Immigration Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

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Study in Canada A unique experience

Image via WikipediaThere is no doubt that to study abroad, gives you an excellent opportunity to learn various vital things which are very helpful in your career building. Today, Canada has also earned a good name in providing quality education and safe healthy environment to its students. That is why more than 1, 30,000 international students enroll every year in reputed Canadian Universities. Canada gives utmost importance to education and has developed first rate education system with high standards. It is an ideal education destination and gives students a unique experience of education and its versatile arts and culture. Canada spends more on Education as compared to Organization for Economics and Co-operation and Development (OECD) average and is ranked at the highest in G-8 countries.
To study in Canada for higher education is very cost effective and its Universities offer world class education. These Universities are affordable as compared to other Universities of the world such as US, New-Zealand and UK where cost of education and living are very high. According to a survey in 2006 by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, “Canada offered the lowest tuition fees for foreign students as compared to UK and Australia”.
The low intensity of crimes and peaceful safe environment of the country also lures lots of international students towards Canadian Universities. Canada has 92 Universities and 175 community colleges and University degrees have three levels- Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral.
A Bachelor degree in Canada compromises for full time three or four years depending upon the nature of program you are doing (regular or specialized)
On the other hand, Masters Degree consists of two years of study for which honors degree is imperative. For Doctoral program in Canadian University you require minimum three to four or sometimes five years of extensive research and study. It includes PhD and doctoral degree in Music (DMus) and law (LLD) can also be obtained from the Universities.
You could also find many diploma and certification program in Canadian Universities where the time duration is generally 1 to 2 years. Besides the regular academic degree of Management and Engineering, you could also obtain professional degree in various fields such as medicine, pharmacy, Law, nursing and dentistry, education and social work. Some of the Canadian universities are regarded world wide and the degree and diploma obtained from these Canadian Universities are recognized globally and promise you bright future. After the completion of studies you could also find great job offers in Canada itself. Students who have Canadian Degree or Diploma are eligible to work for up to one year. International students require a work permit to work on-campus.
For international students willing to study in Canada are required to get a study permit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. You could also find scholarship programs being run by the Canadian Universities. Students who are not able to afford the expense of education can opt for these programs by securing at least 90% to 95% of marks in the merit. However, one of the basic exams that every international student has to undergo is TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) It is mandatory for the students whose mother tongue is not English. The score of TOEFL matters a lot in deciding your fate for the admission in the topnotch Universities of Canada.
The top eight Universities of Canada are listed below-
- The University of British Columbia
- University of Alberta
- Trinity Western University
- York University
- University of Victoria
- University of Toronto
- Trent University
- King’s University College

Ottawa clamps down on immigrants found cheating

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Nicholas Keung Immigration Reporter

Ottawa is stepping up its effort in combatting cheating immigrants who are selected under one province’s entrepreneur program but end up breaking the terms and moving to another. Cheaters will be issued a warning letter and may lose their permanent resident status, according to a new Citizenship and Immigration Canada operational guideline. Legal experts say this is just the beginning of Ottawa’s attempt to stamp out what they call “trampolining” by immigrants — being accepted by one province but settling in another. The enhanced enforcement begins in Quebec but is expected to expand to other provincially administered immigration programs. Provinces are increasingly taking charge of the selection of economic immigrants to serve the needs of their local labour market and economy, though the federal government is still responsible in issuing permanent resident visas. “These immigrants are selected on the strength of that province. They commit themselves to a province in exchange for an immigrant visa,” said Quebec immigration lawyer Richard Kurland. “It is not right if an entrepreneur or investor says they are going to go work and live in a province and then go to another.” According to Canada’s immigrant database, 11 per cent of the one million new immigrants who came to the country within five years and filed tax returns in 2006 had moved from their declared province of destination. More than 24,000, or 14 per cent, of immigrants originally destined for Quebec ended up filing taxes in other provinces. In recent months, immigration lawyers are seeing a surge of cases where newcomers landing in Canada are turned away at port of entry because they fail to show plane tickets or proof of arranged accommodation for their declared destined city, according to Kurland. The courts, so far, have sided with border officials, Kurland said. In the new department guideline, front-line immigration officers are ordered to “monitor” the entrepreneurs selected by Quebec who now live or have a mailing address outside of the province. It applies to all those admitted under the program after Oct. 16, 2006. A report “should be prepared detailing the allegation of non-compliance . . . (and) be referred to the Immigration Division for an admissibility hearing,” it said. To gain permanent resident status under the Quebec entrepreneur program, an applicant must own at least 25 per cent of a company in the province, with an investment no less than $100,000. Not only do they have to manage the enterprises’ day-to-day operations, they must also stay and live in the province for at least 12 months in the initial three years of residence. Kurland said other provinces will benefit from the new directive, especially if it is going to be expanded to other provincial immigration classes, such as investors and skilled workers programs. The federal government provides funding to newcomers’ language training and integration programs in each province based on the number of immigrants who declare it as their destinations in their immigration applications. The funding doesn’t take “secondary migrants” into account.

