×

FREE ONLINE EVALUATION FORM

Find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada in less than 48 hours

Click Here

Canada Immigration and Visa Information. Canadian Immigration Services and Free Online Evaluation.

Canada Immigration and Visa Information. Canadian Immigration Services and Free Online Evaluation.

Immigration.ca is a leading Immigration to Canada portal

T: +1 (514) 487-2011
Email: [email protected]

Canadian Citizenship & Immigration Resource Center Inc.
4999 Ste-Catherine St. W
Suite 515
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H3Z 1T3

Open in Google Maps
QUESTIONS? CALL: +1 (514) 487-2011
  • Contact Us
  • LANGUAGES
    • English English
    • Français Français
    • Español Español
    • العربية العربية
    • Português Português
    • Русский Русский
  • Home
  • Profile
    • Profile

      • Immigration Attorney Profile
      • Authorized by the Government of Canada
      • Why Hire an Immigration Lawyer?
      • Client References
    • A Brief About Us

      • Our Canada based Law Firm is staffed with more than 25 licensed lawyers, licensed immigration consultants and technical personnel. Our firm represents international celebrities in the fashion industry and performing arts as well as some of North America’s largest corporations in their immigration and staffing projects.
    • Attorney Colin Singer – Video

  • Immigration
      • Canada Immigration Overview
          • Canada Immigration Overview

            • Canada offers many immigration options to members of the family class and the economic class (Skilled Workers & Business)



            • Evaluation Form


              Fill out our FREE Immigration Evaluation form and we will advise you within 48 Hours if you qualify to Immigrate to Canada.



              Click Here
      • Family Class Sponsorship Immigration
          • Family Class Sponsorship Immigration

            • Under the family class, sponsorship programs promote the reunion in Canada of Canadian citizens and permanent residents with their close relatives



            • Evaluation Form


              Fill out our FREE Immigration Evaluation form and we will advise you within 48 Hours if you qualify to Immigrate to Canada.



              Click Here
      • Express Entry
          • Express Entry

            • An Immigration system for skilled workers to Canada under federal economic programs. This includes federal skilled workers, federal skilled trades, Canada experience class, and certain provincial immigration programs



            • Evaluation Form


              Fill out our FREE Immigration Evaluation form and we will advise you within 48 Hours if you qualify to Immigrate to Canada.



              Click Here
      • Federal Skilled Worker
          • Federal Skilled Worker

            • The most popular immigration program suited to more than 300 occupations. This includes occupations in Management & Financial Services, Engineering & IT, Health Care, Hospitality, etc.



            • Evaluation Form


              Fill out our FREE Immigration Evaluation form and we will advise you within 48 Hours if you qualify to Immigrate to Canada.



              Click Here
      • Federal Skilled Trades
          • Federal Skilled Trades

            • A program offering immigration to trades professionals. This comprises more than 40 occupations such as carpenters, mechanics, electricians, plumbers, welders, technicians, and long haul drivers



            • Evaluation Form


              Fill out our FREE Immigration Evaluation form and we will advise you within 48 Hours if you qualify to Immigrate to Canada.



              Click Here
      • Canada Experience Class
          • Canada Experience Class

            • A program offering immigration to individuals who worked in Canada for at least 12 months



            • Evaluation Form


              Fill out our FREE Immigration Evaluation form and we will advise you within 48 Hours if you qualify to Immigrate to Canada.



              Click Here
      • Provincial Immigration
          • Provincial Immigration

            • Canada’s 10 provinces & 3 territories manage their own immigration programs



            • Evaluation Form


              Fill out our FREE Immigration Evaluation form and we will advise you within 48 Hours if you qualify to Immigrate to Canada.



              Click Here
      • Quebec Immigration
          • Quebec Immigration

            • The French speaking province of Quebec manages its own immigration programs



            • Evaluation Form


              Fill out our FREE Immigration Evaluation form and we will advise you within 48 Hours if you qualify to Immigrate to Canada.



