HomeAuthorCatherine Sas, K.C., Author at Immigration Lawyer Vancouver, Canada | Sas & Ing Immigration Law Centre - Page 8 of 17

COVID-19 has introduced an extraordinary number of measures which affect virtually every aspect of immigration processing but, interestingly enough, it has created a new line of business - the quarantine plan.

At the end of 2019, Canada’s Express Entry economic immigration selection program had just completed five full years of operation. From the perspective of our Vancouver immigration law practice, it was operating smoothly.

As immigration lawyers, we are frequently approached by both aspiring business immigrants as well as Canadian business owners who are keen to sign a deal and transfer ownership of a business with a view to the prospective business immigrant securing their family’s status in Canada and the Canadian business owner securing their family’s retirement. A mutually beneficial arrangement! Sadly, Canada’s federal business immigration programs don’t contemplate such an arrangement as a means of obtaining Canadian permanent residence, thwarting the dreams of both prospective business immigrants and Canadian business owners not to mention the loss of investment in the Canadian economy.

While the Canadian border is closed to many, Canada’s Minister of Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced travel restriction exemptions for Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) recently on March 26, 2020. The measures are intended to reduce, where possible, the negative impact of coronavirus on Canada's economy.

As the world grapples to contain the rapid spread of the Coronavirus, all facets of Canada’s immigration program have implemented changes including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) and the Federal Court.

The Coronavirus continues to spread at lightning speed both in China and around the globe. The Government of Canada has done its part to assist permanent and temporary residents as well as pending applicants to be able to able to either come to or remain in Canada on an urgent basis to minimize health risks to individuals.

The start of a new year is always a good time to ponder what lies in store in the coming months. In immigration terms, there can be no better indicator than to look at a new Minister of Immigration’s engagement letter from his boss. In assigning the role of Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to MP Marco Mendicino, Prime Minister Trudeau set out his expectations and gave some strong clues of what Canadians and prospective immigrants can anticipate in the coming year.

This past November the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) was introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) opening a path for permanent residence for applicants willing to settle permanently in smaller, northern communities across Canada. Following upon the success of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot program, IRCC solicited communities to participate and at the time of introduction of the program, 11 communities across western Canada and Ontario had registered.