The Citizenship and Immigration department is bracing for a flood of multi-million dollar lawsuits after a panel of judges upheld a controversial ruling that said federal bureaucrats misled Parliament about severe backlogs in the immigration system. The decision, handed down on Thursday by the Federal Court of Appeal, alters the fate of more than 100,000 […]
The post Immigration Department’s Appeal Dismissed first appeared on CIC News.
Q. My application under skilled worker category is submitted in Buffalo in April 2002. Now I see that after June 28, there are new additional forms, and necessity of English language tests, new mark system of 75, etc. 1. Do I have to submit new application with new forms? 2. Is there any flexibility in […]
The post Q & A: Updating existing application first appeared on CIC News.
Q. My application was refused after the immigration official failed to award 5 points on the adaptability factor for a Canadian relative. What can be done? Answer: There are three available strategies. Without specific knowledge of the case, it is difficult to know which would be best: 1. advise the visa office of the errors […]
The post Q & A: Error in assessment? first appeared on CIC News.
Finance Minister Paul Martin, a strong leader in the bid for the next Prime Minister position, has suggested that Canada must do more to bring qualified immigrants to Canada, and to ensure that they are more easily able to obtain the necessary qualifications to practise their professions. Speculation is that this may hint at yet […]
The post News Briefs – Canadian Minister calls for more help for immigrants first appeared on CIC News.
Fraudulent immigration consultants — described as ”vultures” by Denis Coderre, the Immigration Minister — should face $50,000 fines and criminal convictions for failing to meet proposed conduct laws, an expert panel says. The panel’s report, to be released today, calls on Ottawa to regulate consultants, spelling out a code of conduct and minimum standards. The […]
The post Report on Immigration Consultants first appeared on CIC News.
Q. I intend to apply to immigrate to Canada via the Quebec application process, which has a different selection system. Once landed, am I limited to residing in Quebec only? Answer: In principle, if you choose the province of Quebec as a destination, you do have to have an intent to live and work in […]
The post Question & Answer: Quebec Intended Destination first appeared on CIC News.
Q. Is it possible to obtain to work permit while a permanent resident application is pending ? is HRDC approval required for all jobs? Answer: Yes, it is possible to apply for a temporary employment authorization while a permanent resident application is pending. Such an application would not have a negative bearing on the permanent […]
The post Question & Answer: Work Permit first appeared on CIC News.
Canada’s immigration department was dealt a serious blow late yesterday afternoon after a Federal Court judge slapped it with an injunction preventing it from rejecting the applications of skilled workers who applied before Jan. 1, 2002, to immigrate to Canada. The move affects an estimated 100,000 people caught in a backlog when Canada decided to […]
The post News Briefs – Injunction Granted Against Immigration Department first appeared on CIC News.
A court ruling has offered new hope to thousands of would-be New Zealanders anxious to put down roots in their new homeland. The High Court in Auckland today ruled against the retrospective application of immigration rules changes introduced on 19 November last year. These changes restricted the issuing of temporary “Job Search” visas for General […]
The post Retroactive Immigration Laws Dismissed by New Zealand Court first appeared on CIC News.
At the time of implementation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of June 28th 2002, a transitional period was specified in the legislation. This period was recommend by Canadian Parliament as a necessary measure to allow as much of the existing backlog as possible to be cleared out under the Regulations in effect at […]
The post March 31st 2003 first appeared on CIC News.
The country’s rapidly ageing population, coupled with a dearth of young workers, will cause a major shortage of potential employees and could mean immigrants will account for almost all of the labour force growth within a decade, Statistics Canada suggests. Census data for 2001, released yesterday, predicts potential worker shortfalls in a vast range of […]
The post Shortage of Skilled Labour Forecasted first appeared on CIC News.
The government will spend $41.4 million over the next two years to attract more skilled workers and foreign students to Canada and to help workers find jobs once they get here. And at a time when the vast majority of immigrants settle in Toronto, part of the money will be earmarked for efforts to attract […]
The post Investment intended to help skilled workers first appeared on CIC News.
