CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

Dear Miss Powell, My son studied in Canada and then received a graduate work permit. That permit is about to expire, and he is worried that his work permit may now be renewed because of the changes. I am wondering what his options are to remain in Canada now. Please advise us as we are hoping that he could eventually get to live permanently. Your kind response would be appreciated. J.T.    Dear J.T.  I have received several questions from international students wondering about their options to remain in Canada, since Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made several changes to the immigration policies. Your son and others should not panic as there are currently several options to remain in Canada and we remain hopeful that there will be new policy updates to assist graduates to become permanent residents. I will outline below the temporary and permanent options that are available. Remain as a worker   Your son may also apply to remain in Canad...

  Dear Miss Powell, Why does it cost so much to go to Canada? I spoke to a consultant and he said I need to have at least CDN$15,000 to pay to go Canada. Honestly, Miss Powell, if I had that amount of money to give the Canadian government, I wouldn’t need to leave Jamaica. I am a professional with a little savings with my mother, and an old house that my grandmother left me, but I can’t give that money away. Why do they charge so much? Is there a programme that doesn’t need so much money? AF Dear AF, If you wish to apply via the Express Entry System under the Federal Skilled Worker Programme, or Federal Skilled Trade Worker, you must demonstrate that you have the financial means to support yourself and your family when applying for permanent residence, with a few exceptions. The required amount is called ‘settlement funds’. The government of Canada does not take the funds from you. The only fees taken from you after you receive an invitation for permanent residence are the applicat...

  BOOK A ZOOM CONSULTATION Dear Mrs Powell, I follow you on Facebook and I was hoping to see a post about my situation. Since I haven’t, I am writing to ask a few questions, and hope you will answer my question in  The Gleaner . I am a chartered accountant with three years experience. My husband is 35 years old and I’m 29. My husband and I are interested in living in Canada. He is an accountant as well. We are just wondering if we would qualify seeing that I don’t have a bachelor’s degree, like my husband. I am qualified through ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Does Canada recognise ACCA? Another issue is that I have two part-time jobs. Not a full-time job. Would that qualify me? I keep hearing that Canada has a backlog of applications. Is now a good time to apply? Please let us know if we have a chance of qualifying, as we would like to live in Canada and start a family there. CB Based on the information you provided, you could be a strong candidate unde...

  Dear Miss Powell, I want to apply for a study permit, but it takes a lot of money and effort to go through the process. A friend told me that Canada doesn’t have an officer looking at applications, they use this Chinook computer programme. I know five individuals whose applications were rejected. They say that most individuals don’t stand a chance right now, as they pay their money and it’s a computer that just spits out rejection letters. Is it fair that they are using this Chinook system? Can you tell me more about this system? How can I beat this system? I would really like to pursue my masters, but concerned that my application won’t stand a fair chance. My aunt who lives there is encouraging me to apply, but I don’t know if it’s a good idea. Maybe I should look at England or the USA. What do you think? Thank you in advance for responding to my question. BOOK A ZOOM CONSULTATION Dear LD, Since the pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been criticis...

Dear Miss Powell, I am an accountant and I want to move to Canada to be with my family, but the IELTS exam is killing me. I have taken the exam four times and I can’t seem to get a good-enough grade to apply under the express entry programme. I am just horrible at doing exams. I do well enough in speaking, but can’t get over six for writing, listening, or reading. Is there any way I can become a permanent resident of Canada without sitting the exam? Someone said I should try the school route. What do you think? Can that work? Thank you for your help. – AO Dear AO,   Most of Canada’s immigration programmes require that you prove your competence in at least one of Canada’s official languages. For English, the required language exam is the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), General Training examination, or the Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Programme (CELPIP) – General Examination. For French, you would need to sit the TEF Canada: Test d’évaluation de ...

   REQUEST A ZOOM/TELEPHONE MEETING  Dear Ms Powell, I am an insurance executive, and I am interested in Canada for two reasons. First, I would like to visit to see if Canada is somewhere I would like to live. Second, I would like to apply to live there if I find that I like the place. The issue is that I hear that to make any application, I need to show that I have enough money for both the visit and to move there. My question is this. How much money do I need for the visit, and how much money if I were applying to stay there as a self-sponsored person. What documents would they need as proof? Thank you in advance for your time and response. – SA f you are planning to visit Canada, you must provide evidence that you can support yourself and the family members who will be travelling with you. There is no fixed amount that you must show when applying for a visitor’s visa. However, you should clearly show that you have the resources for your travel. This inclu...

BOOK A TELEPHONE MEETING    Dear Miss Powell, I was doing some research about how to apply to go to Canada and I came across on of your articles. You mentioned that not all work experience after university would be acceptable under the Express Entry System, as Canada is looking for work experience based on certain NOC codes. I am a little confused about where my work experience falls, as I see various codes for the same occupation. I look forward to your response. – HB Dear HB Your question comes at an opportune time as Statistics Canada has recently published an update to the National Occupational Classification (NOC). These codes are usually used by government departments such as Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and to review applicants’ eligibility under the Express Entry System, as well as for temporary foreign worker programme . WHAT IS A NOC CODE? This is a national reference code used to identify occupations. Under the current system, each occupation i...