September 18, 2003:

The Honourable Denis Coderre, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, today announced an important decision and recommendation pertaining to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). The Minister announced an adjustment to the pass mark for federal skilled worker applicants. Also, today he proposed new measures for assessing certain economic class applicants who applied under the former Immigration Act but were affected by transitional measures following implementation of IRPA on June 28, 2002

The Minister's move to adjust the pass mark is a response to Canada's need for skilled workers. Effective immediately, all new skilled worker applicants and those currently in the system who have not yet received a selection decision, will be assessed with a pass mark of 67. (Since the implementation of IRPA and until today, the pass mark was 75.)

Additionally, persons who had applied prior to January 1, 2002 will assessed under the Old Rule of only 70 points.

Minister Denis Coderre is proposing to amend the transition regulations to allow economic class applicants (skilled workers and business immigrants) who filed their applications for permanent residence before January 1, 2002 to be assessed under the former Immigration Act (and then under IRPA if refused under the former Act). The Minister plans to consult his Cabinet colleagues on these proposed regulatory amendments at the first available opportunity.

These proposed amendments would meet the applicants' request to be processed under the selection criteria in place at the time they filed their applications and also give them the benefit of an assessment under IRPA.

CIC also proposes to offer the same processing to:

	those people who had applied prior to January 01, 2002 and who were refused between the coming into force of the new selection grid on March 31, 2003 and June 20, 2003; and
	those who withdrew their applications between January 01, 2002 and the coming into force of these proposed regulatory amendments.

Applicants in these last two groups will be required to advise CIC of their desire to be processed before January 01, 2005.

For full details check the Revised Canada Regulations as of September 18, 2003. Click here.

August, 2003:

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