HomeAuthor Victor Ing

As an immigration lawyer I am frequently asked about what the best strategy is to obtain Canadian permanent residence. It is no secret that each year Canada welcomes more “economic” immigrants, who qualify for permanent residence based on their work experience and skills, compared to any other category of immigration.

One of the most important aspects of my work as a Vancouver immigration lawyer is to help clients plan an efficient pathway to achieve their immigration goals. While most of my Canadian immigration clients have a good understanding of which immigration programs they might be eligible to apply under, many clients do not have a good understanding of how their past criminal history can affect their eligibility to immigrate to Canada.

At the same time as the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) re-launches its popular Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship program, the fate of another popular program – the Inland Spousal Open Work Permit (“OWP”) pilot program for spouses and common-law partners living in Canada – remains in limbo merely days before it is set to expire on January 31, 2019.

Immigration levels will continue to rise in Canada over the next three years – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is expected to welcome as many as 350,000 new permanent residents per year by 2021.

Christmas came early this year for Canadians and permanent residents who have parents or grandparents living abroad and who are wanting to come to immigrate to Canada. Starting in January 2019, the parents and grandparents sponsorship program (“PGP”) will be re-opened on a first-come-first served basis to accept 20,000 applications to help families reunite in Canada.

Many international travelers are well-versed in border security and customs protocols at ports of entry. Yet many people find it stressful to be questioned by a border security officer, worrying that they may say the wrong things. Horror stories abound about delayed or cancelled trips as a result of interrogations gone wrong. Some travelers find themselves being referred for extra questioning every time they travel to Canada.

As a Vancouver immigration lawyer, I often meet with clients asking for advice on how to overcome a refused application or even two or more refusals. You might be wondering why somebody would wait to ask for advice after receiving a refusal or why they would make unsuccessful application after application expecting a different result.

Families hoping to reunite with their parents and grandparents in Canada will be ecstatic to learn that their chances of helping their loved ones immigrate have drastically improved. Effective July 28, 2018, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship has increased the cap on the number of sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents that will be processed each year by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) from 10,000 to 17,000.