Only Immigration Fuelling Canada’s Population Growth

Image by SEDACMaps via FlickrOTTAWA — Canada’s population in the third quarter of 2010 was driven forward by the highest immigration rates seen in four decades, Statistics Canada reported.
Canada’s population was estimated at 34,238,000 as of Oct. 1 — an increase of 129,300 since July. The federal agency said 65 per cent of that growth came from new Canadians during the three-month period, as 84,200 immigrants arrived in the country, reported Postmedia news service.
The influx reached most provinces and territories, some of which had their highest quarterly immigration levels since 1971.
Prince Edward Island recorded the highest growth rate, with its population increasing by 0.7 per cent. The increase was largely driven by the 1,200 immigrants who arrived in the province, Statistics Canada said, the highest number since 1971.
Quebec, too, welcomed its highest number of immigrants in the last four decades, with 16,800 people arriving from other countries during the quarter. Manitoba also surpassed records set in 1971, with 4,700 new Canadians arriving in that province.
While not breaking a record, immigrants made up 70 per cent of Ontario’s new arrivals during the period.
Alberta was the only province that had third-quarter growth driven by a “natural increase,” which made up 60 per cent of the growth.
Newfoundland and Labrador, on the other hand, actually faced a population decline in the third quarter, losing about 500 residents.
Growth driven by immigration is a trend the federal government said it expects to continue — at least through the end of 2010.
“In 2010, we should be landing the largest number of permanent residents in 50 years,” said Kelli Fraser, a spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Canada expects to welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 newcomers by the end of this year.
Fraser said that number is driven largely by a June announcement that Canada would open its doors to more immigrants, especially those in the economic category.
“The reason the announcement was made was because the post-recession economy is now demanding a high level of legal immigration to keep the workforce strong,” she said, adding that there also has been a high number of family reunification immigrants and refugees.
To date, the department said it has already made more decisions, issued more visas and admitted more people to Canada over last year.
It expects the numbers to stabilize at 2010 levels in 2011.

Today’s international students are tomorrow’s immigrants to Canada

Richmond's Golden Village, the "new China...

Image via WikipediaBy Juliana Tonello

International students are looked at as prospective immigrants by not only the federal government, but also immigration experts across the country. Many of these students are also expected to become business owners, once they settle down in the country upon becoming immigrants. That’s the expectation anyway. And, in anticipation, the country has begun attracting the world’s best and brightest students, offering them a fast track to permanent residency status.
“They [international students] will match the essential roles in business in the future,” said Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Eric Hoskins at a recent symposium. “Our labour market is an international one.”
Other experts also believe that making this strategy the foundation for immigration sets Canada apart from other countries that attract international students. Experts at the conference organized by the World Education Services (WES), including representatives of the government, educational institutions and settlement agencies, discussed the possibilities at the Symposium on International Students: The New Skilled Migrants.
However, Canada, which annually receives around 85,000 international students per year, is still behind the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Australia on the market share.
“We need to provide appropriate supports for those intending to become permanent residents,” says Timothy Owen, director of WES, a foreign credentials evaluation organization, citing it as a reason for the relatively smaller influx of international students in Canada. “They will study here, like what they see and stay. They will be ideally positioned to become part of a highly skilled Canadian workforce.”
However, educational institutions must focus on the needs of each province and offer courses that will help fill the jobs that are vacant due to a lack of qualified people in certain specialized professions.
“There are many people without jobs and jobs without people,” says Philip Steenkamp, British Columbia’s deputy minister of advanced education and labour market development. In B.C., 1.1 million jobs are expected to be created in the next 10 years, and immigrants are expected to fill a third of those jobs.
“People with specific skills will be essential,” notes Steenkamp.
The lack of Canadian work experience faced by immigrants is highlighted as a continuing concern by educational experts, who believe that barrier will remain unchanged for a long time. “Skilled work plus Canadian education plus work experience is the key for the Canadian job market,” says Catrina Tapley, of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Some advantages for international students to break this barrier are programs offering off-campus as well as post-graduate work permits. Tapley believes that work permit and co-op programs are of vital importance to international students who aim to become Canadians. Another good reason, according to her, is immigrants with previous Canadian work experiences earn approximately $10,000 per year more than skilled immigrants.

