CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWS AND TIPS

Dear Miss Powell, I am 83 years old and I usually spend winters in Jamaica. I have a helper who works with me when I am there. The doctors do not recommend that I go on any extended trip and I'm in need of some help here in Canada. I do not want to be in a nursing home. I would like my helper in Jamaica to come to Canada to work for me. How can I get my helper here? My neighbour said she sponsored her helper some years ago, but that the rules have changed a bit since then. Is there a way to get my Jamaican helper to come to work for me in Canada? - L.M. Dear L.M., A Canadian permanent resident or citizen can hire an international worker to assist them in their home in Canada, provided that both the Canadian employer and the international employee can satisfy certain requirements. Before you can make a job offer, you will first need to get a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the Canadian government. The LMIA will be your authority to hire an internati...

I mmigration Corner | Tell me about these changes : Dear Ms Powell, I saw online that professionals can sponsor themselves to become citizens of Canada. I tried a few years ago, but I didn't get through. A friend said that there have been changes to the system, and since I am a manager at a bank and my husband is a mechanic, we stand a good chance. My sister is also interested, and she works at a hotel as a chef. Can you please tell me what the changes are and how we can qualify? - C.J. Dear C.J., The Canadian government has several programmes under which individuals can apply to become permanent residents, and later, citizens. The programmes are monitored by Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Although family sponsorship is possible for parents, grandparents, children under 18 years, to name a few, many individuals have found that self sponsorship is a viable option. To qualify, individuals need to satisfy the requirements under the Federal Skilled Tr...

Dear Miss Powell, My granddaughter lives in Canada. Can she file for me? My daughter died recently and I don't have any other relatives here in Jamaica. I'm retired and she is 28, married, with one child. I think I could be helpful to her, plus it would be a joy to just be close to my granddaughter and her family. SW Dear SW, If your granddaughter is a permanent resident or a citizen of Canada, she can sponsor you to become a permanent resident of Canada under the family class category of parent and grandparent sponsorship. Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has limited the number of applications that it will accept on an annual basis to 10,000. The quota is currently full; however, the programme will be reopened on January 3, 2017. Therefore, now is the time to prepare your documents so that you can submit them promptly when they begin accepting applications. Your granddaughter must prove that she is financially able to sponsor you. This means th...

Immigration Corner | I fled abuse in Canada : Dear Miss Powell, I got married to a Canadian citizen and he filed for me. I got through and went to Canada. I was excited about my new life. However, from the day I landed in Canada I started getting all kinds of abuse. I decided to stick it out as I really love my husband. I found out that I was pregnant and I wasn't sure how he would take the news, so I asked a minister to talk to him about the way he is treating me. The minister called and talked to him and he got mad at me, saying I had no right to bring his business to the public. He hit me on my face and flung me across the room. I was so scared, I called my family in Jamaica and they said that I should leave him and come back to Jamaica before he kills me and the baby. I packed a bag when he went to work and returned to Jamaica to my parents. I've been in Jamaica about three weeks and my husband has called and threatened me almost every day. He said he is going to tel...

Dear Ms Powell, How can I get permanent residence in Canada? My husband is a chef and we would love to qualify. - W.L. Dear W.L., I am continuing my answer from two weeks ago, and I hope to provide you with tips on how to improve your Comprehensive Ranking Score, so that you can receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada. You will need to provide language reports for English and/or French. Canada is looking for individuals who can fill the gap in the labour market and contribute to the economy. They are looking for professionals or federal skilled workers, as well as certain specified skilled trade workers. TRADE WORKERS The skilled trades that are currently eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Programme and the Express Entry System are those that are classified as industrial, electrical, construction, maintenance and equipment operation, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production, processing, ma...

Dear Ms Powell, In 2014 I applied under the Federal Skilled worker programme to become a permanent resident of Canada. I was sure I would get through as I have relatives in Canada and high scores on my language exam. However, my package was returned as they said they had reached the cap. In 2015, I submitted my application under the express entry system. The computer system miscalculated my scores and there was nobody to speak with to complain. I stayed in the system hoping to get an invitation to apply. One year passed and I got notice that my profile expired. My problem is that my language exam results have expired and I have to re-sit. Why is the English report only valid for two years? I am from an English-speaking country and I have a master's degree. The date for sitting the exam is far away and the cost is high. Should I even bother trying? How can I sponsor myself and my family to go to Canada? My husband is a chef and I thought that would help our a...

Dear Miss Powell, I got a job offer from a Canadian company and I wanted to update my express entry profile, but I keep getting asked about an 'LMIA'. What is that? How do I get one? I know that if I have a job offer then I would get all the points I need to get permanent residence. Do I really need one? - AR Dear AR, LMIA is an acronym for Labour Market Impact Assessment Report. This was previously called the Labour Market Opinion (LMO). Usually an employer is required to apply to Service Canada for permission to offer a legitimate job to someone who is outside of Canada. The permission is usually granted once the applicant employer can prove to the authorities that there is a genuine shortage of individuals in Canada who can fill the position. After the employer submits the completed application, supporting documents and fees, a report will be prepared to show the impact that hiring a foreign worker has on the current Canadian job market. Service Canada will ex...