ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

  • Matrixvisa June Meeting in South Africa
  • Job Vacancies
  • Immigration Policy Change: Alberta Skilled Workers & IT Workers
  • Economy News

SA Meetings 21-25 June 2018

We will be visiting South Africa from Thursday, 21 June 2018 – Monday, 22 June 2018. We will be meeting clients by appointment ONLY at the following dates and addresses:

STELLENBOSCH – Thursday, 21 June 2018 (9am5pm)
43 Andringa Street, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch, 7600.
JOHANNESBURG – Friday, 22 June 2018 (11am5pm)
City Lodge Oliver Tambo Airport. Please do not go to the City Lodge at Barbara Rd.
JOHANNESBURG – Saturday, 23 June 2018 (9am5pm)
City Lodge Oliver Tambo Airport. Please do not go to the City Lodge at Barbara Rd.
JOHANNESBURG – Sunday, 24 June 2018 (9am5pm)
City Lodge Oliver Tambo Airport. Please do not go to the City Lodge at Barbara Rd.
JOHANNESBURG – Monday, 25 June 2018 (9am3pm)
Sandton office: Nelson Mandela Square, West Tower, 2nd floor, Maude street, Sandown, Gauteng.

If you were unable to secure a booking for this trip, there is always the option of a Skype/ telephonic meeting which are held weekly when Cobus is in Canada.

For those who are interested in booking a meeting, go to ‘Get Initial Assessment’ to begin the two step process. All applicants must complete an initial assessment before being invited to book a consultation.

Kindly complete an initial assessment to book your consultation as soon as possible for the remaining South Africa slots as the process does take some time to complete.

BOOK INITIAL ASSESSMENT

Vacancies

  1. Veterinarians x 3: Veterinary clinics in Alberta
  2. Underground Mechanics: We are about to start interviews for an employer in Ontario. Applicants MUST have 2 years of underground experience with jumbo drills rigs and scoops/LHDs
  3. Feedlot workers for Ab and SK:  We need to specialized livestock workers with cattle experience
  4. Agriculture Parts Specialist: vacancies in more than one location
  5. Cattle worker: required for a farm in Saskatchewan.
  6. Grain farm manager: with extensive grain farm experience is required.
  7. Specialist Fabricator (Bender): Applicants with advanced experience and can use large bending machines
  8. A 12 000 acre grain farm is looking for an experienced person in grain/crops. The applicant must have strong mechanical abilities The couple are in their late 30s with children 7,5 and 3.
  9. In a another Prairie farm a manager of grain farm is needed.
  10. CNC Machinists: with experience on large items (1-2 meter in diameter), with horizontal boring mill experience. The requirements are as follows:
  • Minimum 5 years of experience working with medium to large precision components on CNC Horizontal Boring Mills;
  • Ability to set up, program and operate CNC Horizontal Boring Mill with FANUC, and;
  • Ability to read and interpret blueprints, drawings, charts, tables and ensure the proper dimensions and tolerance levels of the finished product;
  • Strong communication skills partnered with a positive team spirit;
  • Must be able to work Day & Afternoon shifts along with overtime as needed.

Immigration Policy Updates

ALBERTA IMMIGRANT NOMINEE PROGRAM

The Alberta Government announced their latest policies.  The details can be seen here: https://www.albertacanada.com/opportunity/programs-and-forms/ainp.aspx

This will now be open for all skills levels, not just skill level 0, A or B

Most skilled workers  may now apply under the new “Alberta opportunity Stream” for which employer support are not needed. Work experience must equal either: Applicants must have at least 12 months in Alberta within past 18 months in the nominated occupation or  24 months in current occupation in Canada or abroad within past 30 months. Applicants must also meet certain income levels

Income Levels required for Alberta:

# family members Gross income
1 21,833
2 30,876
3 37,816
4 43,666
5 48,820
6 53,480
7 57,765
8 61,753
9 65,499
10 69,042

Taxable benefits (principal applicant or partner) may be included in calculation of yearly income before tax

In order to include the income of  spouse or common law partner income the following requirements must be met:

  • gross annual partner income must be greater than or equal to 42% of principal applicant’s gross annual income (Therefor if the principle applicant earns $ 40 000 the spouse must earn 42 % of $40 000 which is $16,800.
  • partner must have a job offer for full or part time work for an Alberta employer, and be working with authorization for that employer

MEDICAL INADMISSIBILITY

In the past a person would be medically inadmissible if the  annual  cost of the treatment or provision of social services resulted in more expenses than about $6604 per annum for 5 year in a row. This has now become nearly $19, 812 per annum. Many of our clients will now qualify for immigration. It is not sure how long this will last and the expectation is that this might change again in the next election.

