The reasons behind a decision to immigrate differ from one person to another. Some of the reasons we find very common among our clients from the Maghreb and the Middle East are ``Children`s education`` and ``the Canadian Passport``
Most of the applicants under the economic class are people who are already well established in their respective home countries and are not after an economic or social gain. Indeed, many of our clients are doctors, engineers, financial managers and successful businessmen, and most of whom have made the decision to obtain status in Canada for reasons other than for a permanent stay in Canada.
For some, immigration is a way of getting their children enrolled in one of the best education systems while benefiting from the preferential tuition fees that are available for citizens and permanent residents of Canada. Canadians pay less than a third of what international students would pay in colleges and universities and benefit from totally free education in elementary and secondary schools.
For others, a permanent resident status is an obvious lead to Canadian citizenship. In fact, compared to other western countries, Canada offers one of the easiest and fastest ways to naturalization. Permanent residents should accumulate 1095 days of physical presence in Canada to apply for Canadian citizenship and obtain a Canadian passport. Canada is also one of few coveted western countries that allow its new citizens to maintain their original citizenship. A good number of these new citizens would move back to their country of origin once they receive their Canadian passport. To them, a Canadian passport is a form of insurance they can use in case they again change their mind for social or economical reasons and decide to move back to Canada. Others have also used it to escape internal conflicts and natural disasters. Many thousands of Canadian-Lebanese pulled out their blue passport to come to safety during the 2006 Lebanon-Israel war. Similarly, Canadian-Haitians are coming back to the safety of Canada after the devastating earthquake hit Haiti last week.
Obviously, we are not advocating that everyone who immigrates to Canada does it for pure financial gain or with the sole intention to obtain a Canadian travel passport. In fact, most new immigrants choose Canada to pretty much start a new life or start their life in a country that offers a lot. Many immigrants or naturalized citizens have had a great success and have decided to make Canada their permanent home.
In the end, these sought after privileges are only available to successful candidates who were able to break through the very selective Canadian immigration system. Canada chooses what it wants in its immigrants and immigrants pick what they want from Canada.
Fatima-Zahra Fahmi practices immigration law in Toronto at Canada Immigration International and is a member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants. email info@immig.ca or visit http://www.immig.ca
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Federal vs. Québec Immigration program for skilled workers
As a specialist in Canadian Immigration Law, I regularly receive questions about the best course of action for a prospective skilled immigrant. I always assess my client’s profile against the eligibility criteria of both the Québec and the federal skilled workers programs and elect the one that serves best the client’s interests.
The biggest and most significant difference between the two programs is the processing time. The average time it takes to process a Québec skilled worker’s application for candidates in the Maghreb region is 3 years while the federal process can usually be completed in about 12 months only.
Although the short processing time makes the federal program more attractive, the Québec program stays more popular among candidates because it is more lenient in terms of the level of education and work experience requirements. An average young person with as little as high school diploma, few years of work experience and a good knowledge of the French language can qualify.
The federal program is pretty much confined to highly educated persons with several years of work experience in specific skilled occupations. Furthermore, since the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada issued his instructions in November 2008, only candidates with a work experience in one of 38 occupations deemed under pressure in Canada can qualify for processing under the federal skilled workers program. The list contains mainly skilled occupations in the fields of health, finance and accounting, information technology and some trades. For a complete list of the qualifying occupations, please visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.
The federal program remains better suited for people that can meet the ministerial instructions requirements and the high standards of the program. However, the Québec program stays an alternative for people with less skills and qualifications or persons with work experience that does not fall under the ministerial list of occupations. Also, the Québec program is advantageous for candidates residing legally in Europe and the United States in terms of processing time versus if they were still residing in their country of origin in the Maghreb.
Fatima-Zahra Fahmi
for more information please write to : info@immig.ca or go to http://www.immig.ca
This article can also be found on moroccopost.com
Disclaimer: This information is intended to be of a general nature and do not constitute legal advice.
The biggest and most significant difference between the two programs is the processing time. The average time it takes to process a Québec skilled worker’s application for candidates in the Maghreb region is 3 years while the federal process can usually be completed in about 12 months only.
Although the short processing time makes the federal program more attractive, the Québec program stays more popular among candidates because it is more lenient in terms of the level of education and work experience requirements. An average young person with as little as high school diploma, few years of work experience and a good knowledge of the French language can qualify.
The federal program is pretty much confined to highly educated persons with several years of work experience in specific skilled occupations. Furthermore, since the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada issued his instructions in November 2008, only candidates with a work experience in one of 38 occupations deemed under pressure in Canada can qualify for processing under the federal skilled workers program. The list contains mainly skilled occupations in the fields of health, finance and accounting, information technology and some trades. For a complete list of the qualifying occupations, please visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.
