The Minister’s “White Paper” proposes the general direction for the revision of Canada’s immigration legislation, following the consultative reviews of the Legislative Review Advisory Group report. This white paper is intended as the prelude to further review, and subsequent draft legislation. A summary of the White Paper follows: 1. OBJECTIVES OF THE WHITE PAPER The […]

The post Summary: White Paper on Immigration Revision first appeared on CIC News.

Q. My fiancé and I have an interview arranged in London, UK in March. I am the principal applicant and my fiancé is a dependent on my application. My question is, when should we marry? Is it best to marry before the interview or medical or does it not have any bearing on the interview […]

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Q.In viewing your web pages pertaining to Canada’s Skilled Worker Program, I see that many basic science categories (microbiologist, mathematician, etc.) have occupational ratings of only 1, while only computer programmers and some clinical professions rate a 10. Do you think these numbers are a reasonable (if crude) guide to employment opportunities in these professions […]

The post Q & A: Occupational Demand Comparison first appeared on CIC News.

Q. I have been a PR for 2 years and 2 months. But I am going to work in US via H1-B Visa next March after university. I would very much like to retain my landed immigrant status. So, I plan to return to Canada after working for 1 year or so in US. How […]

The post Q & A: Retaining Canadian Status first appeared on CIC News.

OTTAWA, January 6, 1999 — The new directions for immigration and refugee protection legislation acknowledge that immigration has given Canada great strength by attracting diversely talented individuals. At the same time, the current selection system for independent immigrant applicants needs to be updated and modernized to better enable these individuals to contribute to Canada’s social […]

The post MODERNIZING THE SELECTION SYSTEM FOR SKILLED WORKERS AND BUSINESS IMMIGRANTS first appeared on CIC News.

OTTAWA, January 6, 1999 — The new directions for immigration and refugee protection legislation reaffirm Canada’s commitment to protecting the health and safety of Canadians. “The vast majority of immigrants to Canada are law-abiding individuals who contribute a great deal to the social and economic fabric of this country,” Minister Robillard emphasized. “The government remains […]

The post Maintaining the Safety of Canadian Society first appeared on CIC News.

Following an inquiry at a CBAO meeting with the Immigration Department, the issue of possible discretion on the assessment of applicants marginally below the LICO was addressed. The response, from the manager of the Departmental Delivery Network to the question of the decision in a hypothetical case of an applicant fall short by $5, was […]

The post No Discretion on Low Income Cutoff first appeared on CIC News.

Q. My sister had renal transplant in UK. I sponsored my mum & sister. There’s just the 3 of us. After months of chasing, CHC London says that my sister is no longer a dependant of my mum as she is capable of doing certain things. She works at friends & families just to keep […]

The post Q & A: Inadmissibility as a Dependent first appeared on CIC News.

Q.Is it possible to be refused on the grounds that your intended occupation’s is only one point? Answer: An immigration official is not at liberty to interpret the occupational demand for an occupation on the General Occupations List. Negative discretion may be invoked if it is believed that the candidate is not likely to succeed […]

The post Q & A: Occupational Demand first appeared on CIC News.

Q. My wife graduated with a Bachelor in 1988 from China Textile University which is a top textile university in China and is reputed in the textile industry in the world. Although her education was positively assessed by the CCPE, the visa office refused her application, saying that she is not qualified as an Engineer. […]

The post Q & A: CCPE Assessment first appeared on CIC News.

Q. What is the difference between a background check and a police clearance certificate? There appears to be some uncertainty or overlap in the use of these terms on both this discussion group and in the official immigration literature. I recently submitted my independent PR application from England via London, and I enclosed my original […]

The post Q & A: Police vs. Background Clearance first appeared on CIC News.

OTTAWA, December 29, 1998 — Lucienne Robillard, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Pierre S. Pettigrew, Minister of Human Resources Development, and John Manley, Minister of Industry, today announced that the federal government will continue to expedite the processing of software development workers for admission to Canada. Until Canada’s comprehensive redesign of the Temporary Foreign Worker […]

The post Pilot Project for Software Professionals Extended first appeared on CIC News.