http://canadianimmigrant.ca/settlingincanada/immigrationlaw/article/7891

Canada Re-Opens Immigrant Investor Program

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Nov. 10, 2010) - Effective December 1, 2010, Citizenship and Immigration Canada will once again accept applications under the federal Immigrant Investor Program.
Under the new program criteria, investor applicants will need to have a personal net worth of $1.6 million, up from $800,000 under the old criteria, and make an investment of $800,000, up from the previous requirement of $400,000.
"These changes were necessary," said Minister Kenney. "The requirements had not been increased in more than a decade and we need to keep pace with the changing economy."
Canada's old immigrant investor criteria were the lowest when compared to other countries with similar programs. The new criteria now align it more closely with other immigrant-receiving countries.
The investor program was suspended in June, in part because the high volume of applications was leading to wait times that were too long. Raising the requirements will help reduce the flow of applications while ensuring we attract experienced businesspeople who can make a more substantial contribution to the economy. Higher personal net worth criteria mean the program is now better positioned to attract investors with valuable business links and the resources to make secondary investments in the Canadian economy.
"Higher investment amounts mean provinces and territories will receive more investment capital to put toward job creation and economic development projects," added the Minister.
Canada's Immigrant Investor Program offers several benefits to international investors, including permanent resident status up front and guaranteed repayment of the investment.
Under Canada's old criteria, the volume of applications submitted under the Program had grown exponentially and processing times had increased. By stopping applications between June 26, 2010, and December of this year, the government prevented further delays. Applications received on or after December 1 will be subject to the new criteria and will be processed alongside the old ones. In this way, Canada can begin to realize the benefits of the changes as soon as possible.
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CitImmCanada.
Backgrounder
New federal Immigrant Investor Program will bring to Canada more resources to fund economic development and job creation initiatives
Canada's Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) attracts experienced businesspeople who bring significant economic benefits to Canada. In order to keep pace with the changing global economy and keep Canada's program competitive, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has changed the program so that it makes an even greater contribution to the Canadian economy. The changes were prepublished in the Canada Gazette on June 26, 2010, for a thirty-day public comment period and will take effect December 1, 2010.
Benefits of the IIP
Investments made through the program take the form of a five-year, zero interest loan to the Government of Canada on behalf of participating provinces and territories. These funds are distributed to participating provinces and territories to fund economic development and job creation initiatives in their regions. While investment strategies vary, some examples to date include venture capital investments in clean technology, public sector infrastructure investments (e.g., expansion of broadband Internet access, and construction of post-secondary institutions), and loans to small and medium-sized Canadian businesses. The provinces and territories must guarantee repayment of the investments received.
The provinces and territories are currently managing almost $2 billion of five-year, revolving IIP capital. In 2009 alone, almost $500 million was allocated through the program. British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories participate in the program. Other provinces and territories have expressed interest in joining as well.
Research has shown that the IIP has a positive impact on Canada's economy. While the program is an important source of investment capital that can be used by provinces and territories, immigrant investors also make significant economic contributions by bringing to Canada business acumen, important links to global economies and an understanding of international markets.
Changes to the Program
The Government of Canada has established new eligibility criteria for the IIP. These regulatory changes now require new investors to have a personal net worth of $1.6 million, up from $800,000, and make an investment of $800,000, up from $400,000.
Higher investment amounts mean that provinces and territories will receive a greater amount of capital to put toward economic development within their regions. Higher personal net worth criteria mean that the program is now better positioned to attract investors with valuable global business links and the resources to make secondary investments into the Canadian economy.
How Canada's Program Compares to Other Countries
Canada's old IIP criteria had not changed since 1999 and were the lowest when compared to other countries with similar programs (see the chart below: International Immigrant Investor Programs). The new criteria now align Canada's program more closely with other immigrant-receiving countries, while still offering investors the competitive advantages of up-front permanent resident status and guaranteed repayment of their investment.
International Immigrant Investor Programs

