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We are more and more frequently being consulted by individuals seeking advice as to how to remedy their situations in Canada where they have received improper or even illegal advice from immigration professionals. Frequently, the circumstances facing the individuals coming to see us are due to unreasonable expectations about how to remain in Canada or obtain status that is not generally permitted.

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.

Life in Canada can be challenging for temporary residents who are suffering abuse at the hands of their Canadian employers or loved ones. Many vulnerable individuals in these situations are afraid to speak out about the abuse they are suffering because they do not want to compromise their own immigration status in Canada. Fortunately, the Canadian government announced new initiatives in May 2019 for foreign workers and accompanying spouses to escape from abusive situations while legally maintaining their immigration status.

There are numerous documented examples of aspiring applicants for Canadian immigration falling prey to unscrupulous immigration consultants and advisors. These advisors, many of whome are based around the world, can end up sabotage their client’s chances of settling down in Canada, either temporarily or permanently.

In January 2013, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) first introduced an identification and security measure known as biometrics with a view of strengthening Canada’s immigration programs through identity theft prevention and effective screening for previous criminal or immigration history.

With the elimination of Canada’s federal Investor and Entrepreneur programs in 2014, prospective business immigrants have had to turn to the Provincial Nominee Programs (“PNPs”) as a means of obtaining Canadian Permanent Residence. Most business immigrants tend to establish their businesses in larger urban centers.

It may seem odd that in certain circumstances a grandson or granddaughter can sponsor a grandparent but a father or mother can’t sponsor their child. However, the immigration law surrounding sponsorship is not as straightforward as it seems, and more often than not, the reverse is true: it is harder to sponsor a grandparent than a daughter or son.

This past Friday, May 31, 2019, while speaking at the Canadian Bar Association’s National Annual Immigration Law Conference, Minister of Immigration and Refugees, Ahmed Hussen announced before the Immigration bar that R.117(9)(d) - collectively viewed by the majority of Canada’s immigration lawyers as the most odious and draconian piece of legislation in all of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) - would no longer apply to many Canadians sponsoring their spouses or dependent children.