OTTAWA, December 11, 1998 — The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and M.P. for Westmount-Ville-Marie, Lucienne Robillard, today announced the pre-publication of new regulations for the redesigned Immigrant Investor Program, expected to take effect on April 1, 1999. In accordance with these new regulations, the federal government will act as an agent on behalf of […]

The post Immigrant Investor Program Redesign first appeared on CIC News.

OTTAWA, December 7, 1998 — The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and M.P. for Westmount-Ville-Marie, Lucienne Robillard, today tabled a new citizenship act. The Citizenship of Canada Act constitutes the first major reform with respect to citizenship in more than twenty years. “The time had come to modernize the Act, in order that it might […]

The post Citizenship Act Revised first appeared on CIC News.

Q. Has anybody (i.e., any landed immigrant) received RRP for receiving a paid practical training in the US ? I want to know what to do in order to receive RRP while working to gain some paid vocational training (while on PT), and gain some experience in the US. Answer: Recently, the immigration Department has […]

The post Q & A: Returning Resident Permit first appeared on CIC News.

Q. Does a certificate i.e.: MSCE certificate hold the same “value” or weight as a degree from a university? Answer: For the purpose of the immigration procedure, no, it does not. As the MCSE does not have a specific time frame in which the studies are undergone, it is often the case that this certification, […]

The post Q & A: Evaluation of MCSE certification first appeared on CIC News.

Q. My cousin applied for Canadian PR couple of years ago and got refused due to lack of work experience. Now he has experience and he is thinking about applying again. Can he just send an application with proper fee since Buffalo already has everything from him (his old file). or he needs to send […]

The post Q & A: Prior Refusal first appeared on CIC News.

Q. I have sent my application forms to Singapore a year ago. I would like to transfer my application to Buffalo. I will go to Buffalo for the interview if need be. How long will the transfer take? The processing time at Buffalo is shorter, about 4-6 months, according to what I read in this […]

The post Q & A: Offshore processing in Buffalo first appeared on CIC News.

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and M.P. for Westmount-Ville Marie, Lucienne Robillard, today tabled in the House of Commons the 1999 Immigration Plan, in which she sets out the immigration levels forecast for the coming year and the anticipated results for the current year. Canada is expected to receive between 180,000 and 200,000 immigrants […]

The post Immigration Levels: Canada Maintains Same Objective for 1999 first appeared on CIC News.

The visa operations of the Canadian Embassy in Belgrade have been disrupted because of the crisis over Kosovo. We hope the situation improves so that we can get back to normal soon but, for now, our ability to provide service is somewhat restricted. VISITOR VISAS: We resumed Visitor Visa service in Belgrade on October 1 […]

The post Disruption in Processing at Belgrade first appeared on CIC News.

Q. I know that some of the occupations listed in the National Occupational Classification have multiple jobs combined. To be successful in obtaining PR do you have to performed all the duties mentioned here or one/two of the duties mentioned above? Answer: The Career Handbook, which accompanies the NOC, segregates those occupations which contain multiple […]

The post Q & A: NOC designations first appeared on CIC News.

Q. I would like to know if CCPE are the only Engineering Society able to give an informal assessment of qualifications in Canada. I am a Civil Engineer and I have recently been accepted as an associate member of the CSCE (civil engineering) and I was wondering if CSCE have the authorization to do this […]

The post Q & A: Engineering Assessment first appeared on CIC News.

Q. Can an individual get a Canadian GC and continue work in US and also apply for US Permanent residency? if so by what time has one to decide which one he or she should stick with ? Answer: There is no bar to applying for permanent resident status in either Canada or the USA […]

The post Q & A: PR in Canada and USA first appeared on CIC News.

In June of 1998, the province of Manitoba signed the Provincial Nominee Agreement, allowing for the selection and nomination of prospective immigrants. A separate selection criteria was created for evaluation of such applicants. Applicants exceeding the minimum requisite 55 points are eligible for nomination. The application for nomination is submitted within Canada, to the Immigration […]

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Our first newsletter was circulated over one year ago (in May/June of 1 997). Our original desire to produce newsletters on a quarterly basis fell victim to significant increases in the workload here in Damascus. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this edition of the newsletter will, in part, be to inform you as to the impact […]

The post Damascus Newsletter first appeared on CIC News.