Canadian Immigration Questions and Answers with Attorney David Cohen

Every month, Attorney David Cohen will answer a few general Canadian immigration questions submitted by our readers. Here are this month’s questions and answers:

What is the Right of Permanent Residence fee? Why do I have to pay this?

The Right of Permanent Residence Fee must be paid by the Principal Applicant and (if applicable) the accompanying Spouse or Common-Law Partner before they can become Permanent Residents of Canada. This fee must be paid before a Permanent Resident Visa can be issued. However, this fee can be refunded if the applicant(s) do not actually land in Canada and become Permanent Residents.

I heard that some Canadian diplomats abroad are currently on strike. Will this affect my immigration application?

The Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website states that “The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) union is currently taking strike action. PAFSO union members responsible for processing visa applications have been walking out of offices in Canada and overseas.” The website further states that “Anyone applying for a visa should anticipate delays and submit their application as far in advance as possible.” These statements seem to indicate that there will be delays in the finalization of immigration applications, however it is not clear how long these delays will be.

For the purposes of immigration to Canada, what is considered ‘full-time work experience’?

The new regulations for the Federal Skilled Worker program state that full-time work is equivalent to at least 30 hours per week of work.

One of my parents is a Canadian citizen, but I was born in the United States. Am I eligible for Canadian citizenship?

It depends. There are several factors to be considered, including when you were born, when your Canadian parent was born and how your Canadian parent obtained citizenship.

Canada’s citizenship laws have been amended several times since Canadian citizenship was created in 1946. For example, prior to 1977, some Canadians lost their citizenship if they became citizens of another country. Citizenship was restored to certain “lost Canadians” by the most recent amendments to Canadian citizenship legislation which came into force in 2009.

If you would like your general immigration question to be featured in our newsletter, please email your question to QNA@CICNEWS.COM

If you would like to be assessed for Canadian immigration, please complete a free Canadian immigration assessment form.