Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney engaged in a Live Chat through the Globe and Mail website a week ago, which allowed Canadians to ask questions to both the minister and Rob Oliphant, who is the Canadian Liberal Multiculturalism critic.
A series of well-rounded questions were asked, and several questions sparked miniature debates between Kenney and Oliphant. Questions included whether there were plans to increase or decrease the number of newcomers per year (Canada has the highest number of newcomers per capita annually with 250,000 people), how “boat” refugees should be treated, why processing times for family immigration applications seem to differ across countries (for example, spouses applying from South America can wait over a year while spouses from Asia may only wait a few months), whether including parents and grandparents in the family reunification program drains Canada’s social systems and how the government can remove the obstacles foreign-trained doctors face when trying to establish their careers in Canada.
With regards to how Canada treats and accepts “boat” refugees, such as those from last year’s Ocean Lady, the recent MV Sun Sea docking in British Columbia as well as the very recent arrival of a boat that docked in Atlantic Canada containing refugees, Minister Kenney said that the government needs to create a no tolerance policy in order to get the message to smugglers that those people, who pay them large sums of money to smuggle them, will not be accepted. When asked by the chat moderator when those developments may be seen, Kenney told him to “stay tuned”, as the government is working on ideas currently.
An interesting question in particular was how the government plans on spreading immigrants to smaller cities and towns instead of major centres like Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Kenney responded that the Provincial Nominee Program has reduced the number of immigrants settling in the three major Canadian cities from 80 per cent to 60 per cent over the last five years, with increased numbers of people settling in Manitoba, the Prairies and in Atlantic Canada.
Some of the initiatives though CIC have been indeed positive while others problematic as discussed at length in our blogs.
Any information provided here does not constitute legal advice and is intended for general information only. Should you require legal advise, you are encouraged to contact a lawyer directly. All blog postings are public and are not subject to solicitor/client confidentially
Can I travel outside Canada can renew my PR Card while I am outside Canada?
Dear Reymond,
If you are asking whether you can renew your PR Card while you are outside Canada, the answer is yes. Details of your renewal application will vary depending on the reason why you are outside Canada.
Hope this helps.
If I buy a house in Canada, would I be able to immigrate to Canada?
Dear Faddy,
If your question is about the Immigrant Investor Program, the conditions you need to satisfy are that you have a minimum net worth of C$1,600,000, business experience, and make a C$800,000 investment in Canada. Your investment will be return to you about five years after payment.
Hi,
I have a multiple visa valid until 2013. My passport is not expired. I am married now and has a different last name. Can I still use this passport? My passport contains a visa I had obtained before. Can I continue using this passport?
Hi I am a Philipino married to a Canadian spouse. Can I apply for permanent residence under the spousal sponsorship category while I am in Canada on a temporary resident visa or is it better to apply in the Philippines. Thank you.
Dear MJ,
You may apply for a spousal sponsorship application while you are in Canada on a temporary resident visa. We have a few clients who apply for their sponsorship application while they are in Canada on their visitor visas. Alternatively, you may submit your sponsorship application first while you are in the Philippines then apply for a temporary resident visa.
In these types of situations, what’s more important is that you prove “dual intent”. This means that you wishes to become a permanent resident at the same time you want to come to Canada temporarily as a visitor. As visa officers will look closely into whether you will return to your home country after your short visit to Canada as a visitor, your pending or future permanent residence application under the spousal sponsorship category will likely raise a flag on your visitor visa application.
For this reason, we have had many clients, especially from South Asia and Eastern Europe, where their visitor visas are refused because they have pending or future spousal sponsorship application. To be successful, you have show that you have dual intent and your intent to permanently relocate to Canada won’t necessarily affect your intent to visit Canada temporarily. This requires clear legal arguments and sufficient documentation.
As such, I highly recommend that you consult with a qualified immigration lawyer to carefully prepare a strong application in order to not to get refused entry.
Hope this helps.