ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS
- Matrixvisa Firm Update
- South African Visit
- Book a Meeting September 2016
- Immigration Policy News
- Economy
- Jobs
MATRIXVISA FIRM UPDATE
We are pleased to announce that Miss Jashke Kriek, the Case Manager of Matrixvisa Inc. was admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria as an Australian Lawyer in Melbourne, Australia on 21 June 2016. She is also preparing to be admitted as a Canadian lawyer.
SOUTH AFRICAN VISIT
Matrixvisa will be in South Africa from 1 September 2016 until 13 September 2016. Ms. Jashke Kriek (our case manager) will accompany us during the South African visit.
JOHANNESBURG: Thursday, 1 September & Friday, 2 September (9am – 4:00pm)
Meetings will be held at our office:
Mandela Square – Sandton (West Tower, 2nd Floor), Maude Street, Sandton, Johannesburg, 2146.
JOHANNESBURG: Saturday, 3 September & Sunday, 4 September (9:00 – 5:00pm)
Meetings will be held in the Ruby Room at City Lodge at Oliver Tambo International Airport, O R Tambo Airport Road, Johannesburg, 1627, South Africa.
Please do not travel to City Lodge at Barbara Rd, which is 5 km away from the Airport. Most GPS take drivers to the City Lodge at Barbara Rd, which is the wrong City Lodge Hotel.
DURBAN: Monday, 5 September 2016 (4:00pm – 8pm)
Meetings will be held at the Holiday Express Inn, 2 Ncondo Place, Durban, 4320, South Africa.
PORT ELIZABETH: Tuesday, 6 September 2016 (1:00pm – 4:00pm)
Meetings will be held on the 3rd Floor, Regus House, Fairview Office Park, Ring Road, Greenacres, Port Elizabeth, 6045, South Africa.
STELLENBOSCH: Friday, 9 September 2016 (9:00am – 4:00pm)
Meetings will be held at Office 301, 3rd floor, Eikestad Mall, 43 Andringa Street, Stellenbosch, Cape Town, 7599, South Africa.
BOOK A MEETING
Our consultation fee is $150 (for a 1 hour consultation).
2 Steps to Book a Meeting:
1. Assessment of documents
2. Invitation to have an initial consultation meeting
Important Facts
1. Please note that we are not paid to find work for our clients (that is not legal in most parts of Canada), but we assist them in methods to look for work and in legal advice to immigrate.
2. If your enquiry relates to obtaining legal advice, such as whether you are eligible to immigrate to Canada – please note that regulation requires that Cobus Kriek signs a contract with you before providing any legal advice.
IMMIGRATION POLICY NEWS
Immigration Changes Planned
On 28 June 2016, the Director of Issues Management and the Deputy Chief of Staff Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Mr. Bernie Derible, spoke at a Town Hall meeting hosted by the Member of Parliament for Don Valley in Toronto, Honorable Yasmin Ratansi.
Photo of Minister John McCallum from Macleans News Online.
He spoke about the current objective of 300 000 immigrants as not necessarily being the maximum number of immigrants to be welcomed into Canada in 2016. The message appeared to be that the government is considering to increase the number of immigrants who are allowed to emigrate to Canada in 2016.
It was reported that Mr Derible also mentioned the following objectives/plans:
- Possibility of increasing the number of immigrants allowed into Canada every year;
- Age of dependency will go back to 22 years;
- Citizenship will only require 3 years of residence and not 4 years;
- Applicants that fail the knowledge test for Citizenship can just re-write the test and do not have to re-apply;
- Labour Market Impact Assessments exemptions might be a possibility for certain occupations;
- The government will look into the most common reason for refusals for temporary entries: “I do not believe that you will return to your country of Citizenship and therefore your case is refused.” In our view many officers abuse the legislation as part of an enforcement attitude;
- Currently a person on a work permit must obtain permanent residence in 4 years or leave Canada (with some exceptions). This maximum number of four years might be abolished;
- Inland spousal sponsorship must come down to 6 months from the current 24 months; and,
- There will be a pathway for all Temporary Foreign Workers to become permanent residents. Currently some low skilled workers cannot obtain permanent resident status if there is not a provincial stream.