	Minimum Net Worth	Minimum Investment
*Canada/Quebec (old)**	CAD$800,000	CAD$400,000
Canada/Quebec (new)	CAD$1,600,000	CAD$800,000
Australia	CAD$2,157,525	CAD$1,438,350 (CAD$719,175 regional program)
UK	CAD$3,331,400	CAD$1,665,700
New Zealand	CAD$765,500	CAD$1,148,250
USA	Not specified	CAD$1,031,700 (CAD$515,850 regional program)

NOTE: Currency equivalents based on Bank of Canada nominal exchange rates, January 11, 2010.
* Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec is responsible for the selection of immigrants destined to the province, as well as the design and delivery of its own settlement services. The regulatory changes to the eligibility criteria also apply to Quebec-selected investors.
Managing Application Intake
Under the old IIP, the volume of applications grew exponentially in recent years. This surge in applications resulted in a rising inventory and longer processing times. As a result, the Department temporarily stopped accepting new applications when the changes were first proposed for public comment on June 26, 2010. These measures were put in place to prevent a flood of applications before the new criteria took effect, which would have stretched processing times even further. Once the new criteria take effect December 1, new applications will be processed alongside the old ones. In this way, Canada can begin to benefit from the changes as soon as possible.
Quebec announced its own moratorium on investor applications on October 15, and like the federal moratorium, this suspension will be lifted on December 1 when the regulatory changes to personal net worth and investment criteria take effect.

Employers say hiring foreign-trained workers has challenges

By Norma Greenaway, Postmedia News

OTTAWA — About half of Canadian employers say their appetite for hiring foreign-trained workers is reduced because of difficulties assessing their abilities, according to an internal survey commissioned by the federal government.
Employers' qualms about hiring workers trained abroad revolved around the challenges of evaluating their education credentials, their language skills and their work experience, the survey said.
It also said interest in hiring foreign workers was lowest among small business owners, who make up the bulk of Canada's employers, and highest among larger companies.
The survey, conducted by Ekos Research Associates in March for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, involved telephone interviews with 519 small, medium and large companies and 15 business organizations.
Speeding recognition of foreign credentials of newcomers has been a major preoccupation for the Conservatives and the in-depth survey suggests they are carefully tracking the mood of business around the subject.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney acknowledged the uphill nature of getting employers to hire foreign-trained workers Tuesday at an event in Ottawa where he announced the expansion of a program that allows foreigners to work as interns to gain temporary work experience.
The program provided 29 internships within the immigration and human resources departments last year. The number will climb to more than 60 this year, Kenney said, because six more departments and agencies have signed on.
Kenney called the initiative a modest beginning that, he hopes, will send a message to all levels of government and the private sector "to find concrete ways to open doors of opportunity."
The single biggest hurdle immigrants face in getting a good job in their field of expertise is a lack of Canadian work experience, he told reporters.
New Democrat Olivia Chow welcomed expansion of the federal internship program, something the Commons immigration committee had recommended.
But Chow, the party's immigration critic, said it falls far short of what is needed to address the problem of too many highly-educated immigrants ending up jobless or underemployed.
"We need leadership here," she said, dismissing the hiring of 60 interns as "barely a step" forward.
She urged Kenney to adopt the committee's recommendations to provide financial incentives or tax breaks to encourage small and medium-sized businesses to hire workers trained abroad and to ensure more prospective immigrants start the process of getting their credentials as doctors, pharmacists and other specialties recognized before they come to Canada.
Chow said only 10 per cent of immigrants are currently taking advantage of the existing pre-assessment opportunity to start the process before they arrive here.
Liberal MP Justin Trudeau urged the government to devote more money to language programs for immigrants as part of a broader effort to stop the slide in their economic opportunities that has happened over the last decade or so. He said providing financial incentives to encourage small businesses to hire foreign-trained workers would "absolutely" be one of the best ways to assist immigrants, who, Trudeau says, are vital to Canada's future economic health.
"Unless we are serious about addressing the big issues around immigration," he said, "then we're going to be playing catch up when the rest of the world starts fighting over the best and the brightest, as they are going to, because everywhere in the western world birthrates are down."
The internal survey also made clear the government has a major job ahead to convince employers to pay attention to opportunities for hiring foreign-trained workers.
It said more than nine of 10 employers surveyed said they had never heard of the Foreign Credential Referral Office, a vehicle the Harper government created three years ago to help newcomers get their credentials recognized more quickly so they can try to match their skills to jobs.
This week, a fresh spotlight was cast on the struggle immigrants have in finding good jobs with the release of a report that said recent immigrants with a university education had an unemployment rate last year that was four times higher than non-immigrants with the same education level.
The report, prepared by the Community Foundations of Canada, says recent immigrants have been hardest hit by the recession.
The jobless rate for recent immigrants with university education is "disturbing," Kenney said, and illustrates why the government is pushing to speed recognition of foreign credentials and putting more resources into helping newcomers improve their language proficiency.

