In 2024, 485,000 more permanent residents are expected to join Canada.
The nation will accept 485,000 new permanent residents (PRs) in 2024, 500,000 in 2025, and reach a level of 500,000 in 2026, according to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). In 2024, there will be 6% of French-speaking permanent residents outside of Quebec; in 2025, 7%, and 8%. These objectives are part of the plan’s yearly and steadily rising French-speaking permanent resident targets, which build on the 4.4 percent target achieved in 2022.
The goal of the plan is to solve labor shortages in the vital industries that the nation depends on, such as commerce, transportation, agriculture, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and health.
The Express Entry aim for 2024 is 110,700 admissions as permanent residents, and for 2025 and 2026, it is 117,500 immigrants.
Targets for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) include 110,000 immigrants in 2024, 120,000 in 2025, and an additional 120,000 in 2026.
Aiming for 82,000 admissions in 2024 and 84,000 in each of 2025 and 2026 is the sponsorship of spouses, partners, and children. In the meantime, 32,000 immigrants are the program’s aim for 2024, and 34,000 immigrants are the program’s targets for 2025 and 2026.
US to Add Approximately 65,000 More Visas to the H-2B Cap for FY 2024
Along with the 66,000 H-2B visas that are required by law to be made available each fiscal year, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) have announced that they anticipate making an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas available for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024.
The September 2023 Fiscal Year 2024 Continuing Resolution’s maximum number of H-2B visas is represented by these extra ones.
Employers may engage non-citizens for short-term labor or services in the United States that are not related to agriculture under the H-2B program. The job must be transitory in nature, such as a one-time event, a seasonal need, or an intermittent demand.
Returning employees who obtained an H-2B visa or were otherwise awarded H-2B status during one of the previous three fiscal years would be eligible for 44,716 supplementary visas in addition to the 20,000 country-specific allotment. A portion of the second-half allocation would be set aside to meet the demand for workers during the peak summer season. The regulation would allocate these supplemental visas for returning workers between the first and second halves of the fiscal year in order to account for the need for additional seasonal and other temporary workers over the course of the year.
American companies in the hospitality and tourism, landscaping, seafood processing, and other sectors rely on seasonal or other temporary workers under the H-2B program to help them satisfy customer demand. The additional visa allotment will support the American economy by helping to fill the demand for seasonal or other temporary labor in regions where there is a shortage of American workers.
Japan wants to implement a new trainee program that would allow foreign workers to switch jobs.
According to a recent government proposal, foreign employees enrolled in the international trainee program may be able to switch employment after a year if they fulfill certain standards, such as having a basic understanding of Japanese. Except in rare cases, employment transitions are not permitted under the present technical intern program.
If trainees pass both the basic skills exam and the Japanese Language Proficiency exam at the lowest level, N5, they would be eligible to transfer to a new employer in the same field after working for more than a year at one organization, according to the proposed modifications. Note that employees would not be allowed to transfer to another field upon changing employment. For instance, a farmworker will not be able to transfer to any position in the construction industry.
Workers will initially be allowed to remain in Japan for three years under the draft plan that will be presented to the parliament the following year. If they pass both the N4 level of Japanese proficiency and a more advanced skills test, they may then be eligible for a specific skilled worker visa, which would allow them to remain for up to five years. Long-term job opportunities will also be made possible by this road to an indefinitely renewable level 2 visa.
Foreign employees working for Hong Kong-registered enterprises will be able to apply for two-year multiple-entry visas on the mainland or via the China Immigration Service Center as of October 26, according to the Hong Kong administration.
Additionally, the government plans to add eight respected domestic and international colleges to the list of qualified universities starting in November as part of its Top Talent Pass program.
