As a result of changes Ontario has made to more closely align the streams of the programme with the needs of its labour market, the province has already received the sufficient number of OINP applications to meet its 2016 federal allocation. This is further proof that Ontario remains a very sought after destination for highly-skilled workers.

Following the lead of other jurisdictions, Ontario has made the responsible decision to place a temporary pause on the intake of applications for select, high-volume OINP streams. Other provinces have also done this in the past after fully maximizing their allotments. It’s important to note that lower-volume streams of the OINP and other options continue to be available.

The Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP), one of the few remaining Canadian immigration programs operating on a first-come, first-served basis, will have an application intake period opening on 13th of June. Following this, another intake period will take place. Both of these intakes will receive up to 5,000 applications from individuals interested in settling in one of Canada’s most vibrant and diverse provinces.

During the June intake, only applicants who have already created their online profiles in Mon Projet Quebec will be eligible to submit their applications.

Following an official application submission under this programme, the Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion (MIDI) of Quebec will conduct a preliminary assessment of the application. At the second stage, some applicants may be invited to attend an interview, and some may not. The applicants without a spouse or de facto spouse and the applicants with a spouse or de facto spouse will need 49 and 57 points, respectively, to pass.

After the interview, the successful applicants will be issued a CSQ (Selection Certificate of Quebec) and can submit their final immigration application to the Government of Canada (CIC) for health and background checks. Some applicants may also receive their CSQ in post with no need to attend an interview.

Fini Immigration Services is happy to confirm MIDI officially announced that the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) will reopen from May 30th 2016 to February 28th 2017. An increase of the maximum number of applications has been announced by the Ministry from 1,750 to 1,900 applications. A maximum of 1,330 files which can be received from Chinese passport holders (including passport holders from Hong Kong and Macao) and 570 applications from other territories.

In order to be eligible for this programme, the applicants must:

• Have, alone or with their accompanying spouse, including de facto spouse, net assets of at least CA$1,600,000;

• Have at least 2 years of management experience acquired in the 5 years preceding the application;

• The management experience should be from the professional management of a business that has at least two full-time employees (30-hours per week);

• Intend to settle in Quebec and sign an agreement to invest CA$800,000 with a financial intermediary (broker or trust company) authorised to participate in the Investor Programme.

Fini Immigration Services is proud to offer a financed option for the investment amount of CA$800,00 through the largest broker in Quebec.

Effective August 27, 2015, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) will not be accepting new applications under any AINP Streams or Categories until January 27, 2016. This temporary pause will help the AINP assess existing applications in the queue and prevent the queue from growing further.

The Government of Nova Scotia has successfully negotiated an increase of 300 immigration nominations for its two new express entry streams, nearly doubling the province’s total nomination allocation for 2015.

This decision will allow Nova Scotia to nominate 1,350 immigrants under the Provincial Nominee Program, nearly double our 2014 cap of 700.

Under the ‘Nova Scotia-Demand: Express Entry’ programme skilled workers from some occupations can apply directly to the province for nomination.