The federal program remains better suited for people that can meet the ministerial instructions requirements and the high standards of the program. However, the Québec program stays an alternative for people with less skills and qualifications or persons with work experience that does not fall under the ministerial list of occupations. Also, the Québec program is advantageous for candidates residing legally in Europe and the United States in terms of processing time versus if they were still residing in their country of origin in the Maghreb.
Fatima-Zahra Fahmi
for more information please write to : info@immig.ca or go to http://www.immig.ca
This article can also be found on moroccopost.com
Disclaimer: This information is intended to be of a general nature and do not constitute legal advice.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Can an international student in Canada apply for permanent residence ?
The following question is often asked by students who desire to settle in Canada after they have graduated from University.
Can I apply for permanent residence in Canada after I graduate from University? and what is the process ?
- If you studied and resided legally in Canada for at least one year and you have a previous work experience of at least one year in a skilled occupation, you may apply for permanent residence under category 3 of the federal skilled workers program. You will have to first submit your application to the centralized Intake Unit in Sidney Nova Scotia. If you application is recommended for further processing you have the choice of having it forwarded to the visa office responsible for your country of citizenship or to the Buffalo visa office.Please note that you will still have to go through the point system and accumulate the minimum of 67 points. The point system is based on education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, Age and adaptability.http://www.immig.ca/study2 - If you don't have previous work experience and have studied in Canada and completed your study program, you may apply for an open post graduation work permit, which will allow you to work and gain the work experience that will allow you to qualify for permanent residence later. Please note that a study program of less than 2 years will give you the right to a work permit with a validity equivalent to the length of your studies (e. 8 months program = 8 months open work permit. However, If your program is a 2 years or more long, you will get a 3 year work permit.3 - If you study in Canada and then work in a skilled occupation for at least one year, you may apply under the Canadian Experience Class which is considered a much faster way for gaining permanent residence.Note: If you are a graduate student and have worked in-Campus as an MA or TA on a full time basis for one continuous year or part time for two continuous years, you may use that work experience to apply for permanent residence under the federal skilled workers program.
Source(s):
http://www.immig.ca/skilledworkers
Can I apply for permanent residence in Canada after I graduate from University? and what is the process ?
- If you studied and resided legally in Canada for at least one year and you have a previous work experience of at least one year in a skilled occupation, you may apply for permanent residence under category 3 of the federal skilled workers program. You will have to first submit your application to the centralized Intake Unit in Sidney Nova Scotia. If you application is recommended for further processing you have the choice of having it forwarded to the visa office responsible for your country of citizenship or to the Buffalo visa office.Please note that you will still have to go through the point system and accumulate the minimum of 67 points. The point system is based on education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, Age and adaptability.http://www.immig.ca/study2 - If you don't have previous work experience and have studied in Canada and completed your study program, you may apply for an open post graduation work permit, which will allow you to work and gain the work experience that will allow you to qualify for permanent residence later. Please note that a study program of less than 2 years will give you the right to a work permit with a validity equivalent to the length of your studies (e. 8 months program = 8 months open work permit. However, If your program is a 2 years or more long, you will get a 3 year work permit.3 - If you study in Canada and then work in a skilled occupation for at least one year, you may apply under the Canadian Experience Class which is considered a much faster way for gaining permanent residence.Note: If you are a graduate student and have worked in-Campus as an MA or TA on a full time basis for one continuous year or part time for two continuous years, you may use that work experience to apply for permanent residence under the federal skilled workers program.
Source(s):
http://www.immig.ca/skilledworkers
Thursday, December 17, 2009
A quetsion I received from a prospective client in Africa about time delays a permanent residence visa application can take in the Canadian African office.
My husband applied for permanent resident skilled category from Accra Ghana since 2004. He was the principal applicant. Is it possible for me to apply also for the family from US as Principal applicant since Ghana seems to be taking too long?
As of November 2008, the selection criteria for skilled workers have changed to reflect the ministerial instructions in bill C-50. Only applicants whose occupation falls under the list of 38 occupations considered under pressure in Canada can apply.Applications that meet the ministerial selection criteria are supposed to be processed in less than a year regardless of what visa office is involved.If your husband qualifies to apply under the skilled workers class now, he may submit another application.He can choose to either both maintain the first application and submit a new C-50 application with a new processing fee; or withdraw the first application and submit a C-50 application. If he chooses to withdraw his pre-C-50 application before processing begins, he will receive a refund.To answer your question, yes you could submit another application as the principal applicant from the USA (of course if you qualify and if you have a legal status of at least one year in the USA).Please know that now all skilled workers applications are fist submitted to the centralized intake unit in Sidney, Nova Scotia, Canada for a preliminary screening. When Sidney recommends an application for further processing, the applicant is asked to submit a second set of the application along with the supporting documents to the local visa office.http://www.immig.ca/skilledworkers.html
My husband applied for permanent resident skilled category from Accra Ghana since 2004. He was the principal applicant. Is it possible for me to apply also for the family from US as Principal applicant since Ghana seems to be taking too long?
