Every month, Attorney David Cohen will answer a few general Canadian immigration questions submitted by our readers. Here are this month’s questions and answers: How long must I stay in the province I choose to “land” in as a Permanent Resident before I am free to move? As a general rule, Canadian citizens and permanent […]

The post Canadian Immigration Questions and Answers with Attorney David Cohen first appeared on CIC News.

The following is a summary of developments concerning Canadian Citizenship and Immigration that took place or were announced over the last two weeks. •Canadian Employers Look to Hire in Portugal   Canadian employers are hoping to hire approximately 400 Portuguese construction workers, according to details divulged by Albano Ribeiro, spokesperson for the Construction Union in Portugal.  >>Read more… […]

The post Canadian Immigration News Briefs for July 2012 first appeared on CIC News.

Back in 2004, it took Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) 4.5 years, on average, to process an application for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) category. By 2008, there were more than 600,000 FSW applicants and their dependents in the system awaiting a decision. >>Click here to read the full blog post…

The post David’s Blog: What Backlog? first appeared on CIC News.

Many Canadian immigration programs remain open, despite the Canadian government’s announcement that it will be taking a ‘temporary pause’ in accepting Federal Skilled Worker applications. In this article, CIC News will briefly explore current open programs, as well as the future of the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Individuals were disheartened to hear that the Federal […]

The post Canada Still Open For Immigration first appeared on CIC News.

The following is a summary of developments concerning Canadian Citizenship and Immigration that took place or were announced over the last two weeks. • Toronto is One of the World’s Most Liveable Cities The city of Toronto has been ranked the world’s 8th most liveable city for 2012. This is according to a study released […]

The post Canadian Immigration News Briefs for Mid-July 2012 first appeared on CIC News.

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced yesterday a temporary freeze on accepting new applications to the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Immigrant Investor programs. This “temporary pause”, as Minister Kenney described it, will be effective starting July 1, 2012. Mr. Kenney explained that by not accepting new applications, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will […]

The post Government Announces “Temporary Pause” for Federal Skilled Worker and Investor Programs first appeared on CIC News.

A group of lawyers have successfully negotiated a 90-day halt on a government plan to return some 280,000 Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications and $130 million in associated processing fees. >>Read full article on Canadavisa.com

The post Lawyers Successfully Delay Backlog Reduction first appeared on CIC News.

Canadavisa, the publisher of CIC News, is proud to announce the launch of its new interactive Facebook page dedicated to all things related to Canadian immigration and settlement. It has been created to address the needs of prospective and current immigrants, as well as those already in Canada who are looking to learn more and […]

The post Special Announcement: Canadavisa Announces its New Facebook Page! first appeared on CIC News.

Every month, Attorney David Cohen will answer a few general Canadian immigration questions submitted by our readers. Here are this month’s questions and answers: My husband submitted an application to the Federal Skilled Worker program in 2009. He submitted his medical forms in May 2012, as this was the deadline for submission. However, we were […]

The post Canadian Immigration Questions and Answers with Attorney David Cohen first appeared on CIC News.

The following is a summary of developments concerning Canadian Citizenship and Immigration that took place or were announced over the last two weeks. •  Breaking: Temporary Moratorium on Some New Immigration Applications Effective July 1, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada will temporarily cease accepting new applications to the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Immigrant Investor programs. […]

The post Canadian Immigration News Briefs for June 2012 first appeared on CIC News.

This Canada Day, as we celebrate our good fortune, we should all take a moment to give thanks to Mohammad Asif. This 35-year old Afghan risked his life by working for our troops in Kandahar for three years. In recognition of his good service, Mohammad and his family were resettled in Canada as government – […]

The post David’s Blog: We Stand on Guard for Thee first appeared on CIC News.

Nova Scotia, part of the Maritime provinces, was the first province to be settled by European colonists. Since then, it has remained a vibrant and diverse center for immigration from all parts of the world. >>Read full article on Canadavisa.com

The post The Nova Scotia Nominee Program: Good Things Come in Small Packages first appeared on CIC News.

The following is a summary of developments concerning Canadian Citizenship and Immigration that took place or were announced over the last two weeks. • Canada Ranked World’s 4th Most Peaceful Country Canada is one of the most peaceful countries in the world, according to the annual Global Peace Index (GPI).  >>Read more… • Trade Unions and […]

The post Canadian Immigration News Briefs for Mid-June 2012 first appeared on CIC News.

