The following is a summary of the Environmental Overview of the immigration functions at the Canadian High Commission in Accra (the “Environmental Overview”). The Environmental Overview was prepared as part of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada 2013-2014 planning exercise, and is current as of January 2013. Environment The Canadian High Commission in Accra (“CIC Accra”) provides visa services to residents of Ascension, Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Conakry, Liberia, Nigeria (permanent residents only), Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, St. Helena, Togo, and Tristan da Cunha. Contrary to popular misconception, CIC Accra has no role in managing the Lagos Visa Office. Notwithstanding that, since the fall of 2012, an officer from CIC Accra has assisted the Lagos Visa Office in processing temporary resident applications on two occasions for a total period of four weeks. Upon return from one visit, the officer brought approximately 200 Temporary Resident Visa files from the Lagos Visa Office to CIC Accra. Original passports were left in the Lagos Visa Office and visas were remotely printed there. Quality Assurance The last half of 2012 witnessed several changes to the Immigration Program at CIC Accra. All permanent resident visas are issued by the Immigration Program Manager to ensure procedures … Read More
2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan
On November 1, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) published its Supplementary Information for the 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan (the “Immigration Levels Plan”). Under the Immigration Levels Plan, the target for new permanent residents to Canada for 2024 is 485,000. This number will increase to 500,000 in 2025. The permanent resident target will then stay the same in 2026. The Immigration Levels Plan contains a detailed breakdown of planned admissions in several categories. What is somewhat remarkable is that not only will the overall admissions from 2025-2026 remain the same, but the planned admissions in each category will as well. The Canadian government reportedly decided to freeze admission targets because of increasingly negative public sentiment towards immigration during the on-going cost of living crisis, which was starting to be reflected in political polls. While the political rationale for freezing immigration levels may be understandable, it unfortunately will likely mean difficulties for many temporary residents inside Canada who wish to become permanent residents, as well as application backlogs. Difficulties for Temporary Residents inside Canada to Obtain Permanent Residence In 2023 IRCC introduced category-based draws to Express Entry, in which individuals with certain language or occupational backgrounds would be invited to … Read More
Family Reference Letters
Many applicants for various types of applications will request that family letters provide reference letters. The Federal Court has repeatedly held that visa officers should not discount reference letters from family and friends. For example, in n Magonza v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2019 FC 14, Justice Grammond wrote: [44] Immigration decision‑makers have on a number of occasions discounted evidence provided by members of the family of an applicant, for the sole reason that these persons, having an interest in the well‑being of the applicant, would have a propensity to make false statements. This Court has repeatedly held that this is unreasonable. In doing so, the Court has shown its awareness of the challenges of obtaining evidence of persecution. In the vast majority of cases, the family and friends of the applicant are the main, if not the only first‑hand witnesses of past incidents of persecution. If their evidence is presumed to be unreliable from the outset, many real cases of persecution will be hard, if not impossible to prove. Thus, while decision‑makers are allowed to take self‑interest into account when assessing such statements, this Court has often held that it is a reviewable error to dismiss entirely such evidence … Read More
IRCC Increasing Processing Fees
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is increasing processing fees. Starting in 2020-21, permanent resident processing fees for Economic class applicants increase as follows: Fees for principal applicants of the Economic business class (including self-employed, start-up visa, Quebec investor, Quebec entrepreneur, and Quebec self-employed) will increase from $1,050 to $1,575 (an increase of 50%). Fees for principal applicants of the Economic non-business class will go from $550 to $825 (an increase of 50%). Note: this increase will not apply to fees for principal applicants and their families in the Caregivers programs, which will remain unchanged. Fees for spouses or common-law partners of all Economic classes will go from $550 to $825 (an increase of 50%). Fees for dependent children of all Economic classes will go from $150 to $225 (an increase of 50%). The right of permanent resident fee will increase from $490 to $500 (an increase of 2%). Starting in 2022-2023, on the day of the two-year anniversary of the coming into force of these Regulations and every two years thereafter, selected permanent resident processing fees will be increased every two years by the applicable Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase, rounded to the nearest $5. The approximation assumption being that … Read More
Immigrating to Canada from Iran
The following are approval statistics for numerous immigration programs for Iranian nationals. Country Conditions The following PDF contains internal IRCC training materials on country conditions in Iran, including how to read bank statements.
