February 2021 - Doherty Fultz Immigration

Today International Experience Canada (IEC) announced via Twitter that the IEC pools for certain countries would be reopening on March 1, 2021. Due to Covid 19 the IEC pool has been closed since March 2020.

Job Now Offer Required Under Working Holiday

In order to be eligible to receive an invitation to apply under the working holiday program, applicants must have a job offer from a Canadian employer. Please note that this job offer does not require a LMIA, nor does it require a LMIA exempt job offer via the employer portal.

There are 4 steps outlined by IRCC to receive an ITA once the candidate has a Canadian job offer:

Send an email to IRCC at [email protected] advising them of the job offer
The email should include the subject “Working Holiday candidate with a job offer”
The body of the email should state:

I have a job offer in Canada and wish to receive an invitation to apply. My International Experience Canada application profile number is *[WXXXXXXXXX].
My information is:
- - Full name [as it appears on your passport—family name followed by given name(s)]
  - Date of birth [YYYY-MM-DD]
  - Country of residence
  - Date you created your IEC profile
  - Employment information: employer [name], located at [address], may be contacted at [telephone number or email].

4. The job offer should be attached to the email and include:

Business’s legal name and business’ operating name
Job title
Physical job location including city and province or territory
Main duties of the job
Expected start date of employment
Expected duration of employment
Employer’s primary contact information
Wage and hours of work

Citizens from the countries listed below who are eligible to participate in the Working Holiday, Young Professionals or the International Co-op program are advised to submit their IEC profile’s as soon as the IEC pool opens. Please be sure to check that the category you wish to apply under is eligible to submit an IEC profile.

Once again, this is an unexpected move from immigration and refugee and citizenship Canada (IRCC) as many suspected the IEC pool may not open at all this year. This news comes 10 days after the unexpected 27,000 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) under the Canadian Experience Class issued by IRCC.

This will come as welcome news to thousands of people from participating IEC countries whose plans and adventures have been put on hold due to the pandemic.

As of February 24, 2021, it states the following on the IEC webpage:

“The pools for certain countries for the 2021 season are opening soon.

Select your country from the drop-down menu below to see the schedule for the opening of your pool.”

Although applicants will once again be able to submit their profile and to the pool, there has been no indication as to when we can expect the first round of invitations and 2021.

Not All Countries’ IEC Pools Reopening

Canada has an international mobility agreement with 35 countries in total all, however as stated, the pools from certain countries are not scheduled to reopen as of yet. The pool will reopen on March 1, 2021 for 23 out of the 35 countries to participate in the IEC including:

Australia, Belgium, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

This is also great use for citizens of Hong Kong who wish to come to Canada their given the current political climate.

Working Holiday Visa

Working Holiday Program Opening Dates
Australia	March 1, 2021
Belgium	March 1, 2021
Chile	March 1, 2021
Costa Rica	March 1, 2021
Czech Republic	March 1, 2021
Denmark	March 1, 2021
France	March 1, 2021
Greece	March 1, 2021
Hong Kong	March 1, 2021
Ireland	March 1, 2021
Italy	March 1, 2021
Japan	March 1, 2021
Korea	March 1, 2021
Luxembourg	March 1, 2021
Norway	March 1, 2021
Portugal	March 1, 2021
San Marino	March 1, 2021
Slovakia	March 1, 2021
Spain	March 1, 2021
Sweden	March 1, 2021
Taiwan	March 1, 2021
United Kingdom	March 1, 2021

Austria	To Be Confirmed
Croatia	To Be Confirmed
Estonia	To Be Confirmed
Germany	To Be Confirmed
Latvia	To Be Confirmed
Lithuania	To Be Confirmed
Netherlands	To Be Confirmed
New Zealand	To Be Confirmed
Poland	To Be Confirmed
Slovenia	To Be Confirmed
Switzerland	Does Not Have a Working Holiday Program

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Why Should I become A Canadian Citizen?

Becoming a Canadian citizen is the last step in your years long Canadian immigration journey! It’s taken lots of sacrifice to make it this far – leaving behind your family, friends, culture, and possibly even native language. This is the final step before applying for your Canadian passport and no longer having to track your time spent outside Canada.

You also never have to worry about being deported from Canada – now your home – due to unforeseen circumstances such as a petty criminal conviction.

Why can’t I stay a Permanent Resident?

There are no laws that say you must become a citizen of Canada as soon as you can. It is entirely up to the individual to make that decision.

It is extremely common for people to remain a permanent resident forever, and it is perfectly acceptable to do that.

Sometimes it is not possible to apply for Canadian citizenship. If you frequently travel outside Canada for your work, or you live outside Canada with your Canadian spouse, then you can continue to remain a Canadian PR and renew your PR card indefinitely. However, you will never be able to meet the residency requirement for Canadian citizenship.

You may also hold the nationality of a country which does not allow its citizens to hold dual citizenship through naturalization.

All the above are genuine common reasons not to become a citizen.

What is the benefit of becoming Canadian?

It is important to remember that as a Canadian citizen you are able to make a real change to Canada and your community.

As a Canadian you are entitled to vote, work for the government or even run for political office.. All of these things are a fantastic way of giving back to the country you decided to call home.

Becoming Canadian also means peace of mind. You will never be able to lose your status which means you can chose to travel as much as you like. You won’t have to renew your permanent resident card anymore. The only thing you will need is your Canadian passport.

The Canadian passport is ranked in the top 10 of the most valuable passports to have. You are visa free to visit 183 countries. If you also retain your birth country’s citizenship this makes travel even more appealing.

When you become Canadian you are also able to pass on your citizenship to any children you have outside of Canada.

Will I lose my existing citizenship if I become Canadian?

While most countries recognize dual citizenship, there are a few that still do not.

Canada does recognize dual citizenship, so if you become Canadian it does not mean you have to forfeit your other citizenship. However, if the country you are born in does not recognize it then they may make you relinquish that citizenship.

You must make sure you are aware of the rules and regulations of your country of birth with regards to dual citizenship.

If you chose Canada as your home then becoming Canadian is the final step to take and with one of the highest percentages of immigrants that obtain citizenship, the statistics speak for themselves.

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Month: February 2021

IEC Pool Reopening March 1 – Job Offer Now Required

Job Now Offer Required Under Working Holiday

Not All Countries’ IEC Pools Reopening

Working Holiday Visa

Why Should I Become A Canadian Citizen?

Why Should I become A Canadian Citizen?

Why can’t I stay a Permanent Resident?

What is the benefit of becoming Canadian?

Will I lose my existing citizenship if I become Canadian?

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