CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

Canadian looking to work in the US - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | October 30, 2012 Dear Miss Powell: I am a Jamaica-born, Canadian citizen. I got tired of the cold and so I recently returned home to Jamaica, with the intention of setting up business here. But things don't look so promising here in Jamaica. I am struggling to get my business off the ground. I noticed that you mentioned in a previous article that Canadian citizens may move to the United States (US) and so I am looking at opportunities of working in the US. In fact, I have done a telephone interview and I may get a job offer soon. Can you tell me how I can qualify as a Canadian citizen to work in US? - AV Dear AV I am sorry that your return to Jamaica is not as you expected. You indicated that you wanted to set up business in Jamaica. I'm not sure what kind of business you were thinking of. However, I would recommend that you speak to JAMPRO, Jamaica Business Opportunity Service (JBOS), Business Advisory ...

Is my non-Canadian fiancé's divorce a problem? - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | October 23, 2012 Dear Miss Powell, My fiancé  and I are regular readers of your column. My fiancé is a Jamaican living in Jamaica and we are planning to get married in Toronto next year. When I visited the registry office to get the information about what I will need to get a marriage licence, they told me that I  need a lawyer's opinion on the validity of my finance's divorce in Jamaica. I showed them a copy of my fiancé's divorce papersand they insisted that I see a lawyer. Why would they doubt his divorce? Why would they need an opinion letter? Should my fiancé get a lawyer in Jamaica or here? How long will this take to be processed? Will this affect whether I can sponsor him to come to Canada later? Please advise as soon as possible, as I have already begun to make plans for our wedding here. - TD Dear TD, Congratulations on your upcoming marriage. You do not need to panic about t...

New rules for immigration to Canada - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | October 16, 2012 Dear Miss Powell: I heard that Canada has changed the requirements for professionals who want to move to Canada. Why have they made this change and what are the changes that we can expect? How does this affect the point system? - D.D. Dear D.D., Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced that as of July 1, 2012 they have put a temporary pause on accepting applications under the Federal Skilled Worker programme. This does not affect persons qualifying under the PhD programme and those who have arranged employment in Canada. CIC has chosen to put a pause on these applications to ensure that they are able to adequately manage the files that they have already received and to re-evaluate their point system to "ensure that immigration works for Canada's economy and that there are greater opportunities to be  realized  by immigrants ... " (Jason Kenny, minister of citizenship, im...

What can I take to Canada? - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | October 9, 2012 Dear Ms Powell, Thank you  for the good work you are doing. We appreciate the information you are sharing with us. I just have a small question. I am planning my first visit to Canada for the Christmas holidays. Everyone seems to want lots of Jamaican stuff like food, rum and coffee. I don't want to disappoint them, but I hear that Canada is very strict about what you can take and that there is a limit on items. I do not want to be charged for extra things or to have any hassle at the airport in Toronto, so can you tell me what I can bring? S.K. Dear S.K. When you are visiting Canada, the airline usually gives you a declaration card to complete before landing. If you do not get one on the plane, ensure that you pick up one when you land in Toronto. On this form, you will be asked to declare the items that you are taking into and leaving in Canada. The acceptable items are: 1. Gifts val...

I want to expand my business to Canada - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | October 2, 2012 Dear Miss Powell, I am  a successful businessman in Jamaica, and I am looking to expand into Canada and to become a Canadian citizen. Could you please advise regarding what my options are? Thank you. - JB Dear JB, I am pleased to hear of Jamaicans who are interested in launching international businesses. Congratulations! Business immigrants have various options available to them. These include applying as an investor, entrepreneur, self-employed persons, or taking advantage of the Intra-Company Transfer Programme. Investor/ Entrepreneur As an investor or entrepreneur, you will need to be prepared to invest a minimum of CDN$800,000 to own or manage a company in Canada. You should also be able to satisfy the required experience and net worth criteria. While these are two of the many programmes and ways of immigrating to Canada, you should note that there is a temporary pause on the acceptan...