open to application until November 5, 2021.

Becoming proficient in French is not a bad idea for anybody planning to immigrate to Canada. With the government focusing specifically on Francophone immigration, its essential you give yourself this significant advantage.

Any international graduate who did not have his/her English test results in had probably lost out on this PR opportunity. Now, if you were proficient in French as well, then you have a good six months to apply without worrying about caps and quota limits.

Canada Immigration Likely to Be Easier Ahead

The six new streams are a big deal because of relaxed eligibility requirements. Instead of CLB 7, those with language proficiency of CLB 5 or higher were eligible to apply.

Further, the International Graduates stream did not have the one-year work experience requirement. This is mandatory under the CEC, which means those who were struggling to qualify through Express Entry could take advantage of the new streams to qualify for PR.

This is just like the massive CEC-only EE draw where the minimum CRS score to receive an ITA was just 75 points. Since Canada needs a large number of immigrants and prefers skilled workers over others, it is likely that new streams and options will continue to relax the eligibility requirements.  

Canada immigration is not a matter of luck or chance. If you have skills and talents that Canada needs, then there’s definitely an immigration program or stream designed for you. You just need the advice and assistance of a professional who knows and understands the Canada immigration system.