Q. I have been working for an international company in China as an Executive Secretary for 4 years. I have two university degrees, one is English and one is International business. I applied under the category of Executive Secretary. During my interview, the officer told me that I had to have some formal secretary training in order to qualify and I was rejected. She said there were court cases to support her decision. Of course, I was very disappointed. Were there really some court cases to support her decision? Do I have a chance if I really go to court for such a situation. Appreciate much if anyone could give me some hints. If any lawyers could provide service for this case, pls tell me the service fee required and the chance for success (and the appeal time required).

Q. Following a failed refugee application, I have been refused an extension of my student authorization on the grounds of tendency to immigrate. Is this justified?

Q. Could anyone please tell me, if it is possible to come to Canada as ‘Independent Immigrant’ and get a business license (software development).

Q. If one cannot obtain a Reference letter from his X- company from few years back, Can He send a copy of the letter he had received at that time.

Effective December 1, 1997 all business category applications (entrepreneur, investor and self-employed) to be processed in the United States must be submitted at the Regional Program Centre in Buffalo.

Immigration Report Card - 1996

Q. Does being out of Visa Status in the US have a negative effect on a canada PR application?

Q. Can I apply the independent PR for the more than one intended occupations? For example, I have sent the two self-assessment sheet of 2 computational occupations (mini/micro-computer specialist, and the programmer of engineering and scientific), for the immigration officer evaluation. Can it be acceptable?

Q. Can refusal of PRP (permanent resident application) cause refusal of student authorization?

I applied for PRP back in 1995/96. I was refused the PRP only because I did not have enough experience in the job category I applied for.

Now, I got admission to Ph.D. program in Canadian Univ., and am granted financial support for the whole duration of my study. However, the Canadian embassy refused me VISA by stating the fact that I was refused the PRP in 1996, and they are not sure if I will leave Canada after my studies. What does paragraph 19(2)(d) of the Act states?

As a prior application for permanent residence makes a clear indication that the individual has (or at least had) the intention of residing permanently in Canada, subsequent non-immigrant visa applications would certainly be tainted. In such a case, a visa official may have concern about the likelihood of the individual’s return home after the allowed period in Canada has expired.

Indications at present are that the Pilot Project for Software Professionals has been extended until March of 1998.

The Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA) and Regulations require that all Vehicles imported into Canada comply with the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) in effect on the date the vehicle was manufactured. The requirements apply to the following vehicle classes if, when imported, they are less than fifteen (15) years old and to all buses manufactured after January 1, 1971.

OTTAWA, October 23, 1997 — Lucienne Robillard, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and M.P. for Westmount/Ville-Marie, today tabled in the House of Commons the 1998 Immigration Plan, entitled A Stronger Canada.

Q. As an engineer, do I need a CCPE assessment even if I have obtained a post-graduate degree (Masters level) at a Canadian university?

Q. Can my friend request for a second review of his application without requesting for an official appeal to the court ? If so, how may this be done?

Q. I have heard that one way of getting him here is through an engagement sponsorship in which we would have 90 days to decided to get married if not he would have to return to Cuba. The only concern I have is what if we don’t decide to get married within the 90 days and want to wait another 6 months. Will he have to return to Cuba and if he does would I have to sponsor him again once we do decide to get married?

Q. I´ve been working as software developer in a big corporation for one and a half years. But I do not have much educational background, as I learned everything most of what I know by myself. Will it be completely impossible for me to apply for immigration due to lack of educational references ?

My employers have told me they would supply me with a letter of reference stating that I am a perfectly able professional in my field, would that do any difference ?

Although most of the information contained in such Histories is retrievable from the national police database in the U.K., there is no information on the national database that predates 1981, and there are some localities with stand-alone systems that do not contribute to the national system at all.

As early as next January, immigrants applying to Canada will undergo stricter medical tests for infectious diseases, and the tests will be tailored to their country of origin.

Q. I recently landed, and married shortly thereafter. I now wish to sponsor my spouse. I was told by immigration officials that I do not have enough income to show. What does this mean?

Q. After submitting my application to the Buffalo IAPC three months ago, I have not received any notice from them. Is this normal?

Q. I’m hoping someone will be able to answer this question for me. I’ve been dating my girlfriend for the past 2 1/2 years, and we’ve been living together in the US for the last 9 months while I’ve been down here on contract. However, I’m going to be returning to Canada in the very near future, and it suddenly occurred to me that the fact that we’ve been living together might affect her status in the eyes of Canada Immigration… then again, it might not. :-)

Q. Is it true if you have a Irish passport or a European country in “common market” that you don’t need an employment authorization?

Q. I received my qualification assessment result from CCPE yesterday. The results is different from what I applied. As I worked as a geological engineer in the field for more than 10 years responsible for the mineral exploration, how can they assessed me as a geologist? Is there any influence for my application to Canada due to I already sent my application form to immigration office as a geological engineer. Although the scored points is still above 73, will that changes affect my application?

Q. Hello, I’d like to accompany my mother to Canada. There surely is no place for ‘parent’ in IMM008; Can I register her as my dependent?

