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Category Archives: Express Entry of Canada

August 12, 2023

How to Determine Your Eligibility for Canada Immigration under Express Entry?

As a prominent immigration law firm in India with over 30 years of experience, Ajmera Law Group have been receiving numerous inquiries from Indian students and professionals who have discovered that they do not qualify for Canadian immigration after arriving in Canada on a student visa or work permit.

These individuals seek advice from our law firm, having paid substantial amounts of money based on false promises of job opportunities or guaranteed immigration to Canada.

In this article, we will guide you on how to conduct a self-assessment to determine whether you meet the requirements for Canadian immigration.

It’s important to note that whether you enter Canada as a student or on a work permit, you will be evaluated under the Canada Express Entry program, which consists of the following subclasses:

  1. Federal Skilled Workers Class (Express Entry Class)
  2. Canada Experience Class ( CEO Class)
  3. Canada Skilled Trade Class (Skill Trade Class)
  4. French Language Proficiency (Introduced in June 2023)
  5. Preferred Occupations (Introduced in June 2023)
  6. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nominations from various Canadian provinces (available for 10 different provinces)

The minimum mandatory requirements for the above classes are as follows:

  1. Minimum One Year of Experience Related to Your Education: Many Indian students who rush to Canada face the challenge of lacking work experience in India and consequently struggle to find employment in Canada relevant to their education. As a result, they fail to qualify for Canadian immigration.
  1. Minimum IELTS Score of 6.0 or Higher: Some students may obtain a student visa or work permit with a low IELTS score and arrive in Canada. However, when it comes to applying for permanent residency (PR) in Canada, they fail to achieve the required high IELTS score and, therefore, do not obtain the necessary points for PR. Make sure you have done your assessment for immigration to Canada before you arrive in Canada.
  1. Job Offer as a Manager in Canada: Some individuals receive job offers in India to work as MANAGER in Canada and are misled by their agents, who claim that they will receive an additional 200 points for working as managers in Canada. This information is incorrect. The applicant must have a job offer as a manager in a National Occupational Classification (NOC) occupation at the 00 level. Please refer to the occupation table click here
  1. Minimum IELTS Score of 6.0 and Higher in Each Category: To register for Canadian immigration, you need a minimum score of 6.0 in each category of the IELTS exam and one year of experience related to your education. However, achieving only the minimum required score makes it highly unlikely that you will attain the necessary high CRS score for Canadian immigration. Many agents register applicants’ files on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website, only to inform them later that their scores are not high enough.
  1. Licensed Occupations (e.g., Dentist, Pharmacist, Physiotherapist, Chartered Accountant, and Civil Engineer, ETC.): In Canada, professions that require licensing are not automatically recognized upon completion of studies, as they are in India. To obtain a license, you must complete additional studies to make your Indian education equivalent to a Canadian bachelor’s degree, gain practical experience in Canada, and pass the licensing exam with sufficient fluency in the English language. In many Canadian provinces, you can only take the licensing exam if you are a PR or a citizen of Canada. Therefore, if you belong to one of these licensed professions and plan to settle in Canada, be cautious. Pursuing a master’s degree in Canada will not automatically grant you a license. Instead, focus on obtaining a license within Canada. Please check occupation and licensing requirements at the official site
  1. Preferred Age for Canadian Immigration: The preferred age for Canadian immigration in the skilled worker category is between 21 and 29. If you are older, you will lose five points per year. Therefore, if you are 35 or above, your chances of obtaining immigration become very low unless you have a job offer, a high IELTS score, and a blood relative in Canada.
  1. New Occupation List as of July 2023: On May 31, 2023, the IRCC announced that only applicants whose occupations are on the demand list will be invited to apply for Canadian immigration from the Express Entry pool. This new regulation applies to only 90 occupations. If your occupation is on this list, you can apply for Canadian immigration through our firm. The new occupation list in effect from July 2023 can be found on our blog page

To assist you in determining your eligibility, we recommend using the following resources:

(a) Visit this link to calculate your points:

(b) Visit this link to understand the points awarded for each criterion: 

(c) Visit and check the Express Entry rounds of invitations to see the latest cut-off scores:

Lastly, it’s crucial to remember that going to Canada to study does not guarantee immediate job opportunities or automatic immigration.