              Click Here
      • Business & Investment Immigration
          • Business & Investment Immigration

            • Canada offers citizenship through naturalization and by birth in CanadaCanada admits immigrants under the Business Immigration program which comprises Investors , Entrepreneurs and the Self-Employed



            • Evaluation Form


              Fill out our FREE Immigration Evaluation form and we will advise you within 48 Hours if you qualify to Immigrate to Canada.



              Click Here
      • Refugee Immigration
          • Refugee Immigration

            • Canada is a world leader in offering protection to convention refugees



            • Evaluation Form


              Fill out our FREE Immigration Evaluation form and we will advise you within 48 Hours if you qualify to Immigrate to Canada.



              Click Here
      • Criminal Inadmissibility
          • Criminal Inadmissibility

            • When foreign nationals or permanent residents of Canada are found to have committed criminal acts, they may be deemed inadmissible to Canada.



            • Evaluation Form


              Fill out our FREE Immigration Evaluation form and we will advise you within 48 Hours if you qualify to Immigrate to Canada.



              Click Here
      • Canada Citizenship
          • Canada Citizenship

            • Canada offers citizenship through naturalization and by birth in Canada



            • Evaluation Form


              Fill out our FREE Immigration Evaluation form and we will advise you within 48 Hours if you qualify to Immigrate to Canada.



              Click Here
  • Temporary Visa
      • Canada Temporary Visa Overview
          • Canada Temporary Visa Overview

            • If you are a non Canadian and want to travel to Canada to visit, study or work, you may need a visa.

      • Canada Visit/Tourist Visa
          • Canada Visit/Tourist Visa

            • If you are a non Canadian and want to visit Canada for a temporary period, you may need a temporary resident visa (TRV). Many persons require an electronic travel authorization (ETA).

      • Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
          • Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

            • An Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is a new requirement for foreign nationals from visa-exempt countries arriving in Canada by air, whether to visit the country directly or to pass through in transit.

      • Canada Student Visa
          • Canada Student Visa

            • If you are a non Canadian and want to study in Canada at an approved institute, you will likely need a study permit.

      • Canada Work Permit
          • Canada Work Permit

            • If you are a non Canadian and want to work in Canada, you will likely need a work permit and fulfill other requirements.

      • Parents and Grandparents Super Visa
          • Parents and Grandparents Super Visa

            • If you are a parent or grandparent and you wish to visit a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you may apply for a temporary residence visa (Super Visa).

  • Study
        • Canada Study Assessment
        • Get admission to a Canadian University or College
        • Study in Canada: Steps
        • Why Study in Canada?
        • Work & Study in Canada
        • Canada Internships and Co-op Programs
        • Financial Requirements for International Students to Study in Quebec
        • Financial Requirements for International Students to Study in Canada
        • Study News Articles
        • Work After Graduation
        • Study in Canada FAQ
        • Find Universities in Canada
        • Find Colleges in Canada
        • Online IELTS Courses
        • Conditions to Qualify Under Quebec Experience Program
        • Proving French Abilities Under the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)
  • Employment
        • Canada Priority Residence Program (CPRP)
        • Job Search for Immigrants
        • Canada Employers
FREEEVALUATION
  • Home
  • Posts tagged "Citizenship and Immigration"
 

Hitting the Immigration wall

Friday, 23 October 2015 by Colin R. Singer

New policies jeopardize Canada’s future, damage international reputation

For decades, Canada developed a reputation as one of the most welcoming countries in the world. Since 2008, this is sadly no longer true. It is now much harder to get into Canada, to stay here permanently, and to become a citizen. This is due to a steady stream of changes by the federal government that affect virtually all aspects of our immigration and refugee policy.

Many of the changes came without public oversight, with the minister of citizenship and immigration acquiring the power to make significant changes by issuing “ministerial instructions,” thereby bypassing the democratic parliamentary process.

