Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program For Canada

Canada’s generous immigration policy allows sponsorship of both parents and grandparents living abroad. As one may imagine, it is a very popular program amongst both Canadian citizens and permanent residents looking to bring their relatives to Canada.

In 2011, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) was forced to place a temporary moratorium on new applications in order to process a growing application backlog. Through the government-driven Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification, the backlog has steadily declined as applications have been processed and visas issued at high levels.

In 2012 and 2013, over 50,000 parents and grandparents were admitted to Canada as permanent residents – the largest number in over 20 years.

Although only 5,000 new applications will be considered in 2014, a total of 20,000 visas are expected to be issued this year, as visa officers continue to bring down the backlog. As the backlog is reduced, so too are processing times for the program as a whole.

Visas For Business Visits to Canada

Visas & Permits Required For Business Visits to Canada

Business visitors may enter Canada for a variety of reasons, but all must meet the following criteria:

• They must have no intent to enter the Canadian labour market. That is, they will not be gainfully employed by a Canadian employer during their time in Canada; and
• Their activity must be international in scope. It is assumed that a business visitor is engaging in cross-border business activity of some sort

In addition, for business visitors it is presumed that the following are true:

• Their primary source of remuneration is from outside of Canada;
• Their principal place of employment remains outside of Canada; and
• The accrual of their employer’s profits are located outside of Canada.

Business visitors usually fall under one of the following common sub-categories. They are:

• Employees of foreign companies contracting Canadian companies;
• After-sales service providers;
• Trainers and trainees, including intra-company training;
• Attendees of board of director’s meetings; and
• Employees of short-term temporary residents (such as caregivers or personal assistants)

Immigration to Canada

Immigration to Canada is, and has always been, a changing process so what does it mean to have permanent residence in Canada?

With over 60 Canadian immigration programs that lead to permanent residence in Canada, it is understandable that a degree of confusion arises from time to time.

New programs open, old programs close, criteria for existing programs are modified, and definitions change. Some newcomers to Canada who have successfully attained permanent residence status remain unsure about precisely what it is.

Contact us for more details on how to  achieve permanent residence in Canada

Air Canada Concerns Over Corona Virus

Flight attendants who work for Air Canada want the airline to issue an official notice with proper safety protocols to take in case they run into a passenger who may have contracted the Corona virus.

Air Canada flight attendants say they are at risk since they constantly handle glasses, utensils and plates that have come in contact with passengers.

The  Air Canada flight attendant union wrote to management  to ask that glove-wearing become mandatory, and to be informed of any passenger that could be at risk of having come into contact with the deadly coriona virus.

Multiple Entry Visitor Visa For Canada

The Multiple Entry Visitor Visa allows visitors to enter Canada for up to 6 months at a time for 10 years without having to reapply for an entry visa each time. Also, the Canadian Government visa processing fees have been reduced from $150 CDN to $100 for each visa application.

These changes not only simplify the visa application process for visitors but will also encourage multiple visits to Canada from business travelers and tourists.

The Multiple Entry Visitor Visa has long been a popular option for 10 year passport holders from China, India, and Mexico who have been eligible to apply for a 10-year visa. Similarly 5 year passport holders from the Philippines and Brazil have been able to apply for a 5 year visa.

Canada Lifts Visa Requirement for Czech Republic

Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced that, effective immediately, Czech nationals no longer require a temporary resident visa to visit Canada. Czech nationals can now stay in Canada for up to six months visa-free, which is consistent with all other visa exempt nationals.

“Canada values strong ties with our European friends and after working with Czech officials for some time we are pleased to be able to extend visa-free travel for Czech citizens,” said Alexander. “This move is a testament to the strong relationship between Canada and the Czech Republic and reinforces our government’s commitment to facilitate legitimate trade and travel.”

Nigerians Excluded From U.S. 2016 Diversity Visa Programme

For the second successive year, Nigerian nationals and that of 18 other countries are not eligible to apply for the U.S. 2016 Diversity Visa Programme (DV-2016).

This is contained in a statement issued by the U.S Department of State, made available on Tuesday in Abuja.

The statement noted that Nigerians and citizens of other countries were excluded "because they sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the previous five years.’’

The other countries excluded are Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica and Mexico.

Others are Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories and Vietnam.

Benefits of Living in Canada

There are benefits when living in Canada.

Canada's 34 million residents enjoy virtually unlimited recreational opportunities and you might be forgiven for thinking you have found paradise.  Canada's health care is publicly (tax-payer) funded: payment is generally not required for medical treatment, although depending on the province you live in it's probable you'll pay for pharmaceuticals and dental care.

Unfortunately, for many migrants, Canada has been less than paradise. The Canadian government is aware that many migrants have struggled economically in Canada and it is now striving to improve migrant-outcomes.

So, although Canada is a fantastic choice for most people, it's not for everyone. We do try reflecting this fairly by presenting the cons as well as the pros.

Advantages of Living in Canada

Advantages of Living in Canada

For several years now, Canada has been accepting about quarter of a million new Permanent Residents each year. For people with skills, work experience and a good standard of English or French, qualifying for residence is not a huge barrier.

Once accepted, you can take pleasure from the fact that you will be free to live permanently in a country consistently rated by the UN as the world's best country to live in. Furthermore, Canada is the world's second biggest country, rich in natural resources including oil reserves second only to Saudi Arabia.

Despite the abundance of natural wealth, real estate in most Canadian locations has in the past been cheap compared with other developed countries - although a combination of a rising currency and rapidly rising real estate prices means this is no longer the case in a number of cities.

If you are bringing children to Canada, it's likely their education will be important to you. The OECD compared the performance of school students in 65 countries in mathematics, reading and science. Canadian students performed better than students from any other English speaking country

Embassy Of Canada In Vietnam - Hanoi

Canadian Embassy

31 Hung Vuong Street
Hanoi
Vietnam

Tel.: 84 (4) 734 5000
Fax: 84 (4) 734 5049
E-Mail: hanoi@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Internet: www.hanoi.gc.ca

Consulate Of Canada In Venezuela - Isla de Margarita

Consulate of Canada

c/o Oficina Mosquito Coast C.A.
Final Avenida Santiago Marino cruce con Paseo Guaraguao
Porlamar
Isla de Margarita
Venezuela

Tel.: 58 (295) 2-61-3475
Fax: 58 (295) 2-63-4818

Embassy Of Canada In Venezuela - Caracas

Canadian Embassy

Consular Section
Avenida Francisco de Miranda con Avenida Sur Altamira
Altamira
Caracas
Venezuela

Canadian Embassy

P.O. Box 62-302
Caracas
1060-A
Venezuela

Tel.: 58 (212) 600-3000, 3042, 3043
Fax: 58 (212) 263-4981
E-Mail: crcas@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Internet: www.caracas.gc.ca

Consulate Of Canada In Uzbekistan - Tashkent

Consulate of Canada

Center 5
No. 64
Apt. 21
Tashkent
700017
Uzbekistan

Tel.: 998 (71) 120-72-70, 137-67-28
Fax: 998 (71) 120-72-70

Embassy Of Canada In Uruguay - Montevideo

Canadian Embassy

749 Plaza Independencia
app.102
Montevideo
Uruguay

Tel.: 598 (2) 902-2030
Fax: 598 (2) 902-202
E-Mail: mvdeo@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Internet: www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/montevideo

Embassy Of Canada In United States of America - Washington

Canadian Embassy

501 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington
D.C. 20001
U.S.A.

Tel.: 1 (202) 682-1740
Fax: 1 (202) 682-7689
E-Mail: wshdc-outpack@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Internet: www.washington.gc.ca

Consulate Of Canada In United States of America - Seattle

Consulate General of Canada

412 Plaza 600
Sixth Avenue and Stewart Street
Seattle
Washington 98101-1286
U.S.A.

Tel.: 1 (206) 443-1777
Fax: 1 (206) 443-9662
E-Mail: seatl@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Internet: www.can-am.gc.ca/seattle

Consulate Of Canada In United States of America - San Diego

Consulate General of Canada

402 W.Broadway
4th Floor
San Diego
CA 92101
U.S.A.

Tel.: 1 (619)-615-4286
Fax: 619-615-4287

Consulate Of Canada In United States of America - Puerto Rico

Consulate of Canada

Home Mortgage Plaza
268 Ponce de Leon
Suite 515
San Juan
Puerto Rico 00918
U.S.A.

Tel.: 1 (787) 759-6629
Fax: 1 (787) 294-1205

Consulate Of Canada In United States of America - New York

Consulate General of Canada

1251 Avenue of the Americas
Concourse Level
New York
New York 10020-1175
U.S.A.

Tel.: 1 (212) 596-1628
Fax: 1 (212) 596-1666/1790
E-Mail: cngny@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Internet: www.can-am.gc.ca/new_york

Consulate Of Canada In United States of America - Minneapolis

Consulate General of Canada

701 Fourth Avenue South
Suite 900
Minneapolis
Minnesota 55415-1899
U.S.A.

Tel.: 1 (612) 333-4641
Fax: 1 (612) 332-4061
E-Mail: mnpls@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
Internet: www.can-am.gc.ca/minneapolis