CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

Dear Miss Powell, I spoke to an immigration lawyer in the USA, and she told me that I would qualify for an O1 visa as I have published several books. Does Canada have an O1 visa programme like the USA? I would like to know if I could qualify to live in Canada, since I’m a published author and have received a few prizes for my work. I prefer Canada over the USA, as I have relatives there. Also, if there is a similar programme, what is the processing time? Thank you. KL Dear KL Highly skilled individuals may qualify to get an O1 visa to work in the USA and then apply for a green card or permanent residence in the USA. This is a non-immigrant visa classification reserved for individuals who have been recognised for outstanding contribution to society in the areas of arts, business, education, athletics, sciences or the motion picture or television industry. Individuals may qualify for O1A or O1B based on their extraordinary abilities. Canada does not have a programme called O1 visa. Howev...

Dear Miss Powell, I would like to immigrate to Canada with my family as a self-employed individual. How can I qualify? How much money will I need? Is there a language restriction? I don’t speak French. Do I need to speak French? I look forward to your response. HH Dear HH, Entrepreneurs, business people and self-employed individuals may have an opportunity to live permanently in Canada if they are able to satisfy the requirements of the federal government of Canada and, in some cases, satisfy the requirements of the province of interest. There are two most popular programmes: the self-employed programme and the  S tart-up  V isa programme. You must be able to clearly demonstrate that you are able to meet the criteria for each, and pass the medical and security tests. SELF-EMPLOYED To qualify, you must first demonstrate that you meet the definition of a self-employed person in accordance with the immigration rules. Individuals who would qualify under this...

Immigration Corner | Will they take my money? :  Dear Ms Powell, I recently got an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada. When I applied for express entry, I put in my application that I have CDN$20,000 to bring to Canada. This was based on the fact that I plan to sell my house after I get to Canada and check out the place. Now I have to provide proof of the cash and I don't have that amount of money in my bank account! I don't want to sell my assets yet, as I don't know what the future will bring. What if I go there and decide I don't want to live there? Is there a way around this? What will they do with the funds anyway? Will I need to present the funds when I am entering Canada? Can I borrow the money? - A.A. Dear A.A., When you submit an application under the express entry system, you are asked specific questions to determine your eligibility to come to Canada as an economic immigrant and to integrate into the Canadian society. Part...

Dear Ms. Powell, I recently finished my degree at University of the West Indies (UWI) and job prospects here seem very slim. I would like to do the self sponsorship programme to become a citizen of Canada. I have a half sister living there, plus my Dad said he would give me the funds. How do I sponsor myself? Do I need to have a job offer before I apply? How easy is it to get through? How long will it take? Thank you for taking the time to guide me as I see so many advertisements out there that I don't know who to trust and I don't want to get scammed. B.L. Dear B.L. Canada has several immigration programmes under which you could apply to become a permanent resident, provided that you can meet the requirements. The main programmes are the Federal Skilled Worker Programme, Federal Trades Programme, Canadian Experience Class and Provincial Nominee Programme . These programmes are accessible via the Express Entry System. It is a two-step process which involves, f...