Archives for June 2001

Q. I am presently residing in Canada with my Canadian spouse. Is it still necessary to return to my home country and submit the application there?

Answer: If married to a Canadian and within Canada, then an application for sponsorship may be submitted within Canada, as the marriage would constitute sufficient Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds to allow for such. Such an inland application is processed entirely within Canada, unlike a standard sponsorship which is generally concluded overseas.

In such a case, the temporary status of the applicant will generally be extended for the duration of the application process. Also, once an approval in principle is obtained, an open employment authorization may be obtained.

Q. I received my landing documents, and plan to move. I am now in California, and have the US H1B visa. My plan is go to Canada for landing, stay there for a few days, then go back the US to say goodbye to my boss, then reenter Canada. My question is what documents do I need provide at the time of landing?

Answer: At the time of landing, you require a valid passport and valid landing documents which correspond at a minimum. Evidence of available settlement funds, and a goods-to-follow list should also be made available.

At the time of landing, it should be apparent that you are moving to Canada permanently. As such, you should be in possession of sufficient belongings and assets for this purpose. If it appears that you are landing, then returning to the USA, your landing may be barred.

You may be asked questions such as the following to determine if it is your intention to relocate permanently to Canada:

1. Have you terminated your employment in the USA?

2. Have you sought a position in Canada? Have you found a position in Canada?

3. Have you arranged lodging in Canada?

The amount of assets and belongings in your possession may also be used as an indication of your intention to move to Canada.

Accra’s satellite office in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, West Africa, has become a full-service immigration office like Accra. Certain countries (see list of area responsibilities*) currently under the jurisdiction of the Accra regional processing centre (RPC) will become part of Abidjan’s new territory after April 1. The division of responsibilities basically follows linguistic lines: French-speaking for Abidjan (with the exception of Benin and Togo, which will remain with Accra because of close proximity) and English-speaking for Accra.

Immigrant files in West Africa currently being processed in RPC Accra and which already had reached the selection stage by April 1, 2001 will remain in Accra until final decision. Immigrant files from the new Abidjan territory awaiting selection on April 1, 2001 will be transferred from RPC Accra to Abidjan for continuation of processing. The physical transfer of the files will take place towards the end of April. Accra will advise clients in writing if their file is transferred to Abidjan and Abidjan will be contacting those concerned with further information on processing. This will be an administrative transfer i.e. no transfer fees.

In summary, instead of the current establishment of an RPC in Accra and a visitor satellite in Abidjan, CIC now will have two full-service visa offices in West Africa in order to better serve clients there. However, RPC Accra will retain certain regional responsibilities such as regional Immigration Control Office (ICO) and the office responsible for the Sierra Leone refugee population in Guinea. Thus, refugee undertakings for Guinea would continue to be sent to Accra along with those for the other countries of Accra’s area of responsibility. Refugee undertakings for countries in Abidjan’s territory would be sent to Abidjan.

* Area Responsibilities as of April 1, 2001 for Abidjan and Accra visa offices:

Abidjan: Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville (Republic of Congo), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea (except refugees), Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal

Accra: Ascension, Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea (refugees), Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome & Principe, St. Helena, Togo, Tristan da Cunha

Ontario’s Budget, announced early in May, restored tens of millions of dollars in R&D incentives to the bottom lines of IT industry companies. For a two-year period, Ontario will restore the value of base provincial incentives that were to have been clawed back as per the February 2000 federal budget.

The announcement is a significant achievement for an ITAC / ITAC Ontario-led, multi-industry coalition headed by Karen Wensley of Ernst & Young and Shirley-Ann George of IBM Canada. Working in Ottawa and Queen’s Park, our team brokered an honorable compromise and opened a window for the achievement of a permanent solution.

Ontario Premier, Mike Harris, says his government will head off a crucial doctor shortage by creating a new Internet-based medical school in Northern Ontario and bringing in more foreign doctors. …

Harris told the London audience his government would “streamline” foreign doctors’ entry to Ontario, aiming to double the number coming to the province. But he said the plan would require the co-operation of the federal Immigration Department.

Immigrant investors have put $2.5 billion into the Canadian economy in the past five years, according to a study by the federal immigration department.

“They have contributed to the economic development of every Canadian province and territory,” says the November 2000 study by research manager Martha Justus.

“They have been responsible for the maintenance and creation of thousands of jobs.”

The study says immigrant entrepreneurs created more than 30,000 jobs in Canada between 1995 and 1998.

The report also found skilled immigrants earn more than Canadians only four years after arriving here.

‘Improves rapidly’

“At arrival, immigrants earn less than the average Canadian,” Justus says. “Their performance improves rapidly through the initial years after arrival.”

She says immigrants draw on their international connections and knowledge of foreign markets to create trade opportunities that Canadians would not have exploited.

“Immigrants help increase trade and lower the costs of doing business with international partners,” the study says. “They play an instrumental role in increasing trade flows.”

Justus says immigrants also make good business managers because they know the customs, languages and business methods of other cultures.

The study also says immigrant children are better adjusted mentally than Canadian kids.