CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

Dear Ms. Powell, I am a Jamaican and a permanent resident of Canada. I have had difficulty locating a good job in Canada, so I returned to Jamaica and have accepted a very well-paying job there. I'm scheduled to start this job on September 1. My permanent resident card will expire in December 2017. I use my Jamaican passport to travel, so I'm not worried about getting into Jamaica. Can I apply for citizenship now? How will taking a job in Jamaica affect my application for citizenship? What are the processing times? - P.A. Dear P.A., Individuals who have been granted permanent residence status are required to ensure that they have a valid permanent resident card when they travel to and from Canada. While you will not need the card to enter Jamaica, you will need to have a valid permanent resident card before you re-enter Canada. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you submit an application to renew your permanent resident card immediately before you depart for Jamaica....

Immigration Corner | I fled abuse in Canada : Dear Miss Powell, I got married to a Canadian citizen and he filed for me. I got through and went to Canada. I was excited about my new life. However, from the day I landed in Canada I started getting all kinds of abuse. I decided to stick it out as I really love my husband. I found out that I was pregnant and I wasn't sure how he would take the news, so I asked a minister to talk to him about the way he is treating me. The minister called and talked to him and he got mad at me, saying I had no right to bring his business to the public. He hit me on my face and flung me across the room. I was so scared, I called my family in Jamaica and they said that I should leave him and come back to Jamaica before he kills me and the baby. I packed a bag when he went to work and returned to Jamaica to my parents. I've been in Jamaica about three weeks and my husband has called and threatened me almost every day. He said he is going to tel...

Dear Miss Powell, I got permanent residence in Canada about five years ago and I moved there with my family and stayed a few months. However, I wasn't able to get a job, so I returned to Jamaica. I had only taken a leave of absence from my job to see if I could settle in Canada and since I didn't get a job, I went back to work in Jamaica. My wife and two children stayed. I continued to support them and went up every holiday, when I got leave, and any chance I got. I am now back in Canada and just got a good job, so I quit my job in Jamaica with the intention to stay in Canada. My permanent residence (PR) card expired recently and my wife submitted the application to renew all our cards together. My wife and children's cards were renewed, but mine was rejected. Can I appeal this decision? - PJ Dear PJ, When you are granted permanent residence of Canada and you receive a PR card, you have an obligation to ensure that you are present in Canada a minimum of 730 days ...

Dear Ms Powell, I became a permanent resident of Canada in 2010. I went up and tried without success to get a job and couldn't get one. I returned to Jamaica and got a really good job. I have since got married and had a child. I used to go back to Canada quite often to try to maintain my status. However the last time I visited was in 2014 when I was questioned a lot by the immigration officer. I felt so intimidated and harassed by the whole process that I haven't been back. My permanent residence card is now expired and I would like to return to Canada as I have a job offer and would like to take my family with me. What can I do? - ED Dear ED, There are several issues at stake here and I will outline the steps that you may take to deal with each issue. The first step is to deal with your expired permanent residence (PR) card. Your PR card is your ticket to leave and re-enter Canada, as long as, it is valid. The PR card is valid for five years. You must satisfy your...