CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

FIND OUT IF YOU QUALIFY TO COME TO CANADA    Dear Miss Powell, I have been a manager with a security company for over seven years. I have been contemplating migrating to Canada about two years now with my wife and son. What are my chances of getting through? What is the fastest way to get through? Is Canada still accepting applications? I want some help, but with all the scamming I don’t know who to trust. Any help you can give would be appreciated. A.B. Dear AB, Canada is still accepting applications from individuals worldwide via their website for the various immigration programmes. It is a wise move to apply now, as the government has been focusing on increasing the number of applications that it accepts over the next few months, to stay on target with it immigration goals for this year. Individuals, from time to time, ask what their chances are in being granted permanent residence in Canada. While I would love to help as many people as possible, I need more information tha...

Dear Ms Powell, I just got my study permit and will be attending school in Canada for a year. My ultimate goal is to live there permanently. I heard that I can work when I have finished studying. Is that automatic? Will they send me a work permit once I finish school? I want to self-sponsor and bring my family to live with me. What do I do when I finish studying to be able to do that? Thanks for your guidance. - YR Dear YR, Congratulations, you have chosen one of the many pathways to becoming a permanent resident of Canada. Many individuals have chosen the study-permit route to becoming a permanent resident, especially if they do not meet the requirements to self-sponsor under the express-entry system. I am pleased that you are being proactive about setting up an immigration plan to achieve your goals. For now, I would recommend that you focus on doing well in school and finding a part-time job while studying. Students are authorised to work up to 20 hours per week when ...

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...

New immigration programmes - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | April 29, 2014 Dear Ms Powell, After reading  some of your past articles, I think I would fall under the Federal  Skilled  Worker  category. I remember seeing an article where you noted that Citizenship and Immigration Canada(CIC) would announce new programmes at the end of April, this year. Do you have any information about that? - WK Dear WK, Many prospective  immigrants  have been eagerly waiting for CIC to announce their new programmes for 2014 - 2015. I'm pleased to say that we now have a list of eligible occupations under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), Federal Skilled Trade Program (FST) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) category effective May 1, 2014. I'm very excited about the new changes, as more people can qualify to make Canada their home. CIC will be accepting more applications than before. There is still a cap on the number of applications t...

Quebec needs nurses - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | April 8, 2014 Dear Ms Powell, I am  a nurse from Jamaica and I have been working at a hospital for the past seven years. Are there any programmes in Canada for nurses? What immigration programme would suit me? Is it easy to find nursing jobs in Canada? How much would a nurse make? - LC Dear LC, The Canadian Nurses Association has predicted that a staggering 60,000 nurses will be needed by 2022 to deal with labour shortages in Canada. Registered Nurses would be required to fill positions such as: ❏ Nurse practitioners ❏ Nurse researchers ❏ Specialised nurses (burn patient, dialysis, cardiology, nephrology) ❏ Nurse instructors ❏  Psychiatric nurses  ❏ Nurse technicians Nursing is one of the careers that require an individual to have a licence to practise in the province that they choose to live. There is no national registration; therefore, you must be registered by the re...

Dear Ms Powell, I keep hearing about the Federal Skilled Worker Program and I would like to apply, but I'm not sure if I qualify. Can you tell me more about the programme and how I can qualify? What is the deadline for submitting the application? Is there anything that can disqualify me? - R.T. Dear R.T., The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Program is the most popular immigration programme. Most professionals have utilised this as an option to emigrate to Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is constantly changing the programme, based on the Canadian economy. There was a temporary pause on the programme in 2012, and was reopened in May 2013 with new rules and with a cap on the total number of applications that they would accept under each category. In the latest information received from CIC, the total number of applications that they have received is 3,831 of the potential 5,000 applications. Of the 24 eligible occupations listed by CIC, nine of these c...

How do I apply for permanent residency? - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | February 18, 2014 Dear Ms Powell, I came across your article in the  Jamaica Gleaner  online and I have a small question. For the past 12 years, I have worked in Canada as a seasonal worker. Someone told me that I can apply for  permanent  residency , but I'm not sure if I qualify or how to go about it. I want to do things the right way, so I'm writing to you to help me. - KJ Dear KJ, You can apply to become a  permanent  resident  under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). This category is open to temporary foreign workers and  foreign students . To be eligible, you must have acquired a minimum of 12 months of legitimate full-time or equal amount of part-time work experience within the last 36 months, plan to live outside of the province of Quebec, meet the language requirements. I am not sure what type of work you were doing, but there are a few  major...