Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is currently approving a greater number of temporary work permit applications based on provincial assessments submitted through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The Provincial Nominees Program allows provincial governments the ability to effectively bypass Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s (HRSDC) labor market opinion in order to address regional employment […]

The post Facilitated approval for Temporary Work Visas through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) first appeared on CIC News.

The British Columbia (B.C.) Construction Association’s says that 50 per cent more workers in the industry are needed to fill the shortage. This represents an additional 60,000 people than are currently employed in the sector. We don’t have enough of the skilled trades necessary just to carry out the functional construction tasks,” says economics professor […]

The post Vancouver needs more skilled trade workers first appeared on CIC News.

Gulf residents applying for Canadian Permanent Residency in pre-defined categories will be processed through the Abu Dhabi Embassy, instead of the previous London (UK) Visa Office beginning on January 1, 2006. The affected countries are: * Bahrain * Kuwait * Oman * Qatar * United Arab Emirates * Saudi Arabia * Yemen Applications that will […]

The post New Processing procedures for Gulf residents first appeared on CIC News.

With the resignation of four board members in less than four months, The Canadian Bar Association expressing concern, and an independent auditor describing its expenses as “unusually high”, the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) is raising considerable doubt over its ability to self-govern. December 14 2004 – Francisco Rico, formerly a CSIC board member, […]

The post Doubts exist over CSIC’s competence first appeared on CIC News.

Q: I recently received my Canadian Permanent Resident Visa but I have not yet landed in Canada. I am planning to get married soon and would like to know if my future wife can accompany me to Canada? A: Once the permanent resident visa has been issued you cannot include your wife in your application. […]

The post Question & Answer first appeared on CIC News.

Immigration levels to increase by 35% over five years. Canada’s Immigration Minister Joe Volpe confirmed that he is preparing a proposal that will raise the current yearly immigration quota to over 300,000 within five years. Details of the proposal have yet to be released. The initiative would include recruiting more people to work outside of […]

The post Canada’s Immigration Minister Pushing for More Changes first appeared on CIC News.

Canada to fast-track existing family class immigration for individuals affected by the South Asian earthquake. “The government of Canada is committed to helping reunite close family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are seriously and personally affected by the earthquake,” announced Citizenship and Immigration Minister Joe Volpe. Priority is being given to spouses, […]

The post Canada Offers to Reunite Families first appeared on CIC News.

Minister Volpe wants to regularize illegal immigrants. Proposes changes to deal with “Out-of-Status” immigrants. Immigration Minister Joe Volpe has drafted a document to present to the cabinet, which tackles the thorny issue of “undocumented” settlement in Canada. Volpe has not released the details of his proposal, however he has stated that there are “several options” […]

The post Volpe Comments on the Thorny Issue of Illegal Immigration first appeared on CIC News.

Question: What is the difference between Permanent Residency and Citizenship? Answer: A Permanent resident of Canada remains a citizen of his/her country of origin, but is granted the qualified right to live and work in Canada permanently. Canadian Permanent Residents have most of the rights of Canadian citizens. Notable exceptions are the right to vote […]

The post Question & Answer first appeared on CIC News.

Michaëlle Jean immigrated to Canada from Port-au-Prince in 1968 and studied at the University of Montreal as well as Universities in Italy before beginning her career as a Quebec television journalist in 1988. While Jean tended to her pursuit of higher education she assisted hundreds of women and children in crisis, and passionately donated her […]

The post Haitian-Born Immigrant Michaëlle Jean is Canada’s 27th Governor-general first appeared on CIC News.

Almost 400 years since Nova Scotia’s founding fathers embarked on their journey across the Atlantic, John Russell, originally from Clackmannanshire Scotland, is leading a new wave of Scots to the second smallest province in Canada. John and his wife moved to the Atlantic coastal province in August 2004 after spending a picture-postcard holiday there. Inspired […]

The post Nova Scotia’s Bid to Encourage Scottish Immigration. first appeared on CIC News.

On the days leading up to Monday August 29 Hurricane Katrina had set her vengeful eye on America’s Gulf Coast and as she clawed her way inland the people aligned in her path were anticipating the very worst, and rightfully so. Thousands of people eventually made it out with only precious hours to spare before […]

The post Helping the Victims of Hurricane Katrina. first appeared on CIC News.

