HomeAuthor Catherine Sas, K.C.

Once upon a time, prospective Canadian immigrants were masters of their own destiny. They could make an application for permanent residence as a skilled worker and so long as they paid the application fee, it would be processed - eventually. And so long as they met the selection criteria, they would become immigrants. But over many years, there developed a huge backlog of applicants. This led to the introduction of the Express Entry selection system where applicants are no longer in charge of their immigration destinies. The government ranks applicants based upon such factors as education, age, work experience and language proficiency in English and French and those with the highest scores are given an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Without an ITA, a person cannot apply for permanent residence to Canada. What alternatives are there for prospective applicants?

As a Vancouver immigration lawyer, I am often struck by the frequency with which clients come seeking help with an immigration matter that has arisen because of a lack of truthfulness in the application process. I am further surprised at the number of times that clients advise that they were told not be truthful by a former immigration professional.

It is a sad reality that when business people come to consult with our Vancouver immigration lawyers for Canadian immigration opportunities, we have very few options to provide them with. The Federal Investor and Entrepreneur programs were terminated in 2014. The current Start Up Visa category requires securing a Canadian financier to invest in a prospective business concept.

Canada’s Express Entry selection system can be a challenge for prospective immigrants who must score enough Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points in order to garner an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Now mid way through the fourth year of Express Entry, applicant scores earning an ITA have ranged from a high of 886 to a low of 413 but have recently settled in the mid 400’s over the past year. However, the bulk of prospective applicants in the pool, hover around the 400-point score range. How does a prospective Canadian immigrant increase their CRS score to be able to apply for permanent residence under Express Entry? Here are some tips to increase your CRS point score from the point of view of a Vancouver immigration lawyer.

International students are a key part of Canada’s economic immigration program. Under the Express Entry selection program, which is the cornerstone of Canada’s economic immigration program, applicants who have studied or worked in Canada garner more points than those who haven’t. Obtaining work in Canada is not so easy to arrange when you are in a different country and on another continent.

On February 7, 2018, Canada’s Minister of Immigration formally announced the closing of our two immigration programs for caregivers - the Caring for Children and the Caring for Persons with High Medical Needs.

Canada’s high-tech sector is booming and both the federal and B.C. provincial governments are welcoming workers with new fast track programs: The Global Talent Stream and the BC Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Tech Pilot. As a Canadian immigration lawyer, I have seen firsthand how these programs offer strategic opportunities for existing businesses who need highly skilled tech workers or for new companies looking to establish a Canadian branch office for their global tech operations.

For many foreign students in Canada, this is the means to Permanent Residence

The age for dependent children has been restored to under the age of 22 as of October 24, 2017. This means that applicants for permanent residence to Canada can include their dependent children up to the age of 22 in an application for permanent residence in any of Canada's immigration programs whether family sponsorship, Express Entry, business immigration, caregiver or refugee applicants.