Conditional spousal sponsorship visas to be introduced

The Government of Canada will soon be announcing conditional visas for those sponsored under Canada’s Family Class Spousal Sponsorship Program in attempt to curb marriage fraud. There was speculation that this change would be considered, but Canadian officials are now confirming that the conditional visa will be introduced later this year.

Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, has noted that immigration officials are seeing an increased number of cases of marriage fraud from certain countries, China and India in particular. Marriage photos from those countries are often Photoshopped to show the faces of husband and wives on the same wedding photo.

“Then we required that people have bigger pictures of their wedding reception so we could see if it was authentic. Then we saw that in the Punjab, some of these wedding palaces were offering fake wedding receptions for people. So then we go out and visit some of these wedding palaces. It’s a cat and mouse game,” he said.

Under the new changes, a sponsored spouse will have to remain in the relationship for a certain period of time before becoming a permanent resident. At this time, Ottawa has only said that the time period would be for two years or more. Furthermore, the government will introduce a five-year ban on sponsored spouses being allowed to sponsor a new spouse to come to Canada. Ottawa hopes these changes will make it easier to deport those who have lied in order to come to Canada.

There are those however who are not supporting the new changes. Don Davies, NDP MPm has said that the focus should be on improving the screening process overseas, not imposing a conditional visa. His concerns are that these changes could result in domestic abuse in failed marriages.

“What if the marriage fails? You’re going to force two people to live together for two years when that didn’t work?” he asked. “I just think that’s unsound policy.”

Although an official date for the new change has not yet been announced, Canadavisa.com will report on any information as soon as it is revealed.

Immigrants essential: Mayor

Naheed Nenshi became the poster boy for diversity and successful immigration/integration in Canada when he was elected the mayor of Calgary a year ago.
Although his ethnicity and Muslim religion triggered international curiosity, that issue hardly came up during the campaign, he told attendees of a Mississauga Board of Trade (MBOT) breakfast event this morning. He said his single status was raised a lot more.
Nenshi did 34 interviews with national and international media the day after his election about his ethnicity and religion, and he did them because he believed it was important to showcase how successful multiculturalism has become in Canada, especially at a time when political leaders in Britain, Germany and France had all gone on record suggesting that multiculturalism was a failure in their countries.
What makes it work in Calgary, he said, is that the city is a meritocracy where the focus is on what you bring to the table and how hard you’re prepared to work — not where you came from or where you worship.
And, it’s not because of the city’s oil wealth either. 
“Many people think the success of Calgary and Alberta is because of ‘luck’ — because we have carbon molecules under our feet,” he said. The oil sands, he points out, are two hours away from Calgary.
Nenshi credits immigrants who have brought their work ethic and skills west for its success. To continue to be successful, whether as cities or a country, what’s needed is to spread Canada’s brand around the world to attract the best and brightest immigrants.
Nenshi describes immigration as “one of the greatest bait-and-switch games in human history,” saying it gives points to would-be immigrants for their education and skills, yet makes it difficult for them to get Canadian accreditation once they arrive. 
“That’s a waste of human potential,” he said.
However, change is happening in some sectors; Nenshi admits he was surprised that 70 per cent of engineers accredited in Alberta last year were trained abroad.
Still, more changes in government, more and better ESL programs, and the need for professional bodies to be more open to foreign-born and trained professionals are needed. Above all, he believes the key is the private sector.
Those issues were echoed by other speakers at the MBOT event. Ellen Austin, an HR professional with the Business Development Bank of Canada, said the shortage of skilled workers will only getting worse as the country’s population ages.
Laura Artibello, president and founder of the Mailennium Group, said employers shouldn’t worry about how tough it is to pronounce a potential employee’s name — instead, they should focus on hiring for skills and spirit.
jdean@mississauga.net