I have read a couple of articles on sponsoring parent, after landing. But in my case, I cannot get a permit for migration *unless* the whole household, including my mom, get the Visa. Then, I can’t land, and, so what.

Dear Madam/Sir,

“For both new applications and those transferred from offices in the US, the time to interview is roughly the same.

Q. My Permanent Residence was approved recently and I will be getting married before I land in Canada. What procedure(s) must I follow for my spouse to come to Canada with me?

Q. I am doing my first year for my Ph.D program, and work in a research lab. I am wondering if this would satisfy the one year minimum full time requirement for the PR immigration application, or is a research assistant job counted only a part time job? I work at most 20hrs a week.

Quebec- The Quebec government plans to increase the percentage of immigrants it selects in a move designed to increase the number of French-speaking newcomers to the province.

Canadian industry has indicated it is facing a shortage of software development workers which is hurting its competitiveness. These labour market shortages are specific to certain skill sets that cannot be found within the current Canadian labour market.

As scheduled, the amendments to the Immigration Regulations were implemented as per the proposals tabled by the Minister on March 15 of this year. This amendment, which was prefaced with the claim that it was only “technical in nature,” had the main effect of shifting from the Canadian Classification and Dictionary of Occupations (CCDO) to the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The premise was essentially that the age of the CCDO made it an inaccurate means of defining professions in today’s workforce.

Q. I’m a landed immigrant and work in US. My RRP is valid until Feb.1998. Right now I’m facing an urgent personal stuff and had to have a short trip to Canada. My question are 1: When I use my PR visa and RRP to enter the Port, will the customer void my RRP?

Q. Can anybody tell me what the definition of a research assistant is and would my years as a postgraduate researcher working towards a PhD count as work experience?

Q1. If an individual wishes to sponsor a fiance(e), is it typical for the immigration authorities to require that a co-signer be available when adequate income is not shown?

As of April 18, 1997, the provisions of sponsorship in the Family Class changed. If the application was submitted prior to this date, these changes would not affect the applicant. As of this date, the Low Income Cut-Off figures are the only factor in the determination of eligibility of a sponsor, and only the sponsor’s spouse (including common-law) may have net income considered as a co-signer.

The following information has been reproduced with the permission of Lexbase, a monthly immigration law journal, Editor-in-Chief, Richard Kurland, email: lexbase@interlink.net.

Q. Can anyone inform me of the proposed changes to Schedule I and its impact on the pending application process?

Q. I recently returned to a position in the USA when I was not able to find a suitable employment within Canada. I understand that you can only be out of Canada for 6 months. Is there a form I can file requesting an extension to leave Canada for a year without losing my PR status?

Q. If I (British citizen) have 8 years cooking experience in England but no formal qualifications because I learned on the job, can I still immigrate to Canada as an independent immigrant under the occupation of cook?

Q. I read in India Abroad that there was a proposal to discontinue the practice of allowing immigration via a third country. Is this true?

So, If I am an Indian national, working in the USA and try to apply for a Canadian PR (from USA), will I become ineligible?

The following has been prepared for the benefit of those who may be affected by the amendments to the Regulations affecting skilled workers which have been tabled on March 15, 1997, and for those responsible for the implementation of such.

The following figures indicate the amounts of income required for sponsors submitting applications for members of the family class.

Q. Shortly following landing, I and my family applied for the Returning Resident Permit in order to allow my spouse to complete her education abroad. This application was refused. What can we do now ? Some options are obvious :

1. My wife is leaving her PhD and we’re going in Canada : which is not adequate for her.
2. I’m leaving my wife and my child here and I go in Canada alone : not adequate for either of us.
3. We’re staying here without RRP : would this mean we have abandoned Canada as our residence?
4. Can we apply one more for RRP, explaining more in detail what we did and why ?

Q. I may be facing charges in Switzerland on the grounds that I have not completed the required military service. How will this affect a pending Canadian PR application?

Q. After having passed my selection interview with a visa official, I was requested to attend a second interview. What is this interview for?

Q. The title by which I have been referred in my documentation is not necessarily reflective of the work I have done. Will this affect the occupation for which I am eligible to apply under?

Volume 131, No. 11 of the Canada Gazette, published Saturday March 15th,1997 contained details of the most recent proposed amendments to the Immigration Regulations 1978, expected to affect the skilled worker category. The preface to the amendments indicate that the changes are “primarily technical in nature” and do not “reflect a substantive change to the Regulations or to programme policy.”

The most recent situation report from Colombo reports a significant increase in interview backlogs, as compared to September 1996. A quote from this report is as follows:

Immigrants’ Cash Might be Diverted, Program changes could cost Quebec

The province of Quebec is presently entitled to full control over selection of applicants for immigration to Canada with an intended destination within that province. Once issued by Federal authorities, however, landing documents have generally allowed applicants to land as permanent residents of Canada at any port of entry. A basic tenet of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms entails the free movement of Canadians within Canada’s boundaries.