For a comprehensive understanding of all your options, please visit Ajmera Law Blog or watch videos on Ajmera Law  YouTube Channel

The author of this article/blog is Prashant Ajmera, an Indian immigration lawyer and the founder of Ajmera Law Group. He has been a Canadian citizen for the past 30 years and is also the author of two books: “Millionaire of the Move” and “How to Plan for Your Child’s Foreign Education: Myth vs. Reality”.  He has been assisting and advising Indian businessmen to establish businesses in Canada since 1993.  Consult us

July 4, 2023

Foreign Education Loan in India – A Boon or Bane?

There are numerous government schemes, both at the central and state levels, that promote foreign education loans for Indian students aspiring to study abroad. Additionally, several major Indian banks are also offering favorable terms and conditions for these loans.

Recent data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reveals that Indian parents have remitted a substantial amount of money for foreign education, indicating a growing trend. The total remittance includes fees for foreign education, financial gifts to children, and other expenses, amounting to a significant sum.

Given the increasing demand for foreign education, financial institutions are actively vying for a share of this market by providing education loans to Indian students.

However, it is essential to assess whether these loans are a blessing or a curse based on the success rate of Indian students in achieving their educational goals and the potential for career prospects and settlement abroad.

To understand the foreign education market, one must recognize that it is predominantly dominated by unregulated agents and consultants across India.

In the past, many Indian professionals who immigrated to various countries believed that studying abroad guaranteed a successful life. While this may have held true a decade or two ago, it is certainly not the case in 2023.

Historically, students primarily pursued master’s degrees abroad for a duration of one year at university-level institutions. During this period, the cost of education was manageable for families, and students often worked part-time jobs. After completing their master’s degrees, they were well-positioned to secure jobs, particularly in English-speaking countries like the USA and Canada.

However, the current trend in studying abroad extends beyond master’s degrees. Students now consider pursuing undergraduate studies, including postgraduate diploma programs, or enrolling in private colleges and universities. Unfortunately, many overlook crucial factors such as the cost of education, English language proficiency requirements, and relevant work experience in India.

Let’s consider an example of a typical middle-class Indian student aspiring to study abroad and settle in Canada or a similar country.

Several factors need to be considered:

  1. Foreign Education Cost Consideration: The cost of a typical four-year university education can range from 1 to 1.5 crores in terms of tuition fees and related expenses. This financial burden is often unaffordable or undesirable for many families. As a result, these students and parents are lured into pursuing the “foreign dream” by opting for private or semi-private colleges, which offer education similar to Indian polytechnic or diploma programs. The cost of education in such institutions ranges from 8 to 15 lakhs, significantly lower than that of universities.

 

  1. English Language Consideration: Many students aiming to study abroad face challenges with English language proficiency for various reasons. Consequently, the demand for English language classes has grown in India. Low scores in English language proficiency tests often hinder Indian students’ admission into university programs, whether they have completed their 12th grade or hold three or four-year bachelor’s degrees. These students are then redirected to the aforementioned private or semi-private foreign colleges.

 

  1. Rushing Abroad without Indian Work Experience: The prevalent belief that studying abroad guarantees a successful future has led students, parents, teachers, professors, and career counsellors to advise immediate relocation. Unfortunately, much of this advice fails to consider the crucial aspects of studying abroad, settling, and understanding the immigration rules of the respective countries.

Now, let’s examine the immigration systems of the three most popular destinations for studying and settling abroad: Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

These countries’ immigration processes typically involve criteria and point-based systems. If applicants meet or exceed a certain score threshold, they become eligible for permanent immigration.

