Q. I have done my master in computer science in 98-99. I’m also a oracle certified professional (DBA) Do you know what is the best place for an IT professional in Canada?

Q. I immigrated to Canada in January 2000 and brought 12.000 CAD (the minimum amount) with me. At the time of my landing I was only asked how much did I bring to Canada but I wasn’t asked about my funds in my own country. Therefore, at my landing time I couldn’t declare my foreign funds to the Canadian immigration authorities.

Before coming here, I have left some money (nearly 45.000 CAD) in my foreign bank account and now I would like to transfer this money into my Canadian bank account. I heard that if the money is not declared on my goods-to- follow list, then I have to pay some extra tax for that. Is that true?

Manitoba has recently included a special category for “business persons” in its Provincial Nominee Program. The new regulations aim to attract individuals who intend to reside in Manitoba and propose to set-up or purchase a business in Manitoba.

Employment increased by an estimated 58,000 in November. After a brief pause in June and July, employment increased each month from August to November, resuming the upward trend of the last three years.

Kids hate moving. They hate change in general. Or, they seem to, but once it occurs, they adjust with an uncanny ease that no adult can duplicate.

Q. Our family just passed the interview and is going to have our medical exams. But my son got a kind of cancer two months ago and is in remission. He lost almost all hairs. Do you have any idea about my case?

Is it possible for our family pass the requirement of the medical exams? Or I can leave my son with his grandparents. Regarding that all of us
apply the immigration together before, what I have to do for this choice? Should I have a letter for the officer in the immigration office?

Q. Can I apply inside Canada for immigration when I arrive with my wife who was born in Canada. I have been told that the only way you can do it that way is you must have a job lined up is this true or can I just apply within.

Could you please tell me how long it takes from applying within before I can work?

On October 22, 2000 a federal election was called in Canada to take place at the end of November. The dissolution of Parliament put an end to all pending legislation including the new Immigration Act. However, the polls suggest a return to power for the Liberal Party of Canada and so it is likely that the Act will soon be revived. With this in mind now is a good time to preview the policy proposals for the Regulations that will accompany the Act.

Employment rose by an estimated 56,000 in September. This is the second monthly increase, following weakness in the labour market in the early summer. With September’s employment gain and a drop of 37,000 in unemployment, the unemployment rate declined 0.3 percentage points to 6.8%.

Q. I have seen the ’standard’ NOC listed on many web sites some differing slightly in content, but each time it only contains around 300 occupations.

Can anyone tell me where I can see/access the complete/full unabridged listing? The one that contains EVERY occupation (and all sub-categories) and the related ETF/NOC points?

Q. Once working in Canada, we are taxed on our world incomes?

Do we have a refund if we have children? Or they would have free access to school without paying further fees for this education?

What do we have to do to be taxed only in Canada and not in the country we are leaving ?

The Toronto Star has published an article outlining the most recent proposals concerning the overhaul of Canada’s federal skilled worker immigration legislation. In a discussion paper obtained by the newspaper, the following are discussed:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has recently released its statistics for the 1999 calendar year and, once again, Canada has failed to meet its own quota for immigration.

The Government of the Province of Quebec — which has the power to select immigrants destined for Montreal or another city within the Province of Quebec — has recently published draft legislation to amend its existing immigration rules. The impact of these changes on the current Quebec Selection Criteria is difficult to assess at this early stage, because the legislation does not stipulate the number of “points” that will be allocated to the various factors by which applicants will be assessed.

Following slight declines in June and July, employment increased by an estimated 27,000 in August. Since March, monthly employment growth has averaged 9,000, much slower than the average monthly growth of 44,000 from September 1999 to February 2000.

Q. Do you think there is a ‘Canadian Preferred’ type of resume? What kinds of strengths should new immigrants emphasize? Do you think that non-Canadian experience is regarded as valid by Canadian HR people?

Q. Will the fact that a friend’s application was delayed by a background clearance mean that I will incur the same delay, given that we are from the same country?

Arriving in Canada to live, work or study is but the first step of a new and exciting journey. Everyone who embarks on it is courageous and most will admit to having at least some concerns about what lies ahead. For some, getting to Canada proceeds smoothly. For others, the process proves more difficult. Once in Canada, everyone has the same goal - to successfully settle in.

According to a recent article in The Montreal Gazette (a Montreal newspaper), the City of Montreal is urging the Provincial and Federal Immigration Authorities to boost the current immigration levels by at least 40 percent. Citing a critical shortage of high-tech workers in the Montreal region, the City is hoping to attract immigrants with engineering, computer and technical skills.

As was discussed in a previous issue of this Newsletter, on April 6, 2000, Elinor Caplan, Canada’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, introduced a new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in Canada’s Parliament. The new Act is expected to become law by the end of the year 2000. If passed in its current form, the new Act will overhaul current Immigration rules.

Q. I work in the field of Electronic Data Processing, but I do not see my occupation listed in the General Occupations List. Does this mean that I am automatically inadmissible?

Q. My work duties and responsibilities fits the category of a financial manager under the NOC. However, I have no post secondary education but years of experience in this position. Will this adversely impact my application for permanent residence to Canada?

Employment was little changed in June and the unemployment rate remained at 6.6%. Over April, May and June, the average growth in employment was 11,000 per month, slower than the average monthly growth of 44,000 in the preceding six months.

While Canada’s employment crunch isn’t quite at U.S. levels — Canada’s unemployment rate is now 6.6. percent, compared to about 4 percent in the U.S. — the country’s economic growth is expected to equal or outpace America’s in the year.

