Archives for 2003

Q. I was admitted to my current country of residence for a period of 6 months. I then was able to extend the duration of this admission by another 6 months. Am I allowed to submit my application to the visa office responsible for my current country of residence?

Answer: As you are aware, the current Regulations require that applicants submit applications to the visa office responsible for the country of your citizenship, legal permanent residence, or to which you have been residing if you have been legally admitted for a period of at least one year.

Although there have been varying forms of interpretation of these Regulations since their implementation this year, these are starting to become standardized. As a general rule, at present, visa offices are accepting applications from applicants who may have been admitted for a period of less than one year initially, if they have subsequently received extension of such admission for an additional period totaling one year or more.

As submission to the wrong visa office can result in delays to your case, it is important than applicants confirm the policy of the office to which their case is being submitted, and ensure that they meet the requirements of the provisions of Regulation 11.

Canadians and landed immigrants should have the right to sponsor a wider range of relatives to help families reunite and the country meet its immigration targets, supporters of proposed federal legislation said Friday.

The initiative is important because Canada has fallen “dramatically short” in the numbers of immigrants it attracts and because it would help families, said federal New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton.

Proponents estimate Davies’ bill, if passed, would mean an influx of about 50,000 more people a year, which would still barely meet the national objective of one per cent of the population – between about 300,000 newcomers a year.

New Security Agency will not Include Immigration

The newly created Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ministry does seem, in many ways, like the sister agency to the huge U.S. operation created in the wake of Sept. 11. It will oversee intelligence and security functions and co-ordinate border operations, just as is now done in Washington. Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, who takes responsibility for the new portfolio, now becomes the link with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, a role played until yesterday by outgoing deputy prime minister John Manley.

But as Ms. McLellan emphasized in an interview yesterday, her new ministry is not the mirror image of the one south of the border. It is less sweeping, in one sense, because it does not encompass any immigration functions, a reflection of Canadians’ sensitivity about any suggestion that there might be a link between security problems and foreign-born residents. But it also is more sweeping, in the sense that it includes numerous operations to combat natural disasters.

LONDON, Ont. (CP) – The economy is showing signs of recovery and should grow by more than four per cent in the final quarter of this year, the governor of the Bank of Canada said Monday.

Consumer spending and business investment are healthy while export demand should soon increase, thanks to a boom in the United States economy, David Dodge told the London Chamber of Commerce. “All told, the Canadian economy should be poised for solid growth ahead, beginning in the fourth quarter.”

The Canadian Dollar was lifted by selling pressure on the U.S. greenback and new Canadian data indicating a robust housing sector.

The dollar has jumped by about 20 per cent in value this year, from under 64 cents US to well above 76 cents US by the end of last week – “an unprecedented movement.”

Because the impact of the soaring currency is unclear, Dodge left the door open for an interest rate cut next year if the loonie continues to soar, adding he would be closely watching future economic data.

His confidence in an imminent recovery kept Dodge from lowering the Bank of Canada’s key policy interest rate last week from its current level of 2.75 per cent.

Part of the reason the dollar has gained strength this year is the wide spread between Canada’s 2.75 per cent policy rate and a one per cent interest rate set by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Dodge brushed off dismal GDP numbers that showed a mere 1.1 per cent expansion in the third quarter.

The figure was depressed because businesses were drawing down inventories instead of producing new goods. That inventory reduction should now be finished, he added.

Dodge also used his speech to warn that Canadians must become more productive to expand the economy and their own standards of living.

Otherwise, the country won’t be able to deal with an aging population that will lead to a smaller workforce in about 15 years, he warned.

Canada must also work to lower its level of public debt in relation to GDP, again to free money for social programs to support an aging population.

Q. Is documentation of language skills mandatory?

Answer: The present immigration Regulations do provide immigration officials with the authority to require evidence of language skills as part of the application. More an more visa offices are relying on such provisions in an effort to reduce the processing delays for skilled worker applicants by reducing the number of personal interviews required.

Evidence of language skills can include several types of documents. One document that is often relied on is an objective test score from the International Language Testing System (IELTS). A General IELTS score may be requested as evidence of language in the case that an applicant does not otherwise satisfy the documentary requirement clearly.

Other evidence of language skills which may be accepted, however, include evidence of an education or extensive work experience in an English language medium.

Federal Immigration Minister Denis Coderre said Monday Canada is facing a
shortage of skilled workers and companies are beginning to realize it’s
important to integrate immigrants into the workforce. Coderre said Ottawa
is now working with the provinces to devise a plan that would allow foreign
professionals to be accredited in Canada.

