Canada promises 25000 visa applications for skilled workers

Immigration lawyers the world over are rubbing their hands in glee at Canada’s announcement that five times as many applicants over its 2014 quota for its Skilled Worker programme will be allowed in 2015.

Canada’s Skilled Worker programme is the most popular of all its offerings for potential immigrants from across the world, and is based on individual skills lists relevant to the needs of each of its provinces and their provincial governments. The deadline for 2014’s quota is 30 April, and it’s not known yet whether any extension will be permitted to allow it to continue.

Those who missed the chance to apply under the 2014 quota will have greeted the announcement with relief and determination to try again. The new quota comes into operation on 1 May, with 50 occupations at present listed, each of which has a set threshold of 1,000 applications.

New to the list are medical professionals, financial managers, computer technicians and software engineers, auditors and accountants. Also needed are lecturers and university professors, electrical engineers, information system and database analysts and mechanical engineering technicians and technologists.

Occupations no longer on the list include chemical engineers, computer engineers, engineering managers, medical laboratory technicians and other skill sets. Criteria remain the same, and include English or French language proficiency, and the 67-points threshold is based on education, age, work experience and adaptability as well as language skills.

The programme includes special streams for those with existing job offers from eligible Canadian companies as well as for PhD holders, 500 of whom will be accepted. Particularly popular skill set quotas are usually met within a few days of the launch, with applicants reminded to apply as early as possible to avoid missing out.