CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

Dear Miss Powell, I am 83 years old and I usually spend winters in Jamaica. I have a helper who works with me when I am there. The doctors do not recommend that I go on any extended trip and I'm in need of some help here in Canada. I do not want to be in a nursing home. I would like my helper in Jamaica to come to Canada to work for me. How can I get my helper here? My neighbour said she sponsored her helper some years ago, but that the rules have changed a bit since then. Is there a way to get my Jamaican helper to come to work for me in Canada? - L.M. Dear L.M., A Canadian permanent resident or citizen can hire an international worker to assist them in their home in Canada, provided that both the Canadian employer and the international employee can satisfy certain requirements. Before you can make a job offer, you will first need to get a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the Canadian government. The LMIA will be your authority to hire an internati...

Dear Ms Powell, I am on long leave from my job as a teacher, and I'm visiting with my fiancÈ in New York. He wants us to visit his mother in Canada for the Christmas. Do I need a Canadian visa if I have a United States (US) visa? If I need a visa, can I just apply for it online or can I just visit the Canadian embassy here in New York? - I.J Dear I.J, Each country has its own rules and requirement for granting entry by a foreign national. So, if you are from a 'visa-required' country or territory such as Jamaica, Trinidad, St Vincent, Guyana, Sierra Leon and Bangladesh, you will need to apply for a temporary resident/tourist or visitor's visa to enter Canada. You cannot just use your US visa to enter Canada. Although you may have satisfied the US government that you should be granted a visitor's visa, you will still need to satisfy the Canadian authorities that you qualify for a tourist visa to visit Canada. If you are from a 'non-visa country...

What am I doing wrong? - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | October 28, 2014 Dear Ms Powell, I  submitted  my application under the federal skilled worker programme. I submitted everything they asked for and the forms came back twice. I'm confused and time is running out. What could I be doing wrong? - TP Dear TP, I'm sorry to hear that your application form was returned. It is not uncommon for persons who do not have the required experience with dealing with applications to the various immigration authorities, to have their application rejected, because of various errors or omissions. I am not able to say the particular problem with your application without first reviewing the documents. However, I will outline below some of the common mistakes made by applicants. 1. Incomplete or inconsistent forms A major problem with most visa applications is that individuals provide incomplete or inconsistent information in their application. CIC will not overl...

Look out for immigration scammers - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | June 10, 2014 Dear Ms Powell, I am  a truck driver working in Jamaica and I am eager to work in Canada. Someone told me about an agency here in Jamaica and I contacted them. They said they can guarantee me work in Canada and that they can get me the work permit. They are charging me CA$4,000 to get this done. They mentioned that the CA$4,000 is to prepare my documents. However, a friend got a job at a hotel and said she didn't have to pay so much for hers. I tried linking with that person who helped her, but the man said he was only looking for hotel workers. Then I heard that I can get permanent residence and don't need a work permit. I see all kinds of advertisements online and in the newspaper. I'm very confused. I don't want to get scammed. How can I know who is legit? - PS Dear PS, I have written several articles advising people about immigration scams. In fact, since Citizenshi...