We have written to Mr. Derible specifically on the ability of intra-company transferees and foreign nationals working on open work permits (if the spouses are students for example) to become permanent residents in the Federal Skilled Worker Class or the Federal Skills Trades Class. A number of years ago this was possible, but the opportunity was closed by the previous Conservative government.
On 5 July 2016, the Canadian government launched a national discussion on immigration. The government has invited the public to provide comments on the following questions:
- How many newcomers should we welcome to Canada in 2017 and beyond?
- How can we best support newcomers to ensure they become successful members of our communities?
- Do we have the balance right among the immigration programs or streams? If not, what priorities should form the foundation of Canada’s immigration planning?
- How can immigration play a role in supporting economic growth and innovation in Canada?
- Should there be more programs for businesses to permanently hire foreign workers if they can’t find Canadians to fill the job?
- What is the right balance between attracting global talent for high-growth sectors, on the one hand, and ensuring affordable labour for businesses that have historically seen lower growth, on the other?
- How can immigration fill in the gaps in our demographics and economy?
- What Canadian values and traditions are important to share with newcomers to help them integrate into Canadian society?
- Currently, immigration levels are planned yearly. Do you agree with the thinking that planning should be multi-year?
- What modernization techniques should Canada invest in for processing of applications?
- What should Canada do to ensure its immigration system is modern and efficient?
- Is there any rationale for providing options to those willing to pay higher fees for an expedited process?
- Is it important for Canada to continue to show leadership in global migration? If so, how can we best do that?
- How can Canada attract the best global talent and international students?
- In what ways can Canada be a model to the world on refugees, migration and immigration?
Matrixvisa will write to the department and address some of these questions.
It is clear that the new government is immigrant friendly while the previous Conservative government was strict, in some cases unforgiving and followed a harsh approach on immigration policies.
2016 Immigration Programs So Far
The British-Columbia government issued nominations for 15 entrepreneurs on 15 June. The selection is 130 points on the BC’s point scoring system for Entrepreneurs.
The Manitoba government drew 593 people (Skilled Workers in Manitoba Stream) on 29 June 2016. The draws took place on 173 points on the Manitoba scoring system.
The Manitoba government also drew 378 people (Overseas Skilled Worker Stream) on 29 June 2016. The draws took place on 173 points on the Manitoba scoring system.
The following draws took place through Express Entry:
29 June: 483 points: 773 people were invited
15 June: 488 points: 752 people were invited
1 June: 483 Points: 762 people were invited
18 May: 484 points: 763 people were invited
Saskatchewan Express Entry
We spoke with an officer of the provincial government and he said the Saskatchewan Express Entry was open for 20 hours in June. On 20 July 2016 it opened at 8am and closed by 21 July 2016 at about 3pm.
Therefore, applicants MUST have all documents ready by the time it opens up. It can take weeks to prepare each file with no guarantee that the program will open any time soon or even for the rest of the year.
In order to be eligible in the Saskatchewan Express Entry all the requirements must be met, including the following:
a) have an Express Entry Profile
b) have the correct experience in one of the following occupations:
NOC Title
0213 Computer and information systems managers
0423 Managers in social, community and correctional services
0513 Recreation, sports and fitness program and service directors
0714 Facility operation and maintenance managers
0821 Managers in agriculture
1224 Property administrators
1225 Purchasing agents and officers
1252 Health information management occupations
2161 Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries
2171 Information systems analysts and consultants
2221 Biological technologists and technicians
2225 Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists
2231 Civil engineering technologists and technicians
2232 Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
2244 Aircraft instrument, electrical and avionics mechanics, technicians and inspectors
2253 Drafting technologists and technicians
2255 Technical occupations in geomantic and meteorology
7253 Gas fitters
7312 Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
7321 Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers
332 Appliance servicers and repairers
For an artisan (in Canada the term journeyman is used) to be enter Express Entry, an applicant must have a LMIA or a Provincial Certificate of Qualification (“Red Seal”).
The above photograph is a screenshot of the Saskatchewan Immigration Website.
BC Express Entry
The BC Express Entry opened on Saturday 23 July 2016.