Despite immigration remaining fairly constant at approximately 255,000 immigrants per year over the past 10 years, more people in the economic class have been selected, fewer in the family class and far fewer refugees. With a current population of just under 36M, Canada should be admitting 288,000 newcomers annually, just to maintain its historical rate of immigration. But in the year ending July 1, 2015, Canada admitted only 239,800 immigrants during the 12-month period, down from 267,900 the previous year. The shortfall, close to 30,000 immigrants, places Canada’s per capita rate of immigration at .66 per cent, the lowest under the Harper government and far lower than the .8 per cent that was predominant prior to 2006. 

This represents a huge loss in human capital benefit to our country. In January 2015, a new system was introduced called Express Entry for the management of economic immigrants. The mid-year report of the program indicates that 85 per cent of successful applicants were already living in Canada as temporary entrants. This confirms a move toward a “two-step” immigration system where individuals first come to Canada temporarily and then try to make the transition to permanent residence.

The number of individuals temporarily working in Canada more than doubled between 2005 and 2013.  Yet many temporary workers, particularly those in lower skilled jobs, are ineligible to apply for permanent residence. The rest are competing with each other, international students, or individuals around the world for approximately 78,000 spaces available to applicants under Express Entry. Under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, there is a perception that Canada promotes an exploitive, revolving-door system that readily disposes its foreign workers.

For those who manage to become permanent residents whether in one step or two, changes to theCitizenship Act make it much harder for them to obtain Canadian citizenship. Fewer will succeed in becoming citizens, the true indicator of becoming part of this country. Applicants must also wait longer to qualify and cannot receive credit for time spent in Canada as students, or work permit holders. Older applicants face more difficult knowledge-based language tests. Those who obtain citizenship may be at risk of losing it due to policies in which dual citizens, including those born in Canada, can have their Canadian citizenship taken away with greater ease and minimal oversight. 

In the family class, recent changes make it practically impossible for people in Canada to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence. Children over 18 are no longer considered to be dependents who can be sponsored or accompany their parents to Canada. Sponsored spouses now enter Canada on a conditional basis for their first two years.

Perhaps the harshest changes are those aimed at refugees and refugee claimants, and in particular, legal reforms that deny due process to vulnerable asylum seekers under a discriminatory two-tier system based on nationality. The modifications are currently being challenged in Federal Court. The Conservatives even tried to eliminate the basic health care services to which refugees are entitled. The Federal Court struck down the government’s cuts to refugee health care, describing them as “cruel and unusual” because they jeopardize refugees’ health and shock the conscience of Canadians. 

Since mid-2013, Canada has settled less than 2,500 Syrian refugees. In January, the government announced the country would welcome 13,000 Syrian refugees over a three-year period. Yet there has been near silence until recently, when forced to respond to the ongoing international humanitarian crisis. In contrast, Germany plans to admit as many as 800,000 asylum seekers this year alone. Sweden, with a population almost four times smaller than Canada, took in more than 25,000 last year.

The Harper government’s pitiful refugee policies lay bare its punitive agenda against immigrants and refugees. In just under a decade, the federal government has jailed more than 10,000 migrants per year, including hundreds of children as young as age 16, without charge. Canada is one of only a few Western countries to have indefinite incarceration. Even permanent residents are now subject to arrest and detention, and could face deportation for even minor criminality such as driving while intoxicated traffic offences. 

Canada has traditionally been a safe haven to oppressed minorities across the world, being home to thousands of refugees from Vietnam, Hungary and Uganda, among other countries. In 1979, Canada opened its doors to 50,000 Vietnamese boat people fleeing the Indochina refugee crisis. But this has all changed under successive governments including the Conservative government, under which refugee acceptance rates have declined by 30 per cent. It has been very reluctant to admit refugees from Syria. When pressed recently on the matter of excessively long approval and processing delays, the Prime Minister asserted that national security background checks take long and the safety of Canadians is first and foremost. If Germany and Sweden can successfully orchestrate a much larger refugee program with similar safety and security concerns to guard against infiltration by terror groups, surely Canada could do likewise. It just needs a more compassionate government.

