Canada’s immigration minister announces FSWP and CEC invitations will resume in early July.

Minister Sean Fraser made several other important announcements, such as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will offer Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) holders an open work permit extension of up to 18 months.

Quick Summary of the major announcements

1. Express Entry Invitations for FSWP, CEC, and FSTP candidates will resume in early July.
2. The vast majority of new Express Entry applications will be processed within a service standard of six months. According to IRCC, the current express entry processing time ranges from seven months to over 20 months.
3. Those with a PGWP expiring between January and December 2022 will qualify for an additional open work permit of up to 18 months starting this summer. IRCC is working on a simpler process and will provide more details “in the coming weeks”. The IRCC notes that approximately 95,000 PGWPs will expire in 2022, and it is estimated that 50,000 PGWP holders could benefit from this newly opened work permit.
4. Applicants will no longer be required to reside in Canada full time while their application is being processed.
5. Applicants who also apply for an open work permit while waiting for their permanent residence application to be processed will be able to obtain work permits that are valid until the end of 2024. This will ensure that all permanent residency applications are finalized before applicants are required. Apply for re-enhancement of your temporary status.
6. To support family reunification, immediate family members involved in a prime applicant’s permanent residency application who are outside Canada will be eligible to obtain their own open work permits.