New immigration programmes

Dear Ms Powell,

After reading some of your past articles, I think I would fall under the Federal Skilled Worker category. I remember seeing an article where you noted that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) would announce new programmes at the end of April, this year. Do you have any information about that?

- WK

Dear WK,

Many prospective immigrants have been eagerly waiting for CIC to announce their new programmes for 2014 - 2015. I'm pleased to say that we now have a list of eligible occupations under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), Federal Skilled Trade Program (FST) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) category effective May 1, 2014.

I'm very excited about the new changes, as more people can qualify to make Canada their home. CIC will be accepting more applications than before. There is still a cap on the number of applications that they will accept, however, they have increased the cap from 5,000 to 25,000 this year. They will also accept more applications in each sub category.

This means that skilled workers who were not eligible for the program in previous years, due to the occupational category or because of their professional experience, may now be eligible to apply.

Eligible Occupation

The eligible occupations include many popular professions. Such as:

1. Senior managers - financial, communications and other business services

2. Senior managers - trade, broadcasting

3. Financial managers

4. Human resources managers

5. Purchasing managers

6. Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers

7. Managers in health care

8. Construction managers

9. Home building and renovation managers

10. Managers in natural resources production and fishing

11. Manufacturing managers

12. Financial auditors and accountants

13. Financial and investment analysts

14. Securities agents, investment dealers and brokers

15. Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations

16. Supervisors, finance and insurance office workers

17. Property administrators

18. Civil engineers

19. Mechanical engineers

20. Electrical and electronics engineers

21. Information systems analysts and consultants

22. Database analysts and data administrators

23. Software engineers and designers

24. Computer programmers and interactive media developers

25. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians

26. Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians

27. Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics

28. Inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety

29. Computer network technicians

30. Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses

31. Specialist physicians

32. General practitioners and family physicians

33. Dietitians and nutritionists

34. Physiotherapists

35. Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists (3214)

36. Medical radiation technologists

37. Licensed practical nurses

38. Paramedical occupations

39. University professors and lecturers

40. Early childhood educators and assistants

I will post a more detailed list on my website and on Facebook.

The above are the most popular occupations and so they are likely to reach the cap very quickly; therefore, I strongly encourage anybody who is interested in this program to seize the opportunity and submit their application sooner than later. You will need to ensure that you have your original university transcripts, job letter, settlement funds and other supporting documents ready to proceed.

To find out if you are eligible for the latest FSW, FST, CEC or any other immigration programs, contact an immigration lawyer to guide you.

Deidre S. Powell is a lawyer, mediator, and notary public who is a member of the Jamaican and Ontario, Canada bars, with main office located in Ottawa, Ontario. Her areas of practice are in immigration, real estate, personal injury, commercial, family, and administration of estates. Submit your questions and comments to: Email: info@deidrepowell.com. Subject line: Immigration. Tel: 613-695-8777 Twitter: deidrespowell. Facebook: jamaicanlawyer.