Many foreign post-secondary students in Canada would like to continue living and working in the country after they complete their studies. Luckily for them, there are a number of ways to transform a student visa into Permanent Resident (PR) status. With a little motivation and advance planning, they will be able to identify and take […]

The post Transitioning from a Student Visa to Permanent Residency – What You Need to Know first appeared on CIC News.

The Government of Canada has announced a large restructuring of its processing network in North America. Individuals who plan to submit an application in North America, or who have an application already in process, should be aware of these changes as they may affect processing location. Closure of the Buffalo Visa Office The Buffalo, New […]

The post Canadian Government Restructures North American Visa Offices first appeared on CIC News.

The Province of Quebec has long been renowned for its unique culture, which blends elements of North American and European language and society in a way that is found nowhere else in the world. Far from being simply ‘the French part’ of Canada, Quebec today is a vibrant province that continues to attract newcomers from […]

The post Global Quebec: Why “La Belle Province” Continues to Shine as an Immigration Destination first appeared on CIC News.

Canadavisa, the publisher of CIC News, is debuting its new Immigration iPhone Application! iPhone users – click here to download the application. The Canadavisa Immigration iPhone App puts the world of Canadian immigration at your fingertips. One application will allow you to: Assess yourself and others for Canadian immigration Receive breaking news, CIC News, and […]

The post Special Announcement: CIC News Announces the CanadaVisa iPhone App first appeared on CIC News.

Every month, Attorney David Cohen will answer a few general Canadian immigration questions submitted by our readers. Here are this month’s questions and answers: I want to apply to the Quebec Skilled Worker program. I went to high school in French and university in English, and as such I speak both languages fluently. Do I […]

The post Canadian Immigration Questions and Answers with Attorney David Cohen first appeared on CIC News.

The following is a summary of developments concerning Canadian Citizenship and Immigration that took place or were announced over the last two weeks. • Government Closes Buffalo Visa Office The current Canadian administration, as part of its ongoing efforts to transform the Canadian immigration system, is closing its Buffalo, New York visa office. >>Read more… […]

The post Canadian Immigration News Briefs for May 2012 first appeared on CIC News.

The intention of this blog is to add my voice to the large chorus of critics of Bill C-38, otherwise known as the omnibus budget bill, now before Parliament. The legislation in question is a 425-page document that contains all sorts of non-budgetary measures including significant changes to the Old Age Security system, Employment Insurance […]

The post David’s Blog: Abuse of Power first appeared on CIC News.

British Columbia (BC), situated in the westernmost part of Canada, is a province renowned for its cosmopolitan population and great natural beauty. Almost half of its 4.5 million residents live in and around the metropolitan areas of Vancouver and the capital city of Victoria. However, the province is also experiencing growth in the countryside as […]

The post The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program: Gateway to the West first appeared on CIC News.

The following is a summary of developments concerning Canadian Citizenship and Immigration that took place or were announced over the last two weeks. • New Permanent Residence Card Direct Mail-Out Pilot Program Beginning 20 April 2012, most Permanent Residents who require Permanent Resident (PR) cards will no longer have to pick up these cards at […]

The post Canadian Immigration News Briefs for Mid-May 2012 first appeared on CIC News.

Recent months have seen profound changes to Canadian immigration programs. For those who follow these changes, or whose applications may be affected by them, keeping track of when and how decisions are made and implemented is of the utmost importance. For this reason, CIC News has created a comprehensive list of the large-scale changes that […]

The post A Summary of Recent Changes to Canadian Immigration first appeared on CIC News.

Speaking in Calgary on 10 April 2012, Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced plans to create a new category of immigration under the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program. The category, which is to be called the FSW Skilled Trades program, has been crafted as a way to streamline the immigration process for tradespersons […]

The post New Skilled Trades Program Announced for Federal Skilled Workers first appeared on CIC News.

Any person with a criminal conviction may be considered inadmissible to Canada on the grounds of security. In most cases, when 5 years have passed from completion of the sentence, a foreign national is eligible to apply to Canadian immigration authorities for rehabilitation. Everyone else must apply for and receive a Temporary Residence Permit in […]

The post Canada Eases Entry Rules for Visitors with Minor Convictions first appeared on CIC News.