Mar 30, 2017 | Immigrate to Canada, In the News, Investor Immigration, Permanent Residency, Why you need an immigration specialist
International business people interested in investing and settling in the province of Quebec will be delighted to know that the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) is set to reopen this year on the 29th of May. Foreign investors who meet the requirements of the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program will be granted permanent resident status for themselves and their family. This allows foreign investors to live, work, and do business anywhere in the country and allows your children to study in Canada as residents. The reopening of the program will allow 1,900 applications between May 29, 2017 to February 23, 2018. Foreign investors who are interested in the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program should get started on preparing your application right away so that it is ready to submit when the program reopens.
Foreign investors interested in applying must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Have a legally obtained minimum net worth of $1.6 million CAD;
- Be prepared to invest $800,000 CAD in Quebec through an authorized financial intermediary;
- Have at least two (2) years of legitimate, full-time business management experience in the five (5) years preceding your application; and
- Intend to settle in the province of Quebec.
In addition to these minimum requirements, Quebec investor applicants will also be assessed on several other factors including age, education, work experience, language, and adaptability. Our immigration consultants can aid you in determining whether you meet all of the requirements of the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program. We will assist you in properly preparing your complete application and guide you in collecting all the necessary documentation. Due to the limited number of applications being accepted this year, it is very likely that the program will reach capacity soon after opening. Thus, it is crucial that you begin preparing your application as soon as possible. Errors on your application could cause you to miss the window. With our help, you can prevent this from happening. Give us a call today to discuss your eligibility and find out how we can help you.
Mar 29, 2017 | In the News, Policies and Problems, Tourist Visas, Why you need an immigration specialist
Many people were concerned about being turned down at the U.S./Canada border, as a result of U.S. president Donald Trump’s immigration policy. However, new information now shows that less people are being refused entry to the United States from Canada since last year. U.S. government statistics now show that the total number of Canadians refused entry between October 2016 to the end of February 2017 has dropped from the same time period last year (Oct 2015 – Feb. 2016). The number of Canadians refused entry is 8.5 percent lower than last year – down from 7,619 to 6,875. We also note that the number of Canadians attempting to cross the border decreased by about 180,000 people since last year.
It is possible that these numbers do not accurately explain the situation. Perhaps people are simply preparing better before they attempt to cross the border. Many people are hiring immigration attorneys and consultants to prepare their applications for them. Instead of just going to the border unprepared, people are now more cautious about the possibility of being denied entry. Additionally, the fact that much fewer attempts have been made to cross the border might suggest that people are just deciding to stay home rather than risk being refused entry. Several groups, including Toronto District Schoolboard – have decided to cancel all future trips to the U.S. to avoid problems at the border. Being refused entry is not the only concern among these groups as some people are being detained and having to undergo invasive searches when attempting to cross the border.
Canadians looking to cross the border into the U.S. may want to be prepared for possible issues and prevent these by communicating with a knowledgeable immigration consultant. We can verify that you meet all the requirements to enter the United States and help you prepare all the necessary documentation in order to avoid refusal or detainment at the border.
Mar 27, 2017 | Canadian Experience Class, Express Entry, Immigrate to Canada, Permanent Residency, Provincial Nominee Program, Skilled Workers
On March 24, Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) made an Express Entry draw and invited 3,749 candidates to apply for immigration to Canada. Candidates in the Express Entry pool with 441 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points received an Invitation to Apply (ITA). This is the second draw to occur this month, continuing the trend of two draws a month by IRCC. We see a slight increase in points from the last draw on March 1st, which had a lowest score of 434 and invited 3,884 candidates.
If you received an ITA, you are now able to submit an application for Canadian permanent residence for yourself and your family. Applicants who received an invitation are able to bring their spouses or common-law partners and any dependent children. Keep in mind that you must submit your complete application with all required documents within 90 days of receiving your ITA. To prevent delays or refusal of your application, it is important that you prepare your application accurately. Our immigration consultants can help you to determine what information is required and what documents you need to provide. If you need help preparing and submitting your permanent residence application or if you are interested in entering the Express Entry pool before the next draw, contact us to speak with a licensed immigration consultant.
