CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

BOOK A TELEPHONE MEETING    Dear Miss Powell, I keep hearing that there is a shortage of labour in Canada, but it looks like they have scrapped the Federal Skilled Worker Programme as I haven’t heard of anyone being selected lately. I am waiting to see if they will start selecting people again before I apply, as I don’t want to waste my time and money. Are they still selecting people from outside of Canada? What other options are there to move to Canada? Should I be exploring other opportunities in other countries? What do you think? – AH Dear AH Canada has been recognised as one of the best countries for immigrants and I have written articles highlighting some of the benefits of living in Canada. Furthermore, Canada has one of the most generous immigration systems in the world. In fact, the government announced last year that they intend to welcome 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021, 411,000 in 2022, and 421,000 in 2023. Canada has over 80 economic class of immigration p...

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...

Dear Ms Powell, I'm thinking of applying under the express entry programme, but I don't know if I would qualify. I understood the selection process under the skilled worker programme, but I'm now a little confused about this new programme. I'm 28 years old, married to another professional, and we both have bachelor's degrees from the University of the West Indies. Would I qualify? How much points would I get? Can you tell me how they are now selecting persons to go to Canada? - P.A. Dear PA, The express entry system is not a new programme. It is an electronic system to manage the existing economic programmes, that is, the Federal Skilled Worker Programme (FSW) the Federal Skilled Trade Programme (FST), The Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and some of the Provincial Nominee Programmes (PNP). Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has introduced a new way of awarding points to individuals. Under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), individuals are a...

Dear Ms Powell, I am  an international student in Ontario and my study permit expires this year. I am interested in a work permit so that I can stay in Canada. How can I get a work permit and ultimately remain in Canada indefinitely? B.T. Dear B.T, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has a programme called the Post Graduate Work Permit Programme (PGWPP) which is to help international students gain valuable Canadian work experience after graduating from a participating Canadian post-secondary institution. Under this programme, the length of time that will be granted for work permits will be based on the length of the programme from which you graduated. For example, if you graduate from a four-year degree programme, you could be eligible for a three-year work permit, if you meet the requirements. If you graduated from an eight-month certificate programme, you would be eligible for a work permit that is valid for no more than eight months. If your programme is under e...

The facts about Canada's express entry - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | January 13, 2015 I work at a hotel in Jamaica and all I seem to hear is everyone talking about express entry to Canada. A friend just lost her job, and now she claims that she is leaving her baby father to go to Canada. She said she emailed a consultant who told her about express entry and that anyone can get a green card for Canada. I am confused. Can you give me the basic facts so that I can be better informed and all my friends can stop hyping up about moving to Canada as I can't see why Canada would want anyone who is unemployed, has six children, and no money. Can you please just give me the truth about this new programme? - H.Y. Good day H.Y., Express Entry is not a new programme. It is a system to manage the existing economic immigration programmes to Canada. That means for one to qualify, he would need to be eligible under at least one of the existing economic programmes such as ...

Do I qualify for the skilled worker programme? - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | October 7, 2014 Dear Ms Powell, I am 47 years old and have a degree in tourism management. I am currently working in a hotel in Canada. I would like to know if I qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker Programme (FSWP) , Canadian Experience Class, to remain in Canada as I am sure that my employer would say yes to my sponsorship, if I request it. The only thing is that I do not want to get stuck in the job I currently have. How can I apply to stay in Canada permanently? - JJ Dear JJ, Since you are already working in Canada, you stand a good chance of qualifying under one of the programmes to become a permanent resident.  The programmes that you could qualify under are usually based on your current occupation, work experience, age, education and whether or not you can get a valid job offer. Federal Skilled Worker Programme You have indicated that you have a ...

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...