The criteria for permanent immigration generally include the following factors:

  1. Education in India and abroad
  2. Age
  3. Minimum 1 to 4 years of relevant work experience in India and abroad
  4. English language proficiency score
  5. Blood relatives residing in the respective countries
  6. Job offer from a company
  7. Spouse’s education, work experience, and fluency in the English language

The strong belief among Indian students and parents that studying abroad guarantees a successful life is often fuelled by unregulated agents and consultants. These agents promise low-cost education, admission with low English language proficiency scores, and no requirement for prior work experience in India.

Unfortunately, these three factors can lead to disastrous career outcomes for Indian students. They struggle to find employment related to their education, face challenges with English language proficiency, and realize that the courses they pursued are not in demand in their host countries. These factors collectively hinder their job prospects, immigration prospects, and ability to settle abroad.

Foreign education loans obtained from Indian financial institutions can become a curse rather than a blessing for students and parents. When students are unable to secure employment or immigration status in their host country their families in India are unable to repay the loan EMIs, which can result in financial hardship, leading to the loss of family property.

It is alarming to note that in the past 3-4 years, a significant number of Indian students in Canada have resorted to extreme measures such as suicide, falling victim to immigration fraud, or engaging in criminal activities due to the inability of their Indian families to support them.

Similarly, studying in the USA can lead to disappointment for many students as they face challenges in obtaining an H1B visa. Moreover, the waiting period for a USA green card for Indian students as of July 2023 is 12-20 years, and without an increase in the green card quota by the US government, this waiting time may further escalate.

Consequently, studying and settling abroad should be a decision made after carefully exploring ALL available options rather than rushing into a foreign country without considering the long-term implications.

About the Author:

The author of this article/blog is Prashant Ajmera, an Indian immigration lawyer and the founder of Ajmera Law Group. He has been a Canadian citizen for the past 30 years and is also the author of two books: “Millionaire of the Move” and “How to Plan for Your Child’s Foreign Education: Myth vs. Reality”.  He has been assisting and advising Indian businessmen to establish businesses in Canada since 1993.  Consult us

June 8, 2023
Applicants in the following occupations will be invited to apply under the New Express Entry Rules for the Canada Skilled Worker program. 

The applicant who has French skills will be getting preference and will get additional points.

1. Healthcare Occupations
Audiologists and speech-language pathologists311121
Chiropractors312011
Dentists311101
Dieticians and nutritionists311211
Education counsellors413201
General practitioners and family physicians311021
Instructors of persons with disabilities422032
Kinesiologists and other professional occupation in therapy and assessment312041
Licensed practical nurses321012
Massage therapists322012
Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations331013
Medical laboratory technologists321202
Medical radiation technologists321212
Medical sonographers321222
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates331023
Nurse practitioners313021
Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors313001
Occupational therapists312031
Optometrists311111
Other assisting occupations in support of health services331093
Other practitioners of natural healing322092
Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating312091
Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment321092
Paramedical occupations321022
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants331033
Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals313031
Physiotherapists312021
Psychologists312001
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses313011
Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists321032
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine311001
Specialists in surgery311011
Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies413011
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists322002
Veterinarians311031

 

 

2. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
Architects212001
Architecture and science managers200110
Business systems specialists212211
Civil Engineers213001
Computer and information systems managers200120
Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)213111
Computer systems developers and programmers212301
Cybersecurity specialists212201
Data scientists212111
Database analysts and data administrators212231
Electrical and electronics engineers213101
Engineering managers200100
Industrial and manufacturing engineers213211
Information systems specialists212221
Land surveyors212031
Landscape Architects212011
Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries212101
Metallurgical and materials engineers213221
Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers414001
Software developers and programmers212321
Software engineers and designers212311
Urban and land use planners212021
Web designers212331
Web developers and programmers212341

 

3. Trade Occupations
Residential and commercial installers and servicers732003
Elevator constructors and mechanics724062
Machine fitters724052
Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics724022
Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics724002
Carpenters723102
Plumbers723002
Electricians (except industrial and power system)722002
Welders and related machine operators721062
Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers720142