EXPRESS ENTRY DRAW FOR THE TRADES

During June 2018, the first draw for the Federal Skills Trades Class was at 199 points. Applicants must have a specific language score, 2 year experience in the trade in the preceding 5 years and a LMIA or a Canadian Red Seal.

OCCUPATIONS IN SHORT SUPPLY

The federal Government announced on 12 June 2018  that the following occupations does not require any domestic recruitment in applications for Labour Market Applications.  Job offers are required but employers does not have to recruit locally first .   The majority decisions are information technology positions:

0211    Engineering managers
0212    Architecture and science managers
0213    Computer and information systems managers
2147    Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
2161 Mathematicians and statisticians (Positions for actuaries or related occupations are excluded from this subset).
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
2283    Information systems testing technicians
Sub-set of 5131. Producer, technical, creative and artistic director and project manager – Visual effects and video game
Sub-set of 5241 Digital media designers. The position must require a minimum of three years of job experience in at least one of the following digital media design skills: 3D modeling, compositing, paint and roto, layout and match move, digital environment and Matte painting, texture, lighting shading, character effects, effects and simulations, design and scenario, rigging, user interface or user experience, responsive design (for gaming), virtual reality, augmented reality, digital media animation, levels editing for digital media design, software editing for digital media design, pipeline software development or applications relevant for digital media design

British Columbia Government has a similar list of 32 occasions for which no recruitment is required when job offers are made to foreign nationals

0113 Purchasing managers
0131 Telecommunication carriers managers
0213 Computer and information systems managers
0512 Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts 1123 Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
2131 Civil engineers
2132 Mechanical engineers
2133 Electrical and electronics engineers
2134 Chemical engineers
2147 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
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
2221 Biological technologists and technicians
2241 Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
2242 Electronic service technicians (household and business equipment)
2243 Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
2281 Computer network technicians
2282 User support technicians
2283 Information systems testing technicians
4163 Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants
5121 Authors and writers
5122 Editors
5125 Translators, terminologists and interpreters
5224 Broadcast technicians
5225 Audio and video recording technicians
5227 Support occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and the performing arts
5226 Other technical and co-ordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts
5241 Graphic designers and illustrators
6221 Technical sales specialists – wholesale trade

ECONOMIC NEWS

The Alberta oil producers struggle to get their oil to tide water (a sea port). Planned pipelines to the East (Quebec), to Northern BC (Port of Kitimat/Prince Rupert) as well as the Keystone X Pipeline to the USA have been cancelled. The last remaining pipeline  to the Port of Vancouver is called the Trans Mountain pipeline. It is owned by  an American Company, Kinder Morgan. The pipeline was built in the 1950’s  and now it must be enlarged from 300 000 barrels per day to 890 000 barrels can be transported per day. This will result  in a seven fold increase of the number of oil tankers. A fight has begun between different groups (provincial governments  and lobbying groups).  The Alberta government also developed legislation to ban oil exports to British Columbia which means British Columbia suppliers might have to buy petroleum from Washington State. This will result in a radical increase in costs  of gasoline (petrol in BC).

The Canadian Government is now negotiation the NAFTA agreement with the Trump administration. The Trump administration indicated that it would like to withdraw from the free trade agreement and establish tariffs on automotive  imports,  steel and aluminium from Canada.  Our Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Freeland was in Washington this week to lobby for some sanity. She and the whole of Canada  was publicly supported by the Republicans (President Trump’s own party). Canada has replied with tariffs against US goods, worth billions every year. A poll suggested many Canadians said they will not buy American goods if the USA continues its actions against us.

Sincerely,
The Matrixvisa Team