Articles: Visas & Permits

• Need a US visa in a hurry?: Guide for Canadian permanent residents

  Last week, I chatted with two senior officials of the U.S. Consulate in Toronto about my recent urgent application for a visitor visa on behalf of a Canadian permanent resident whose mother was in intensive care in the U.S. following a serious car accident. Some of the following is what I learned from Consul Jeffrey Tunis and Public Affairs Officer Nicholas J. Giaccobe. More»

• Drunk driving ban under review: DUI conviction could no longer be barrier to entry into Canada

  It seems that the time has come for Canada to review its ban on foreigners convicted of impaired driving. More»

• Immigrating to Canada: Do You Have What It Takes to be Canadian?

  If you are considering immigrating to Canada, there are a few things you should consider. More»

• Permanent residence: New standards in language testing

  Trouble may be lurking for those who have recently applied for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker Class or the Canadian Experience Class as a result of a new CIC policy relating to the assessment of language ability. More»

• Canadian immigration laws: A new backlog

  It was an extraordinary promise. On October 30, 2008 Jason Kenney became Canada’s immigration minister and took hold of unprecedented new powers won by the Tories when they cleverly inserted amendments to our immigration laws in the 2008 budget bill knowing full well that the opposition would not dare oppose it and risk triggering a federal election. More»

• Citizenship in Canada: New rules for Canadian citizenship

  By Guidy Mamann: On April 17 new rules will come into effect which will redefine who is entitled to Canadian citizenship. More»

• Converting from ‘visitor’ to ‘student’: Not always possible!

  Guidy Mamann explores the complexities of renewing a Canadian visa. Prospective students beware: a visitor visa cannot be extended to a student one from within Canada. More»

• Couple requesting visa: Better to apply together

  By Guidy Mamann: This week a reader asked about a young couple that is immigrating to Canada. The plan is for the husband to immigrate here first and get settled. Then the wife would follow a year later. More»

• Exit strategy needed for illegals: Be aware of your status expiry date

  By Guidy MamannQ: Can you tell me what happens if you leave the country after your status expires? Are there any penalties? Will there be any issues going through the US? More»

• Privacy laws: Personal information to be released to foreign governments

  By Guidy Mamann: Immigration minister Jason Kenny and his officials at Citizenship and Immigration Canada are making a mockery of Canada’s privacy laws by forcing foreign nationals, and possibly permanent residents, to agree to the release of their personal information to any and all foreign governments. More»

• Canadian work permits: Clarification on ‘implied status’ is not so clear

  By Guidy Mamann: Sometimes I feel like our immigration department makes things complicated just to baffle the public and keep immigration lawyers employed. More»

• Permanent resident cards: The risks of travelling without a PR card

   By Guidy Mamann: It happens quite often. We get a frantic call from a permanent resident of Canada who suddenly has to travel overseas to see a dying relative or who has to pay their final respects to a loved one. The problem is that their PR card has expired and they simply can’t wait 46 days, or more, to have their renewal application processed by the Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia. More»

• Getting a Canadian visa for your spouse: A Fiancé's Dilemma

  By Guidy Mamann: A man in Canada asked me this question recently: I am engaged to a woman in Vietnam. I’ve been doing some research online and understand that Canada no longer has a fiancé class. Should I have my fiancée come here as a visitor and have her apply for permanent residence from within Canada? Or should I go to Vietnam to get married and then sponsor her? Which option is better? More»

• Adaptability points for your Canadian visa: Claiming “uncle” points

  By Guidy Mamann: Say for example that you have an uncle living in Canada, and you wish to claim 5 points on the basis that you have a blood relative living there. You will need to provide a few documents in order to prove that he is your uncle, and that he is permanently living in Canada. More»

• Temporary work: NAFTA professionals now get three-year visas

  By Guidy Mamann: In May, I wrote about an announcement by the U.S. immigration service whereby it would start to issue TN work permits to Canadian and Mexican professionals for a maximum duration of three years as opposed to the previous maximum of one year. More»

