Ottawa to target ‘marriages of convenience’

Raveena AulakhStaff Reporter

In a crackdown on fraudulent marriages, the Canadian government is proposing a period of conditional permanent residence requiring a sponsored spouse stay in a “bona fide” relationship with their sponsor, possibly for two or more years.

Another proposal would prevent a person who has been sponsored as a spouse from sponsoring a new partner for five years.

(In 2009, nearly 45,000 people immigrated to Canada as spouses. Citizenship and Immigration Canada says 1,000 fraudulent marriages are reported annually. Many others go unreported.)

Those who claim to be victims of marriage fraud welcome the proposed changes.

But social workers say it’s a step backward and will hold some women hostage.

“It’s like going back in time,” says Avvy Go, director of the Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, referring to a former law whereby fiancés had to get married within 90 days after entering Canada or face deportation.

That law was eliminated in 2002, says Go. “Now instead of 90 days, it’s a two-year trial period that the government is proposing.”

It will be lethal for women, says Go. “Domestic abuse is a big problem and if these women speak up against it, they could get deported.”

In a recent case, a woman who married in March 2010 in India says she was physically and sexually assaulted by her husband within days of landing in Toronto last January. She endured the abuse until August when her husband’s family told her they would throw her out if she didn’t get $20,000 from her parents in New Delhi.

“I couldn’t ask them for money ... and I knew the beatings would get worse,” she says. She left her husband’s home in the summer and now rents a room in a Mississauga basement, is getting a driver’s licence and looking for work.

If Ottawa’s proposed changes had been in effect, she says she would still be with her husband in that house.

“And I could have done nothing.”

Source: Toronto news.

Canada Plans to Admit More Provincial Nominees in 2012

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, Nov 07, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The Government of Canada will continue to provide provinces and territories with a record amount of space in the country's immigration program in 2012, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) plans to welcome 42,000 to 45,000 people under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in 2012, including the nominees themselves, their spouses and dependents. This represents an almost seven-fold increase since 2004.

In 2010, over 36,000 people entered Canada under the PNP. CIC is on track to welcome more provincial nominees this year, and 2012 has the potential to set another record high if the provinces submit enough nominations early on to fill their allotted space in the program.

"The Government of Canada recognizes the crucial role the Provincial Nominee Program plays in meeting local labour market needs," said Minister Kenney. "The PNP has made great strides in sharing the benefits of economic immigration across the country." Today, 26 percent of all economic immigrants are now destined for provinces other than Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec, compared to 11 percent in 1997. The PNP has also become the second largest source of economic immigration to Canada.

All provinces and territories, with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut, have Provincial Nominee agreements. The PNP gives provinces and territories an active role in immigrant selection as they may nominate for permanent residence individuals who meet specific local labour market needs. Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec has the sole authority for selecting immigrants to its province. However, these candidates must still meet CIC's admissibility requirements.

CIC consults regularly with provincial and territorial governments to develop a balanced immigration plan, including the number of anticipated nominations per province. It is important to note that in order for CIC to reach annual admissions targets, provinces and territories must submit sufficient and timely nominations. The Provincial Nominee allotments for 2012 are still being finalized and will be released later on.

"CIC is working closely with provinces and territories to improve the program design, integrity and management of the Provincial Nominee Program," said Minister Kenney. CIC launched a national evaluation of the Provincial Nominee Program last year and expects to release the results in 2012. The federal, provincial and territorial governments are also moving towards a multi-year levels planning approach for 2013 and beyond.

A graph is available at the following address: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Graph_CIC_1107.pdf

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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.

        
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SOURCE: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

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Canada needs more caregivers, please

From Monday's Globe and Mail

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s plan to accept 10,000 more skilled workers into Canada next year is a sound one, and so is the government’s overall target of 255,000 newcomers. Some other changes make less sense, and may be motivated by politics, more than economics.

Mr. Kenney acknowledged that the seven-year backlog to sponsor grandparents and parents has become unmanageable, and announced a two-year moratorium on applications. In the meantime, however, he will increase the quota by 10,000 over two years, to 25,000, and introduce a two-year multiple-entry visitor’s visa for these family members.

To compensate, there will be a lower quota in other categories, including live-in caregivers. The target is 8,000-9,300, compared to 10,500-12,500 in the past two years.

Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Why would a country with a declining fertility rate and the expected mass retirements of baby boomers want to recruit yet more older people? “The government has it backwards,” says Sergio Karas, an immigration lawyer.

While family reunification is a goal for Canada’s immigration program, family-class newcomers already make up two-thirds of all those accepted. Parents and grandparents are unlikely to create economic growth and will have more health needs.

Live-in caregivers are a category that should be expanded. They perform a key role in the labour market: caring for children in a country with no national daycare policy, and looking after the elderly. There is already a shortage of quality care for the aged, a problem that will grow in years to come with the country’s demographic shift.

Canada’s live-in caregiver program is unique in the world, and allows caregivers to apply for permanent residency after living with a family for two years, caring for either children or the aged. It has real weaknesses, such as long application-processing times, abusive employers and nannies being recruited for “fake” jobs, but the program itself remains sound.

