by Batalmea Crightney | Canadian Immigration
On October 24, 2017 the new age limit of “under 22” dependent
child will come into effect, raising it from the current “under 19”
requirement. The new increased age will apply to new applications for
all immigration programs under Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Canada (IRCC), including for refugees. As per IRCC children who are 22
years of age or older and who rely on their parents due to a physical or
mental health condition will continue to be considered dependent
children. To sponsor your children, spouse or other family members contact our office at 1-800-556-4581 or visit us at http://www.crightneyimmigration.com
by Batalmea Crightney | Canadian Immigration
On September 21, 2017 The Comprehensive Economic Trade
Agreement (CETA) was launched. The CETA is a free-trade agreement
between Canada, the European Union (EU), and its member states which
was established to reduce trade barriers and strengthen mutually
beneficial economic ties between Canada and the EU.
The CETA
covers all aspect of Canada and EU trade, ranging from tariffs to
investment, professional certification, product standards, and labour
mobility among many others.
The CETA Program will expand Canada’s
international mobility program and will facilitate entry for a broader
group of workers and business visitors.
There are three categories of business persons covered by the agreement:
- Key personnel: including intra-company transferees, investors, business visitors for investment purposes;
- Contractual service suppliers and independent professionals; and
- Short-term business visitors.
1. INTRA-CORPORATE (COMPANY) TRANSFEREE
Intra-corporate
(company) transferee provisions of CETA are similar to the current
intra-company provisions with the addition of graduate trainees.
All intra-corporate (company) transferees must:
- have been employed by an enterprise of, or have been partners in an enterprise of, an EU member state for at least one year
- be temporarily transferred to an enterprise (that may be a subsidiary, branch, or head company of the enterprise) in Canada
The applicant must belong to one of the following categories:
- Senior personnel
- Specialists
- Graduate
trainees who possess a university degree and are being temporarily
transferred to a Canadian enterprise for career development purposes or
to obtain training on business techniques or methods.
Intra-corporate
transferees under the senior personnel or specialist category may be
granted work permits valid for three years or the length of the
contract, whichever is less, with a possible 18-month extension.
Graduate trainee intra-corporate transferees may be granted a work
permit valid for 12 months or the length of the contract, whichever is
lesser. 2. CONTRACTUAL SERVICE SUPPLIERS AND INDEPENDENT PROFESSIONALS
The CETA
program includes a list of service sectors applicable to contractual
service suppliers and independent professionals eligible for work
permits. For example, those providing legal advisory services,
accounting, architectural services, engineering, computer and related
services and other professionals with requisite educational or
professional qualifications may work temporarily on both sides for up to
a 12 month period. The list of professionals eligible to obtain a work
permit exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is broader
than the current list under the North America Free Trade Agreement.
A
contractual service supplier must be engaged in the supply of a service
on a temporary basis as an employee of a company which has obtained a
service contract. They must have been an employee of the
EU-headquartered enterprise for at least one year and possess three
years of professional experience in the sector of activity that is the
subject of the contract.
A self-employed or independent
professional who has a contract to supply a service to a Canadian
consumer must be engaged in the supply of a service on a temporary basis
as a self-employed person and possess at least six years of
professional experience in the sector of activity which is the subject
of the contract. 3. BUSINESS VISITORS
Under
CETA Program, there are two categories of business visitors: short-term
business visitors and business visitors for investment purposes. The
maximum length of stay for short-term business visitors and business
visitors for investment purposes is 90 days in any six month period, if
the applicant does not qualify under R186(a) or R187. Permissible
activities under CETA include: meetings and consultations, research and
design, marketing research, training seminars, trade fairs and
exhibitions, sales, purchasing, after-sales or after-lease service,
commercial transactions, tourism personnel and translation and
interpretation.
Short-term business visitors are not permitted to
engage in selling a good or service to the general public, receive
remuneration directly or indirectly from a Canadian source or engage in
the supply of service.
The CETA Program also includes a provision
for the temporary entry of business visitors for investment purposes. A
business visitor for investment purposes is an employee in a managerial
or specialist position who is responsible for setting up an enterprise
but who does not engage in direct transactions with the general public
and will not receive direct or indirect remuneration from a Canadian
source.
For EU citizens, the CETA Program creates new
opportunities to work and invest in Canada through new work permit
categories. Canadian businesses will also reap great benefits, as CETA
will allow Canadian companies contracting foreign EU workers to bring
them in more quickly.
To apply for Permanent Residency or a Work
Permit an Express Entry contact us at 1-800-556-4581 or visit us at
www.crightneyimmigration.com
by Batalmea Crightney | Canadian Immigration
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has launched a new
pilot for workers in high demand occupations with job offers in
Ontario. This program now also allows for the first time the opportunity
for Seasonal Agricultural workers and other low Skilled Occupations
under the National Occupation Classification System the chance to become
permanent residents through the occupation category providing all the
other criteria’s are met.
(OINP) EMPLOYER JOB OFFER- IN-DEMAND STREAMThe
OINP Employer Job Offer – In-Demand Skills Stream allows foreign
workers with a job offer to become a permanent resident to reside in
Ontario. The Nominee program allows the province of Ontario to nominate
individuals who have the required work experience. Individuals can only
apply if they have received a permanent and full-time job offer from an
Ontario employer and meet all eligibility criteria
OCCUPATION LISTThe
job offer must be in one of the following eligible occupations in
National Occupation Classification (NOC) Skill Level C or D.NOC 7441: Residential and commercial installers and servicers; NOC 7521: Heavy equipment operators (except crane); NOC 8431: General farm workers; NOC 8432: Nursery and greenhouse workers; NOC 8611: Harvesting labourers; NOC 7611: Construction trades helpers and labourers; NOC 9462: Industrial butchers, meat cutters, poultry preparers, related workers.
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
To be eligible to apply you must have a job offer signed with an Ontario employer that meets the following criteria: 1.a permanent and full-time job offer in an eligible occupation; and2.Meet the prevailing wage in Ontario for that occupation
EMPLOYER ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Employers must also meet the following eligibility criteria: •Must
have been in active business (corporations, limited liability
partnerships and sole proprietorships) for at least 3 years. •Must have business premises in Ontario where the applicant will work. •Must
be in compliance with all provincial labour laws, including but not
limited to employment standards, health and safety, and labour relations
legislation.
If inside of the Greater Toronto Area (includes the City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, York and Peel regions) employer must have:1. minimum of $1,000,000 in gross annual revenue (excluding HST/GST) for the most recent fiscal year, and 2.Five
permanent and full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or
permanent residents (per position per calendar year) at the location
where the applicant will work.
If outside of the Greater Toronto Area,
employer must have:1 minimum of $500,000 in gross annual revenue
(excluding HST/GST) for the most recent fiscal year, and 2.Three
permanent and full-time employees who are Canadian citizens or permanent
residents (per position per calendar year) at the location where the
applicant will work.To apply for permanent residency contact our office
at www.crightneyimmigration.com or call us at 647-556-1781
by Batalmea Crightney | Canadian Immigration
What are the basic requirements for getting admission in a Canadian College/University?
- To
get admission in a recognized Canadian College or University, foreign
students need to meet certain requirements. The criteria may vary
depending on the program you apply for & some other factors. The two
important criteria are your high school grades and proficiency in
English language (in most provinces) or French language in francophone
provinces.
Who does not need a student visa to study in Canada?
- Most
students require a student visa also known as a study permit to pursue
their studies in Canada. However, in some cases, you may not need a visa
to study in Canada.
You don’t need a study permit, if:
- You want to take a short-term program or course, which lasts 6 months or less.
- You
are a staff member or family member of a foreign representative to
Canada accredited by the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.
- You are a member of a foreign armed force under the Visiting Forces Act.
When exactly should I submit my student visa application?
- You
should apply as soon as you get your ‘letter of acceptance’ from the
educational institute in Canada. The total processing time for a student
visa application for Canada depends on various factors like your age,
documents, proofs, etc.
Do I need a medical examination to get a study permit?
- You
will be required to undergo a medical examination if you’ll be staying
in Canada for more than 6 months, and are coming from a country for
which Canada requires a visa.
Can I work part-time while studying in Canada?
- Yes,
you can. However, when you apply for a student visa, you should be able
to convince the visa officer that you possess adequate funds to support
yourself until the completion of your course/program. Full-time
students are allowed to work in their college/University without any
employment authorization. Foreign students can also work off campus up
to 20 hours/week during their studies and 40 hours/week during regular
scheduled school break.
For more information about the eligibility criteria or application process to obtain a Canadian student visa, contact us at 1-800-556-4581 or (647) 556-1781 or visit us at www.crightneyimmigration.com
by Batalmea Crightney | Canadian Immigration
The Global Talent Program has been launched on June 12, 2017,
which allows for a faster process of skilled foreign workers. The plan
is aimed at reducing regulatory provisions, to help attract foreign
investment, and expediting the process to bring in foreign skilled
talent.
The Government of Canada believes the global talent
program will help bring about innovation and growth for Canadian
businesses. The Global Talent plan is to help Canadian firms scale up
their work force or expand their knowledge of specialized skills to
enable the entry of high skilled workers in high demand occupations to
fill labour shortages.
There are two streams that will enable
faster processing time for entry of skilled foreign workers for
short-term Canadian assignments and the overall Global Talent Stream for
Canadian firms to increase their skilled work force with global talent.
Work Permit Exemptions:
Foreign
workers entering Canada for less than 30 days are now exempt from the
requirement of first obtaining a work permit. Before, workers entering
Canada even for a day required a work permit, however under the new
provisions, if a worker is entering Canada to work 30 days or less and
their occupation is classified as “highly skilled” under NOC Code A, or
O, which is usually “managerial”, they are eligible to work without a
work permit.
Foreign Researchers are also now eligible to work in
Canada without a work permit, providing they will be working no longer
than 120 days and they will work at a publicly funded degree-granting
institution at a college or university level or affiliated research
institutions.
Global Talent Pilot Stream:
The
Global Talent Stream is a two-year pilot stream, which offers
accelerated access to unique, specialized and highly skilled temporary
foreign workers. It is planned for innovative, high-potential,
high-growth firms to scale-up and grow. The stream is also for Canadian
firms looking to hire highly skilled foreign workers in in-demand
occupations.
The two streams of the program are as follows:
Under Category A
– of the Global Talent Stream, innovative firms must be referred by one
of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)’s designated
referral partners and seeking to hire unique and specialized talent.
Unique and specialized talent is indicated by:
Advanced knowledge of the industry;
Advanced degree in an area of specialization of interest to the employer; AND/OR
Minimum of five years of experience in the field of specialized experience; AND
A highly paid position with a salary of usually $80,000 or more
Under Category B
– for Canadian employers that are seeking to hire highly-skilled
foreign workers to fill the following occupations found on the Global
Talent Occupations List below:
NOC 0213 – Computer and information systems managers;
NOC 2147 – computer engineers (except software engineers and designers);
NOC 2171 – Information systems analysts and consultants;
NOC 2172 – Database analysts and data administrators;
NOC 2173 – Software engineers and designers;
NOC 2174 – Computer programmers and interactive media developers;
NOC 2175 – Web designers and developers;
NOC 2241 – Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians who earn a wage of at least $38.94 or higher;
NOC 2283 – Information systems testing technicians who earn a wage of at least $37.50 or higher;
Sub-set
of 5241 Digital Media and Design – position requires a minimum of five
years of industry experience, and skills requirements including: 3D
modeling, virtual and augmented reality; animation, level editing,
editor and pipeline software and tools in applicable industry; other
specialized knowledge of software framework in applicable industry (for
example, Unreal 3.0) and/or, Experience in planning and managing a
project and earn a wage of at least $38.406 or higher.
Both
Category A and Category B firms are required to work with the Department
of Employment and Social Development to develop a Labour Market
Benefits Plan that establishes their commitment to activities that will
track overall job creation, skills and training investments, and
provides a benefit to the Canadian economy through the employment of the
highly-skilled global talent.
Under Category A employers must commit to creating jobs either directly or indirectly for Canadians as a mandatory benefit. Under Category B employers must commit to increasing skills and training investments for Canadians as a mandatory benefit. However, both Category A and B
employers must also commit to achieving at least two complementary
benefits with at least one activity for each benefit such as job
creation, investment in skills and training, skills transfer to
Canadians, enhanced company performance and implementing best practices
or policies as an employer for your workforce.
To that of the
current labour market impact assessment process, there is no recruitment
prerequisite and the assessment of the application is based on the
benefit to the Canadian labour market rather than the availability of
Canadian workers for the position.
To apply for a work permit for
a foreign worker, a Labour Market Impact Assessment or apply for
permanent residency in Canada we would be happy to assist you. Contact
us at 647-556-1781 or 1-800-556-4581 or visit us at http://www.crightneyimmigration.com
