Bridge Canada Immigration News

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The numbers of permanent residents who were admitted to Canada through provincial programs keeps increasing day by day. Many provinces are aligning their provincial programs with Express Entry, which allows them to pick and process qualified candidates directly from the federal Express Entry pool.

Nova Scotia is only one of many provinces which almost doubled their immigration level since last year. This means that a lot of economic immigrants who do not score enough points under federal programs, may apply under provincial programs and receive additional 600 points for their nomination. Provincial programs are selecting narrower range of professions that are aligned with provincial labor needs, but they usually have lower requirements for such factors like age, language and education, which allows higher number of candidates to qualify.

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The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot will test a new, industry-specific approach to help address the labour needs of the Canadian agri-food sector, particularly in meat processing and mushroom production.

Here are the initial eligibility requirements for the Agri-Food Pilot that will open early in 2020. Many local employers in meat processing and mushroom production will be able to benefit from easier LMIA process. Eligible workers will have a chance to obtain permanent residence under this pilot.

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July 12, 2019 – Mississauga – Canada is committed to attracting the best talent from around the world to fill skill shortages, drive local economies, and create and support middle-class jobs in communities across the country that will benefit all Canadians.

Finally some details are available for long-expected Agri-Food Pilot Program. The program is scheduled to open in early 2020, and will facilitate LMIA process for employers in meat processing and mushroom production in Canada. The pilot will also provide a pathway for the foreign workers in those industries to obtain permanent residence in Canada.  We are very excited about this pilot, as agri-food industry has been consistently facing the labor shortages.

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Program delivery update: Entry/Exit Program

Since February 2019, IRCC officers have been able to query the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) system for entry and exit information on travelers for the purpose of validating presence in and outside Canada. This information can also be used to verify whether or not the traveler previously overstayed their allowable time of stay in Canada. The IRCC and CBSA system is constantly updating and with new technology becoming more integrated for search of applicant’s information across platforms. It is very important to maintain your legal status in Canada, and in any other countries where you travel to. If your status is about to expire, make sure to apply for extension in time to avoid complications when re-applying ti IRCC in future. 

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Manually processing electronic travel authorization applications

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is a convenient way for travelers to obtain an authorization to come to Canada, if they do not require a visa. This process is online and mostly automated, takes only few minutes to complete, and costs only CAD$7.  To avoid delays, travelers from countries not requiring visa to Canada must review possible causes that can delay processing of their eTA. Canadian citizens and permanent residents are not required, and are not eligible to obtain eTA. Dual citizens must travel to Canada only with their Canadian passport, and may not obtain eTA for their passport for other nationality. If you have Canadian citizenship, make sure your Canadian passport is always valid before traveling.  There are other instances such as inadmissibility, where your eTA application would be delayed. If you had any criminal charges etc. you must consult an authority prior to coming to Canada to know possible effect on your immigration application.  Lastly, remember to double-check the correctness of information that you are entering on your eTA submission. Any information that will be in conflict with data previous entered on your file will trigger manual review and delay the processing. 

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Public Policy to provide an interim pathway for caregivers

Some Caregivers residing and working in Canada found themselves in uneasy situation once IRCC announced the closure of former Caregiver stream for permanent residence in Canada. Many people realized that they will not be able to obtain required experience to meet eligibility requirements of the program prior to the closure date.  The government has addressed this issue by creating a transitional pathway for such applicants to allow them complete their applications for permanent residence during a short period between March 2019 and June 2019. We are happy to see that government has extended the transitional window, and candidates meeting eligibility criteria will be able to apply for permanent residence under this public policy until October 08, 2019. Check the publication related to the public policy in the link. If you plan to apply, make sure that you are meeting every point on eligibility criteria. If your application does not meet criteria it will be returned to you, in which case you might not be able to re-apply due to the program deadline. 

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The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, today signed a new bilateral Youth Mobility Arrangement between Canada and Luxembourg.