"Changes to application requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Classes", focus on business immigration - September 2010

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Canada
September 28 2010

Introduction
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has the authority to issue instructions regarding the processing of immigration applications. Pursuant to Ministerial Instructions issued on June 26, 2010 (the “MI”), the Minister introduced the following changes:

an annual limit to the number of applications to be processed in the Federal Skilled Worker (“FSW”) class;
removal of the FSW category for temporary foreign workers and international students living in Canada for one year;
a revised list of NOC code occupations eligible for FSW priority processing; and
mandatory testing for language proficiency for FSW and Canadian Experience Class (“CEC”) applicants.

The MI affects all applications received by the Centralized Intake Office (“CIO”) in Sydney, Nova Scotia on or after June 26, 2010. All applications received by the CIO prior to that date will be processed according to the Minister’s instructions issued on November 28, 2010. (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Operational Bulletin 218 – June 28, 2010 [“OB”], online at Operational Bulletin 218).
Category Cut
The MI eliminates the FSW class of applications for temporary foreign workers and international students living in Canada for one year. As such, skilled workers are limited to applying under the FSW class categories for applicants with arranged employment offers (“AEO”), and applicants with experience in the last ten years under one or more of the list of eligible NOC code occupations (“NOC List”). Applications received by the CIO on or after of June 26, 2010 must meet the criteria of either of these two categories to be placed into processing (OB).
Cap on Processing
Exclusive of AEO applications, a maximum of 20,000 FSW applications will be considered for processing each year. Within that 20,000, an annual maximum of 1,000 applications per NOC Code will be considered for processing. Applications will be considered in order, by the date of receipt, with applications received on the same day being considered in accordance with routine office procedures. The first year of cap calculations runs from June 26, 2010 to June 30, 2011. Subsequent years will be calculated from July 1 to June 30 unless otherwise indicated in future MIs (OB).
Revised NOC List
The MI reduced the number of occupations eligible for the FSW program from 38 to 29. The occupations removed from the list include managers in finance, health care and construction, computer and information systems, university professors and vocational instructors. Occupations added to the list include: psychologists; social workers; dental hygienists; pharmacists; dentists; architects; biologists; insurance adjusters; claims examiners; primary industry production managers (except agriculture); and professions in business, services and management. Applicants must have one year of continuous full‐time or equivalent paid work experience in at least one of the listed NOC codes, and not combine partial year experience in multiple NOCs on the List (Canada Gazette Part 1, June 26, 2010, n. 3 at 1670 [“Gazette”]).
The complete list is as follows (Gazette at 1670‐ 1671):

0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers
0811 Primary Production Managers (Except Agriculture)
1122 Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management
1233 Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners
2121 Biologists and Related Scientists
2151 Architects
3111 Specialist Physicians
3112 General Practitioners and Family Physicians
3113 Dentists
3131 Pharmacists
3142 Physiotherapists
3152 Registered Nurses
3215 Medical Radiation Technologists
3222 Dental Hygienists & Dental Therapists
3233 Licensed Practical Nurses
4151 Psychologists
4152 Social Workers
6241 Chefs
6242 Cooks
7215 Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
7216 Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades
7241 Electricians (Except Industrial & Power System)
7242 Industrial Electricians
7251 Plumbers
7265 Welders & Related Machine Operators
7312 Heavy‐Duty Equipment Mechanics
7371 Crane Operators
7372 Drillers & Blasters ‐ Surface Mining, Quarrying & Construction
8222 Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service

