Immigration Canada

Canada's new refugee rules come into effect on Dec. 15

Ottawa - Beginning on Dec. 15, foreign nationals making refugee claims in Canada will be divided into two groups, depending upon whether their country of origin is considered a genuine refugee producing country.

The announcement was made yesterday in Ottawa by Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. The changes will see refugee claimants processed differently depending upon their country of origin. These changes have already been passed into law by The Balanced Refugee Reform Act and the Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act.

The laws allow the government to create a class of designated countries of origin (DCO). Countries that will be designated under this category will be those that are democratic, that respect human rights, and that offer state protection to its citizens. Countries in the European Union and the United States are expected to be placed into this category. Refugee claimants who come from DCOs will be processed differently than those who make claims from legitimate refugee producing countries.

All refugee claimants will be entitled to a full hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) as is presently the case. But claimants from countries considered to be refugee producing countries will be able to appeal a negative decision to the newly created Refugee Appeal Division (RAD). Although creating an appeal division has been discussed since the current system came into effect on Jan. 1, 1989, this will be the first time a failed claimant will have access to an appeal. The RAD can consider not only errors of law but the facts of the case and will have the power to reverse the previous decision.

Persons who come from a country that is a DCO will not be able to appeal to the RAD.

It is expected that with these changes, hearings will be held within 60 days from the time the claim is referred to the IRB. Currently the time it takes to hold a hearing is up to 600 days. It is also expected claimants from DCO countries will have hearings within 30 to 45 days of making the claim.

The government is hoping to remove all failed claimants from Canada within a year of their claims being rejected. Currently it takes about four-and-one-half years before a person can be removed from Canada.

In making the announcement, Kenney said, "Sixty-two percent of all asylum claims—and virtually all asylum claims for the European Union—were either abandoned or withdrawn by the claimants themselves or rejected by the IRB last year. It became abundantly clear that our system needed to be changed. These changes will move our asylum system from one that allows bogus claimants to rely on loopholes and redundant appeals to delay their removals for several years, to a system that hears claims quickly and removes bogus claimants faster. This is in the best interest of Canada, and of legitimate refugees. Canada's asylum system is one of the most generous in the world and will continue to be under the new and improved system."

Critics claim some groups of people in countries considered safe can be subjected to persecution. Janet Dench, of the Canadian Council of Refugees, is quoted in the Toronto Star as saying, "In many countries that seem peaceful and safe, particular minority groups face serious problems of persecution, discrimination and violence, often with the participation of state officials."

The Saskatoon Star Phoenix notes that the largest refugee producing country has been Hungary. According to Kenney, claims from Hungary dropped 90% since last July when health benefits given to refugee claimants were changed.

The list of DCOs will be made available on Dec. 15.

Facilitating Travel to Canada – Canada to Begin Collecting Biometrics from Certain Foreign Nationals

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ottawa, December 7, 2012 — In order to facilitate legitimate travel, nationals of twenty‑nine countries and one territory will soon need to provide their biometrics to come to Canada to visit, study or work, under regulations proposed today by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

“Biometrics has proven to be one of the most effective ways to identify individuals entering the country,” said Minister Kenney. “By providing immigration officials with greater certainty, biometrics will facilitate legitimate travel to Canada.”

Starting in 2013, persons from the following countries and territory who apply for a visitor visa, study permit or work permit will be required to provide their fingerprints and photograph at the time of application: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Vietnam, and Yemen.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents will not have to submit biometrics to enter the country. Minors under the age of 14, the elderly over the age of 79, and diplomats travelling on official business and their family members will also be exempt.

Once an individual arrives in Canada, their biometric data will be checked to ensure that the individual who was approved to travel is in fact the same person who is entering Canada.

The use of biometrics as an identity management tool will bring Canada in line with many other countries that are now using, or preparing to use, biometrics in immigration and border management. These include the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, countries in the European Union Schengen Zone, Japan, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia.

Accordingly, many nationals from the selected twenty-nine countries and one territory will already be familiar with the requirement. In addition, the governments of 20 of the 29 countries already collect biometrics from their citizens for the issuance of documents, such as identity cards and passports, or they plan to do so.