Immigration has been an important part of government agenda. It remains essential in most OECD countries, but especially in Canada, in part to offset demographic developments including low fertility rates, an aging population, a growing elderly dependency ratio, a shrinking labour force and high out-migration rates. Immigration policy decisions affect how Canada is perceived in the world and will shape our nation for generations to come. It is important that the next party to ascend to power give priority to addressing these failures in order that we regain our tarnished reputation.

Colin Singer is immigration counsel for www.immigration.ca and managing partner of Global Recruiters Network of Montreal. 

Source: LawyersWeekly | October 23, 2015

Citizenship and Immigrationtwo-step immigration system
Read more
  • Published in publications
No Comments

Closing our doors to the world (Audio)

Wednesday, 23 September 2015 by Colin R. Singer

For decades, Canada developed a reputation as one of the most welcoming countries in the world. Since 2008, this is sadly no longer true. It is now much harder to get into Canada, to stay here permanently, and to become a citizen. This is due to a steady stream of changes by the federal government that affect virtually all aspects of our immigration and refugee policy.

Many of the changes came without public discussion or debate with the minister of citizenship and immigration acquiring the power to make significant changes by issuing “ministerial instructions”, thereby bypassing the democratic parliamentary process.

Despite immigration remaining fairly constant at approximately 255,000 immigrants per year over the past 10 years, more people in the economic class have been selected, fewer in the family class and far fewer refugees.  With a current population of just under 36M, Canada should be admitting 288,000 newcomers annually, just to maintain its historical rate of immigration. But in the year ending July 1, 2015, Canada admitted only 239,800 immigrants during the 12-month period, down from 267,900 the previous year. The shortfall, close to 30,000 immigrants, places Canada’s per capita rate of immigration at .66%, the lowest under the Harper government and far lower than the .8% that was predominant prior to 2006.  This represents a huge loss in human capital benefit to our country.

In 2014, refugees represented less than 9 per cent of the immigration flow to Canada, while the economic class rose to nearly 70 per cent.

In January 2015, a new system was introduced called Express Entry for the management of economic immigrants. The mid-year report of the program, issued in July, indicates that 85 per cent of successful applicants were already living in Canada as temporary entrants. This confirms a move toward a “two-step” immigration system where individuals first come to Canada as temporary workers or international students and then try to make the transition to permanent residence.

The number of individuals holding temporary work permits and working in Canada more than doubled between 2005 and 2013.  Yet many temporary workers, particularly those in lower skilled jobs, are ineligible to apply for permanent residence, while the rest are potentially competing with each other, international students, or individuals around the world for the approximately 78,000 spaces available to applicants under Express Entry. Under Harper’s watch, there is an increasing perception that Canada promotes an exploitive, revolving door system that readily disposes its foreign workers.

For those who manage to become permanent residents whether in one step or two, changes to the Citizenship Act have made it much harder for them to obtain Canadian citizenship. As a result, fewer can apply and succeed in becoming citizens, the true indicator of belonging and becoming part of this country. Applicants must now wait longer to qualify and cannot receive credit for time spent in Canada as students, or work permit holders as under previous rules. Older citizenship applicants face more difficult knowledge based language tests. Those who obtain citizenship may now be at risk of losing it due to policies in which dual citizens can have their Canadian citizenship taken away with greater ease and minimal oversight. Even persons born in Canada to parents holding dual nationality could, in certain circumstances, face revocation of their citizenship.

Recent changes have made it practically impossible for people in Canada to sponsor their parents or grandparents for permanent residence while children over 18 are no longer considered to be dependents who can be sponsored or accompany their parents to Canada. Sponsored spouses now enter Canada on a conditional basis for their first two years.

Perhaps the harshest changes since 2008 have been those aimed at refugees and refugee claimants, and in particular, legal reforms that deny due process to vulnerable asylum seekers under a discriminatory two-tier system based on nationality.  These modifications are currently being challenged in Federal Court. The Conservatives also tried to eliminate the basic health care services refugees are entitled.  The Federal Court struck down the government’s cuts to refugee health care describing it as “cruel and unusual” because it jeopardizes refugees’ health and shocks the conscience of Canadians.  

