Last updated on January 9th, 2020
On June 28, 2019 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada substantially changed the guidance that it provides to officers regarding the issuance of Temporary Resident Permits (“TRPs“). The biggest change was the removal of the statement that TRPs could not be issued for administrative convenience.
People who do not meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (the “IRPA“), and most commonly people who are criminally inadmissible to Canada and who are not eligible to apply for rehabilitation, require TRPs in order to enter or remain in Canada.
» Read more about: Temporary Resident Permits »
Read more ›The media is reporting today that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC“) is unsure over whether individuals who received Temporary Resident Permits (“TRPs”) which were issued at the requests of Members of Parliament (“MPs”) ever left Canada. I have received a copy of the results of an Access to Information and Privacy Act request which shows the breakdown of TRPs issued by MP. (I am not publishing this document on my blog, however, if you want a copy feel free to e-mail me.)
The table below shows which MPs, presumably through their respective constituency offices, successfully requested TRPs since around January 2009. I have included only current sitting MPs. That I have done so means that any conclusions reached about partisanship in the granting of TRPs would be based on incomplete information. The reason that I am posting this is that it does show that MP requests for TRPs are frequently granted, and that constituents should not feel shy about approaching their MPs.
The list is:
Member of Parliament
Riding
Party
Number
Bob Deschert
Mississauga—Erindale
Conservative
22
Wayne Martson
Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
NDP
12
John Baird
Ottawa West – Nepean
Conservative
10
Jason Kenney
Calgary Southeast
Conservative
8
Nina Grewal
Fleetwood – Port Kells
Conservative
8
Dean Del Mastro
Peterborough
Conservative
7
Devinder Shory
Calgary Northeast
Conservative
7
David Sweet
Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale
Conservative
6
Andrew Scheer
Regina—Qu’Appelle
Conservative
6
Tim Uppal
Edmonton – Sherwood Park
Conservative
6
Rod Broinooge
Winnipeg South
Conservative
5
Paul Calandra
Oak Ridges—Markham
Conservative
5
Maurizio Bevilacqua
Vaughan
Liberal
4
Lois Brown
Newmarket – Aurora
Conservative
4
Patrick Brown
Barrie
Conservative
4
Dennis Coderre
Bourassa
Liberal
4
Don Davies
Vancouver Kingsway
NDP
4
Randy Kamp
Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge—Mission
Conservative
4
MikeLake
Edmonton – Mill Woods – Beaumont
Conservative
4
Rob Nicholson
Niagara Falls
Conservative
4
David Tilson
Dufferin – Caledon
Conservative
4
Vic Toews
Provencher
Conservative
4
Alice Wong
Richmond
Conservative
4
Alex Atamanenko
British Columbia Southern Interior
NDP
3
Peter Braid
Kitchener – Waterloo
Conservative
3
Scott Brison
Kings – Hants
Liberal
3
Tony Clement
Parry Sound—Muskoka
Conservative
3
Libby Davies
Vancouver East
NDP
3
Ken Dryden
York Centre
Liberal
3
Rick Dystra
St.
» Read more about: Which Members of Parliament are Getting the TRPs? »
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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 the Washington DC Consulate. Applicants residing in the United States living west of the Mississippi River must apply to the Los Angeles consulate.
The following table more clearly shows the breakdown of the new immigration duties of the US Consulates.
New York
Los Angeles
Washington D.C.
Detroit
Seattle
Visitor Visa
Verification of Entry
Returning Resident
Visitor Visa
Verification of Entry
Returning Resident
Visitor Visa
Verification of Entry
Returning Resident
Visitor Visa
Verification of Entry
Returning Resident
Study Permit (U.S.
» Read more about: Restructuring of the North American Processing Network (Continued) »
Read more ›Last updated on March 2nd, 2020
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 Parliament. Then, one must determine when the individual’s sentence was completed, and whether the offence is one such that passage of time nullifies the inadmissibility.
Consequences for common offences
Here are immigration consequences for some of the more common offences that people have. In general, offences involving the operation of a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol will render persons inadmissible to Canada for a period of 10 years following the completion of the sentence.
» Read more about: Can I Enter Canada With a Criminal Conviction? »
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