Q. How can I know that my case is assessed by the visa officer before March 31,2003. I want to know if application is being assessed under the new law or old criteria? Answer: Your application will be processed under the old regulations up until March 31, 2003. If you have not received an interview […]
The post Q & A: Which Criteria? first appeared on CIC News.
Q. Following the completion of my selection interview, I have not received any new information. What are the possible reasons for delays? Answer: It can take several months for the immigration officer to make a review of the application after the selection Interview. Average times vary from each processing post and can depend on a […]
The post Q & A: Delays After Interview first appeared on CIC News.
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations implemented June 28th 2001 included legislation allowing Citizenship and Immigration Canada to restrict submission of immigration applications. Applicants would be required to submit the application only in a country in which they have resident status for a period for one year or more. Although these provisions were […]
The post Regulation 11 first appeared on CIC News.
Canadian ports of entry are directing Refugee applicants seeking admission from the United States back to the USA with an appointment to return for a hearing at a later date. This is being done to reduce waiting times at ports of entry, but is causing some such applicants to be forced to return to face […]
The post “Direct-back” first appeared on CIC News.
Recent reports suggest that US immigration authorities are conducting exit-control investigations at certain Canadian ports of entry. In accordance with current US policy, individuals found to be out of status in the United States during such checks may be subject to detainment.
The post US Exit Controls first appeared on CIC News.
Q. I have submitted a Federal application, but I will be studying in Quebec when I expect the case to be concluded. How ill this affect my case? Answer: As you may be aware, Quebec has its own criteria for selection of immigrants. In a case in which you are studying in Quebec at the […]
The post Q & A: Federal Application, but Studying in Quebec first appeared on CIC News.
Q. Could anybody tell me why Police Officers are on the list of eligible occupations when my husband has been told he will have to re-train from scratch in Canada. What is the point in meeting all the performed duties on the NOC if they don’t count when he applies to get in the Canadian […]
The post Q & A: Training Requirements first appeared on CIC News.
The federal and provincial governments should do more to help immigrants integrate into official language minority communities across the country, Official Languages Commissioner Dyane Adam said yesterday. Speaking to reporters as she tabled a new report by her office, Ms. Adam said it’s not enough to direct immigrants to provinces where they can bolster an […]
The post News Briefs – Language Integration Recommended first appeared on CIC News.
Recognizing the important role played by immigration in Canada’s economy, the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration has made numerous recommendations intended to facilitate the immigration process, and allow Canada to more effectively compete for the skilled professionals that it requires. In all, 53 recommendations have been made by the committee, addressing most relevant issues […]
The post Standing Committee Recommendations first appeared on CIC News.
Q. Can you also elaborate on the following: 1) A student does a 2 year full time MBA program from a University and is awarded a Masters in Management Studies. 2) Another Student does a 2 year Full time MBA program from another Autonomous Institute. This Institute SP Jain Institute of Management Studies, Bombay, India […]
The post Q & A: Education Score first appeared on CIC News.
Q. Visa offices now require that we provide the original passport in order for the necessary visa to be entered. If I do not do this in person, how long will it take to get the passport back? Answer: The service standards for the return of passports are as follows: Prepaid Courier: 5 days Regular […]
The post Q & A: Getting Passport Visa first appeared on CIC News.
October saw Canada’s first ever Federal-Provincial conference on immigration. The Immigration Minister met with politicians from the provinces to discuss solutions to labour shortages in Canada, especially in rural regions. Solutions are being sought to allow skilled workers to enter Canada in order to meet the needs of specific locations. This would appear to be […]
The post News Briefs – Meeting to Solve Labour Shortages first appeared on CIC News.
In 2003, CIC expects to bring to Canada between 220,000 and 245,000 newcomers as permanent residents. Of these, 60% (132,000-147,000) are expected to be selected in the economic class, 26% (59,000-64,500) in the family class, 13% (28,100-32,500) as protected persons and less than 1% in other categories (see table 6). The plan underlines CIC’s commitment […]
The post 2003 Immigration Plan first appeared on CIC News.