Quebec Social Affairs Minister Michelle Courchesne said the province wants
to implement a more personalized approach to help newcomers find work.

Dropping Immigration Numbers

The Chrétien government’s latest figures for immigration place it even farther behind its oft-repeated 1993 election promise to increase immigration to 1 per cent of the population.

The government reported that 229,091 people became landed immigrants in 2002, down from 250,484 the year before. Immigration in 2001 was higher than usual because the Immigration Department was given special funds to clear out its backlog.

The promise to increase immigration to 1 per cent of the population – which
would now be about 314,000 people a year – was the key to the Liberal
immigration policy in the 1993 Red Book election platform, co-authored by
Paul Martin, and on which Mr. Chrétien swept into office. The promise has
been repeated every year by successive Liberal immigration ministers, and
Mr. Martin has pledged to reach the goal when he becomes prime minister.

Quebec looks to Internet in MD quest

Quebec is looking to the south Asian subcontinent to recruit doctors and is considering French courses over the Internet so they can acclimatize before settling here.

In a bid to alleviate its doctor shortage, Quebec is offering to help physicians with foreign credentials pass the provincial medical exams. Health and Social Services Minister Philippe Couillard said as many as 450 foreign-trained doctors living in Quebec have been invited to take part in the new program.

Q. Will a Canadian job offer speed up an immigration application?

Answer: An offer of employment from a Canadian company can expedite an immigration application or relocation to Canada in either of two ways:

1. If the offer of employment is confirmed by the Human Resources Development Canada office responsible for the jurisdiction of the employer, then an applicant can gain as many as 15 additional points towards a Skilled Worker application. The combination of the additional points and the enhanced appearance that the candidate is likely to successfully settle in Canada can expedite the conclusion of an immigration application.

2. Depending on the nature of the job offer and the qualifications of the candidate, it may be possible to obtain a temporary employment authorization. Such employment authorizations can be concluded considerably more quickly than a permanent resident application (2-6 weeks on average), and would allow the individual to enter Canada more quickly in many cases.

Q. I would like to know what are the impacts of the new guidelines issued on Sept 18 on Transitional Cases.

I had applied for Immigration under Independent Category in Nov 2001.

On Feb 2002 Received the acknowledgment card from the Canadian High commission London.On July 2002 Received intimation that Interview is required and the Intimation about the interview will be given one to two month prior.

The last Information I received is that the High commission is unable to conduct Interview before 31st March 2003.

I am still waiting for the decision about the Interview or any waiver of the Interview.

Please Guide me as to what will happen now after the new guidelines issued on September 18th.

Answer: Following the changes which were announced on September 18th, your case will continue to be assessed under the new Regulations and Selection Criteria, but would be assessed against a 67 point pass mark.

A new umbrella group of representatives from government, businesses and civic groups aims to help newcomers find work — especially skilled immigrants who have trouble getting jobs in their fields.

Called the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, the new group had its inaugural meeting yesterday.

The new council announced two pilot programs yesterday. One, called Career Bridge, will provide 50 internships for immigrants starting in November, with plans to offer 1,100 such placements over five years.

The internships, in finance, manufacturing, technology and other industries, will be funded by participating employers as well as by a $611,000 startup grant from the Ontario Ministry of Training, College and Universities.

Another pilot project, being launched by Toronto, will offer city employees — accountants, engineers or information-technology specialists — to act as mentors to new immigrants in those fields.

The council will also examine ways to help professionals from other countries get accredited to use their skills here.

Small Business Growth Attributed to Immigration

Ontario and Alberta will foster the most growth in small businesses in Canada over the next five years due to immigration and strength in the energy sector, according to a CIBC study.

It also pointed to a “strong wave of new immigrants” that will boost growth in Ontario of small businesses – those with fewer than 50 employees.

“In Ontario we’re going to see significant increase in immigration coming from other countries, and we know that new immigrants have a higher propensity to be self employed,” Tal said.

Those social ties cut across all classes of newcomers, including economic
migrants admitted on the strength of their job qualifications. About 44 per
cent of economic-class immigrants in the survey said they chose their final
destination based on family and friends living nearby, while 19 per cent
cited job prospects.

Ontario leader favors more immigration

If the world unfolds according to his plan, premier-designate Dalton McGuinty will go back to the polls in the spring of 2007 boasting of a long list of accomplishments, including the fact the election date of June 7 has been fixed by law.

And they hope to sign a made-in-Ontario immigration agreement that would bring more settlement services and language courses to new Canadians.

Like Paul Martin, the man who expects to be Prime Minister, Mr. McGuinty is a strong believer in the value of immigration. So the Ontario of four years hence will be more multiethnic and multicultural than it is today.