The Citizenship and Immigration Canada office closures continue. Effective July 1, 2012, the Temporary Foreign Worker Units (TFWUs) in Vancouver, Calgary, and Moncton will close. Only the TFWUs in Toronto and Montreal will remain open. The Toronto TFWU will be responsible for providing services to employers in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. The Montreal TFWU will be responsible for providing services to employers in Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador. The TFWUs in Vancouver and Calgary will accept opinion requests and respond to Labour market Opinion and/or Work Permit exemption related enquiries until June 15, 2012. These offices will then focus on finalizing work already in process.
LMO Exemption for Some Quebec CSQ Holders and Francophones
On June 1, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC”) introduced two new Labour Market Opinion (“LMO”) exemptions. The first is for some Certificat de sélection du Québec (“CSQ”) holders. The second is for certain francophones intending to work outside of Quebec. As well, on June 11, 2012, CIC updated its re-configuring of the U.S.processing network. LMO Exemption for Some CSQ Holders Effective June 1, 2012, temporary foreign workers residing in Quebec who hold a skilled CSQ and who are waiting for a decision in regards to their applications for permanent residency will be able to renew their work permits without having to obtain LMOs. Such applicants must either be: seeking to extend their work permit for their current employer; or seeking to renew their current work authorization with a new employer in theprovinceofQuebec; or be a foreign student who has obtained a post-graduation work permit and has a job offer in theprovinceofQuebec; or be a work permit holder through the International ExperienceCanadaprogram. The work permits will be valid for the duration of the job offer and cannot exceed two years. Only employer-specific work permits may be issued.
Restructuring of the North American Processing Network (Continued)
Restructuring of North American Processing Network (Continued) In a previous post, I wrote about how on May 29, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC”) restructured its North American Processing Network. The restructuring included the closure of immigration section of the Canadian consualte in Buffalo, as well as the realigninment of Work Permit and Study Permit functions of the Canadian consulates in New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Detroit, and Seattle. For information on those changes, I encourage you to read that post. On June 11, 2012, CIC released a further Operational Bulletin detailing additional changes to which consulates which process Temporary Resident Permit applications, Rehab applications, and Authorization to Return to Canada applications. . Re-Configuring the U.S. Network (TRPs, Rehab, and ARC) Effectively June 18, the Seattle, Detroit, and New York consulates will no longer be processing new TRP, Rehab, and ARC applications. Only the Los Angeles and Washington DC consulates will process new applications in these categories. Furthermore, applicants residing in the United States will not be able to choose which consulate to submit their application to. Applicants living in the United States east of the Mississippi River (including in Puerto Rico, Bermuda, and St. Pierre et Miqueldon) must apply to … Read More
Which Tests are Acceptable for Immigration?
My June article in Canadian Immigration Magazine titled “Learn the Language” has generated considerable feedback, not least of which has been the question “am I sure that xxxx language test isn’t accepted for immigration?” Right now, the four main programs which require language tests are the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, (soon) the Provincial Nominee Programs, and (soon) citizenship. For the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the designated language testing agencies are the IELTS, the CELPIP, and the TEF. For the Canadian Experience Class, the only test results that are accepted are the IELTS and the TEF. You can find this in third last question of the program’s FAQ here. For the PNP, the acceptable language tests will be the IELTS, CELPIP-General, and the TEF. The tests for citizenship have not yet been formally announced, however, the announcement that language testing will be required states that they will be the same as for the above programs. The follow-up question has generally been “who chooses which testing agencies are acceptable?” To be honest, I’m not sure. However, there are generally public consultations prior to language testing being introduced into a program, so if you want to have a certain … Read More
Regulatory Changes to Private Sponsorship of Refugees
On June 9, 2012, the Government of Canada published regulatory changes in the Gazette regarding the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program (“PRSP“). Under the PRSP, there are three types of sponsors. The first are Sponsorship Agreement Holders (“SAHs“). SAHs are local, regional, and national incorporated organizations that have signed multi-year agreements with Citizenship and Immigration Canada for the purpose of submitting sponsorship cases on a regular basis. The second are Groups of Five (“G5s“), which are five or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents who live in the applicant’s expected community of settlement who sponsor refugees. They account for 40% of the PRSP. The third are Community Sponsors (“CS“), which are organizations that have not signed formal agreements. As of 2012, the PRSP has brought over 200,000 refugees and persons in refugee-like situations to Canada. As the PRSP has grown, so too didthe backlog and the refusal rate. Some missions abroad currently have waiting lists exceeding five years. Excluding Iraq, the average G5 approval rate is only 37%. The proposed changes to the PRSP were meant to address this. The changes included requiring that the foreign national’s application for protection from abroad be submitted at the same time as the sponsor’s application. … Read More
Learn the Language
