Canada’s highly-successful film industry is hoping to benefit significantly from recent changes made to how points are awarded under the Express Entry System, and the planned new Global Skills Visa.

Key movie-making hubs in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal all look set to benefit from highly skilled workers already in Canada being able to transition to permanent residency more easily. International students graduating in film-related disciplines could also find it easier to qualify via Express Entry.

Plans were also announced recently to introduce a visa with a two-week processing time to facilitate the hiring of the best talent from around the world.

Under New Express Entry Rules:

• Applicants with an LMIA for employment as a senior manager (NOC 00) described under the National Occupational Code, will receive 200 points.
• Applicants with an LMIA for employment under all other occupations described under the National Occupational Code (NOC 0, A and B), will receive 50 points.
• Applicants working in Canada under an employer specific work permit backed by an existing LMIA, or providing significant benefit to Canada (Intra-Company Transferee); NAFTA or other international agreement, under an employer specific work permit and have accumulated at least 1-year of work experience; with a managerial skill level position (NOC OO), will receive 200 points.
• Applicants working in Canada under an employer specific work permit backed by an existing LMIA, or providing significant benefit to Canada (Intra-Company Transferee); NAFTA or other international agreement, under an employer specific work permit and have accumulated at least 1-year of work experience; with a skill level position O, A, B under the National Occupational Code; Skilled Trade (NOC B), will receive 50 points.

Industry experts believe particularly animation and visual effects companies could find it much easier to hire high-quality talent, with immigrants qualified in those areas drawn by the prospect of Canadian permanent residency.

The animation and visual effects sectors are particularly looking out for mid to senior-level staff who can come in and pass on their expertise to those new to the industry.

Historically they have lost out on these sought-after employees, but a combination of the Express Entry changes and the Global Skills Visa could be about to tilt the playing field in Canada’s favour.

Points Awarded for Canadian Education Under Express Entry

Source: IRCC

In order to score Canadian education points, the candidate must have:

1. Studied in Canada at a Canadian educational institution.
2. Been enrolled in full-time study or training for at least eight months.
3. Been physically present in Canada for at least eight months.

Vancouver alone has in the region of 60 animation and visual effects studios employing 8,000 people, which the Vancouver Economic Commission claims is the biggest concentration in the world. With the sector growing quickly, it is struggling to fill graduate positions as well as senior-level requirements.

Put simply, the industry is growing faster than Canada can produce the required talent internally. While measures to restructure education accordingly are in the works, the benefits of that are likely to be felt down the line.

In the short term, immigration looks to be the only answer if the industry is to continue its growth.

A secondary problem is that Canadians qualified in these specialist areas are drawn to the U.S. and the U.K., where their talents are also in demand.

But with Donald Trump coming to power in America and Britain set to exit the European Union, it looks set to become a lot harder to get the required visas to stay in both countries. And Canada’s message is clear: We want you back.

Canadian technology giants Shopify and Hootsuite were among those lining up to praise the government’s plan for a Global Skills Visa, which comes after hearing months of feedback saying the current system was inadequate.

The new plan is to allow companies that qualify to get visas and work permits approved inside two weeks as standard – under the current system the minimum processing time is six months.

Planned changes will also see the creation of a 30-day work permit that can be spread across a year, meaning companies can bring in workers for short stints without the need to apply for new paperwork each time.

Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.

Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.

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Read more news about Canada Immigration by clicking here.