Jul 9, 2014 | Working In Canada
Although it is clearly for political purposes, Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party have provided a voice to speak out against Jason Kenney by supporting the Liberal Party’s call for a fair opportunity for foreign workers in Canada to obtain permanent residence.
At present, Jason Kenney, who moved from Immigration Canada to the department governing foreign workers, is in the process of (a) closing the door to foreign workers in Canada and (b) preventing Canadian employers from importing foreign workers. (He has already begun his smear campaign on imported nannies, who are the next target in his sights.).
Please express yourself on the issue by (a) signing the petition by clicking the link below, and (b) requesting your friends, colleagues and family members to sign the petition too. If you do not have a Canadian postal code, you could use Jason Kenney’s postal code: T2J-6T6.
Make your voice heard!
http://www.liberal.ca/temporary-foreign-worker-kenney-failure/?utm_source=liberal&utm_medium=facebook.com&utm_campaign=shareable_20140703_TFWP
Jul 9, 2014 | Immigration
In an effort to attract more traffic from India, Canada will now be granting 10-year multiple entry visas to Indian nationals who have visited Canada or the United States at least once in the past 10 years.
Unlike the UK and the US, which have been tightening immigration norms for Indians, Canada will be moving towards a liberalized visa regime (in all categories including work, education, business and leisure), Chris Alexander, Canada’s minister for citizenship and immigration said in New Delhi on July 7.
The new policy, called CAN+, was unveiled by Alexander in the presence of representatives from India’s business, tourism and education sectors.
“I am very proud to launch the CAN+ program in India which will make it easier for Indians to visit Canada as tourists or to do business,” said Alexander.
“Successful applicants will be grouped for bulk processing and put through our visa office on a priority basis…It’s being launched as a permanent program after a successful pilot program,” he said.
“We do know it will make us more competitive compared to our partners. We want to offer the same service or better than our peer group.”
Indian nationals rank in the top 10 source countries of international visitors to Canada. In 2013, more than 130,000 visitor visas were issued to Indian citizens and nearly 14,000 Indian citizens were issued student permits.
Between January and June 2014, almost 95 percent of visitor visas issued to Indian nationals were multiple-entry visas, allowing travelers to visit Canada as many times as they want for up to 10 years.
Jul 7, 2014 | Humanitarian & Compassionate
On July 4, the Federal Court of Canada ruled the government’s cuts to health care coverage for refugee claimants constitute “cruel and unusual” treatment and should be struck down.
The case was brought forward by the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Justice for Children and Youth and the Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care when the government created a two tiered system for refugees in 2012.
Two years ago, Ottawa trimmed medical benefits for newcomers, leaving most immigrants with basic health care but without supplementals such as vision and dental care. However, rejected refugee claimants, and refugee claimants from countries the government considers safe, would be eligible for care only when they pose a threat to public health.
Government lawyers argued the rules bring health benefits for newcomers in line with what other Canadians receive and deter those who would abuse the health care system. They argued refugee claimants can still access health care through other programs, such as those put in place by some provinces to reinstate access to essential and emergency care.
In her decision, Justice Anne Mactavish wrote: “With the 2012 changes to the Interim Federal Health Program, the executive branch of the Canadian government has intentionally set out to make the lives of these disadvantaged individuals even more difficult than they already are in an effort to force those who have sought the protection of this country to leave Canada more quickly, and to deter others from coming here.”
According to Justice Mactavish, the government has painted a bad picture of refugees: “The limits on refugee health care demean and endanger those from countries the government deems safe. It puts their lives at risk, and perpetuates the stereotypical view that they are cheats, that their refugee claims are ‘bogus,’ and that they have come to Canada to abuse the generosity of Canadians. It undermines their dignity and serves to perpetuate the disadvantage suffered by members of an admittedly vulnerable, poor and disadvantaged group.”
James Clancy, National President of the National Union of Public and General Employees, was pleased with the ruling. “People have come to Canada to seek refuge, and the Conservative government treats them like criminals. Taking away critical health care is ensuring children and families are destined for pain and poverty. It speaks to the true nature of this government that they think this is something Canadians would accept. We don’t, and thankfully, our courts won’t either.”
The government has been given four months to make changes to reinstate health care coverage to pre-2012 levels.
Immigration Minister Chris Alexander has promised to appeal the ruling. He contested the facts of the case, claiming refugees would be receiving better treatment than Canadians receive and suggesting refugee health care costs are too high.
Lorne Waldman, lead counsel on the case and president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers said, “With the decision, the Federal Court has recognized that the government’s cuts to refugee health care violate the fundamental rights enshrined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, without any lawful justification.”
Jul 3, 2014 | Family Immigration
Currently, in the context of Canadian immigration law, a “dependent child” is not only the biological or adopted offspring of an applicant. He or she must meet the following criteria:
- Under the age of 22 and not married or in a common-law relationship;
- Reliant on the financial support of his/her parent(s) before turning 22 and unable to support him/herself due to a mental or physical condition; or
- Reliant on the financial support of his/her parent(s) and studying as a full-time student since before 22 or since becoming a spouse or common-law partner.
As of August 1, 2014, the Canadian government will redefine who can immigrate to Canada as a dependent child.
From that date forward, the classification of dependent children will be narrowed to individuals 19 years of age or younger. The new definition will also eliminate the exemption that existed for full-time students who are financially dependent on their parents. In cases of dependency due to mental or physical condition, such dependency must have existed since before the age of 19 and must continue through the entire application process.
The changes will affect all applications made under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) for families with dependents. This includes all work permit applications as well as applications under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, various Provincial Nominee Programs and other permanent residency applications.
The processing fee for all dependent children will now be $150.
Applying for Immigration with Dependent Children:
The new regulations do not go into effect until August 1, so there is still time to benefit from the current rules. Individuals hoping to immigrate with children over the age of 19 must apply before this date to ensure that their children will be considered for immigration to Canada.
Jul 1, 2014 | Caregiver Program
Canada’s live-in caregiver program, which strives to provide reasonably priced nannies from abroad, is set to be overhauled.
Public service workers have claimed the program is being abused as a way to achieve “family reunification,” particularly for Canada’s Filipino community.
The program has granted permanent residency to more than 60,000 people between 2008 and 2013, and according to government estimates, many of these caregivers have had ulterior motives.
Internal documents show the Canadian embassy in Manila has been alerting colleagues since at least 2007 that fraud was an “ongoing problem” in the program and the absence of mothers was proving “disruptive” to families left behind in the Philippines. Similar warnings were repeated in a 2011 report by Citizenship and Immigration, which highlighted that large percentages of nannies are brought in to work for relatives.
The live-in caregiver visa is part of the Temporary Foreign Worker program, itself subject to major changes revealed recently. It is different from other temporary worker visas in that once caregivers complete two years of full-time employment, they are allowed to apply for permanent residency in Canada for themselves and their families – a unique benefit for those in low-skilled work.
Vancouver immigration lawyer Richard Kurland, who obtained internal reports on Canada’s live-in caregiver program through Access to Information, said he thinks Ottawa will announce this fall that the program will be phased out.
According to Manuela Gruber Hersch, head of the Association of Caregiver and Nanny Agencies, employers of caregivers will be badly hit by the program’s cancellation. She agreed the live-in caregiver program is open to abuse, but said the problem could be fixed by putting an independent agency in charge of placing nannies with families.