The requirements are as follows:
- must have obtained an IRCC Express Entry profile number and a Job Seeker Validation Code that indicates you meet the criteria for one of the federal economic immigration programs subject to IRCC’s Express Entry system:
- have accepted a full-time, indeterminate job offer from a B.C. employer in a skilled occupation as outlined in the National Occupational Classification Matrix (NOC skill level 0, A or B)
- be qualified to perform the duties of the job offered to you including all regulatory, registration, and licensing requirements to perform the duties of the occupation in B.C.
- have a minimum of two (2) years of directly related work experience in the job offered to you
- the employer must have advertised for at least 2 weeks
Immigration Project For The Maritimes
The federal government has announced a new program to increase immigration to the Maritime provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or PEI). These provinces are experiencing an increasing aging population and there are just not enough children being born.
The economic setback of the Maritime Provinces goes back as far as 1867 when Nova Scotia and New Brunswick joined the Confederation. At the time the Maritime Provinces were trading with USA states in the North East USA known as New England. The Maritimes has cotton mills, sugar refineries, glassworks and shipbuilding. The shipbuilding was world class and one of the biggest in the North Atlantic seaboard. In 1879 the Canadian government created a tariff wall and the Atlantic provinces where cut-off from their USA markets. Suddenly they had to trade with Montreal, 1200 km away. The industries collapsed and seasonal jobs in fishing and forestry was all that remained.
Today, Nova Scotia has Canada’s largest car tire factory. The province is also well known for agriculture. The Maritimes are likely to receive a major boost of large contracts to build many of Canada’s new navy ships.
Importantly, a provincial commission in Nova Scotia forecasts that the province’s working-age population will have declined by 100,000 or about 20% in the next 20 years. In July 2014 a three-year pilot program was announced to boost immigration and the Maritimes to counter the aging populations and slumping economies. Under this immigration project 2000 extra immigrants would be allowed yearly in addition to the current quotas.
(Source: Mr. John Ibbitson, Globe and Mail, 20 March 2015 and Jane Taber, Globe and Mail, 4 July 2016).
New Brunswick has new Occupation List
In order to be selected applicants must attend an International Information Session of the New Brunswick government held around the world. This is the feedback from some of the international locations (there are many locations and these are not the only locations):
- Netherlands in Feb 2015: 300 people attended the booth, 20 were identified as possible candidates, 15 applications where received of which 7-10 was nominated
- United Kingdom March and Oct 2015: 50 applicants pre-screened of which 25 was identified for Express Entry, Received 10-15 Applications
- Egypt, Morocco, UAE & Qatar in May 2015: Pre-screened 150 applicants, Identified 15-20 candidates, 10 nominations under New Brunswick Express Entry.
Matrixvisa Inc requests the New Brunswick government to allow our clients to attend these international sessions. The new occupation list was released on Friday 15 July 2016:
NOC Code and Occupations
#0621 Retail and wholesale trade managers
#1241 Administrative assistants
#1221 Administrative officers
#3233 Licensed practical nurses
#6322 Cooks
#0631 Restaurant and food service managers
#1311 Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
#9241 Power engineers and power systems operators
#0821 Managers in agriculture
#7242 Industrial electricians
#1224 Property administrators
#0016 Senior managers – construction, transportation, production and utilities
#0911 Manufacturing managers
#1225 Purchasing agents and officers
#0311 Managers in health care
#6211 Retail sales supervisors
#0601 Corporate sales managers
#2171 Information systems analysts and consultants
#2172 Database analysts and data administrators
#2173 Software engineers and designers
#2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers
#2175 Web designers and developers
#2281 Computer network technicians
#2282 User support technicians
#0111 Financial managers
#0714 Facility operation and maintenance managers
#0013 Senior managers – financial, communications and other business services
#3211 Medical laboratory technologists
#6311 Food service supervisors
#0121 Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers
ECONOMY
Housing Bubble
In addition to regular news on the price of oil, weekly discussions about the property bubble in Vancouver is now also in the news. While the government has not yet intervened, a federal working group has been appointed to address the issue and BC provincial premiers are taking notice. Professor Grubel from Simon Fraser University said he believes that the Vancouver housing bubble will burst and that it is just a matter of time before the market implodes.