Luxembourg is now a part of International Experience Class program. Young people between age 18 and 30 are now able to obtain a work permit under IEC to visit and work in the host country. All 3 streams are going to be available: work and holiday, internship, and young professionals.

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Employers taking cash from foreign workers seeking permanent resident status in Canada

Lawyers, foreign nationals say immigration consultants collect substantial cash fees which are then shared with fast-food franchisees in exchange for job offers

It is illegal for consultants and employers to offer or accept payment for a Job Offer. It is also illegal to recover fees associated with hiring and employment of a foreign worker from that worker. Employers directly or indirectly may not recover any costs associated with the Foreign Worker Program, or any other immigration programs from the worker. The fee of LMIA application, any costs for travel and housing if a part of the program, and most definitely the employer’s portion of the taxes is the responsibility of the employer, and may not be covered by the employee directly or indirectly. Costs associated with work and permanent residence applications, and any related documents required from the worker are responsibility of the worker.

Unfortunately, it is possible to come across an employer or a consultant, who might offer a job for a fee, or propose a pay-back scheme to cover the cost in return for immigration papers. A lot of people in vulnerable situation might weight their options and decide that inflated prices and poor work conditions is an okay price to pay for a chance to obtain permanent status in Canada. Think again! Provincial and federal government is constantly implementing new processes and technologies to detect immigration fraud. Your case might come up long after you obtained an immigration status in Canada. And at that time, the chances are that both your employer and you will be held responsible for the fraud committed. The reason for that is that responsibility also lays with the applicant to ensure that deals offered by employers or immigration consultants falls within the law.

If you feel that your only option is to accept a sketchy offer for a chance to immigrate, you should first seek information regarding situation. It does not cost you to review immigration and employment information available on government website, study program requirements, and call IRCC if you have questions. Also you must talk to different immigration firms, who will happily give you some general information at no cost regarding their practices and costs. This way you will know what to expect, and avoid illegal proposals.

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Canada is making it easier for newcomer women to find a job by providing the support and services they need to succeed. This will help these women highlight their talents and experiences as they settle in Canada.

Canada is rated as one of best countries for opportunities, equality and acceptance of everyone, including different minority groups. However, just as in most other places in the world, an apparent gap is still present in many aspects of life  when it comes to woman portion of our society. The statistics show that the amount of woman immigrating to Canada as single applicant are much less in comparison to single man. Larger number of unemployment among woman is also a fact, regardless of her marital status. Those statistics usually come hand-in-hand with lower pay rates and benefits, and other obstacles. The government of Canada is partnering with 22 organizations across our country in order to develop projects that will support newcomer women and help them access resources for better integration and employment opportunities. 

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Program delivery update: Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program – Spouses

Atlantic Pilot Program participants can now obtain Open Work Permit for their spouses, even if their occupation falls in to lower-skilled level C and D. Previously, only high-skilled applicants in skill level A and B were able to obtain work permit for their spouse or common-law partner and bring them to Canada as a worker. 

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Program delivery update: designated countries of origin

Refugee claimants whose countries were previously on designated country of origin list may now have more equal rights to the rest of the applicants. Now they will not require to wait 6 months to obtain work permit, and will have immediate access to such government services as health care. 

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Canada is taking action to help protect vulnerable workers, newcomers who face family abuse, and help newcomers sponsor family members that they didn’t initially declare.

Starting June 4, 2019, migrant workers who have an employer-specific work permit and are in an abusive job situation in Canada will be able to apply for an open work permit. This will allow migrant workers to leave that employer immediately, maintain their status and find another job.

Starting July 26, 2019, newcomers experiencing family violence will be able to apply for a fee exempt temporary resident permit that will give them legal immigration status in Canada and includes a work permit and health care coverage.

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Canada is introducing the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Partnership, which will support more Canadians in privately sponsoring LGBTQ2 refugees who are fleeing violence and persecution.