• Federal Skilled Worker program: More Bad News for Skilled Workers

  By Guidy Mamann: I already wrote about the inherent unfairness in our immigration minister’s plan to restructure our Federal Skilled Worker program. Unfortunately, there’s more. More»

• New priority, less fairness: Action Plan for Faster Immigration

  By Guidy Mamann: In a news release published on Friday, Jason Kenney, our new Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism released the details of his “Action Plan for Faster Immigration”. More»

• Effects of economic woes: Unlikely to affect immigration plan

  By Guidy Mamann: I was asked recently how the current economic downturn might affect Canada’s annual immigration levels. More»

• Death during application for permanent residence: What happens?

  By Guidy Mamann: Many parents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents die while waiting for our immigration department to finalize the processing of their sponsored applications for permanent residence. More»

• Can a fiancée without status be sponsored: Getting legal in Canada

  By Guidy Mamann: Based on a question, here we look a case of an 'illegal resident' in a relationship and the possibilities of becoming legal and how this is treated by the Canadian immigration system. More»

• Cohabitation not enough for common law status: how committed?

  By Guidy Mamann: Based on a question, here we look at the differences - for the purposes of Canadian immigration regulations - between living together, cohabitation and 'common-law' partnerships. More»

• 14 year old sister not family: Blood thinner than water

  By Guidy Mamann: This week I look at a case where the requirements of the 'family class' for immigration purposes don't cover all of the obvious situations. More»

• ARC Authorization to Return to Canada: Deportees lose incentive to leave

  By Guidy Mamann: A recent Federal Court case confirms that the immigration department is deliberately making it much more difficult for qualified immigrants who were deported from Canada to ever return here legally. More»

• Tories slash immigration levels: New bill to cut humanitarian cases

  By Guidy Mamann: On Friday, the federal Conservatives proved that, while they can talk a big game on immigration, they are certainly no friend of it. More»

• Canadian Experience Class About To Launch: Positive for skilled workers

  By Guidy Mamann: This is a case where the rules can cause real problems, even if you have an unexpected occurence, such as an illness. More»

• Expired visa means another 3-year wait: watch out for dates!

  By Guidy Mamann: This is a case where the rules can cause real problems, even if you have an unexpected occurence, such as an illness. More»

• Dead-beat Ex puts sponsor’s life on hold: the cost of sponsorshop

  By Guidy Mamann: The responsibilities of sponsorship can be onerous. More»

• Duration of visits need clarification: Clearer visas anyone?

  By Guidy Mamann: It is rare that a week or two goes by without me seeing a foreigner who has innocently overstayed their visitor’s status in Canada simply because they didn’t understand how much time they were given to stay here. More»

• Visa Points System: For relatives resident in Canada

  By Guidy Mamann: This week a reader asked the following: "We have a pending immigrant application to Canada and we wanted to obtain points for having a relative in Canada." More»

• Policy of marriage with alien: Difficulties to prove the genuine relation

  By Guidy Mamann: You would think that “true love” would be enough for Canada’s immigration department to conclude that a marriage is genuine. Unfortunately, that is not the case. More»

• Childcare by a relative from abroad: Do they need a work permit?

  Guidy Mamann gives legal advice on work permits for relatives from abroad that want to take care of the children. More»

• Deportation Due to Criminal Offence: Only a Traffic Ticket Away

  By Guidy Mamann: Should a driving conviction ever be enough to deport a permanent resident from Canada? This is essentially the question that the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is asking in an appeal filed last week with the Federal Court of Appeal. More»

• US to Attract More TN Professionals: TN visas extended to 3 years

  By Guidy Mamann: The U.S. has introduced a proposal to make it more attractive for Canadian and Mexican professionals to work in the United States under the auspices of NAFTA. More»