Jobs Created in BC
British Columbia is one of the leaders in economic growth; 16 000 new jobs were created in June 2016. The premier said the growth would allow it to eliminate the CAD5,7 billion expected deficit for 2017-2018 fiscal year.
Ontario Best Growth
Ontario has grownat 3 percent during the first quarter of 2016, which is the highest in Canada and the highest in the G7 countries.
Alberta and Oil
Canada’s largest oil producer, Suncor, has been buying up smaller companies as it prepares for an oil rebound.
Even though the oil price collapsed during 2015 the country still created 158 000 jobs.
Although Alberta has lost many jobs in the past 18 months, Edmonton is steaming ahead and employers created 30 000 jobs during 2105.
Potash News
Colonsay potash mine (part of Mosaic) about 65 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) laid off 330 people for 7 months due to the low potash price. In 2008 the potash price was CAD800 per ton and now it is CAD205 per ton.
Mosaic’s expectation is that all employees will be brought back in January 2017. It was reported in the Star Phoenix in 18 July that Scotia Bank has mentioned that the mine might remain idle for the whole of 2017 and that the miner might not be brought back by Jan 2017
Gold and Nickel News
The gold price is expected to increase to CAD1500 per ounce which is great news for the Canadian gold producers.
Canada Pension Plan
On 21 June it was reported by the Canada Broadcasting Corporation (www.cbc.ca) that the Federal Government is busy with a plan to enhance the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). At the moment all workers and employers are contributing 4.95 % of a worker’s annual wage to the CPP; between CAD3500 and CAD54 900. The plan is to increase this by 1 % to 5,95% over 5 years. It means that the average worker will contribute an extra CAD25 per month. The following was reported: “That will be followed by an increase in the maximum pensionable earnings level to $82,700 from $54,900, phased in over two years, meaning higher-income earners will pay further premiums — but will stand to receive even higher retirement benefits. In plain terms, a middle-income Canadian entering the workforce now who earns an average of $50,000 a year would receive a pension of $16,000 a year (in today’s dollars) in retirement, instead of the $12,000 allocated under the current regime, according to Finance Canada.
BC Medical Doctors
It was reported in the Vancouver Sun on 15 June 2016 that there are 700 vacant positions for medical doctors in British Columbia. According to the statistics of 2015 only a third of vacant positions are expected to be filled. Alan Ruddiman, president of Doctors of B.C., said B.C. is now facing “the perfect storm” with an aging medical workforce (average age 54) and an aging population needing doctors more than ever. The following was also reported: “Foreign-trained medical graduates, including the 100 or so B.C. residents who each year graduate from medical schools outside Canada, could help fill vacancies. According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C., about 200 foreign (international medical graduates) doctors are deemed eligible for registration and licensure if they meet certain criteria. But there are only 58 funded residency spots for such graduates.”
Jobs
We have a few job positions available. Please send resumes to admin@matrixvisa.com
Cattle Farmers
We have three employers that require immigrants with experience in cattle (both free roaming and feedlots).
Medical Doctors
We have vacancies open for several medical doctors to work in Saskatchewan. The doctors must have passed two exams from the Medical Council of Canada: Evaluating Exam and Part I.
Urologist
A vacancy exists for a Urologist in Eastern Canada. A South African specialist is retiring and a replacement is required.
Mechanic with Extensive Farm Equipment
We have vacancies for mechanics with extensive farm equipment experience. This is not suitable for applicants with earth moving equipment experience.
Millwrights/Fitters/Electricians
On 6 July 2016 we received a call from a major Canadian employer to discuss possibilities for a new factory manufacturing OSB Board (Oriented Strand Board). OSB Board is an engineering lumber also known as flakeboard, aspenite or smartply. This could mean opportunities for trades (millwrights, fitters and electricians) and possibly other engineering positions. OSB board is used in house construction in North America.
Here is a photo of a house being built with OSB board on the left. The house on the right has already been completed.
See the OSB Board close up to see how it has been manufactured.
Sincerely,
THE MATRIXVISA TEAM
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