EXEO Attorneys | Immigration U.S. & Canada Weekly Update

This week’s special newsletter provides an overview of notable changes in Canadian and American immigration over the month of March, including all measures directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is the latest news as of May 6th 2021.

CANADA

New pathway to permanent residency for over 90,000 essential temporary workers and international graduates
Effective May 6, 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin accepting applications under the following three (3) streams:

• 20,000 applications for temporary workers in health care
• 30,000 applications for temporary workers in other selected essential occupations
• 40,000 applications for international students who graduated from a Canadian institution

The streams will remain open until November 5th, 2021, or until they have reached their limit. Do not hesitate to contact our team if you are interested in the program!

Canada-U.S. border closure extended until at least May 21st, 2021

Canada’s international and U.S. border restrictions will be in place for another month, at least until May 21st, 2021. The border will continue to be closed to all non-essential travel. Essential travel will continue to be allowed, including for trade shipments, essential workers, approved temporary foreign workers and family reunification.

COVID testing and strict quarantine requirements for people entering Canada on flights, including a minimum three (3) day stay in a quarantine hotel, will continue until at least May 21st.

Canada bans flights from Pakistan and India for 30 days

India has become a global hotspot for the coronavirus recently. Health Canada data show 112 flights landing in Canada since April 7 have carried at least one passenger who later tested positive for COVID-19, including 32 from Delhi and two from Lahore, Pakistan.

As of April 22nd, no flights from Pakistan or India are allowed to land in Canada until May 22nd.

Program delivery update: Update to the cost threshold for excessive demand on health and social services

As of April 20th, 2021, the annual cost threshold for being considered an excessive demand on Canadian health and social services has been updated. The average cost per person has increased from $7,067 to $7,266.

UNITED STATES

US immigration agencies ordered to end use of terms ‘alien’ and ‘assimilation’

As of April 19th 2021, agencies that deal with immigration, such as US Customs and Border Protection, have been instructed to change their official language practices. Under a new Biden Administration Policy, some terms that immigration advocates had criticized as dehumanizing such as “alien”, “illegal alien” and “assimilation” will be replaced. New terminology came into effect such as “noncitizen” for “alien” and “integration” for “assimilation”.

Compliments of EXEO Attorneys – a member of the EACCNY.