The government would be wise to put resources into having it run more smoothly, and make sure that well-qualified caregivers are recruited to bona fide jobs and that their permanent residency applications are processed in a timely fashion. As the population ages, Canada will need more of them.

Kenney tackles parents immigration backlog

Canada is no longer accepting applications from people who want to join their children or grandchildren in Canada, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced Friday.

The citizenship and immigration minister also announced a new super visa for people who want to visit their family members. The 10-year visa would allow them to stay for up to two years at a time. People will have to have private medical insurance and meet a minimum annual income level of around $17,000 to have their parents or grandparents accepted.

Kenney also announced the government is increasing by 60 per cent the number of parents and grandparents who will be accepted every year, bringing it to 25,000 from 15,300 last year.

The purpose is to clear a backlog of 180,000 applications while the government takes the time to consult Canadians and provincial governments about how to change the family reunification system, he said.

Kenney says he wants to avoid another backlog — under which it can take seven years or more to be accepted — and make sure the system is financially sustainable.

"If we leave the program open for applications during that period of consultation and redesign, we know what will happen. We will get absolutely flooded [with applications]," he said, as immigration lawyers and consultants anticipate changes.

"We’ll never be able to deal with the backlog. That’s why it is absolutely essential that we bring in a temporary pause on incoming applications as part of our action plan."

Super visas

Kenney softened the blow of the freeze by announcing his department is introducing super visas, which should take as little as eight weeks to process, he said.

Applications received now, he said, would end up at the back of the seven to eight year waitlist anyway.

"We ask those people to be patient, to use the new super visa that we're offering them so mom and dad can come and visit the grandkids in Canada for an extended period, allow us a bit of time to get the backlog down, speeding up the wait times, and open up the redesigned program in two years time," Kenney said.

He says he expects the wait time to be closer to four years, with about 80,000 people in the queue, when the program re-opens.

NDP Immigration critic Don Davies says the move isn't fair, especially without giving notice.

"I think there's an awful lot of people in this country who came to this country under rules that permitted them to sponsor their parents, and they're not going to be able to do so," he said.

Acceptance rate cut since 2006

A statement from the Chinese Canadian National Council says the target number of parents and grandparents accepted has dropped from 20,000 in 2006 to 15,000 in 2010. A spokesman for the council says they'd like to see the entire family approved at the start of the immigration process.

"A temporary visa, even though it's a long-term one, actually can create a two-tiered status among families," Victor Wong, the council's executive director, told CBC News. Those who enter under the visitor's visa will have to be careful about medical costs and won't be able to work with a separate visa, he said.

Kenney has spent much of the week talking about next year's targets and changes within Canada's immigration system. Earlier this week, he and Gary Goodyear, minister of state for science and technology, announced a change that will allow international students earning their PhDs in Canada to apply to become Canadian under a skilled worker program. It could mean faster processing for those in programs that qualify.

About two-thirds of immigrants to Canada don't enter as economic immigrants, Kenney says. The majority of new Canadians enter as children, spouses, parents or grandparents of economic immigrants.

with files from Louise Elliott

Tories Speeding Up Family Class Through “Super Visa” For Parents-Grandparents But Sponsors On Hook For Medical Expenses

Canada Will Also Admit Nearly 10,000 More Permanent Sponsored Family Class Immigrants In 2012 But Has Stopped Accepting Family Class Applications As Of Today

The government says it is bringing in the new “Parent and Grandparent Super Visa,” which will be valid for up to 10 years. The multiple-entry visa will allow an applicant to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time without the need for renewal of their status. The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will come into effect on December 1, 2011, and CIC will be able to issue the visas, on average, within eight weeks of the application. Parent and Grandparent Super Visa applicants will be required to obtain private Canadian health-care insurance for their stay in Canada.

By R. Paul Dhillon

OTTAWA – The Tory government’s overly active immigration minister Jason Kenney, who has been criticized for policies that are aimed at restricting family class immigration over economic class, thereby reducing immigration from two Asian hubs of China and India, has pulled a rabbit out of the hat and magically transformed the immigration system especially when it comes to family class.

But the smoke and mirrors Kenney has given a little and perhaps take a lot.

In a series of announcements on immigration – including increasing the number of foreign students allowed in – Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Kenney announced on Friday that his government is taking immediate action to cut the backlog and wait times for sponsored parents and grandparents through a combinations of Super Visa and increase in the number of permanent family class immigrants allowed in 2012.

But the new offering comes with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) not accepting any more family class applications for two years beginning from November 5 (today).

Currently, more than 165,000 parents and grandparents who have applied to become permanent residents of Canada are still waiting for a final decision. Each year, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) receives applications for sponsorship of nearly 38,000 parents and grandparents, a number that will only continue to expand if no action is taken, Kenney said.

“Wait times for Family Class sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents now exceed seven years, and without taking action, those times will continue to grow, and that is unacceptable,” Kenney said. “Action must be taken to cut the backlog, reduce the wait times, and ensure that the parents and grandparents program is sustainable over the long run.”

