HomeAuthorCatherine Sas, K.C., Author at Immigration Lawyer Vancouver, Canada | Sas & Ing Immigration Law Centre - Page 4 of 17

Family reunification is a fundamental cornerstone of Canada’s immigration program. Parents are able to sponsor their dependent minor children and spouses can sponsor their spouses whether from abroad or from within Canada. While a birth certificate is proof positive of a parental relationship, establishing a spousal relationship can be much trickier. Spousal relationships include marital and common law relationships and Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) can go beyond a mere marriage certificate to determine whether a relationship is genuine.

Federal employees of Service Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), and the Canada Border Services Agency (CSBA) are all members of the largest workers union in Canada: The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). Many of the non-essential workers of PSAC went on strike on April 19, 2023, which is expected to cause significant delays and disruption to immigration-related services across the country.

Navigating the age limit for dependent children in Canadian immigration applications can seem challenging. However, being well-informed about this process is vital for optimizing your children’s inclusion in your own immigration application. We aim to clarify the age limit for dependent children in Canadian immigration applications and offer examples to help you better understand this process.

Humanitarian and Compassionate (“H&C”) applications are often the last resort for persons left with no other means of immigrating or remaining in Canada due to their personal circumstances. Under s.25(1) of the Immigration, Refugee and Protection Act (“IRPA”), H&C applications can be made from inside or outside Canada as an alternative to meeting the usual criteria for immigration. Individuals who are otherwise inadmissible to Canada may also be able to apply for special consideration based on H&C grounds.

Canadian work experience is often the key necessity to qualifying for permanent residence in Canada. While several other features are important – such as foreign education and foreign work experience along with language proficiency, Canadian work experience is highly significant. Having practiced immigration law for over 30 years and employed many new and aspiring Canadian immigrants, I would like to share my observations. Currently, many Canadian businesses are struggling to find workers and our office is no exception. We are frequently searching for office administrators and/or legal assistants – two occupations that are amongst the most common as the basis for applying for permanent residence. As an employer and immigration lawyer, I would like to provide some insights to securing that vital Canadian employment on your immigration journey.

Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC) coding system was first published in the 1990s to classify all the occupations in the Canadian labour market and has been used for decades to evaluate prospective immigrant’s work experience. It has been updated every few years such as the minor changes introduced with NOC 2016, but the newest update that the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is rolling out on November 16, 2022 is something to be on the lookout for.