Welcome to 2018, what should we expect this year?

We are ready to start fresh in 2018 and this year looks very promising for Canadian Immigration.

The Canadian Immigration Minister, Ahmed Hussen, has already set the goal for the next 3 years, which is to admit nearly 1 million new immigrants by the year 2020.

Here are some of the most important immigration news to look for in this coming year:

1. Reopening of the Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship program

If you want to sponsor your parents or your grandparents to come to Canada permanently, you will have a chance to do so in 2018 but you must absolutely submit an "Interest to Sponsor" form before February 2nd, 2018. Find out more information about the application process here.

2. The Express Entry program will continue to accept numerous applications

After a very successful year in 2017, the Express Entry program should technically accept even more applications and thus lower the minimum CRS score for invitations to apply (ITA). This is because the Immigration Minister has announced that 310,000 immigration applications will be accepted in 2018 and a vast majority of them will be through the Express Entry stream.

3. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) quotas will reset in 2018

2017 was a very strong year for provincial nominee programs and we expect the Canadian provinces to have an even greater impact in 2018. A couple of provinces, such as Alberta and Manitoba have already announced new streams for their PNP. This means that applicants will have more opportunities to qualify for Provincial Nominee Programs. We also expect streams that closed in 2017 due to the maximum quotas being reached to open again in 2018.

4. Quebec Skilled Workers program for applicants overseas should open in the first 3 months of 2018.

The Quebec Skilled Workers program did not open in 2017 for applicants applying from overseas (those who do not have a status in Canada). After accepting a total of 10,000 applicants in 2016, the Ministry of Immigration of Québec had announced in 2017 that they would be accepting 5000 new applications for the period of April 1st, 2017 to March 31st 2018. Therefore, the Quebec Skilled Workers Program should open again early in 2018 and accept 5000 applications before March 31st, 2018.

5. Canadian Citizenship is now easier to obtain after the eligibility rules were changed

The residency obligations and language rules pertaining to obtaining Canadian Citizenship were loosened by the government in late 2017. The new rules reduced the physical presence in Canada obligation from 4 out of 6 years to 3 out of 5 years. The age for language and knowledge requirements was also reduced to 18 to 54 years old from the previous 14 to 64 years old. This means that in 2018, more applicants will be eligible to apply for Canadian Citizenship and under easier rules.

We are grateful to our clients and followers for your continuous support. We look forward to help you achieve your Canadian Immigration goals in 2018!