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...

I mmigration Corner | Tell me about these changes : Dear Ms Powell, I saw online that professionals can sponsor themselves to become citizens of Canada. I tried a few years ago, but I didn't get through. A friend said that there have been changes to the system, and since I am a manager at a bank and my husband is a mechanic, we stand a good chance. My sister is also interested, and she works at a hotel as a chef. Can you please tell me what the changes are and how we can qualify? - C.J. Dear C.J., The Canadian government has several programmes under which individuals can apply to become permanent residents, and later, citizens. The programmes are monitored by Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Although family sponsorship is possible for parents, grandparents, children under 18 years, to name a few, many individuals have found that self sponsorship is a viable option. To qualify, individuals need to satisfy the requirements under the Federal Skilled Tr...

Dear Miss Powell, My granddaughter lives in Canada. Can she file for me? My daughter died recently and I don't have any other relatives here in Jamaica. I'm retired and she is 28, married, with one child. I think I could be helpful to her, plus it would be a joy to just be close to my granddaughter and her family. SW Dear SW, If your granddaughter is a permanent resident or a citizen of Canada, she can sponsor you to become a permanent resident of Canada under the family class category of parent and grandparent sponsorship. Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has limited the number of applications that it will accept on an annual basis to 10,000. The quota is currently full; however, the programme will be reopened on January 3, 2017. Therefore, now is the time to prepare your documents so that you can submit them promptly when they begin accepting applications. Your granddaughter must prove that she is financially able to sponsor you. This means th...