Applications on Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds
FSW applications accompanied by a request for processing on humanitarian and compassionate grounds must be identified for processing under the MI in order to be processed (i.e. the application must meet the AEO or NOC List category requirements to be eligible for processing) (Gazette at 1671).
Language Proficiency
As of June 26, 2010, all FSW and CEC applications must be accompanied by the results of the principal applicant’s English or French Language Proficiency Assessment in order to be considered for processing. Only test results from a designated third party language testing agency will be accepted (Gazette, n. 2 at 1670). Currently, there is a two‐month waiting list for examinations in Alberta, so applicants are advised to book well in advance of submitting their application.
Summary of Application Requirements
Applicants must submit the completed application forms, together with all supporting documents (i.e. those listed on both the CIO and visa office specific document checklists). The CIO will review the application for completeness. If the application is incomplete, the entire package will be returned to the applicant.
To be eligible for processing, FSW applications received by the CIO on or after June 26, 2010 must:

meet the criteria of either the AEO or NOC List categories;
be accompanied by the results of the principal applicant’s language proficiency assessment; and
not exceed the identified caps.

Immigration lawyers... what are they good for?

Image by Shooting Genre - phoebe via Flickr Immigration by Guidy Mamann

METRO CANADA

Published: September 27, 2010 1:00 p.m.

Last modified: September 27, 2010 8:47 a.m.

When I checked my inbox this morning I found a very important email from an organization of immigration professionals which I belong to.
In fact, this email is so crucial to my ability to practice immigration law that I forwarded it to all of my staff, saved it in our firm’s electronic address book, and printed it for inclusion in the binder that sits on my desk right by my telephone.
Yet, the truth is that this email makes me feel like I am a silent partner in a bit of a deception being perpetrated on the public by CIC. Let me explain.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada clearly takes great public pride in the amount of information and resources it provides to the public through its website and call centre. CIC boasts that “All the forms and information that you need to apply for a visa are available for free on this website.”
Therefore, it's no wonder that in the website's FAQ, the answer to the question: “Do I need an immigration representative to help me apply?” is a "no."
The public is told that “The Government of Canada treats everyone equally, whether they use a representative or not.”
Will your case be processed more quickly if you hire a representative? CIC advises that “If you choose to hire a representative, your application will not be given special attention by the immigration officer.”
Is this really true? Is all the information you need really out there? Do you need a lawyer? Would it make any difference if you have one? Put another way: are people who are using lawyers and consultants to handle their immigration applications just throwing away their money?
I hate answering these questions since doing other people’s immigration work is how I make my living. People would be justified in being sceptical about my answers to these questions.
But the truth is “all the information you need” is not really out there and, yes, in many cases a lawyer or..

consultant’s involvement can spell the difference between success, delay, or abject failure.The information at cic.gc.ca is general in nature and cannot possibly contemplate the infinite factual scenarios that applicants might present when applying. Furthermore, the agents at the call centre cannot and do not provide callers with legal advice. It is simply not in their mandate to do so. Instead, they give “general information on the CIC lines of business ... provide case specific information, and accept orders for CIC publications and application kits.”
In other words, they can’t tell you what you ‘should’ do when confronted with obstacles or strategic decisions to make.
Also, if you encounter a problem that needs to be escalated, which is not uncommon, you will find precious little information on the CIC website as to where to direct your complaint or question.
Not so with immigration professionals.
The email I received this morning is an update of CIC’s protocol on how immigration professionals should direct their queries. The correspondence contains the email address for every Canadian visa post overseas and the names and email addresses of the immigration program managers at each of those offices. It tells us how, and to whom, to direct case-specific enquiries to the Case Management Branch in Ottawa and when and how to follow up if we do not receive a timely reply. It provides instructions on how to direct communications relating to quality of service complaints, situations involving possible misconduct or malfeasance of immigration officers, procedures, operational and selection policy, and processing times and levels.
To my knowledge, this information is not shared with members of the public. CIC’s failure to publicise this information does not reflect preferential treatment for those who are represented. Instead, it is simply an acknowledgement that immigration professionals do, and have always, played a vital role in making an overburdened and under-resourced program function at all (if not function well).
Sharing this information with the public would result in an avalanche of correspondence being directed at senior officials who are spread out so thinly that they could never get any other work done.
It is true that, except in exceptional and deserving cases, hiring a lawyer or consultant can’t get an application moved from the back of the line to the front of the line. Also, an officer will not approve an applicant who is not qualified just because he or she is represented. However, it is also true that an honest and experienced representative won’t clog up the system by submitting an application that simply won’t fly.
Furthermore, professionals who specialize in this area know the process and know how to avoid errors that cause delays. They know how to sift through mounds of convoluted facts and properly and convincingly document and present the salient ones in order to establish the basis for the approval of the application quickly and efficiently.
CIC doesn’t like to acknowledge the positive role lawyers and consultants play in making its bureaucracy work for the public. It is loath to see us as partners in delivering the immigration plan it is given annually by Canada’s immigration minister of the day.
That’s ok ... this morning’s email is all the acknowledgement I need.
Guidy Mamann practices law in Toronto at Mamann, Sandaluk and is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as an immigration specialist. For more information, visit www.migrationlaw.com or email metro@migrationlaw.com

