We would like to take the time to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year. It has been an incredible year for us at Can-Am Immigration. We helped families reunite in Canada, foreign students to obtain study permits so they can gain a first class education, skilled workers to fill major labour shortages across Canada, and refugees fleeing war-torn countries.
In 2015 we saw the roll out of the new Express Entry immigration system along with the employer portal, the elimination of the Live-in Caregiver Program, and changes to the family sponsorship streams allowing spouses of Canadian citizens or permanent residents obtain a work permit while waiting for their PR.
As we head into a new year, we look forward to keeping you updated on any regulation and/or policy changes. We want to remind you to update our offices if your address has changed, and to always remain in status.
As always, if you require a renewal of your visitor, study, or work permit, or if you have any questions or concerns about any immigration related matters, please do not hesitate to call us and one of our friendly Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants will be happy to assist you. Once again, have a happy and healthy holiday, and a successful year ahead.
You have an employer in Canada, an approved Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and you now need to apply for a caregiver work permit. What do you need to do to ensure you submit a complete and thorough application? What types of documents do you need to support your claims of knowledge and experience?
Depending on your country of citizenship or legal residence of more than one year, the documents required may vary. Always make sure to download the application package from Citizenship & Immigration Canada and carefully follow the instructions. Caregivers who simply fill out the forms, submit a basic reference letter and a police clearance may not always be approved. Prior to November 30, 2015, Regulation 112 of the Immigration & Refugee Protection Act required applicants to to meet the following requirements;
complete high school, equivalent to 12 years of education, and
complete either 12 months of work experience (in related occupation) or successful completion of a 6-month in-class caregiver course, and
Have a good proficiency in English or French
After November 30, 2015, Regulation 112 of IRPA no longer applies and Canada immigration officers have slightly more discretion in making decisions on your work permit application.
Here’s how to ensure you submit a strong and complete caregiver work permit application:
Ensure you review the requirements of the job that are indicated on the approved LMIA. You will need to meet these requirements, and provide evidence that you do.
Complete the application forms and provide only true and complete information. Especially when you are completing your work and education history sections.
Collect all required documents which are listed on the document checklist. Remember that if there is a document you cannot provide, writing an explanation letter will always be a good idea.
Your reference letters should always be written by your employer and include the following information;
your job title
duration of your employment
your salary or hourly wage
the number of hours you worked per week
a list of your main job duties and responsibilities
A CIC officer will eventually make a decision on your caregiver work permit application. If your application is refused, you cannot appeal the decision. If the LMIA application is still valid, you may wish to apply again for a work permit. Remember that you will need to provide new information, otherwise you will receive another refusal.
Our office represents many caregivers, both in Canada and overseas. If you experience issues with your caregiver work permit application, or you have received a refusal, feel free to contact us for a free consultation to determine what options you may have, and how we can help.
Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC) has drawn applicants for the 18th time from the Express Entry pool this year. On October 2, 2015 CIC sent 1,530 invitations to apply (ITA) applicants in the Express Entry pool to become permanent residents within 6 months. On this draw specifically, candidates who scored a minimum of 450 or higher would have received an invitation to apply.
The previous draw on September 18th was the first since January 1, 2015 where applicants were selected and invited to apply without having a qualifying job offer with an LMIA confirmation.
Canada Express Entry (EE) Program
As of January 1st, 2015 Canada will only accept applications for permanent residence through the Express Entry program. Candidates who would otherwise qualify through any of the following 3 programs will be eligible to submit an application to show their interest in obtaining permanent residence in Canada:
– Federal Skilled Workers
– Canadian Experience Class
– Provincial Nominees
The Canada Express Entry program is points based, and is incredibly confusing. There are many variables, and candidates may apply as single, or with dependents to ensure they are awarded the highest number of points. Candidates will have to pass an English language test and have their educational credentials assessed and possess at least 12 months of full time paid skilled work experience.
Candidates who have previously worked or studied in Canada will be awarded additional points. Those candidates who have arranged employment offers or have been nominated through a Provincial Nominee Program will be among those who are selected as priority.
Submit your application to Express Entry pool
Contact our office to speak with an immigration consultant to determine whether you qualify to apply, and determine the number of points you would receive under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Our immigration consultants can help you prepare your submission and represent you to ensure your properly represented.
If you have been waiting to sponsor parents to Canada or sponsor grandparents to Canada for permanent residence, now is your opportunity. Citizenship & Immigration Canada will be re-opening the Parental Sponsorship program on January 1st, 2016. As per the previous couple of years, a maximum of 5000 applications in total will be accepted for 2016.
It is important that you consider the time it takes to prepare an application. Your application should be submitted to the Case Processing Centre no later than the first week of January to ensure your application is one of the first 5000 applications submitted. Last year, the program opened on January 1, 2015 and by January 16 (two weeks only) CIC received 5000 applications. Applications that are not within the first 5000 submitted will be returned. In this case, the sponsor will have to wait until the following year, in January 2017 to submit again.
We are often receiving calls from Canadian sponsors who wish to sponsor their parents, but in many cases the sponsors do not begin the preparation of the file early enough, and are left with little or no time to put an application together. There are many documents that must
be collected from both the sponsor and the parents who are in most cases overseas. This preparation can take several weeks and in may cases, several months. So when should you begin? Now.
What are the requirements of the Canadian sponsor?
Must be the son or daughter or grandson or granddaughter of the person being sponsored
Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada
Must meet the minimum income requirement for the three (3) most recent tax years (2012, 2013 & 2014)
Must not be in receipt of social assistance or welfare for any reason other than disability
Must not have defaulted on a court-ordered support order such as alimony or child support
Must not have been convicted of a violent criminal offence any offence against a relative or any sexual offence
Must not have defaulted on an immigration loan-late or missed payments
Must not be in prison or,
have declared bankruptcy and have not yet been discharge from it
Assessment for Eligibility:
Call our office to speak with an immigration consultant to determine if you qualify to sponsor. As per above, your application must be submitted to Immigration Canada’s Case Processing Centre no later than the first week of January to ensure it is considered for the 2016 intake.
As of March 15, 2016, travelers planning to enter Canada for a visit, and are not visa-exempt will be required to apply for travel authorization prior to their arrival to Canada. Exceptions include American citizens and those with a valid travel visa. The travel authorization, also known as Electronic Travel Authorization or eTA can be applied for online for a fee of $7 CAD.
Electronic Travel Authorizations will be valid for a period of five (5) years, or until the expiration of the travelers passport, or whichever comes first. The eTA will be linked to the travelers’ passport, and it is therefore a requirement that the traveler arrives at the Canadian border presenting his or her passport used to apply for the eTA. Citizenship & Immigration Canada is allowing travelers to apply today for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) today, but this will become a requirement beginning March 15, 2016. Anyone arriving in Canada without an eTA could face problems at the border, and can risk being denied entry.
To apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), applicants must submit a request by completing an online application available at www.cic.gc.ca.