• English & French Language Testing: Even if you're a native speaker

  By Guidy Mamann: The folks at the Department of Citizenship and Immigration in Ottawa are keeping real busy these days. In addition to other recent announcements, they have just introduced their third major piece of legislation designed to amend our immigration regulations. A recap is in order. More»

• Work Permits for Graduates Extended: Signal for Profound Changes

  By Guidy Mamann: Human resources managers and foreign students alike were thrilled last week to learn of dramatic improvements to Canada’s Post-Graduation Work Permit Program. More»
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  Summer camps produce great memories: How to apply for a work permit

  By Guidy Mamann: Now that spring has officially begun and the snow has all but melted its time to focus on summer and the great outdoors. More»

• Who can be a dependent?: Simply a matter of age

  By Guidy Mamann. This is a quick question and answer guide to who can qualify as a 'dependent' person for the purposes of Canadian immigration law. More»

• Ethnicity, please?: New ethnic classification bill on its way

  By Guidy Mamann: If you were applying for a visitor’s visa to Canada how would you feel if you were faced with a requirement to state whether you are “black” or “white”? Or, how about, “Jewish” or “Christian”? Or, perhaps, “gay” or “straight”? More»

• Processing fairness needed: To close immigration disparities

  By Guidy Mamann: Our current point system evolved from the rejection of Canada’s pre-60’s immigration policy which was designed to attract European (ok...white) immigrants of limited faiths. More»

• Acquiring permanent residency in Canada: Tips for unmarried couples

  Guidy Mamann gives legal advice to those soon to acquire landed status in Canada, who wish to be reunited with loved ones overseas. More»

• Watch out if your circumstances change: Disclose kids quickly

  By Guidy Mamann: Cesar and Sofronia Maruquin filed for permanent residence to Canada in April 2003 and included their daughter Cheryl as an accompanying dependent. While waiting for their application to be processed, Cheryl became pregnant and gave birth to a son in July 2004. More»

• Change in visa requirements: For ‘new’ EU citizens

   Have you got any friends or relatives in Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania or Hungary that you haven’t seen in a while? If so, you might want to give them a call and invite them here for a visit because they won’t need a visa to visit Canada anymore! More»

• Work Permit Record reached in 2007: Applications for work permits soar

  In 2007, CIC issued a record number of work permits thereby clearly heeding the call of Canadian employers in “certain regions and in certain sectors [who] are facing critical labour shortages”. More»

• New rules in 2008: Canadian Experience Class set to launch

  CIC has announced that it intends to implement the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) this summer which will, no doubt, put a big dent in our antiquated Federal Skilled Workers Class (FSWC). More»

• Limited time for sponsorship appeals: Limits evidence submitted

  Many new couples are surprised to hear that it is up to a visa officer to determine if their love for one another is real. More»

• Spouses shortchanged on work permits: Married to a Canadian Citizen?

  How is it possible that it is easier for the spouse of a foreigner to get permission to work in Canada than it is for the spouse of a Canadian citizen? More»
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  Christmas at the Heritage Inn: Where the paperless go

  Tucked between a minivan dealership and an industrial property, on Rexdale Boulevard just east of Highway 27, lies Toronto’s immigration holding centre. Its street number, “385”, is inconspicuously painted on a thin roadside post causing anyone driving at normal speeds to easily miss it. More»

• Minister's Office steps in to help new mom: A complex case

  By Guidy Mamann: A few weeks ago I wrote about the plight of a young woman who found herself in quite a predicament after she gave birth overseas. Seema Kanwal, who I can now identify, is a permanent resident of Canada. She recently returned to Pakistan to get married and spend some time with her new hubby. More»

• Work experience trips skilled worker: Defining 'continuous employment'

  By Guidy Mamann: A young professional was convinced that he had at least 67 points under our Federal Skilled Workers Class and that he would therefore qualify for permanent residence in Canada. More»

• Citizenship for Canada: Prince Edward Island, Canada

  How to become a Canadian citizen. More»