Immigration pilot program tested in Manitoba

Manitoba Legislature, meeting place of the Leg...

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The Manitoba government is piloting a Canadian program designed to help new immigrants get a strong start when they arrive in the province.
Premier Greg Selinger made the announcement in Beijing Tuesday, where he is on a trade and tourism mission with Lt-Gov. Philip Lee.
The pilot program will offer immigrants from China and the Philippines a "pre-arrival" orientation to help people plan their training and employment before touching down in Manitoba, Selinger said.

'The more informed and prepared immigrants are before they arrive, the more likely they are to achieve their career goals and contribute to Manitoba's economic growth.'—Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger

The service, provided through the provincial nominee program, will include a career plan based on labour-market information and out-of-country job and education qualifications.
Qualified immigrants will also have access to Manitoba's English Online language program that provides facilitated English-language training using Manitoba-specific scenarios.
Students will be able to interact with language teachers based in Manitoba, who will provide one-on-one guidance throughout the student's training.
"Manitoba is dedicated to providing more supports to assist provincial nominees to begin their employment and settlement planning before they arrive in our province," said Selinger.
"The more informed and prepared immigrants are before they arrive, the more likely they are to achieve their career goals and contribute to Manitoba's economic growth."
The $15-million program is being funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
If proven successful, the program will then be adapted for provincial nominees destined for other provincial jurisdictions, federal Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney stated in a news release.
"This pilot demonstrates our aim to meet specific needs of newcomers destined for provinces across the country," he said.
The initiative will begin in November with approximately 40 Manitoba nominees.

BC PNP APPLICATION PROCESS Business Skills, Fast-Track

The chamber of the British Columbia provincial...

Image via WikipediaThe BC PNP is a provincial immigration program which is operated in partnership with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The specific program we will describe below is known as the “Business Skills” program and is suitable for investment in the GVRD or Abbotsford. Applicants can be fast-tracked if a client is willing to deposit $125,000 interest free with the province after nomination. The deposit is refundable in full when the client satisfies the terms of the PNP program.

Compared to the Federal Investor Program, the BC PNP business programs typically offer a number of advantages, including early entry in Canada on a work permit, control over investor dollars and flexible qualification criteria.

The general requirements of the program include:

Confirmation of a personal net worth of at least $800,000.00
An minimum investment in a BC business of $400,000.00 (existing business or start-up)
The investment must create three full time jobs in the business
You must actively participate in the management of the business
You must demonstrate enough unencumbered funds to make the investment
You must own at least 33.3% of the voting and non-redeemable shares in the business

The Investment

The general guidelines regarding the $400,000 investment are flexible, but must still conform to a number of rules, including:

A maximum of $267,000 of the $400,000 investment (2/3) can be attributed to the purchase of shares. You may purchase shares for more than this amount but will only get credit for $267,000.
Investments in real-property are generally not credited except for in unique situation
The balance of the investment may be used for items such as equipment, leasehold improvements, inventory, patents, promotion/marketing, professional/start-up fees and start-up wage
The business investment has to be reasonable and make good commercial sense

A Regional Program exists for clients wishing to invest outside of the GVRD or Abbotsford, but still in BC. The requirements under the Regional Program are half of the Business Skills program, i.e., $400,000 net worth and a $200,000 investment and at least one full-time job created.

Government of Canada Welcoming Growing Number of Indian Visitors, Students and Immigrants

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CHANDIGARH, INDIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 9, 2010) - Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is helping a growing number of Indians to visit, study in and immigrate to Canada, says Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

"For over a century, Canada has benefited from the talent and hard work of newcomers from the subcontinent," Minister Kenney said. "Some one million Canadians can trace their ancestry to India, and now a growing number of Indians are getting the chance to visit family and friends in Canada, study at Canadian colleges and universities, or indeed immigrate to Canada as permanent residents."