Question: What does ‘AOR’ mean? Answer: AOR is an acronym that stands for the term “Acknowledgment Of Receipt”. An AOR indicates that the Canadian consulate, embassy, or high commission, has received your application for permanent residency and has issued a case file number for the application submitted. The length of time it takes for an […]

The post Question & Answer first appeared on CIC News.

We at Campbell Cohen wish to welcome you to the New CICNewsletter! We have been burning the midnight oil here at our offices in an effort to revamp CICNews.com. We’ll be overhauling the website over the course of the next few months in order to bring to our audience a fresh, more comprehensive view of […]

The post The New and Improved CICNewsletter! first appeared on CIC News.

If you are a qualified professional or tradesperson, you may be wondering about how you will continue to work in your occupation after you arrive in Canada. Occupations in Canada can be divided into two general groups: regulated and un-regulated. Although approximately 80% of jobs in Canada are unregulated, there are many cases where restrictions […]

The post Your Profession – In Canada first appeared on CIC News.

Meyer Burnstein a 20 year veteran of Canadian immigration policies has drafted a high-level CIC document that Lexbase believes will be the “road map of operational changes to come”. The document introduces provincial opportunities for increased federal support regarding the entrance of “low-skilled” labour, and facilitates work permits to foreign workers who are destined to […]

The post The Future of Canadian immigration first appeared on CIC News.

Nigeria currently faces a devastating food crisis. Drought and an invasion of desert locusts have caused substancial shortages in both crops and grazing land, causing a 225,000-tonne grain deficiency in the 2004–2005 harvest that threatens close to 3,000 villages, and affects some 3.5 million people in the region. Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency […]

The post Food crisis in Nigeria first appeared on CIC News.

Question: The skilled worker application asks what city the applicant plans to settle in. If the applicant is subsequently selected, is he/she obliged to settle initially in that city? Answer: Once you enter Canada as a Permanent Resident, you will be able to live anywhere you wish inside of Canada’s borders regardless of the initial […]

The post Question & Answer first appeared on CIC News.

For Canadians, the beginning of July is marked by our national holiday: Canada Day. Across the country people spend July 1st relaxing, celebrating, and being with family and friends. Some 1500 permanent residents, who had made Canada their home over the past few years, proudly joined in the celebration with ceremonies of their own. Citizenship […]

The post Celebrating Citizenship on Canada Day first appeared on CIC News.

Manitoba is one of Canada’s central provinces, with a high standard of living and pride in its cultural diversity. Less known to new immigrants than British Columbia and Ontario, Manitoba has taken a pro-active approach to attracting Skilled Worker immigrants with its Provincial Nominee Program. In the past Manitoba has targeted skilled persons in particular […]

The post Provincial Nominees: Manitoba’s Most Wanted first appeared on CIC News.

Improving languages skills is not only a way that Skilled Workers can earn more points in their permanent residency application; it is an important way to increase your employability and to integrating into your new community in Canada. New Permanent Residents will find that the Government of Canada and provincial governments support a variety of […]

The post Strong Language for a Strong Start in Canada first appeared on CIC News.

Question: I am in Canada visiting family. Now that I’m here, I would like to stay and work. My Aunt can get me a job at her office. Do I need a work visa first? Answer: Before you can begin working at any job in Canada, you need to determine if you require a work […]

The post Question & Answer first appeared on CIC News.

The Government of Canada and the province of Saskatchewan announced on June 1, 2005 that the original Canada-Saskatchewan Immigration Agreement of 1998 has been replaced. The agreement sets out the role of Saskatchewan regarding foreign students, workers, and other immigrants to the province. It is hoped that immigration, generally the responsibility of Citizenship and Immigration […]

The post New immigration deal for Canada and Saskatchewan first appeared on CIC News.

In response to the December, 2004 Tsunami near Indonesia, Citizenship and Immigration Canada enacted temporary measures to speed-up reunification of sponsored immigrants with their families in Canada.   CIC staff waived fees and granted priority processing to affected applicants. As of June 7, 2005, CIC’s humanitarian efforts had resulted in 366 permanent resident visas being […]

The post Update – Canada’s Tsunami Disaster Response first appeared on CIC News.

Before May 5, 2005 individuals who lost or renounced their Canadian citizenship as minors were unable to resume this citizenship without fulfilling several requirements, such as obtaining permanent residency, living in Canada for at least a year, and taking citizenship tests. Now, those who lost citizenship while under the age of eighteen and between 1947 […]

The post Regaining Canadian Citizenship first appeared on CIC News.