Starting in 2020, the new initiative builds on the success of the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Pilot, by increasing the number of privately sponsored refugees from 15 to 50 per year. This unique partnership is in addition to the existing refugee programs, which continue to provide protection to LGBTQ2 and other vulnerable people from around the world.

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OTTAWA — The federal government is taking the relatively rare step of revoking Canadian citizenship from a Chinese man because he allegedly got it through a bogus marriage.The government is a…

Common misconception is that once you obtained Canadian citizenship, you may never lose it. This might not be always the case. There are many provisions in our law that would allow citizenship to be revoked no matter how long since it was obtained. Some of those provisions apply to fraud that may seem like an innocent act, or that may not be perceived as crime in our everyday life. The most common provisions that we hear are related to misrepresentation in citizenship, or PR application. Those applications may even be finalized many years ago. Marriage fraud is one of the most common misrepresentations that is seen, but there are also other cases where applicants intentionally provided false information on their applications regarding residency, family composition, work experience etc..As an applicant, it is your responsibility to ensure not to participate in any arrangements that are not genuine, even if suggested by your lawyer or immigration consultant. If your consultant suggests providing false information, or omitting information from your application in order to fit eligibility requirements of a program, you must immediately withdraw your consent for representation and report this professional to authorities. Otherwise you may risk losing your PR or even citizenship status, even years after your applications are approved. This will not only revoke your status in Canada, but also make you inadmissible.

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Program delivery update: Mobilité Francophone

There are several instances where applicants from visa exempt countries may be eligible to receive a work permit upon entry to Canada, or apply from inside Canada upon entry. It is important to note however, that despite the visa and LMIA exemptions, most applicants will not be exempt from Job Offer and will require to show the officer all of documents required for regular application that would be submitted online or to a visa office.

There is often a misconception among applicants, that work permit will be automatically issued to them upon entry to Canada, and the officer is not likely to make a full review due to time constrains. This is not exactly true. It is true that applying upon entry may save time as the officer evaluates and makes decision regarding the work permit right on the spot. However, as an applicant you are responsible to produce all supporting documents that you would include with your regular application, otherwise you are risking your application to be refused.

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Canada takes action on fraudulent immigration consultants

Some legislative changes are coming in to place over 2019 to create a more efficient regulatory body for immigration consultants. Currently immigration consultancy is a regulated profession in Canada, and ICCRC is responsible for overseeing compliance and issuing licences to practice. However, currently there is a lack of regulations and control, and this results in fraudulent activities in immigration consulting. To alleviate the current situation and protect immigration applicants, new regulatory body called College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants will work closely with the government to replace some regulations for licensing, compliance and continuing education for consultants.

 As an applicant, it is your responsibility to verify that the consultant you choose is authorized and competent to represent you in your immigration questions. There is a great value in a professional advice, but applicant should always do their research, make themselves aware of program requirements of their interest, and verify that the advice they are receiving aligns with the information that is available on IRCC website.

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International student arrested, facing deportation for working too many hours

An international student from Punjab, India was arrested and could be deported for overworking. Advocates say it's time for Canada to consider changing the rules.

An article describing difficulties that a student is facing, after his legal status in Canada was compromised after working over hours allowed by his study permit.

It is important to prepare a flawless application in order to increase your chances in successfully receiving work or study permit in Canada. However, it is equally important to know the conditions of your permit, and maintain your legal status by respecting conditions listed on your permits. Such that, a few extra hours that you work over your allowed weekly hours, or an expired status in the country even for just a few days may jeopardize your future applications to Canada, or even worse deem you inadmissible to Canada.

If you find yourself in the same situation as the person in the article, you should also know that there is an application available for students in destitute position, who become unable to support themselves and their studies in Canada due to unforeseen circumstances. Those individuals can apply for full-time work permit and are allowed to work more hours to be able to continue their studies. It is apparent that IRCC provides legal options for extraordinary situations, and and breaching conditions of your permit is usually not considered a valid excuse under any circumstances.