Blog - Page 2 of 27 - Immigration Lawyer Vancouver, Canada

Blog International Students Studying in CanadaCanadian International Students take note – No more Flagpoling!

25 June 2024

It has been a rough year for international students in Canada. Firstly, in December 2023 the Minister of Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), The Honorable Marc Miller, increased the cost of living requirement for international students from $10,000 to $20,635. Soon after he imposed a restriction (and reduction) of the number of international students to Canada each year. Then he reduced the number of hours that international students can work while studying full time to 24 hours per week down from full time. He revoked the open spousal work permit for international student spouses at the college or undergraduate level. And this past week on June 21, 2024 he eliminated the option of obtaining a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the port of entry, a process commonly referred to as “flagpoling”. Now an international student applying for an initial PGWP, or an extension will be limited to applying for their permit from within Canada and waiting for it to be processed.

Blog Canadian Immigration ProgramsDear Immigration Minister: Our Federal Court Immigration System is in Shambles!

11 June 2024

I am proud to say that I have been serving immigration clients for over a decade since I was called to the British Columbia bar in 2011. A year earlier in 2010, I had my first opportunity as an articled student to help prepare written legal submissions for a Federal Court matter concerning a family whose application for permanent residence was refused because they had a child with a disability. It was an exhilarating experience to advocate for our client’s rights and to experience firsthand how the Court oversees the immigration decision-making process to ensure that it is transparent and fair. I was instantly hooked on this work. Fast forward to 2024 and I see a rapidly changing landscape where the Court is so bogged down with cases that it can no longer effectively serve this essential role.

Blog Business Immigration Canadian Immigration Programs Family Re-unification Family Reunification in CanadaCanada’s immigration program and Adam Smith: grappling with the laws of supply and demand

28 May 2024

Adam Smith is often considered the father of modern economics and a significant proponent of the law of supply and demand. This economic theory postulates that when supply of a good is in abundance prices will fall and when the supply is diminished that prices will rise. Applying the principles of supply and demand to Canada’s immigration program, the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is in the enviable position of being able to “set their price” by being choosy as to who, how and when they will select which applicants to be able to come to Canada. A quick review of a few of our current immigration programs demonstrates this reality.

Blog Family Re-unification Family Reunification in CanadaIRCC’s Parents and Grandparents Program Reopening Soon!

14 May 2024

Starting on May 21, 2024 the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will begin inviting eligible Canadian citizens and permanent residents over the course of approximately two weeks to sponsor their parents and grandparents for permanent residence in Canada. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the May 21 date.

Blog Business Immigration Canadian Immigration ProgramsImmigration Minister implements dramatic changes to Canada’s Business Immigration programs

30 April 2024

On Monday April 29, 2024 Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Marc Miller, introduced dramatic changes to Canada’s two federal business immigration programs effective the next day, April 30, 2024. These changes limit the processing of Start-Up Visa (SUV) cases to a total of 10 start-ups per designated organization per year. Further, the Self-Employed (SE) category is completely suspended until the end of 2026 with no further applications being accepted while IRCC clears out the backlog of pending applications and determines how to re-vamp the program. Immigration professionals are scrambling to understand the rationale for such drastic and immediate changes. Let’s take a closer look at Canada’s two business programs - the SUV and the SE.

Blog Canadian Immigration Programs How do I immigrate to Canada?Studying in Canada Working in CanadaThinking Outside the Box: Developing a Canadian Immigration Strategy

23 April 2024

Predictability for obtaining permanent residency status in Canada changed dramatically on January 1, 2015 with the introduction of the Express Entry (EE) selection system for permanent residence to Canada. EE introduced a new points based Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) measurement for selecting the “best and brightest” applicants. Prospective immigrants need to register a profile which goes into a pool of applicants enabling the government to set a standard for selection and control their intake. This model has been replicated throughout Federal, Provincial and Territorial selection systems. Intake control is central to output management and has become the norm for immigration selection.

Blog Canadian Immigration Programs How do I immigrate to Canada?International StudentsBC PNP Changes Longstanding Rules for International Master’s Students

26 March 2024

Last week on March 19, 2024, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) announced significant upcoming changes to its International Post-Graduate (IPG) stream that will make it more difficult for many international students who have graduated in BC with master’s degrees in natural, applied and health sciences to obtain a coveted provincial nomination to qualify for Canadian permanent residence. Post-graduate students already enrolled in these programs bristled at the news as they gathered in downtown Vancouver this past weekend to protest the proposed changes to the IPG stream that will take effect as of January 2025. They argue that these changes come without warning and will unfairly affect them since they made the important (and expensive) decision years ago to study in BC based on promises that will no longer be kept.

Blog Canadian Immigration Programs How do I immigrate to Canada?The immigration game has changed for Mexico

12 March 2024

On Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 11:30 PM Eastern Standard Time, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Honourable Marc Miller, re-imposed a visa requirement on all Mexican nationals seeking to come to Canada temporarily as visitors, students and workers. For many Mexicans currently in Canada, their Electronic Travel Authorizations (eTAs) were immediately canceled. For those seeking to enter Canada, it put an immediate hold on travel plans while the new rules are sorted out and visas obtained.

Blog Business Immigration Studying in Canada Working in CanadaWhat are your immigration options, when you have no other options?

27 February 2024

Many people are aware of the humanitarian and compassionate (H and C) application process for permanent residence to Canada which people can turn to when they are not able to access any other type of immigration application and when they can demonstrate compelling personal circumstances. H and C applications can be made from within Canada as well as from outside of Canada. However, the H and C statutory provisions exclude certain applicants, specifically persons found to be inadmissible to Canada pursuant to ss. 34, 35 and 37 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) on security grounds. If you have been found inadmissible to Canada on one of these grounds what are your possible options to overcome such a finding and either remain in or come to Canada?

Blog International Students Studying in CanadaThe Party’s Over! Dramatic changes are brought in to curtail Canada’s International Student Program

20 February 2024

On January 22, 2024, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, the Honourable Marc Miller made the seismic announcement that Canada will set caps to limit the number of new international students coming to Canada, with a goal to reduce overall levels by a whopping 35% over two years. Minister Miller did not mince words during his January press conference when describing the institutional wrongs he intends to right, citing the existence of “diploma mills” whose sole purpose is to turn a profit from international students, rather than ensuring they receive a quality education and experience in Canada. It has now been a month since Minister Miller's announcement was made, and we are now seeing trickle down effects in the ways that provinces and territories are adapting to these changes.

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HomeCanadian Immigration Lawyer Blog | Page 2

Blog International Students Studying in CanadaCanadian International Students take note – No more Flagpoling!

Blog Canadian Immigration ProgramsDear Immigration Minister: Our Federal Court Immigration System is in Shambles!

Blog Business Immigration Canadian Immigration Programs Family Re-unification Family Reunification in CanadaCanada’s immigration program and Adam Smith: grappling with the laws of supply and demand

Blog Family Re-unification Family Reunification in CanadaIRCC’s Parents and Grandparents Program Reopening Soon!

Blog Business Immigration Canadian Immigration ProgramsImmigration Minister implements dramatic changes to Canada’s Business Immigration programs

Blog Canadian Immigration Programs How do I immigrate to Canada?Studying in Canada Working in CanadaThinking Outside the Box: Developing a Canadian Immigration Strategy

Blog Canadian Immigration Programs How do I immigrate to Canada?International StudentsBC PNP Changes Longstanding Rules for International Master’s Students

Blog Canadian Immigration Programs How do I immigrate to Canada?The immigration game has changed for Mexico

Blog Business Immigration Studying in Canada Working in CanadaWhat are your immigration options, when you have no other options?

Blog International Students Studying in CanadaThe Party’s Over! Dramatic changes are brought in to curtail Canada’s International Student Program

19 November 2024End of an Era: Accelerated Student Streams Cancelled!

4 November 2024Parlez-Vous Francais? The new approach to achieving Canadian permanent residency

29 October 2024Trudeau Giveth….Trudeau Taketh Away: Understanding Canada’s new immigration levels plan.

22 October 2024More Changes to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program - Government Takes Aim at Employer’s Pocketbooks to Reduce Reliance on Foreign Workers

8 October 2024What a difference a year makes: Navigating the changes to Canada’s International Student Program

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