To deal with the large backlog and lengthy wait times, CIC is announced Phase I of the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification.

During this phase, there will be an increase by over 60 percent the number of sponsored parents and grandparents Canada will admit next year, from nearly 15,500 in 2010 to 25,000 in 2012 – the highest level in nearly two decades.

Kenney also introduced the new “Parent and Grandparent Super Visa,” which will be valid for up to 10 years. The multiple-entry visa will allow an applicant to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time without the need for renewal of their status.

The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will come into effect on December 1, 2011, and CIC will be able to issue the visas, on average, within eight weeks of the application. This means that instead of waiting for eight years, a parent or a grandparent can come to Canada within eight weeks.

Parent and Grandparent Super Visa applicants will be required to obtain private Canadian health-care insurance for their stay in Canada. The government has cleverly shifted the financial burden on to immigrant families while making the family reunification quick and convenient for those wanting to bring family members from their home nations. Most immigrants will be happy that they can get their family members to come quickly without long delays and frustration with CIC.

While Kenney seems to be making a peace offering with Friday’s announcements of easing the family class immigration – he warned that the government will consult Canadians on how to redesign the parents and grandparents program to ensure that it is sustainable in the future.

“The redesigned program must avoid future large backlogs and be sensitive to fiscal constraints,” hew said

To prevent the build-up of an unmanageable number of new applications during these consultations and to further reduce the 165,000-strong backlog of parent and grandparent applicants, CIC is putting in place a temporary pause of up to 24 months on the acceptance of new sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents. The pause comes into effect on November 5, 2011.

“The Government of Canada is fully committed to helping families reunite,” Kenney said. “We recognize that what parents and grandparents want most is to be able to spend time with their families.”

“If we do not take real action now, the large and growing backlog in the parents and grandparents program will lead to completely unmanageable wait times. Through this balanced series of measures, we will be able to dramatically reduce the backlog and wait times, while the new Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will allow more family members to pay extended visits to their loved ones. We anticipate that in about two years, following our consultations, Phase II of our Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification will come into effect, ensuring that future applicants are processed quickly and that the program can operate on an efficient and sustainable basis.,” Kenney added

There has been increasing criticism in the immigrant communities, including the two biggest – Chinese and South Asian – that Kenney is doing what the Conservatives agenda has been all along to reduce immigration from the hot spots in Asia and his policies point to that.

It is also pointed out that Kenney’s immigration numbers keep changing but the real issue is that the new restrictions and enforcement at the CIC means that for the first time the Immigration Minister has a lot of control in being effective in terms of who gets in and from where. And Friday’s announcement points to that dramatic shift with Kenney dramatically changing the way immigration to Canada will be shaped.

Kenney said this week that there will be more parents and grandparents coming but less spouses and dependent children. Kenney says it is because spouses and children are not coming in large numbers as in the past.

But  the main reason for this shift is his policies which have brought new restrictions, making it extremely difficult to get immigration. So in this case – it is Kenney’s own policies which are making his objective of having fewer immigrants in that category a reality. In this case – the methodology ensures that the results are what the government of the day’s agenda is and has been for a long time.

While most immigrants given the choice between having their loved ones be able to come quickly to visit and stay with them for a lengthy period of time – Friday’s announcement of Super Visa does give immigrants something to rejoice about even thought they potentially could be stuck with hefty medical bills which they may not be able to afford.

But the outright stoppage of taking family sponsorship applications for two years will not be met with joy from the immigrant communities but Kenney has shown that he is a good juggler with giving something while taking away a lot.

The family sponsorship waiting times has increased from normally 1-2 years to more than seven years. So what this is doing causing people to become frustrated and obviously this discouragement is stopping them from applying because it takes too long to process. And by reducing the family class immigration- which has the largest group of immigrants coming from Asia – specifically from China and India – it is affecting this large group and reducing the demand.

And this is certainly a concerted, directed effort on part of the Tories to do this as they realize that the mix from Asia is getting bigger and  bigger every year. It is also based on data that in 2030 – visible minority immigrants will overtake the non-visible minority population in Canada.

It is nothing new  as many European countries are full out in tackling this concern of foreign immigrants in their land but at least they are vocal with their potential racism out in the open. While they are openly saying that they are doing it – but here the Tories are hiding behind this wall of nothing’s changed really – just taking immigration policies in a different direction.

The LINK recently did a story where we quoted the Toronto Star on 2011 data showing immigrants to Canada dropped by 25 percent. Here is what Toronto Star wrote: . “In fact in the first quarter of 2011 – there already has been a decrease of 25 per cent fewer immigrants coming to Canada compared to the same period in 2010. The number of permanent resident visas issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada between January and March fell from 84,083 in 2010 to 63,224 this year, according to figures obtained by the Toronto Star.”

But you do have to give Kenney some credit for pulling that rabbit out of the hat. He is keeping those Canadians happy who are anti-immigrant and want immigration curtailed while satisfying Conservatives’ new found ethnic voters who would like an immigration policy that allows their loved ones to come and go as they please.