CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

New Canadian immigration programmes - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | April 15, 2014 Dear Ms Powell, I was  told by a friend that the  Canadian Immigration office has released some new programmes this year. I can't seem to find the information on any websites. Can you tell me what these programmes are? - RM Dear RM, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) changes its immigration programmes on an annual basis and, therefore, we need to monitor the updates regularly. I have written several articles about the federal skilled worker categories which will be closed April 30, 2014, and new rules and schedules could be issued soon. However, as noted last week, the province of Quebec has announced a number of new measures under the skilled worker, investor and entrepreneur programmes. These new rules came into effect on April 1, 2014, and will run until March 31, 2015. Also, the province of Nova Scotia has some new programmes available this year. Quebec ...

Dear Ms Powell, I keep hearing about the Federal Skilled Worker Program and I would like to apply, but I'm not sure if I qualify. Can you tell me more about the programme and how I can qualify? What is the deadline for submitting the application? Is there anything that can disqualify me? - R.T. Dear R.T., The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Program is the most popular immigration programme. Most professionals have utilised this as an option to emigrate to Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is constantly changing the programme, based on the Canadian economy. There was a temporary pause on the programme in 2012, and was reopened in May 2013 with new rules and with a cap on the total number of applications that they would accept under each category. In the latest information received from CIC, the total number of applications that they have received is 3,831 of the potential 5,000 applications. Of the 24 eligible occupations listed by CIC, nine of these c...

Should I send employer money? - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | January 28, 2014 Dear Miss Powell, Someone offered  me a job as a helper in Canada and told me that I should send him CA$300 to process an 'LMO' application on my behalf. Should I send him the money? He sent me a contract so I know I would be earning more than CA$2,000 a month, so I don't mind sending him the money if that helps with the papers. What do you think? What is this LMO? If he gets the LMO, would I automatically get the visa to travel to Canada? How long after being there can I get citizenship? - AS Dear AS, DO NOT send any money to a prospective employer. Under no circumstances should an employer recover the cost of an LMO, which means 'labour market opinion' from an employee. The current cost of the LMO is CA$275. It is wrong for a prospective employer to ask a prospective employee to send money to him to pay for this document. DO NOT send him the money! An LMO is a docume...

Immigration officer's death causing me grief! - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | August 13, 2013 Dear Ms Powell, I  paid  J$86,000 to Mr Desmond Cherrington's Immigration Office in April 2011 for a job as a live-in caregiver. In the contract, it stated that, if they have not found any work between six and 12 months, a full refund of my money would be granted. In April 2012, a year had passed and so I requested my money. They were charging me US$3,000 plus I would pay for my work permit, medical and airfare different from the US$3,000. Half of that year, they were twisting me up and down, talking about the letter is not acceptable and to wait 30 days each time. In January this year, I took out a summons. I didn't get a court date until May and at the court I heard that Cherrington is dead. I am not the only one, and several people have called the Ministry of Labour and Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) of Canada, and it's like they...