Since mid-2013, Canada has settled less than 2500 Syrian refugees. In January, the conservatives announced we would welcome 13,000 Syrian refugees over a 3-year period, mostly through private sponsors. Yet our government has been near silent since then – until recently when it was forced to respond to this international humanitarian crisis. In contrast, Germany plans to admit as many as 800,000 asylum seekers this year alone, nearly 1% of its population. Sweden with a population almost four times smaller than Canada, took in more than 25,000 last year.

The Harper government’s pitiful refugee policies lay bare its punitive agenda against immigrants and refugees. Over the past 10 years, the federal government jailed more than 10,000 migrants per year, including hundreds of children as young as age 16, without charge. Canada is one of the only Western countries to have indefinite incarceration.   A credible report finds these policy changes imply reduced access to justice for refugees for whom consequences of refugee protection decisions are frequently life or death matters.   Even permanent residents are now subject to arrest, detention and could face deportation for even minor criminality such as driving while intoxicated traffic offences. 

Canada has traditionally been a safe haven to oppressed minorities across the world, being home to thousands of refugees from Vietnam, Hungary, and Uganda, among other countries. In 1979 and 1980 Canada opened its doors to 50,000 Vietnamese boat people who were fleeing the Indochina refugee crisis. But this has all changed under the Conservative government, which to date, has seen its refugee acceptance rates decline by 30%.  It has been very reluctant to admit refugees from Syria.  When pressed recently on the matter of excessively long approval and processing delays, Prime Minister Stephen Harper asserted that national security background checks take long and the safety of Canadians is first and foremost.  If Germany and Sweden can successfully orchestrate a much larger refugee program with similar safety and security concerns to guard against infiltration by terror groups, surely Canada could do likewise. It just needs a more compassionate government.

Immigration has been an important part of government agenda.  It remains essential in most OECD countries, but especially in Canada, in part to offset demographic developments, including low fertility rates, an aging population, a growing elderly dependency ratio, a shrinking labour force and high out-migration rates. Immigration policy decisions affect how Canada is perceived in the world and will shape our nation for generations to come. It is important that the next party to ascend into power give priority to addressing these failures in order that we regain our tarnished reputation.

About the author:

Colin R. Singer is immigration counsel for www.immigration.ca and Managing Partner of Global Recruiters of Montreal. He is one of Canada’s foremost senior corporate immigration attorneys. Colin is internationally recognized as an experienced and recommended authority on Canadian immigration and foreign recruitment. In addition to being a licensed human resources professional, he is a licensed Canadian lawyer in good standing with the Quebec Law Society for more than 25 years and is authorized by the Canadian government in all immigration matters.

Canada immigrationCitizenship and ImmigrationColin Singertemporary work permits in Canada
Read more
  • Published in September
No Comments

‘Barbaric Cultural Practices’ Bill to Criminalize Forced Marriage, Tackle ‘Honour Killings’ Passes Final Vote

Friday, 19 June 2015 by Colin R. Singer

A bill to outlaw forced marriage, prevent polygamist immigrations and tackle “honour killings” is set to become law.

Bill S-7, the Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act, passed its final parliamentary hurdle Tuesday evening, by a vote of 182 to 84. The governing Conservatives and Liberals voted for it, with the New Democrats and Green Party opposed.

The bill would raise the marriage age to 16 in addition to adding forced marriage to the Criminal Code. It would also toughen the laws around polygamy, aiming to prevent immigration by those who engage in the practice and making it easier to deport people who do. It would also toughen the rules around so-called honour killings, so that the defense of provocation can no longer be used in court.

Critics of the bill say both its name — the use of the word “barbaric” — and its substance are intended to stir fears of certain groups of immigrants as opposed to keeping women safe. Advocates for victims of forced marriage have also called for the bill’s amendment as they feel criminalizing the act will drive vulnerable women further underground.

But Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Chris Alexander says the bill is both necessary and prudent as it would make it possible for perpetrators of forced marriage and subsequent sexual assault eligible for life sentences. He said it’s also about making polygamy a reason an immigrant would be inadmissible to Canada.

While UNICEF has supported the bill for standardizing the age of marriage, which currently varies across the country, it has also called for the word “barbaric” to be removed from the title and other changes made. The bill, which has been passed by Parliament, has not been substantively amended.

In 2013, the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario released a report detailing 219 cases of forced marriage between 2010 and its release. Alexander said that’s just a snapshot and there are likely hundreds of more victims in Canada.

The Bill is expected to be signed into law by the Governor General shortly.

barbaricbarbaric cultural practicesCitizenship and ImmigrationCriminalize Forced Marriage
Read more
  • Published in June
No Comments

Are you eligible to Immigrate to Canada?

Find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada in less than 48 hours by filling our FREE Online Evaluation form. Click Here. 

 

Close

Newsletter

Recent Posts

  • Ontario Making Skilled Trades An Immigration Priority

  • Why Entrepreneur Immigration Candidates Should Consider Saskatchewan

Site Search

FREE ONLINE EVALUATION FORM

Find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada in less than 48 hours

Click Here

Canada Immigration

  • Home
  • Profile
  • Immigration
  • Temporary Visa
  • Study
  • Employment

Other Links

  • Canada Case Law
  • Immigration News Articles
  • Immigration Wiki
  • Immigration Manuals
  • Operational Bulletins
  • Online IELTS Courses
  • International Business Programs
  • Universities Evaluation Form
  • Colleges Evaluation Form
  • Publications

Help

  • Free Immigration Evaluation
  • Immigration Discussion Forum
  • Immigration FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Telephone Consultation
  • Download Our New Mobile App
  • Link to Us
  • Sitemap
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Statement
  • Fraud Alert

Contact

Tel: +1 (514) 487-2011


Fax: +1 (514) 487-2385



Canadian Citizenship & Immigration Resource Center
(CCIRC) Inc.

4999 Ste-Catherine St. W
Suite 515
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H3Z 1T3

©Copyright CCIRC Inc. 2018. All rights reserved.

TOP
  • Home
  • Profile
    • Immigration Attorney Profile
    • Authorized by the Government of Canada
    • Why Hire an Immigration Lawyer?
    • Client References
    • Back
  • Immigration
    • Canada Immigration Overview
    • Family Sponsorship Immigration Overview
    • Express Entry
      • Federal Skilled Worker
      • Federal Skilled Trades
      • Canada Experience Class
      • Back
    • Provincial Immigration
    • Quebec Immigration
    • Business and Investment Immigration
    • Refugee Immigration
    • Criminal Inadmissibility
    • Canada Citizenship
    • Back
  • Temporary Visa
    • Canada Temporary Visa Overview
    • Canada Visit/Tourist Visa
    • Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
    • Canada Student Visa
    • Canada Work Permit
    • Parents and Grandparents Super Visa
    • Back
  • Study
    • Canada Study Assessment
    • Study News Articles
    • Get admission to a Canadian University or College
    • Study in Canada: Steps
    • Why Study in Canada?
    • Work & Study in Canada
    • Canada Internships and Co-op Programs
    • Work After Graduation
    • Study in Canada FAQ
    • Find Universities in Canada
    • Find Colleges in Canada
    • Online IELTS Courses
    • Conditions to Qualify Under Quebec Experience Program
    • Proving French Abilities Under the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ)
    • Financial Requirements for International Students to Study in Quebec
    • Financial Requirements for International Students to Study in Canada
    • Back
  • Employment
    • Canada Priority Residence Program (CPRP)
    • Job Search for Immigrants
    • Canada Employers
    • Back
Free Immigration Evaluation
Click Here

Free Immigration Evaluation Forms

  • Skilled Worker Assessment
  • Business Immigration Assessment
  • Family Class Sponsorship Assessment
  • Trade Worker Assessment
  • Canada Study Assessment
  • Telephone Consultation