“Biometrics will strengthen and modernize Canada’s immigration system,” said Minister Kenney. “Our doors are open to legitimate travellers and, through the use of biometrics, we will also be able to protect the safety and security of Canadians.”

Citizenship and Immigration Canada, along with its partners, the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, continue to work closely with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to ensure adequate privacy protection measures for an applicant’s personal information. Applicants’ privacy will be protected in accordance with Canada’s Privacy Act.

Canada creates 59,300 jobs, unemployment falls to 5-month low

Happy Canada Day! (Photo credit: Ian Muttoo)

he Canadian Press
Published Friday, Dec. 7, 2012 9:12AM EST
Last Updated Friday, Dec. 7, 2012 3:31PM EST

OTTAWA -- Canada's economy showed surprising bounce last month, churning out an impressive 59,300 jobs and dropping the unemployment rate two-tenths of a point to 7.2 per cent.

The report from Statistics Canada on Friday was among the strongest of the year, not only in terms of job creation, but also in the type of jobs -- almost all the gains were in full-time employment and in the private sector. As well, hours worked increased 0.2 per cent in November.

Prior to the early morning release, markets and economists had looked for modest gains of about 10,000 workers, in line with a weak summer that produced the worst quarter for gross domestic product growth in over a year; the anemic 0.6 per cent advance during the July-September period.

Instead, the month turned into the second most productive of the year on the job front, only bested by March's outsized 82,000 jobs increase.

"The bottom line is the Canadian economy is not quite as weak as some of the recent indicators had suggested. It's very encouraging," said Doug Porter, deputy chief economist with the Bank of Montreal.

"On a stand-alone basis, this was one of the best job gains we've seen in the year and the unemployment rate has matched its cycle low. Even in the structure of the jobs, they're mostly full-time, they're mostly in the private sector."

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty noted the jobless rate equals the lowest level since the 2008-09 recession, a level also met in June.

"As I say, this augers well for jobs, growth and prosperity in Canada," he told the Commons.

Canada's dollar moved up smartly on the news, gaining a quarter of a cent against the U.S. dollar to about 101.14 cents US shortly after the announcement.

The currency was also helped by a simultaneous U.S. jobs report, which saw a 146,000 employment pick-up in November, and the unemployment rate fall to 7.7 per cent, the lowest in almost four years. The U.S. report was not as positive as it first appeared, however, because the Labour Department also revised downward the previous two months by 49,000 jobs.

Still, economists were encouraged that in both countries, the labour market is showing signs of resisting the considerable headwinds from Europe, and confidence-sapping political squabbling in Washington over budget issues.

CIBC World Markets chief economist Avery Shenfeld called the Canadian situation a "splash of good news that has been in short supply in recent months."

Earlier in the week, Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney characterized the third-quarter hiccup in Canada as temporary and said he was looking for the economy to pick up steam in 2013. Still, analysts are not looking for a strong final stretch this year.

The jobs performance, however, provides some cover for Carney's decision on Tuesday to retain his mild tightening bias, which basically tells markets the next policy move, when it comes, will likely result in a hike in interest rates.

With November's pick-up, employment gains in Canada have reached 294,000 over the past 12 months, a relatively healthy outcome.

If there was a weakness in Friday's numbers, it was that the services sector was responsible for all the gains, with the relatively low-paying hotel and restaurant industries leading the way with a 28,000 increase. The more desirable goods producing sector actually saw employment decline by about 6,000.

As well, Statistics Canada said average wages fell to 2.2 per cent annualized in November, from 3.7 per cent in October, a plunge that left analysts scratching their heads to explain.

By industry, employment rose about 28,000 in the accommodation and food services industries, while retail and wholesale trade increased by about 25,000, and professional, scientific and technical services picked up 23,000 jobs.

Manufacturing had another bad month, shedding 20,000 workers, and construction dropped 8,400. There were also 15,000 fewer workers in the other services category.

Regionally, Ontario saw the most improvement with a pick-up of 32,000 jobs, dropping the province's unemployment rate 0.4 points to 7.9. Quebec gained about 18,000 jobs and Alberta 10,000. There were small employment reversals in British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan.

Canada’s population hits 35 million, thanks to immigration

Births and immigration in Canada from 1850 to 2000 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Jeff Green

The fastest growing nation in the G8 is now 35 million strong.

Statistics Canada’s population clock has ticked past the 35 million mark, a number that has less to do with “natural” causes and more to do with immigration.

Canada receives on average 7.5 immigrants per thousand people.

“This immigration rate is one of the highest in industrialized countries,” said Laurent Martel, of the demography division of Statistics Canada. “It’s twice what the U.S. receives every year.”

Martel said that while Canada was recently named the fastest growing nation in the G8, that growth rate would be in decline without the roughly 249,000 immigrants Canada receives each year.

“Natural increase just explains a third,” Martel said, pointing to Canada’s children per woman rate of 1.63, based on a 2010 report.

Globally, the population has surpassed the 7-billion mark and a recent report by the UN suggested that we prepare for the silver-hair tsunami — a global population that is expected to live longer. It came with a warning that an older population could either be a burden or blessing, depending on whether or not countries prepare for it.

Martel estimated Canada will break the 40 million mark by 2026, and 50 million by 2054.

And while Martel said we’re one of the younger countries in the G8 — with a median age of 39.9 — Canada will get old. Fast.

“In the next 20 years we’re going to age quite rapidly,” he said.

Thirty years ago there were six workers for every retiree. Last year that number was five.

By 2031 it will be just three, a workplace cliff that is one of the lingering effects of the baby boomer generation.

It also explains why we may take a little longer to reach 50 million people, which Martel estimated would happen in 2054, a mark Martel laughed about.

“I’ll probably be dead.”

Reprinted with permission from the Toronto Star.

Source: http://canadianimmigrant.ca/slider/canadas-population-hits-35-million-thanks-to-immigration

Canada makes changes to family-based permanent residence permit applications and consular services in America

The Canadian Consulate in the Bahamas (Photo credit: a440)

Changes to Family-Based Permanent Residence Permit Applications/Changes at Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles Changes

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced a new, two-year conditional permanent residence status for certain foreign nationals, as well as changes to consular services in America.

In addition, the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles has ceased in-person return of original passports and all other original documents submitted to the Consulate. Documentation filed with this consulate will now be returned by mail.

Currently, the Canadian Consulate in New York is the only visa office in the United States that currently accepts in-person filing and pick up of documents.

On November 7, 2012, the Canadian Government published a revision for family-based sponsorship for Canadian permanent residence.

As of October 25, 2012, foreign national applicants who are in a relationship of less than two years and having no children in common with their Canadian sponsor will, at the time their permanent residence application is made, be granted a conditional permanent residence status of two years.

In order to remove these conditions, the applicant and Canadian sponsor must prove they have maintained a qualified relationship during the two-year conditional permanent residence period.

Since May 2012, the Canadian Government has taken steps to reduce consular posts located in the continental United States and other countries.

All Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) applications filed in all U.S. states and territories west of the Mississippi River may continue to be filed either by mail or personal appearance with the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles.

Companies and employees based in the United States are advised to allow adequate time for processing all manner of visa applications filed with the high-volume consular posts in Los Angeles and New York, particularly now at the beginning of the December 2012 holiday season.

Information for this article was provided by Pro-Link Global.

Biometrics data collection: Canadian visa applicants from 29 countries will be fingerprinted

Haiti (Photo credit: elycefeliz)

Nicholas Keung
Immigration Reporter

31 Comments

Starting in 2013, visitors to Canada from 29 countries and a territory must pay an extra $85 for Ottawa to collect their fingerprints and photos when they apply for visas.

The countries are mostly from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, but the biometrics requirement will also extend to Haiti, Jamaica and Colombia.

It is yet another measure Ottawa is imposing under the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act passed in June to tighten border entry into Canada.

Earlier this week, Ottawa exercised its powers from the same law to designate five carloads of Romanian refugee claimants crossing the Quebec border as “irregular arrivals,” stripping them of the basic rights afforded to other asylum seekers.

“Biometrics will strengthen and modernize Canada’s immigration system,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said Friday. “Our doors are open to legitimate travellers and, through the use of biometrics, we will also be able to protect the safety and security of Canadians.”