Last year, India was the top source country of immigration to Canada, with more than 32,000 permanent resident visas issued to Indian nationals, an increase of 13% from the year before, and 53% more than the three-year average from 1997 to 1999.

The number of Indian students granted visas to study in Canada has seen a steep increase in the recent past. By the end of 2010, it is estimated that the number of student visas that CIC issues to Indian students will have tripled over 2008 levels. This is in part due to the Canada-in-India Student Partners Program launched earlier this year by CIC in cooperation with the Association of Canadian Community Colleges.

"Thanks to the new Canadian Experience Class introduced by our government, many of these bright young Indians will have a convenient way to become permanent residents in Canada if they choose to do so at the end of their studies," Minister Kenney said.

The Minister also issued a progress report on visa services being offered out of the Canadian Consulate in Chandigarh, which assists would-be travellers from the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana.

The report reveals that in 2009, Canada issued more than double the number of visitor visas out of the Chandigarh office than in 2004, the year that the bureau was first opened. The increase in the number of visas issued in Chandigarh—from 3,300 in 2004 to 10,040 in 2009—is matched by an increase in the visa approval rate to 48%, up from 34% in 2006. Minister Kenney underscored that the number of visas issued by the CIC Chandigarh office in the first six months of 2010 exceeded the total number of visas issued in 2005.

"This is good news for those applying to visit family and friends in Canada," Minister Kenney noted. "While every visa decision is made on the merits of each application, these increased figures show that CIC officials have been working harder, and more efficiently, to make it possible for a growing number of bona fide travellers to visit Canada. I want to thank them for their hard work."

Minister Kenney also commended Indian officials for the progress made in addressing immigration fraud. "One of the reasons why many visa applications are rejected is that they include counterfeit documents, or have been mishandled by crooked immigration consultants. I raised this matter with Punjab Chief Minister Singh in early 2009, and am pleased to see that local authorities have increased their efforts to crack down on many immigration fraudsters. Even stronger enforcement of the laws against this kind of fraud and exploitation would help us to continue improving visa services to our clients."

Following his visit to Chandigarh, Minister Kenney will head to Hong Kong for the next leg of his Asian trip.
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CitImmCanada.

Country List for Immigration Medical Exams Updated

Image by csc4u via Flickr

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 1, 2010) - Most long-term visitors from Mexico, Croatia, the Bahamas and 42 other countries and territories can now enter Canada without a medical exam, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced today. In addition, medical exams will no longer be required for agricultural workers from those 45 countries and territories.

The medical examination requirement remains in place for all temporary residents who will be working in an occupation in which the protection of public health is essential. This includes workers in the health sciences field and those working with children.

This announcement does not affect permanent immigrants or refugees, who will continue to be required to undergo a medical examination before entering Canada. Temporary residents planning to stay longer than six months may also need an exam, depending on CIC's periodic assessments of the health situation in their countries of origin.

"We are committed to ensuring there is a balance between welcoming visitors and newcomers to Canada while protecting the health and security of Canadians. CIC uses an objective threshold to determine whether a country or territory should be added or removed from the designated country/territory list," said Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

Today's changes follow a regular review of the three-year average tuberculosis incidence rates of all countries and territories. A threshold of 15 cases per 100,000 is used to determine whether a country or territory should be included on CIC's designated country/territory list, which is then used to determine whether a temporary resident applicant requires an immigration medical examination.

Mexicans applying to be temporary residents in Canada should account for about 40 per cent of those who will benefit from today's announcement. In 2009, had Mexico not been considered a designated country, about 6,000 fewer Mexican applicants would have required medical exams. The cost for medical exams is based on local rates, with fees routinely costing up to $200, while the processing time for medical exams is generally between 2 weeks and 2 months.

"Today's changes will improve the free movement of people to Canada, while at the same time maintaining the integrity and fairness of our immigration system," continued Minister Kenney.

Four countries/territories have also been added to the designated country/territory list as a result of this review, including Wallis and Futuna.

For the full list of countries and territories affected by the review of the designated country list, please see the Backgrounder. For a list of countries or territories where medical exams are still required, please see the complete designated country/territory list.

For more information on medical examination requirements for temporary foreign workers, foreign students and visitors to Canada, please visit CIC's website.

For more information, please contact
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Communications Branch
Media Relations
613-952-1650 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 613-952-1650 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

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