CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

Dear Miss Powell, I spoke to an immigration lawyer in the USA, and she told me that I would qualify for an O1 visa as I have published several books. Does Canada have an O1 visa programme like the USA? I would like to know if I could qualify to live in Canada, since I’m a published author and have received a few prizes for my work. I prefer Canada over the USA, as I have relatives there. Also, if there is a similar programme, what is the processing time? Thank you. KL Dear KL Highly skilled individuals may qualify to get an O1 visa to work in the USA and then apply for a green card or permanent residence in the USA. This is a non-immigrant visa classification reserved for individuals who have been recognised for outstanding contribution to society in the areas of arts, business, education, athletics, sciences or the motion picture or television industry. Individuals may qualify for O1A or O1B based on their extraordinary abilities. Canada does not have a programme called O1 visa. Howev...

Dear Miss Powell, I would like to immigrate to Canada with my family as a self-employed individual. How can I qualify? How much money will I need? Is there a language restriction? I don’t speak French. Do I need to speak French? I look forward to your response. HH Dear HH, Entrepreneurs, business people and self-employed individuals may have an opportunity to live permanently in Canada if they are able to satisfy the requirements of the federal government of Canada and, in some cases, satisfy the requirements of the province of interest. There are two most popular programmes: the self-employed programme and the  S tart-up  V isa programme. You must be able to clearly demonstrate that you are able to meet the criteria for each, and pass the medical and security tests. SELF-EMPLOYED To qualify, you must first demonstrate that you meet the definition of a self-employed person in accordance with the immigration rules. Individuals who would qualify under this...

Dear Ms Powell, I have been a farmer for the last 10 years and have been seeing a nice Canadian woman for about two years. She visits all the time and stays with me. She said she could help me become a citizen and set up a farm in Canada. However, I don't want any woman to have any control over me, so I want to know if there is a way for me, as a decent farmer man, to go to Canada. My lady is nice but I want to be independent, just in case things don't work out. I have some savings and don't have a chick or child here in Jamaica. I want to explore how I can get to Canada and set up a farm there. What can I do? WN Dear WN, Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), formerly known and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), has always encouraged self-employed individuals, such as farm managers, cultural and athletic individuals, with relevant experience and qualifications, to apply for and become permanent residents of Canada. Ther...

I want to work in Canada - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | March 18, 2014 Dear Ms Powell, I  was  born in Jamaica and work in Jamaica, but I am also a citizen of the United States (US). I am interested in working in Canada and I heard that US citizens can work in Canada without applying for a work permit. Is this so? How would I go about doing this? How long could I work? Is this possible under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)? - CJ Dear CJ, There are very few jobs that would require a non-resident/citizen of Canada to work without a valid permit. Since you are a citizen of the US, to be able to work in Canada, you would need to fall in one of the following categories: 1.  Become a permanent resident; 2.  Work in one of the specified fields that do not require a work permit, for example: some business visitors, athletes, clergy, performing artistes, public speakers, news reporters, film and media crews; 3.  Have a job ...

Mulling move - News - Jamaica Gleaner - Tuesday | January 14, 2014 Dear Miss Powell, My wife and I have assessed our lives here in Jamaica and we want better for ourselves and our children. We have relatives in Canada and master's degrees, so we were thinking of the  federal  skilled worker   programme. We, however, heard that there were other programmes that we could explore. We would like to know how we can get Canadian citizenship. We own our own home, vehicles, and have a net worth of over US$1 million. What is the best way to apply to move to Canada? - MM Dear MM, There are several ways that one may immigrate to Canada. The main avenues are via the following programmes: 1.  Federal skilled worker 2. Federal skilled trades 3. Canadian experience class 4. Investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed 5.  Family sponsorship 6. Provincial nominees 7. Live-in caregivers I have  written on each category  before and the p...