 

4. Transport Occupations
Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors932003
Transport truck drivers733003
Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators726042
Engineer officers, water transport726032
Deck officers, water transport726022
Air traffic controllers and related occupations726012
Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors726002
Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors724042
Railway carmen/women724032
Managers in transportation700200

 

5. Agriculture and agri-food occupations
Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services820312
Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors820302
Butchers- retail and wholesale632013

For an assessment of your case for Canada immigration contact our law firm – AJMERA LAW GROUP

November 7, 2021

International Student Crisis: Funeral home sending an alarming number of bodies back to India!

October 21, 2021 (Yahoo News) 

The lotus is a symbol that looms large in India’s mythology.

The soft pink petals of the flower join knowledge, prosperity and compassion together in spiritual harmony. In life, and beyond, the lotus represents the attainment of bliss.

The Lotus Funeral Home and Cremation Centre is an unassuming building, located incongruously in an industrial area near the border between Toronto and Peel.

A small peaked porch at the front of a squarish concrete structure marks the entrance grieving families walk through. The rest of the building stretches back to a parking lot at the rear and it shares its street with a shipping company, furniture warehouse and an industrial equipment supplier.

For family members in India who receive the bodies of their loved ones from the Lotus Funeral Home half-way round the world, the symbolism is a tragic reminder of a promising life cut short.

Lotus is where more and more young people from the world’s largest democracy are laid to rest. Their bodies are prepared there for a journey back home, from where they left on their adventure to study abroad, carrying the weight of so many expectations.

The funeral home is tasked with arranging the transportation of deceased Indian nationals, students who came to Canada among the waves of like minded seekers searching for a better life.

As Brampton grapples with an international student crisis, where too many youngsters fall through the cracks—some into a life of crime, lured by prostitution or the drug trade, others simply crushed by isolation and lonliness—increasing numbers of flights are carrying the bodies of young Indian men and women as part of their cargo.

“We’re finding that the number of student deaths has increased, not only in Brampton but across Canada. We see it across Canada,” Kamal Bhardwaj, the owner of Lotus Funeral Home and Cremation Centre, told The Pointer. “We have relationships with the Indian consulate, so when an international student passes away, then we’re notified, then we have to [help] out the families, usually bring their bodies back to India.”

In the past two weeks alone, Bhardwaj and his staff have sent the bodies of five students home. He says he sends them home at least on a monthly basis.

International students, many of whom live in Brampton, face a daunting task settling in Canada. A large number come from South Asia, where some families have liquidated assets and saved for decades to send one child to North America for an education, and eventual immigration… they hope. In the 2016-2017 academic year, there were 35,403 international students from India studying at colleges and universities in the country, according to Statistics Canada.

“In order to afford that, when you do the financial transaction, you’re looking at mortgaging the farm at home,” Gurpreet Malhotra, the CEO of Indus – Community Services, previously told The Pointer. “Family puts everything they’ve got into borrowing money to get you into Canada.”

The amount of money spent by international students in Canada has exploded over the last decade. According to the federal government, they spent $6.5 billion in 2008, and by 2018, the number had reached $21.6 billion, more than tripling in a decade as many of these unsuspecting students became the focus of a post-secondary system that now views them as a cash cow.

Governments have been all too happy to relieve their financial pressures by expanding international student admissions to significantly increase revenues.

The pressure on students is immense, as are the costs. They are often unable to return home for a host of reasons, including the crippling family shame that would accompany failure, and are limited to just 20 hours per week of work to support themselves here. Many are still developing a full grasp of the language and others come from places like rural Punjab, with no experience of life in big Canadian cities.

Some are lured into the world of organized crime and drug trafficking.

While international students, often not even out of their teens, struggle to navigate a new system, private and public colleges benefit handsomely. For Canada’s post-secondary education institutions, these young people and their desperate families represent a critical source of revenue.

