Month: March 2024

Every Canadian citizen and permanent resident is entitled to mobility rights as per Section 6 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The charter has ensured for every permanent resident the right to move, settle and earn a livelihood anywhere in the country.

Section 6(2) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states:

Every citizen of Canada and every person who has the status of a permanent resident of Canada has the right

• a) to move to and take up residence in any province; and
• b) to pursue the gaining of a livelihood in any province

It means you can move anywhere in Canada as a permanent resident.

Canada does not have any rules that require permanent residents to stay in a particular province. But the case is a bit different for PNP immigrants. The primary aim of the provincial nominee programs is to attract immigrants who can contribute towards the province’s economy. So obviously, the provinces want their nominees to stay in their province permanently. In their case, Canada has made provisions to ensure that the PNP immigrants are not using Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) for a back-door entry to the country.

Many PNP immigrants want to leave the province of their nomination and move to another province immediately after landing. But provincial authorities can prosecute them for misrepresentation. Because, when a person accepts the nomination of a province, he expressed his intention to live in the country that nominated him. In such cases, there are also chances for the permanent residency status of the immigrant to be declined or rejected.

But there is one way for PNP immigrants to move to another province. It is by proving that the province that nominated them could not provide an occupation in their nominated NOC. But the provincial authorities must be convinced that the concerned person tried his best before deciding to move to another province.

Following are a few things that you can do as a provincial nominee before moving to another province in order to avoid landing in troubles:

• Look for another job in the province that nominated you
• Document all your job searching activities
• Approach the office of immigration in your province
• Let the officials know the efforts you have taken to find a job
• If the officials are convinced about your reason to move to another province, you will be allowed to leave

Remember, it is ideal to get the province’s approval for your decision to move in writing

Want to know more about Provincial Nominee Programs and Canada immigration? Contact us now!

Working while studying in Canada is a good option for international students which will help them meet their expenses, while gaining valuable work experience. Canada offers a number of job opportunities to international students, both on and off campus. These jobs offer good remuneration too. The only thing the international students have to be careful about is to choose the jobs that do not cause any extra burden for them while being in Canada.

International students have three major options to earn while learning

Off campus work:

The international students must meet the relevant official requirements to work off campus. The student must prove that he is a full-time student at a publicly funded institution or at a private institute authorized to confer degrees.

On campus work:

International student can work on campus at the institution where they are studying. A student can work up to 20 hours a week during normal academic sessions and full time during semester breaks.

Internship programs/coop programs: Students attending certain courses in Canada will have to work as part of their studies. The students will be awarded degree only if they produce relevant work experience, be it off campus or on campus.

Here are five top jobs that help you earn while you learn in Canada

Graduate assistant:

Graduate assistant jobs are of three types– Graduate General/Administrative Assistants, Graduate Research Assistants and Graduate Teaching Assistants. The duty of an administrative graduate assistant is to assist the staff of the administrative office of the University or a particular department. Graduate research assistants mainly have research-oriented responsibilities such as researching on internet, field work, laboratory experiments etc. Graduate teaching assistants assist professors in their teaching duties.

Store Management:

International students with sufficient skills in accounting can look for a part-time job as a store manager. Part-time store keeper jobs are also available for international students.

Language teacher:

  You can earn by teaching your native language to those interested. Many universities have clubs for extra-curricular activities. Learning a foreign language is an activity chosen by many students. By teaching your native language, you also help the students from other countries to know more about your homeland.

Tour Facilitator:

Many students work as a tour facilitator for the tour and travel companies of their native country. This is a job that will allow you to earn a few extra bucks in the form of incentives.

Translator:

You can work as a freelance translator or part-time translator to earn a decent remuneration. But you have to have mastery over both the languages and excellent writing skills.

Contact us to know more about studying in Canada

Canadian citizenship, with all the rights and privileges that come with it, is a much coveted status for many. Every year, around 250,000 persons apply for permanent residence in Canada, which is the first step towards obtaining Canadian citizenship.

Canadian citizenship is not easy to obtain. But if you meet all the requirements and strictly follow all the laws concerned, you will be awarded Canadian citizenship.

Steps involved in obtaining Canadian citizenship

• The first step involved in obtaining is gaining permanent residence status in Canada. You can obtain permanent residence through one of the various immigration programs of Canada or its provinces. If you already have a student visa or work visa of Canada, you may upgrade to permanent residence status.
• Once you are a permanent resident, you will have to stay in Canada for at least 1095 days in five years in order to apply for citizenship. This need not be consecutive days. You must also have paid income tax for at least three years out of these five years.
• You have to be able to effectively communicate in English or French, the two official languages of Canada. You will have to submit a proof of your language proficiency when you apply for citizenship. If you do not submit an acceptable proof, your application might be turned down.
• The application process

You can download the application form for Canadian citizenship from the website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada(IRCC). Read the instructions carefully and fill the application. You will receive a document checklist along with the application form. You can submit the photocopies of all the documents along with the application. The required documents include transcripts, school records, travel records, permanent residence card, ID card, etc.

The completed application form and necessary document will have to be sent to :

Case Processing Centre – Sydney

Grant Adults

P.O. Box 7000

SYDNEY, NS

B1P 6V6

If you are sending the application by courier, the address is:

Case Processing Centre, Sydney

Grant Adults

49 Dorchester Street

Sydney, Nova Scotia

B1P 5Z2

You will also have to pay the application fees, which will be specified in the instruction manual. The fees, which is non-refundable, have to be paid while applying for citizenship.

You can get information regarding the processing time of application from the IRCC website.

• Once your application is accepted, you will receive a notice for your citizenship test and interview. Take the test and appear for the interview
• If you pass the citizenship test and interview, you will receive a notice to appear for the Citizenship Oath. You will receive the certificate of Canadian citizenship at this ceremony.

You will not be eligible for Canadian citizenship if:

You have a criminal record or you are facing criminal charges inside or outside Canada

You have been ordered to leave Canada

You have been denied citizenship citing misrepresentation or your Canadian citizenship has been revoked

You have not fulfilled the terms and conditions of permanent residence status

Need more information on Canadian citizenship or Canada immigration? Contact us now!

David Heurtel, the immigration minister of Quebec, informed the other day through Twitter that his ministry was planning to introduce certain changes to the immigration system of Quebec. The changes were originally outlined in March and these include introduction of a new Expression of Interest system. The minister expressed hope that the new changes will reduce the processing time of applications for immigration and enhance the Quebec economy. The changes are expected to come into force on August 2nd, 2018.

Here are four important things you must know about the new immigration regulations of Quebec:

Express Entry-style ‘expression of interest’ immigration system

The new Express Entry-style ‘expression of interest’ (Déclaration d’intérêt) immigration system to be introduced on June 2 is meant for the selection of economic immigrants to the province of Quebec. The system will be applied for the selection of candidates through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program(QSWP). The Ministère de l’Immigration, et de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion (MIDI) has already explained that the QSWP application process, under the new regulations, will include:

• The candidate submitting an Expression of Interest to settle in Quebec
• MIDI inviting the candidate to apply for a Québec Selection Certificate (Certificat de sélection du Québec, or CSQ)
• Candidate submitting an application for the Québec Selection Certificate to the MIDI.
• Candidate submitting the federal portion of the application upon obtaining the Québec Selection Certificate

Faster processing of applications

David Heurtel, the immigration minister of Quebec, says in his Tweet that the new system is designed to decrease processing times and help the province of Quebec maximize the potential of the immigration system as a driver for economic growth in the province. Quebec is aiming to reduce the processing time of applications for the economic immigration to less than 12 months.

Similar to federal Express Entry system

The new Expression of Interest immigration system will replace the ‘first-come, first-served’ model of the Quebec Skilled Worker Program. Under the new system, the candidate will have to first enter a pool of candidates similar to the Express Entry pool in order to apply. The profiles submitted to the Expression of Interest system will be valid for 12 months.  In the lines of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), the candidates will also be assigned a fresh points total. The Quebec Government will conduct periodic draws and select eligible candidates using a sliding points threshold.

New Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP)

Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) will also undergo certain changes that will come into effect on August 2, 2018. The minimum investment requirement will be hiked from $800,000 to $1.2 million. The minimum required net worth amount will also be increased, from $1.6 million to $2 million. Another major requirement to apply for immigration under Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) is two years of experience in management or business within the five years preceding the application.

Quebec has an autonomous immigration system and enjoys much independence to create its own immigration programs. It also sets annual immigration levels independent from the rest of Canada. Since 2016, Quebec has not accepted any new applications for immigration. After the introduction of new regulations, the province is expected to admit around 30,000 skilled workers every year.

Contact us to know more about Canada immigration

Becoming a Canadian citizen is a dream for many people across the world. The quality of life and the rights and privileges that Canadian citizens are entitled to are the major factors that make Canadian citizenship a much coveted status. How does one become a Canadian citizen? There are many ways, and in some cases you may automatically become a Canadian citizen. For example, if one of your parents is a Canadian citizen, you might have already become a Canadian citizen. But in such cases, you will have to apply for and obtain a ‘proof of citizenship’ in order to claim your citizenship rights.

Now let’s explore the ways through which one becomes a Canadian citizen.

The ways through which one becomes a Canadian citizen

One becomes a Canadian citizen if:

-he/she was born in Canada

– becomes a citizen owing to the changes to the Citizenship Act

-he/she applies for and obtains Canadian citizenship (naturalization)

-becomes a Canadian citizen as a minor when a parent or legal guardian applies for his/her citizenship and obtains

-he/she was born outside Canada and at least one of his/her parents was born in Canada or naturalized in Canada before his/her birth

Permanent residency programs

The most common pathway for a foreign national to become a Canadian citizen is the various permanent residency programs of the Canada Government. Under these programs, one has to first become a permanent resident in Canada. Then, once the candidate satisfies all the residency requirements, he/she becomes eligible to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

Canada has set certain eligibility criteria for a foreign national to become a permanent resident. These criteria are different for different permanent residency programs. But the most common factors that are considered include age, language proficiency, work experience, education qualifications etc.

Even after becoming a permanent resident, the candidate has to meet certain residency requirements in order to be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship. The candidate is supposed to live in Canada for a minimum three years out of five as a permanent resident to become eligible.

Becoming a Canadian citizen without applying

In some cases, an individual may automatically become a Canadian citizen if one of their parents is a Canadian citizen. But in this case, the individual has to apply for a ‘Proof of Citizenship’ in order to enjoy the benefits of Canadian citizenship. A parent being a Canadian citizen alone is not enough to obtain the Proof of Citizenship. The process through which their citizenship was acquired and when the parent(s) became a Canadian citizen are important factors that affect the citizenship claims of children. The applications for Proof of Citizenship are scrutinized closely to ensure eligibility and the candidate has to submit supporting documents along with the application.

One doesn’t automatically become a Canadian citizen, in cases where:

-The person marries a Canadian citizen

-The person is adopted by a Canadian citizen

-The refugee claim of the person is accepted

-The person was born outside Canada to Canadian parent(s) on or after April 17, 2009, but neither parent was born or naturalized in Canada

Contact us to know more about Canadian citizenship and Canada immigration