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 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.
May 3, 2013 | Immigrate to Canada, Immigration, New Immigration Programs, New Laws, Permanent Residency, Policies and Problems, Skilled Workers
The Federal Skilled Worker Program, one of Canada’s most sought-after immigration options, is now being re-opened to allow foreign workers, in 24 qualifying applications, to apply for immigration to Canada. This program, which allows immigrants to apply for permanent residence based on a points system, was closed to anyone that did not have a job offer or meet the criteria of the Ph.D. stream since July 1, 2012. New applications for the Federal Skilled Worker Program will be accepted by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) beginning on May 4, 2013.
With the re-opening of the Federal Skilled Worker Program comes a new set of rules and requirements. Professionals who wish to apply for Canada immigration through the new Federal Skilled Worker Program must be sure that they meet the new criteria. Do not assume that you qualify now just because you may have qualified in the past. The points system that was previously in place has been amended to put more emphasis on language and age. But before you can assess your points, you must be sure that you fit into one of the following categories of the new Federal Skilled Worker Program:
- You are working in one of the 24 eligible occupations for a minimum of one (1) year;
- You have a job offer from a Canadian Employer;
- You are eligible to apply under the Ph.D. stream.
If you meet the criteria for one of these three options, you will then be required to meet the minimum eligibility requirements of the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Your eligibility will be assessed based on your language abilities, age, education, work experience, arranged employment, and adaptability. Points are awarded in each category with a maximum of 100 points available and a minimum of 67 points required in order to qualify for the program.
Another major update of the Federal Skilled Worker Program is in the way the points are assessed. With the new emphasis being on language and age, some people who qualified under the old Federal Skilled Worker Program may not qualify for the new program.
Research has shown that individuals adapt better in Canada if they are proficient in at least one of the country’s two official languages – English and French. As such, more points are now being awarded for language (the same is true for age as younger people have shown better adaptability as well as having more years to be in the workforce). In order to qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you must be able to prove your proficiency in one of the two languages. To do this, you must take and pass one of the following language tests:
- Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- Test d’évaluation de français (TEF)
Each test will assess your language skills in reading, listening, speaking, and writing. You must obtain the required score for one of these tests in order to apply for immigration through the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
In addition to language skills, your education will be assessed using the new Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). If you wish to apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program using educational credentials from an institution outside of Canada, you will be required to get an ECA. This process will assess that the foreign education you have is equivalent to the required education in Canada for your field of work. For example; if you are an engineer with an engineering degree from a foreign institution, your foreign engineering degree would have to be equivalent to the Canadian engineering degree in order for you to work as an engineer in Canada. In some countries, less education may be required for certain occupations. Therefore, you may be ineligible based on your education if you do not meet the minimum requirement for your occupation in Canada. Confused? You don’t have to be. Contact our office to speak to a qualified immigration consultant who can help you to understand the new system and determine whether you qualify to apply for the new Federal Skilled Worker Program.
For those applicants who are eager to get started, you may get a jump-start on your Federal Skilled Worker application by starting the process of getting an ECA now, as long as you meet all of the other requirements of the Federal Skilled Worker Program. CIC has designated organizations which can provide ECA reports for immigration purposes. If you would like to get started on this process and/or just get an idea of how your foreign credentials will be recognized in Canada, contact us today to get started. Our immigration consultants can assist you in obtaining an ECA and preparing your file early so that your application is ready to submit when the program opens. It is important to note that application forms for the Federal Skilled Worker Program will be updated upon the opening of the program so having an immigration consultant working on your case will prevent you from submitting outdated or incorrect forms.
Applicants for the Federal Skilled Worker Program should also note the cap of 5,000 applications – including a maximum of 300 applications for each of the 24 eligible occupations. With this cap in place, you do not want to risk having your application returned over a small clerical error as you may not have another chance to submit your application. With the CIC cracking down on even the tiniest of errors (not to mention large errors or missing information), it is always a good idea to have more than one pair of eyes reviewing your application. More than just another pair of eyes, our immigration consultants have a trained eye for even the most minute details. We have years of experience in dealing with these types of applications and the constant changes of the immigration system. With an immigration consultant by your side, you can rest assured that your application will be completed accurately and efficiently so that your time and money do not go to waste on a returned or refused application.
Don’t miss this opportunity to obtain your permanent residence in Canada. Applications are already being submitted and the doors may close on you if you do not act quickly. Contact us to get started right away and be ready when the new Federal Skilled Worker Program opens.
Dec 11, 2012 | Immigrate to Canada, Immigration, In the News, New Immigration Programs, Skilled Workers, Working In Canada
In an ongoing effort to improve Canada’s economic health and fill gaps in skilled trades, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has developed a new program for foreign workers wishing to immigrate and work in Canada. The Federal Skilled Trades Program, which will be launched at the start of the new year, will “help address serious labour shortages in some regions of the country, and support economic growth,” according to Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. This new Federal Skilled Trades Program is designed to replace the outdated Federal Skilled Worker Program and make it easier for skilled workers to immigrate to Canada. Minister Kenney has added that “The Federal Skilled Trades Program will help transform Canada’s immigration system into a fast and flexible system focused on jobs, growth and long-term prosperity.”
While the specifics of the Federal Skilled Trades Program have not yet been released, we do know that there will be minimum requirements that one must meet in order to be eligible for immigration to Canada under this new program. Applicants for the Federal Skilled Trades Program must show that they have the skills and experience required to be successful in Canada.
You may be eligible to apply for the Federal Skilled Trades Program if you meet the following four requirements:
- You must have a job offer from a Canadian employer or a certificate of qualification from a province or territory which attests to the fact that you are qualified and available to work upon entry to Canada;
- You must meet the basic language requirements for Canada immigration;
- You must have a minimum of two years of work experience in your trade; and
- You must have the necessary skills and experience as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC B) system.
Applicants for the Federal Skilled Trades Program must be skilled in a trade which is in high demand and for which Canadian employers are unable to find Canadians to fill the gaps. Some of the occupations which will be included in the Federal Skilled Trades Program include electricians, welders, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, pipefitters, and others. More specific details regarding the Federal Skilled Trades Program – including a list of occupations that qualify for the program – will be made available at the launch of the program on January 2nd, 2013. We recommend that you contact our office after January 2nd to speak to an immigration consultant and get more information about the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Our consultants can assess your situation and tell you whether you qualify for this or any other Canada immigration program.
As always, we wish to hear from our readers about this new plan. Do you think the Federal Skilled Trades Program will benefit Canada’s economy? Are you a skilled tradesperson who is interested in immigration to Canada and would like to know if you qualify? We urge you to share your opinions on this new program and to share this news with your friends and family on Facebook, twitter, or any other social network. Comments posted on our blog are monitored closely but if you have specific questions, we recommend that you contact us directly or take our free assessment (after January 2nd) to see if you meet the eligibility requirements for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. We look forward to hearing from you!