According to the Canada Gazette, the countries were selected for their volumes or rates of visa refusals, removal orders, refugee claims, and nationals arriving without proper documentation or attempting to travel under false identities, as well as their relevance to Canada’s foreign and trade policy objectives.

About 20 per cent of the 300,000 visa-required applicants — visitors, students or temporary foreign workers — would have to submit their biometric information in the first year. Children, the elderly and diplomats are exempt.

The applicants must present themselves at a biometric collection service point, a third-party visa application centre contracted by Ottawa, to provide “all available fingerprints and have a photograph taken.”

Their fingerprints would be sent to the RCMP for storage and checked against the fingerprint records of refugee claimants, previous deportees, persons with Canadian criminal records and previous temporary resident applicants before a visa decision is made. Border guards would then check the biometrics information again at the border.

The $85 fee is expected to recover 50 per cent of the operational cost. A cost-benefit analysis estimated the plan would save the federal and provincial governments $106 million over 10 years from “reduced negative refugee claims, fewer removals and detentions.”

Those affected by the new rules include: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Vietnam and Yemen.

Reunification 'super visas' popular despite cost concerns

Canadian visa for single entry (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

More than 11,000 overseas parents, grandparents get new 10-year visitor permits

By Louise Elliott, CBC News

Posted: Dec 3, 2012 4:52 PM ET

New figures show Canada has granted more than 11,000 "super visas" for overseas parents and grandparents since the federal government unveiled the program one year ago, according to numbers obtained by CBC News from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

The numbers suggest the program is proving popular with immigrant families, despite concerns by some about the costs associated with the visa.

The Parents and Grandparents Super Visa allows foreign citizens with families resident in Canada to make multiple entries to Canada over a 10-year period. It must be renewed every two years.

More than 15,000 people have applied for the new visa since the program was unveiled last year.

As of the end of October, the department has processed more than 13,000 applications, of which 87 per cent, or about 11,500, have been accepted. The numbers also show a very low number of applicants withdrawing before their applications have been processed.

Super visas, by the numbers

Through to end of October:

Total applications received: 15,581

Total applications with final decision: 13,216

Total applications pending final decision: 2,284

Withdrawals: 81

Approval rate (% of final decisions): 87%

Refusal rate (% of final decisions): 13%

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Some long-time advocates for family reunification call the new measure a success.

Felix Zhang, creator of the website Sponsor our Parents, said many parents don't actually want to immigrate to Canada, they just want to be able to visit loved ones on a regular basis.

"Overall, the super visa is a good thing, it gives an alternative for reuniting with overseas parents in Canada rather than just waiting for the prolonged immigration process," Zhang said. "Also, it shows Citizenship and Immigration Canada becomes more flexible than ever before. Different programs for different needs."

Last year, the government announced it would freeze permanent residency applications from parents and grandparents for two years.

Zhang said in the meantime, some people are using the super visa as a stopgap.

"The super visa could be a bridge from now until the permanent resident is accepted. So if the permanent resident process could take three to four years, then the super visa could be a bridge," Zhang said.

Requires medical insurance

But others warn the super visa has proven too expensive for many families because it requires the applicant to buy medical insurance and requires their families in Canada to have a certain income level.

Fred de Villa, chairman of the Winnipeg Filipino Breakfast Council, said many in the Filipino community can't afford the super visa.

"It's very expensive, because you have to buy insurance [coverage] for $100,000. They can't afford it." De Villa estimates that coverage would cost about $1,300 a year for the average person.

De Villa adds the new visa isn't a solution to the backlog of permanent residency applications, which are taking up to eight years to process.

He said the previous Liberal governments simply allocated more resources and he urged the Conservative government to do the same thing now.

"The previous government, what they did was they sent people from Canada to help process the paper and then everything is good," de Villa said. "Now why create another problem? You can't solve a problem by creating another problem."

Still, one expert said the super visa is filling a specialized need that will help reduce the demand for parental immigration.

"After a while, that's going to modulate down," said Vancouver immigration lawyer Richard Kurland. "Because my sense is that so many people, probably a third of them, applied for permanent resident status only to be able to access Canada for visit purposes, for visitation."

Kurland added that many parents living in top-source countries like China and India tend to want to return home for at least part of the year to avoid Canadian winters, and to reconnect with strong social and family networks back home.