For some time now, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has been discussing strategies to help make the processing of permanent residence applications more efficient. In some of CIC’s recent proposals, it has been suggested that a greater portion of the actual work done by CIC in terms of reviewing each application be conducted in Canada.

Q. I’ve read in one of the recent posts that a background check is a standard procedure and everyone has to go through it. The post also said that this “background check” starts as soon as the application is lodged. This all sounds great, because I thought this check is only started AFTER the interview and is done only if the immigration officer deems it necessary. This is at least what I understood from the Overseas Processing Manual (OP Manual). The OP manual says that after the interview, should an immigration officer think it necessary, he/she can contact any other Canadian processing offices to obtain further information about the applicant.

Which is correct?

Q. My university does not appear on the CCPE list, although it is larger and more prestigious from other universities in my country that do appear on the list. Does this prevent my eligibility to immigrate to Canada?

After a slight pause in April, the upward trend in employment resumed in May with an estimated increase of 42,000 jobs. This brought gains from May 1999 to May 2000 to 413,000 (+2.8%). May’s employment rise pushed the unemployment rate down 0.2 percentage points to 6.6%, the lowest since March 1976.

Foreign professionals who apply for a Canadian Immigrant Visa under the “Skilled Worker” category are assessed under a “points” system. Under current Federal Selection Criteria, applicants are awarded “units of assessment” for a number of objective factors, such as age, education, occupational background and language ability.

Q. Did you know that skilled foreign professionals can obtain legal status to work in Canada in as little as one to ten days?
Answer: Relocating temporary foreign workers to Canada is a truly viable — though under-utilized — solution to the ongoing shortage of qualified Canadian employees.
To remain competitive in today’s global market, Canadian employers […]

A resume is a marketing document of sorts in which YOU are the product. Therefore, the first step to writing an effective resume is identifying the skills and abilities you have acquired that will be recognized and valued by potential employers.

Q. The application of myself and my family has been processed, and we are awaiting landing documents. Once approved, can our nanny accompany us to Canada?

Q. I am a citizen of India and recently I settled in Canada as a Permanent Resident. I have a good full time job in Software with a Canadian Company. I need to go to USA for four days to attend a conference. The question is, do I need to obtain any kind of VISA to enter USA?

An increase in part-time employment offset a decrease in full-time, leaving employment unchanged in April. The unemployment rate remained at 6.8% for the fifth consecutive month.

Applicants who apply for a Canadian Immigrant (Permanent Resident) Visa under the “Skilled Worker/Professional” category are assessed according to a “points” system. Under current Federal Selection Criteria, applicants are awarded “units of assessment” for a number of objective factors, such as age, education, occupational background and language ability.

In a recent edition of this Newsletter, we commented on the term “usually required” and its controversial application by Visa Officers.

In order to halt the long-term effects of Quebec’s declining birth rate, Immigration Minister Robert Perrault announced that the province wants to increase the number of immigrants who arrive in Quebec each year by 40 per cent between now and 2003. In addition to favour the number of new arrivals to 45,00 from 30,000 annually, this measure aims to target French-speaking immigrants, and to make it more easier for foreign professionals to obtain accreditation in Quebec.

Q. My application was not approved .Though I am not satisfied from the visa office. I have decided to file appeal. Can any body tell me is there are any chance of success in my application as I was awarded 68/70 points.

Q. A Canadian IT-company has made a job offer which will allow me to get a temporary working permit for Canada. As I (only) want to go together with my girlfriend, the question is if she would be eligible to work as well? If not, would she be allowed to work if we would be married?

Employment grew by an estimated 30,000 jobs in March, continuing the upward trend that began three years ago. The increase in March was similar to the average monthly rise over the last three years (+34,000). The growth in employment was accompanied by similar growth in the labour force, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged for a fourth straight month at 6.8%.

On April 6, 2000, Elinor Caplan, Canada’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, introduced a new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in Canada’s Parliament.

The Quebec Government has recently announced several changes to its Immigrant Investor Program. These changes are currently scheduled to be implemented in early June 2000.

In a recently released report, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) outlined its goals and priorities for 2000-2001.

Q. I have a BA arts, but I have been working for 4+ years as a programmer / analyst. How would this affect my application for PR as a programmer / analyst? I do have reference letters from previous assignments as programmer / analyst. Appreciate any replies

Q. What are the differences between a spousal sponsorship and a fiance(e) sponsorship?
Answer: The main differences between the two applications that you refer to are:
1. you may not apply for spousal sponsorship until married;
2. a spousal sponsorship may often be processed inland if the sponsoree is admitted as a visitor;
3. a fiance(e) sponsorship is typically […]

Labour Force Survey January 2000 Employment rose by an estimated 44,000 in January, continuing the strong growth of the past three years. Job gains were matched by an increase in the number of people participating in the labour market, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged from December at 6.8%, the lowest since April 1976.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada recently released a draft Operations Memorandum on the complicated and often confused issue of Dual Intent. Dual Intent, in the context of Canadian immigration matters, refers to the intention of seeking entry to Canada for a temporary purpose and a permanent purpose at the same time.

OTTAWA, February 28, 2000 — Elinor Caplan, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced that, as part of the federal Budget, the Right of Landing Fee (ROLF) is eliminated for refugees. This change is effective as of 16:00 EST on February 28, 2000.

Q. In the case that I am the principal applicant, does it help if my wife’s sister is a PR?

Q. When assessing an application under the independent class, do they take into account what your spouse does for a living? If their occupation has a high ETF number, would this be helpful if my points were in the low - mid 60’s?