How to apply for Express Entry
Individuals who wish to enter the Express Entry pool to possibly receive an ITA in the next draw will need to first determine that they are eligible for one of the three current economic programs. The first step to determine your eligibility is to complete our free online assessment. Our team of consultants will review and assess your qualifications to determine if you meet the requirements for an Express Entry application. If you are eligible you will be able to proceed with the next step towards making an application. This assessment will rank your minimum language requirement, skilled work experience and education level.
Candidates who meet the minimum requirements of the following economic programs may make an application to the Express Entry pool:
Certain Provincial Nominee Programs allow candidates to apply through the Express Entry pool. You may be required to enter the pool before or after receiving a nomination, depending on the requirements of the provincial program. If you meet the requirements of a Provincial Nominee Program, we can assist you in the process of entering the Express Entry pool and submitting an application to the province of your choice.
Mar 9, 2017 | In the News
March 9, 2017 – New Immigration Executive Order signed by U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday will go into effect on March 16. This revised executive order places a temporary immigration ban on citizens of six predominantly Muslim countries – Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, and Libya. This new order will not affect current visa or green-card holders (permanent residents), but seeks to reduce the number of refugees entering the United States to under 50,000 in 2017. This is a huge jump from the 110,000 refugees allowed in last year. The new order – like the original – will suspend the U.S. refugee program for 120 days, preventing any new refugees from entering the country during this time.
While all of this is going on, we are likely to see large numbers of people seeking asylum in Canada. Several Canadian cities – including Toronto, London, Hamilton, and Montreal – have already been declared sanctuary cities for undocumented immigrants. This allows all residents in those cities to access public services regardless of immigration status – or lack thereof. This also means that refugees in those cities will not be arrested or deported for reasons of non-criminal offenses (e.g. parking tickets). While Canada is much more open to immigration than the U.S., many Canadians are against allowing more refugees into Canada as they fear this may result in people illegally crossing the U.S./Canada border.
The Safe Third Country Agreement states that an individual who claims refugee status in the U.S. cannot do so in Canada. However, this agreement only works for those refugees who make a legal claim at a Canadian border crossing. As such, it is possible for those who might be refused entry to cross the border into Canada illegally and seek asylum once inside. While we want to keep the doors open for those who are genuinely in need of asylum, we must be wary of those who might cross the border with malicious intent.
Many Canadian citizens and permanent residents are now speaking out against refugees as they see this as being unfair to those who have gone through – or must go through – a lengthy immigration process to enter Canada legally.
Dec 22, 2016 | In the News
December 22, 2016 – Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC) invited 2,878 candidates to become permanent residents of Canada. The lowest scoring candidate was ranked with a score of 475 on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Therefore, anyone who had submitted their Express Entry profile prior to December 22, 2016 and had a score of 475 or higher would have received an invitation to apply (ITA). On December 16, 2016, IRCC selected 1,936 candidates where the lowest scoring candidate was awarded 497 points. We can see a major decrease in the points threshold required. As IRCC has committed to processing more permanent resident applications in the coming 2017 year, we expect that the score required for an Invitation to Apply will continue to drop.
Express Entry Overview
Launched in January 2015, Express Entry is Canada’s newest application intake system for certain economic immigration programs including the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Canadian Experience Class and a some of the Provincial Nominee programs. Express Entry was designed with three main objectives in mind: 1) flexibility in selection and application management, 2) responsiveness to labour market and regional needs and 3) speed in application processing. Although there have been adjustments to the system during its first year and policy concerns expressed by stakeholders, Express Entry has met its expectations.
Express Entry – How to apply
The first step to determine your legibility for the 3 current economic programs is to complete our free online assessment. Our team of consultants will review and assess your qualifications to determine if you meet the requirements for an Express Entry application. If you are eligible you will be able to proceed with the next step towards making an application. This assessment will rank your minimum language requirement, skilled work experience and education level.
Candidates who meet the minimum requirements of the following economic programs may make an application to the Express Entry pool:
