Legal Tips for Canadian Immigrants with a Criminal Record

English: RCMP officer and truck (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are you a Canadian immigrant who currently has a criminal record? Were you hoping to travel outside of the country, only to find that you may have difficulty doing so as a result of your past?

Having a criminal record can change your life and hold you back from many opportunities. It can affect your career, where you live and where you travel. What many people may not be aware of is that they do have the opportunity to apply for a criminal pardon. By obtaining your Canadian pardon your criminal record is legally sealed, allowing to get your life back on track.

Obtaining a Criminal Pardon
Candidates must meet specific criteria to be eligible for a pardon. In almost all cases, it is necessary to wait at least three years—and up to five—to file your application with the Canadian police.

Though the steps to obtaining a pardon are relatively straightforward, it is strongly recommended that you work with a dedicated attorney who specializes in criminal pardons, or, a trusted third party entity that is accredited by the RCMP CCRTIS program, to ensure you have access to expert insights and information.

This can be a nerve-wracking time, but by staying in frequent contact with your pardons partner, you will be able to stay updated on all the details of your case as they happen.

If your pardon is approved, then you will be able to have your records sealed from the public. In some cases, they may even be erased completely. Note that you can also apply for a Purge and File Destruction request, which will have the police destroy any evidence of your arrest, court hearings, and anything else that could indicate a criminal past. Otherwise, even with a pardon on your record, you could still run into trouble down the road at customs agencies in other countries or even with potential employers.

Work in Saskatchewan in 2013.

English: Saskatchewan Province within Canada. Español: Provincia de Saskatchewan en Canadá. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nexus Canada is pleased to announce the following jobs opportunities in Saskatchewan in 2013.

 Positions available:

- 140 food counter attendants
- 10 industrial painters/sandblaster
- 10 spray foam insulator
- 20 sloped clay roofers   

- 5 siding installers
- 3 asphalt plant operators
- 2 base foremen
- 2 autobody technicians (Panel Beaters)
- 7 truck drivers 

- 5 servers
- 50 welders  

- 25 iron workers
- 25 millwrights
- 25 pipefitters 

- 3 cooks   

- 3 bakers
- 3 flat roofers 

- 6 room cleaners 

Please fill out our online assessment and  send us your resume in our website at www.nexuscanadaimmigration.com or click Here.

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Landing Procedures FAQ

Permanent Resident Card (2002-2007) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When should I land following the issue of my Permanent Resident visa? You must arrive within 12 months of having undergone your medical examinations. The expiry date will appear on your Permanent Resident visa. Can I have the expiration date of my Canadian Permanent Resident visa extended? You cannot extend the validity of an expired Permanent Resident visa, nor can you obtain a replacement with new validity date. If you did not use your visas, you must reapply. You must pay new application processing fee. If you have already paid a Right of Permanent Residence Fee, you do not need to pay it again. What happens when I arrive in Canada? When you arrive, you must present your Immigrant Visa to a Canadian customs or immigration officer at your first port of entry. The visa officer will perform the check of the information on the Immigrant Visa and Record of Landing (IMM 1000); check passport and other identity documents to confirm that each name is correctly spelled; verify that you intend to establish permanent residence in Canada; ensure that you have sufficient financial resources. If there are no difficulties, the officer will authorize your admission to Canada as a permanent resident. Must I land at or near the location I indicated as my intended destination on my application form? You may land at any port of entry of your discretion across Canada. However, if your stated intended destination was not within Quebec, landing in that province without a Certificat du Selection Quebec may be denied. According to the Canadian immigration law Quebec possesses its own selection criteria. Therefore, if you have not passed assessment under Quebec selection and attempt to land in Quebec, you may experience delays in the landing procedure, or refusal to perform the landing procedure in the absence of a Certificat du Selection Quebec. What should I arrive with when I land in Canada? You must have a valid passport and Canadian Permanent Resident Visa. It might be helpful to have an inventory of all belongings that you intend to bring in after landing, and copies of all the documents you submitted with your application. It's also a good idea to have evidence of your settlement funds. When must my accompanying dependents land?Accompanying dependents cannot land before the principal applicant has landed. The accompanying dependents should land with the principal applicant or after the principal applicant, but in either case prior to the expiry date indicated on their Canadian Permanent Resident Visas. Source: https://sites.google.com/site/newcanadianimmigrants/landing-procedures-faq?goback=%2Egde_1638837_member_198733518

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For Non-Canadians - Travel and Work in Canada

English: Lower Consolation Lake in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Deutsch: Lower Consolation Lake im Banff Nationalpark, Alberta Français : Lac Consolation dans le Parc national Banff en Alberta (Canada). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Make your dream of travelling and working abroad a reality! International Experience Canada gives you the information and resources you need to travel and work in Canada for up to one year.

You’ve always dreamed of spending a year living and working in Canada. Maybe you want to work at a ski resort in Banff... gain valuable work experience in the financial district in downtown Toronto... or do an internship entirely in French in Quebec City.

International Experience Canada (IEC) manages Canada’s youth mobility arrangements and agreements with different countries around the world. These arrangements and agreements make it easier for you to obtain a work permit to travel and work in Canada for up to one year.

Work permits under IEC are available to young people aged 18-35* who are from one of the countries that have a bilateral reciprocal youth mobility arrangement or agreement with Canada. Consult the list below for participating countries to see if your country of origin has a bilateral reciprocal youth mobility arrangement or agreement with Canada. Click on the name of your country to be redirected to the corresponding Embassy of Canada website for specific application details.

Can’t find your country in the list? Connect with one of these recognized organizations for other travel and work opportunities in Canada.

Over the age of 35?* Contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada for information on other work permit options.

Country Territory	Working Holiday	Young Professionals	International Coop
Australia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Austria	No	Yes	Yes
Belgium	Yes	No	No
Chile	Yes	Yes	Yes
Costa Rica	Yes	Yes	Yes
Croatia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Czech Republic	Yes	Yes	Yes
Denmark	Yes	No	No
Estonia	Yes	Yes	Yes
France	Yes	Yes	Yes
Germany	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hong Kong	Yes	No	No
Ireland	Yes	No	No
Italy	Yes	No	No
Japan	Yes	No	No
Korea, Rep.	Yes	No	No
Latvia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lithuania	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mexico	Yes	Yes	Yes
Netherlands	Yes	Yes	No
New Zealand	Yes	No	No
Norway	Yes	Yes	Yes
Poland	Yes	Yes	Yes
Slovakia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Slovenia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Spain	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sweden	Yes	Yes	Yes
Switzerland	No	Yes	Yes
Taiwan	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ukraine	Yes	Yes	Yes
United Kingdom	Yes	No	No

Are you a Canadian citizen looking to travel and work abroad for up to one year? Find out more about international travel and work abroad options for Canadian citizens.

* In some countries the age limit is 18-29, or 30

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Cutting Red Tape for Skilled Immigrants: Minister Kenney Introduces New Bridging Open Work Permit

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Dec. 20, 2012) - The new Bridging Open Work Permit enables certain economic class applicants to maintain their status and continue working in Canada while they wait for a final decision on their permanent residence application, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney announced.

"We are making our immigration system faster and more flexible, and cutting red tape for the skilled immigrants Canada's economy needs to grow and thrive," said Minister Jason Kenney. "The new open work permit provides those who are transitioning to permanent residency with better opportunities to integrate into Canada's labour market to the benefit of our economy and all Canadians."

The bridging work permit is available immediately and is valid for one year from the date of issuance. Qualifying foreign nationals currently in Canada, who have submitted an application for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) or the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) may be considered for an open work permit if their current work permit is about to expire.

Previously, applicants who were awaiting a decision on their permanent residence application could find their temporary work permits expiring before their application was processed. As a result, these individuals would no longer have been authorized to work in Canada unless their employer applied for and received a Labour Market Opinion from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and the applicant then applied for an extension of status.

Open work permits are already available for other in-Canada immigration streams, such as live-in caregivers, spouses or common-law partners. This improvement will result in consistent treatment for other applicants already in Canada.

"We are preventing unnecessary disruption in the lives of the newcomers who are already contributing and successfully integrating into the Canadian economy," said Minister Kenney. "Improvements to our immigration system like this will help Canada attract the best and brightest from around the world - the skilled immigrants we need to fill our skilled labour shortages."

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Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada's economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.