Responsibility for Missed E-mail Communication
Who bears the risks when e-mail notices are sent by a visa officer but are not received by the applicant’s agent?
Regional Management Plan – Port of Spain
The following is a summary of the International Region Integrated Management Plan of the immigration functions at the Canadian Embassy in Port of Spain (the “Environmental Overview”). The Environmental Overview was prepared as part of the Citizenship and Immigration Canada 2014-2015 planning exercise, and is current as of January 2013. Environment The Canadian visa office in Port of Spain (“CIC Port of Spain”) provides visa services to residents of Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, French Guyana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, MarieGalante, Martinique, Montserrat, Saba, Saint Barthelemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint Martin, St. Maarten, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago. Area travel can be problematic between countries in the Caribbean as there are few direct links and some of the airlines are notoriously unreliable. Often travellers are required to transit through Miami or Panama. … Along with the pooling of PA resources, PR unit also pooled files so that all files are placed in the file location and whichever PA or officer gets it, must process it. For example, one officer may conduct the initial review of a file and then queue for interview, however, another officer may do the interview. This has created an equitable … Read More
Removal Orders in Absentia
The Federal Court of Appeal in Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) v. Mudalige Don has answered the following certified question: Does the Minister’s issuance of an exclusion order pursuant to subparagraph 228(1)(c)(v) of the [Regulations] before the member of a crew subject to the exclusion order has any contact with the immigration authorities constitute a breach of procedural fairness because it deprives the foreign national of the opportunity to make a refugee claim? Background and Facts Crew members may enter Canada without temporary resident visas, work permits, or even passports. They do not need to report individually at ports of entry. Their status as crew members enables them to disembark and circulate freely so long as they remain crew members and leave on the ship on which they came. However, pursuant to s. 184(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (“IRPR”), a foreign national who enters Canada as a member of a crew must leave Canada within 72 hours of ceasing to be a member of a crew. The refugee claimant in Mudalige Don was a Sri Lankan crew member aboard the foreign registered vessel M/V Lake Ontario. On November 27, 2011, the ship docked in Oshawa. On December 2, 2011, the ship’s agent filed … Read More
Question & Answer – Unauthorized Study and CEC (IR-13)
The following is an e-mail exchange between an immigration representative and Citizenship and Immigration Canada regarding expungements. The Federal Skilled Worker Program allows certain individuals employed in Canada without a Labour Market Opinion to qualify for Arranged Employment. As with any program, questions emerged regarding specific requirements, including whether intra-company transferees qualify for Arranged Employment without a Labour Market Opinion. Please note that what I have reproduced below should not be viewed as legal advice. The reproduction of question and answer has not occurred with the affiliation of the Government of Canada, nor with the endorsement of the Government of Canada. Question – May 15, 2013 Dear CIC, I would be grateful if you would kindly answer the following question about the Canadian Experience Category (“CEC”): My question relates toR. 87.1(3)(c) and in particular the wording near the end of this subsection which reads “and any period of full-time study or training”. That wording appears to be a “carry over” from the previous iteration of the CEC category, when there was a “graduates” stream and a “foreign worker” stream. Now that the concept of qualifying education in Canada is no longer part ofthe CEC category, the existence of this wording inR. 87.1(3)(c) is confusing. … Read More
Substituted Evaluations for Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trade Applicants
There is a myth amongst potential Federal Skilled Worker Program applicants that their application is guaranteed if they can get 67 points. This is not true for several reasons, including the possible use of substituted evaluations.