The sector began to shift toward attracting more international students in 2008. Young adults coming to Canada from abroad can pay as much as four times the tuition fees their domestic classmates pay.

Over the past ten years, revenue from student fees has increased by 218 percent in Canada, with a $3.25 billion increase in the Canadian international education market over roughly the same period. The average tuition fee for domestic students is $6,822 compared to $27,613 for international students.

This outsized reliance on income from international students is shown in Sheridan College’s most recent annual report. According to the institution, 62 percent of its revenue comes from tuition fees and 56 percent of tuition fees are paid by international students.

International students accept the cost, at least in part, because graduation is portrayed by education agents in India as a path to permanent residency. An industry of private and relatively unregulated colleges has developed in Canada, selling degrees and diplomas as a path toward a permanent home in Canada.

“I can give you a painful example of a student who was acting out at the corner of Steeles and McLaughlin,” Baldev Mutta, the CEO of Punjabi Community Health Services, told Brampton councillors in September. “Somebody called us. We rushed over to find out. And, when we calmed this young man down, he said, ‘I need to get arrested because I have not eaten for a while and I have no place to sleep. At least if the police arrest me, I know they are going to feed me’.”

In a foreign land without a support system, the consequences can be fatal. Greedy landlords cram people into houses without suitable fire protections, while human traffickers circle the students most desperately in need of money.

Go Fund Me, a crowdfunding website, acts as a tragic obituary.

“His family wishes to see him one last time, but they cannot bear the costs of coming to Canada or of the funeral,” one appeal, to send the body of a 21-year-old student back to India, says. Another 23-year-old passed away in a truck fire after three years in Canada away from his family, and another died after drowning.

“They wanted their daughter to have a very good education and lead a better life and contribute to the betterment of others’ lives, and she came to Canada as an international student on an education loan,” one page explains. “They also expected her to support her younger sister for her education and career in the upcoming years. Now the family has lost their light in life, in a tragic accident.”

There are multiple factors that can lead to the death of an international student. From exorbitant rents and inadequate housing to a lack of emergency food support. Poor connections between the international student community and mental health services also leave many isolated without anyplace to turn. Colleges and private “career” schools have been criticized for not providing proper support to the students they gladly take money from, to fund operations designed primarily for the success of domestic students.

Community leaders monitoring the plight of international students say suicide is a growing problem.

“I can’t tell you the cause of death because I am not privy to that,” Bhardwaj said. “Usually, when there is a young person involved in a death, it is investigated by the coroner’s office, now the coroner’s office doesn’t share the results with us … but I can tell you on visual observations you can see certain indications of a suicide, for example.”

The Peel Regional Police says it does not have a way to record missing persons or death by suicide under any category that identifies the individual as an international student.

“I think the magnitude of the problems are so enormous that until we can all sit down in one room and say, ‘What are some baby steps we can take to address this?’ I think it is going to keep on spiralling and we will see the aftermath of it later on,” Mutta said.

He mentioned students who had been arrested as drug mules and nine pregnant international students his organization is working to help.

Mutta and Malhotra are leading community efforts to address the international student crisis. Bhardwaj also runs a charity that specializes in mentoring and peer-supporting international students before and after they arrive in Canada.

The solutions — which lie in the hands of all three levels of government — can’t come soon enough.

The difficulty faced by international students in Brampton echoes around the world. It is felt by friends locally, community leaders and, most painfully, by parents and other loved ones thousands of miles away.

“We’re dealing with these families and this tragedy, parents don’t believe this has happened, they don’t believe it is their child, they go through a hunger strike,” Bhardwaj says. “They said, ‘No, no, no, until I see my son, I’m not going to eat anything’. And literally, these are the kind of things we see… it’s just difficult all around, it impacts everyone, even our staff.”

Their end-of-life care is supposed to comfort families that look to the lotus as a symbol of hope, that even after death their loved ones will find their bliss. For families in India, who have to receive the bodies sent by Bhardwaj, his lotus is a reminder of everything they lost.

Source: Yahoo News: