The beginning of a new year is often a time to contemplate what to expect in the coming months.
For many years it has been possible to submit immigration applications online as an alternative to the traditional method of submitting paper applications. Only recently, however, has Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) begun introducing applications that can only be submitted online. This online trend affects many programs, including CIC’s Express Entry System.
The question of how to sponsor your spouse who is already in Canada seems like a rather simple one. Indeed if you put that question to a CIC call centre representative, their answer is almost always as follows: "If your spouse is in Canada you use the Inland Spousal sponsorship category but if your spouse is outside of Canada, you use the Family Class category". As in most things to do with our Canadian immigration system, the answers to such questions are never that straightforward. Let's review the differences between the Family Class and the In-land Spousal categories.
Express Entry is a selection process that is comprised of four separate permanent resident processing streams: Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Trades Program(FSTP) and the Provincial Nominee Programs( PNP). Even before registering in the Express Entry pool, it is necessary to determine that you meet the requirements for one of these programs.
Over the past several weeks we have reviewed BC’s new business immigration program that was re-opened on July 2, 2015. As can be seen, the BC PNP Entrepreneur stream is...
As we learned in our last issue, the new BC PNP Entrepreneur immigration stream now has a scoring system that allows PNP officers to select only the highest scoring applicants and provide them with an Invitation to Apply ( ITA).
On July 2, 2015 the BC PNP program re-opened their business immigration category for entrepreneurial applicants. The new system requires prospective applicants to pre-register with an online profile that will allow the provincial government to quickly assess registrants based upon a number of criteria. A scoring component is used to select those applicants with the highest scores will be given an Invitation to Apply (ITA), which is required to submit a business application to the BC PNP office. Let's review the scoring criteria to see how to get that pivotal ITA!
On July 2, 2015 the provincial government introduced it's new and improved BC PNP business program - the Entrepreneur immigration stream. The BC PNP entrepreneur immigration stream is targeting experienced entrepreneurs who are ready to invest in and actively manage a business in BC. The program now requires applicants to pre-register on line providing general information such as their age, education, proficiency in English, financial ability, business experience and previous travel to BC, for which they will score points. Following the lead of the new federal Express Entry immigration program, only the highest scoring registrants will be provided with an Invitation to Apply (ITA) and will be required to complete their application to the BC PNP within four months. Let's review some of the key features of BC's new business immigration program.
The remaining revisions to Canada's Citizenship laws came into force on June 11, 2015. Last year the government introduced Bill C-24, the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act which introduced many changes to the citizenship application process. However, many of those were not implemented until just recently. Most significantly the eligibility period for citizenship has increased and residency requirements have been defined to a strict physical presence in Canada. Prospective citizens must also be resident in Canada for tax purposes and demonstrate that they meet their personal income tax obligations.
Once you have gone through the process of becoming a permanent resident of Canada, you are still bound by legislative requirements to maintain your Permanent Residence (PR) status. Many people misunderstand the ongoing residency requirement or confuse it with the residency threshold for Canadian citizenship. Furthermore, there are several exceptions to being physically present in Canada that allow you to still satisfy the residency requirement while being outside of Canada and people have a tendency to interpret these "exceptions" to their own advantage without truly understanding their legal significance. Let's review what it takes to maintain your PR status.
Sas and Ing Immigration Law Centre LLP
A partnership between Catherine Sas Law Corporation and Victor Ing Law Corporation
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