The following blog post appeared in the June 2012 edition of Canadian Immigrant Magazine. It is generally recognized that proficiency in either English or French is essential if newcomers to Canada wish to be economically successful here. While immigrants who cannot converse in one of Canada’s official languages may find some employers who are willing to hire them, their career mobility is limited relative to those who can. Indeed, numerous recent studies reveal that an immigrant’s language proficiency is perhaps the most important indicator of economic success. The Government of Canada has taken note of these studies, and has begun implanting language requirements for numerous immigration programs. The Canadian Language Benchmark The Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) is the national standard used in Canada for measuring the English language proficiency of adult immigrants and prospective immigrants. It covers four skill areas: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Individuals are ranked in these areas on a scale of 1-12. The Canadian government generally recognizes two tests for measuring an applicant’s CLB level; the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP). While both use different scales than the CLB (the IELTS runs on a scale of … Read More
Post-Graduate Work Permits in British Columbia
Lately, I have received numerous enquiries regarding which private post-secondary institutions are eligible to have their students receive Post-Graduate Work Permits (“PGWP“) in British Columbia. Coincidentally, on June 5, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC“), issued Operational Bulletin 262 (“OB 262“), which addresses the issue. First, it is important to note the distinction between students enrolled in a degree program at a private post-secondary institution, and students enrolled in a diploma or certificate program. All students in Canadian private institutions which are authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees are eligible to participate in the general PGWP. As well, there is a Pilot Project in British Columbia which provides that diploma and certificate students at certain British Columbia private post-secondary institutions are eligible to receive Post-Graduate Work Permits. The Pilot Project expires on January 31, 2013, and international students accepted into programs of study at participating institutions after August 31, 2012 are not eligible to participate in the pilot. Students who have completed a program of study that is at least eight months or more and received a diploma or certificate in a career training program from the following institutions are eligible to apply under the Pilot Project: Sprott-Shaw Degree College Arbutus … Read More
CIC Office Closures Run Deep
The deficit reduction strategy has officially hit Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Canadian offices. Here are a list of closures effective today: Office Closing PR Cards and Investigation Referrals will be transferred to Vegerville Referral Files will be transferred to Citizenship Files will be transferred to BC Kelowna Expo Office in Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver Nanaimo Expo office in Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver Prince George Expo Office in Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver Victoria Expo Office in Vancouver Vancouver Vancouver AB Lethbridge Calgary Calgary Calgary SK Regina Saskatoon Saskatoon Saskatoon ON Barrie St. Clair Etobicoke Scarborough Kingston Ottawa Ottawa Ottawa Oshawa St. Clair Scarborough Scarborough Sault Ste. Marie St. Clair Etobicoke Mississauga Sudbury St. Clair Etobicoke Mississauga Thunder Bay St. Clair Etobicoke Mississauga QC Gatineau Ottawa Montréal Ottawa Quebec City Montréal Montréal Montréal Sherbrooke Montréal Montréal Montréal Trois Rivières Montréal Montréal Montréal NB Moncton Moncton Moncton Moncton Saint John Fredericton Fredericton Moncton PEI Charlottetown Halifax Halifax Moncton
Can I Enter Canada With a Criminal Conviction?
As published in the May Canadian Immigrant magazine: In November 2011, the Auditor General of Canada Michael Ferguson released a report criticizing the Canadian government for having what he essentially described as a completely inadequate screening process for detecting people who pose a security risk to Canadians. As one might expect, this did not go over too well with a Conservative government that spent much of the autumn session pushing a public safety agenda. It responded to the auditor general’s report by promising to comply with his recommendations, and stating that it had already begun to make significant investments to improve security screening. Previously, people with criminal convictions occasionally entered Canada undetected. Border officials would also often let them into Canada on a short-term basis without requiring much paperwork. Now, both of these scenarios are likely to become less common. It is, therefore, important that people who have been convicted of a criminal offence determine in advance whether they will likely be prohibited from entering Canada. Will you be inadmissible to Canada? If a conviction exists, then it is necessary to determine whether the conviction’s equivalent offence in Canada would be a summary, hybrid or indictable offence under an act of … Read More
Restructuring the North American Processing Network
Restructuring of North American Processing Network On May 29, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC”) restructured its North American Processing Network. The restructuring included the closure of immigration section of the Canadian consualte in Buffalo, as well as the realigninment of the immigration functions of the Canadian consulates in New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Detroit, and Seattle (the “US Consulates”). Concurrently, CIC has introduced changes that will allow applicants who currently have a Work Permit or a Study Permit to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa (commonly referred to a a “visitor visa”) within Canada. Closure of the Buffalo Consulate CIC has announced that it will be closing the visa section of the Buffalo Consulate. Applications that are currently being processed in Buffalo (including Federal Skilled Worker, Quebec Skilled Worker, Provincial Nominee Program , and Federal Investor applications) are being transferred to the Case Processing Pilot Office – Ottawa (“CPP-O”). Re-Configuring the U.S. Network Effectively immediately, the Seattle, Detroit, and Washington D.C. consulates will no longer be processing new Work Permit or Study Permit applications. Only the Los Angeles and New York consulates will process new Work Permit and Study Permit applications. Furthermore, applicants residing in the United States … Read More