CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

Dear Ms. Powell I am a final-year student at the University of Technology, where I am completing my studies in computer science. I would like to become a citizen of Canada. I have an uncle there. Can you tell me how I can qualify to go to Canada when I finish studying? - O.J.   Dear O.J., Canada is one of the many countries that encourage qualified professionals to become permanent residents based on their education, experience, savings, and demonstration of ability to integrate and become a productive member of the Canadian society. Being trained as a computer scientist is a viable skill and you could have a bright career path in Canada. You may be eligible to immigrate to Canada through the express entry system as a Federal Skilled Worker (FSW). Under this category, a person is chosen based on his or her education, work experience and ability to integrate and make a valuable contribution to the Canadian economy. You indicated that you are currently completin...

Dear Ms Powell, I heard that I can get a Super Visa to go and stay in Canada for up to five years without going back and forth every six months. Can you tell me how to apply for a Super Visa? - B.D.  Dear B.D., Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has a category called the Super Visa that is usually granted for a maximum of five to ten years. Qualified individuals will be authorised to stay longer than the usual six months - from the date of entry, up to a maximum of two years - without paying a fee to apply to extend the time authorised to remain in Canada. However, this visa is only open to parents or grandparents of permanent residents and citizens of Canada, who are able to satisfy certain requirements. The main requirement is that you must be a genuine visitor and do not intend to work without a permit during your visit. You must also leave at the end of the time granted to stay within Canada. If you are a parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permane...

Dear Ms Powell, I am on long leave from my job as a teacher, and I'm visiting with my fiancÈ in New York. He wants us to visit his mother in Canada for the Christmas. Do I need a Canadian visa if I have a United States (US) visa? If I need a visa, can I just apply for it online or can I just visit the Canadian embassy here in New York? - I.J Dear I.J, Each country has its own rules and requirement for granting entry by a foreign national. So, if you are from a 'visa-required' country or territory such as Jamaica, Trinidad, St Vincent, Guyana, Sierra Leon and Bangladesh, you will need to apply for a temporary resident/tourist or visitor's visa to enter Canada. You cannot just use your US visa to enter Canada. Although you may have satisfied the US government that you should be granted a visitor's visa, you will still need to satisfy the Canadian authorities that you qualify for a tourist visa to visit Canada. If you are from a 'non-visa country...

Dear Miss Powell, I am a professional and I would like my family to move to Canada. The problem is that I don't have a job offer. I have paid two companies to help me find a job and nothing. I feel like I'm wasting time and money now that the system has changed. Some of my friends did self-sponsorship under the old system and they are gone. I spoke to a consultant who said the only way I can get through is through a job offer or go to school. I have a master's degree, my husband has a bachelor's degree and we have two children and we are already qualified so school is not an option. Can you help us? Life in Jamaica has become unbearable and I want the best for my children. F.M.   Dear F.M., There are a number of ways you can immigrate to Canada without a job offer. Some of the ways may not apply to you, but I'm mentioning them for the benefit of other readers. You can immigrate to Canada under family sponsorship class, refugee and humanitarian programme...

Dear Ms Powell, I became a permanent resident of Canada in 2010. I went up and tried without success to get a job and couldn't get one. I returned to Jamaica and got a really good job. I have since got married and had a child. I used to go back to Canada quite often to try to maintain my status. However the last time I visited was in 2014 when I was questioned a lot by the immigration officer. I felt so intimidated and harassed by the whole process that I haven't been back. My permanent residence card is now expired and I would like to return to Canada as I have a job offer and would like to take my family with me. What can I do? - ED Dear ED, There are several issues at stake here and I will outline the steps that you may take to deal with each issue. The first step is to deal with your expired permanent residence (PR) card. Your PR card is your ticket to leave and re-enter Canada, as long as, it is valid. The PR card is valid for five years. You must satisfy your...

Dear Ms Powell, I have a child with a Canadian citizen. I have not been able to get in touch with him or to get any support from him. He got in touch with me via Facebook to say that he was sorry for not keeping in touch and that he would like to sponsor his son. The problem is that he was not here when I had my child, and so his name isn't on the birth certificate. Will he be able to sponsor him still? How do I get his name on the birth certificate? Should I do a DNA test? I'm sure the results would show that he is the father, so I'm not scared of doing that. I just want my son to have a chance at a better life and would like to do what is best for him. Do I have to go to court to get this done? ME Dear ME, Your so n's father may be able to sponsor his son under the family class category provided that both can satisfy the requirements. You did not indicate your son's age; however, you should know that since August 1, 2014, a child is considered a dependent ...

Dear Ms Powell, Are there any opportunities for someone in construction? I went to trade school and I'm very talented. I just didn't have the money for college or university. I'm good at plumbing, drywall finishing, carpentry. Anything in building construction, I'm good at. I don't want to live in Ontario but I know Canada is very big. I have a six-year-old daughter and want to help her and her mother, too. How can we get to Canada? - PP Dear PP, There are many opportunities for tradesmen in Canada. In fact, the province of Saskatchewan just announced that they will be accepting 1,000 new applications under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Programme (SINP). This programme is one of the most generous programmes to date, so if you are interested you should apply immediately. OCCUPATION LIST There are 57 eligible occupations. Included in this are skilled workers and tradesmen such as: carpenters, drywall installers, plasterers, brick layers, cont...