As of November 2008, the selection criteria for skilled workers have changed to reflect the ministerial instructions in bill C-50. Only applicants whose occupation falls under the list of 38 occupations considered under pressure in Canada can apply.Applications that meet the ministerial selection criteria are supposed to be processed in less than a year regardless of what visa office is involved.If your husband qualifies to apply under the skilled workers class now, he may submit another application.He can choose to either both maintain the first application and submit a new C-50 application with a new processing fee; or withdraw the first application and submit a C-50 application. If he chooses to withdraw his pre-C-50 application before processing begins, he will receive a refund.To answer your question, yes you could submit another application as the principal applicant from the USA (of course if you qualify and if you have a legal status of at least one year in the USA).Please know that now all skilled workers applications are fist submitted to the centralized intake unit in Sidney, Nova Scotia, Canada for a preliminary screening. When Sidney recommends an application for further processing, the applicant is asked to submit a second set of the application along with the supporting documents to the local visa office.http://www.immig.ca/skilledworkers.html
Study permit and Permanent Residence in Canada
A question I received from a prospective student to Canada.
I want to apply for student visa in Canada, but I am wondering, if I can apply for permanent resident status being there and having student visa, am I elligible to do this from Canada?
You can only apply for a student visa from your country of nationality or the country where your were admitted lawfully.Persons lawfully admitted to Canada may submit Study Permit applications, from one of the visa offices serving Canada which are Buffalo, Detroit, Los Angeles, new York, Seattle and Washington DC. Check this link for more information: http://www.immig.ca/study.html Regarding applications for Permanent Residence, as of April 1, 2009, all applicants who feel they qualify in the Federal Skilled Worker Class must submit their initial applications to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Canada.If the CIO determines that you meet the criteria to apply for permanent residence, you will be advised to submit a full application to Visa Office that serves your country of nationality or country where your were lawfully admitted for at least one year.For application in other immigration classes (Business class, family class, Quebec and Provincial Nominee Class, Applicants submit their applications for permanent residence to the visa office.For people that have a Canadian study permit or work permit with a validity of more than one year, their applications for permanent residence can be submitted to the Buffalo Visa Office.
I want to apply for student visa in Canada, but I am wondering, if I can apply for permanent resident status being there and having student visa, am I elligible to do this from Canada?
You can only apply for a student visa from your country of nationality or the country where your were admitted lawfully.Persons lawfully admitted to Canada may submit Study Permit applications, from one of the visa offices serving Canada which are Buffalo, Detroit, Los Angeles, new York, Seattle and Washington DC. Check this link for more information: http://www.immig.ca/study.html Regarding applications for Permanent Residence, as of April 1, 2009, all applicants who feel they qualify in the Federal Skilled Worker Class must submit their initial applications to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Canada.If the CIO determines that you meet the criteria to apply for permanent residence, you will be advised to submit a full application to Visa Office that serves your country of nationality or country where your were lawfully admitted for at least one year.For application in other immigration classes (Business class, family class, Quebec and Provincial Nominee Class, Applicants submit their applications for permanent residence to the visa office.For people that have a Canadian study permit or work permit with a validity of more than one year, their applications for permanent residence can be submitted to the Buffalo Visa Office.
Immigrate from Pakistan to Canada
A Question I received recently from a prospective client in Italy.
I am originally from pakistan but I lived in italy last 11 years in regular position. If i want to immigrate to Canada so what I can do?
To immigrate to Canada you first have to qualify under one of the available immigration programs; Skilled Workers class, Business Class, Self Employed or Family Class (If you have a spouse in Canada to sponsor you).Residing in Italy legally could help you in the sense that your application can be processed in Italy and the processing there could be faster than that of the Islamabad Office that is considered to have a huge backlog.
I am originally from pakistan but I lived in italy last 11 years in regular position. If i want to immigrate to Canada so what I can do?
To immigrate to Canada you first have to qualify under one of the available immigration programs; Skilled Workers class, Business Class, Self Employed or Family Class (If you have a spouse in Canada to sponsor you).Residing in Italy legally could help you in the sense that your application can be processed in Italy and the processing there could be faster than that of the Islamabad Office that is considered to have a huge backlog.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
New Canada Immigration Intake Unit in Nova Scotia
Application for Canada Immigration Visa (permanent residence)
It is true that the Centralized Intake Office in Sidney used to send decisions in as little as two weeks but that was when the office first started operating. Now, with the high volume of applications received every day, it takes longer to process files at the CIO. It is estimated now to take about 75 days before an answer is sent to an applicant. They tend to send answers by email; if you provide a valid email address.
It is true that the Centralized Intake Office in Sidney used to send decisions in as little as two weeks but that was when the office first started operating. Now, with the high volume of applications received every day, it takes longer to process files at the CIO. It is estimated now to take about 75 days before an answer is sent to an applicant. They tend to send answers by email; if you provide a valid email address.
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