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As of October 17, 2018, cannabis will now be legal for recreational use in Canada. The new laws permit individuals to possess, use and grow cannabis - also commonly referred to as marijuana or pot. While “recreational use” of “pot” will now be permitted in Canada, there are still many restrictions that apply. What does this mean for people coming to Canada whether to visit, work, study or live permanently?

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.

As September marks the start of another school year, it also marks the arrival of many of Canada’s international students. Often for international students, coming to study in Canada is not just to obtain an education but is the start of a path to permanent residence.

In meeting with prospective Canadian immigrants, we are often asked what will help them succeed in the Express Entry selection system. While there is no one specific factor for consideration, there is a combination of skills and experience that will enhance your ability to qualify for Canadian permanent residence and earn that vital Invitation to Apply (ITA). Let’s see how you can enhance your chances for selection under Express Entry.

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.

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.

Canada’s government firmly believes that immigration plays a vital role in our society and its economy. In the past few years, Canada has made clear that we want to grow our immigration levels to offset our aging population and has introduced new program initiatives to attract more skilled talent from across the globe. With unprecedented levels of immigration inevitably come growing pains.

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.