Immigration Alerts & Events

CANADIAN GOVERNMENT PROPOSES CHANGES TO CANADA’S IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS RELATING TO TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS

In light of the recent rise in the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada, together with increased concerns for the fair treatment of foreign workers, the Government of Canada has proposed certain changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) to address the treatment and hiring of temporary foreign workers. Specifically, the Government is p...

CANADA-PERU FREE TRADE AGREEMENT NOW IN EFFECT– Effective August 1, 2009

Effective August 1, 2009, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced that the implementation of the Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement is now in full force and effect.

The Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement
In 2008, Canada and Peru entered into an international Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to facilitate the reciprocal trade in goods, services and in...

CIC ANNOUNCES NATIONWIDE TRANSIT WITHOUT VISA (TWOV) PROGRAM– Effective July 30, 2009

Effective July 30, 2009, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), in cooperation with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), has announced the formalization of the Transit Without Visa (TWOV) pilot program into a national program. This program will now allow eligible travelers destined to the United States (for which they hold a valid US visa), to transit through Ca...

CIC ANNOUNCES ALL CITIZENS OF MEXICO AND THE CZECH REPLUBIC NOW REQUIRE TEMPORARY RESIDENT VISAS TO ENTER CANADA – Effective July 14 2009

On July 13, 2009, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced that effective Tuesday, July 14, 2009, all citizens of Mexico and the Czech Republic now require a temporary resident visa before travelling to Canada.

The new requirement for nationals of Mexico and the Czech Republic to obtain visas to travel to Canada will mean delays for many travellers. Ap...

CIC ANNOUNCES PILOT PROJECT FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS TO OBTAIN OPEN WORK PERMITS– Effective July 2009

Effective July 1, 2009, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has unveiled a Pilot Project which will allow dependent children of temporary foreign workers in Ontario and Alberta to obtain an open work permit.

Typically, dependent children of temporary foreign workers would have to meet the same requirements of other foreign workers to obtain a work permit. T...

SERVICE CANADA REDUCES VALIDITY PERIOD OF LABOUR MARKET OPINIONS TO SIX MONTHS – Effective May 19, 2009

Effective May 19, 2009, Service Canada has announced that all Labour Market Opinions (LMO) issued to employers for the purpose of applying for a work permit application will be valid for a maximum of six (6) months from the date of issuance. An LMO that is not used to apply for a work permit within six months will be deemed to have expired and will result in a refusal o...

SERVICE CANADA ELIMINATES LABOUR MARKET OPINION EXTENSIONS – Effective April 27, 2009

Effective April 27, 2009, Service Canada has announced that it will no longer accept applications to extend Labour Market Opinions for foreign workers. Rather, all employers seeking to hire foreign workers for occupations requiring lower levels of formal education, high-skilled occupations, or exotic dancing positions will now need to submit a new LMO application.

CROATIAN CITIZENS NO LONGER REQUIRE TRVs TO ENTER CANADA - Effective March 29, 2009

On March 29, 2009, Jason Kenney, Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism announced that effective immediately visitors from Croatia will no longer be required to obtain a temporary resident visa before traveling.

Previously, all citizens of the former Yugoslavia (including Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro and ...

CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP LAW CHANGES - Effective April 17, 2009

As of April 17, 2009, the Canadian Citizenship Act will be amended to restrict citizenship to individuals born in Canada, and first-generation children born abroad or adopted by Canadian citizens. Most individuals who are born in Canada will still be granted citizenship. Also, first-generation individuals who were born abroad to Canadian citizens or who are adopted by C...

PASSPORTS NOW MANDATORY TO ENTER THE US - Effective June 1, 2009

As of June 1, 2009, all individuals planning to travel between the United States and Canada will require a valid passport or government-issued NEXUS card, regardless of their nationality or mode of travel.

Travel by Air

Currently, if you are citizen of a WHTI-member nation traveling by air in the Western Hemisphere you are required to present a valid p...

SERVICE CANADA ANNOUNCES NEW NATIONAL ADVERTISING REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL LMO APPLICATIONS - Effective January 2009

Effective January 2009, Service Canada has announced that all occupations for which a company is seeking to hire a foreign worker are now subject to the same minimum advertising requirements based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in an application for a Labour Market Opinion being denied.

ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION (ESTA) MANDATORY FOR NATIONALS OF VISA WAIVER PROGRAM COUNTRIES - Effective January 12, 2009

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced that, as of January 12, 2009, all nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries will be required by law to obtain a travel authorization through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) prior to traveling to the United States. F...

CANADIAN NAFTA PROFESSIONAL WORK PERMITS EXTENDED FROM 1 TO 3 YEARS

On December 15, 2008, Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced a new policy extending the period of authorized stay for American and Mexican nationals entering Canada to work under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Professional status. Whereas previously granted in one-year increments only, NAFTA work permit holders may now apply for new and extended v...

UNITED KINGDOM MOVES TO POINTS-BASED SYSTEM FOR WORK PERMITS – Effective November 27, 2008

As of November 27, 2008, the UK Border and Immigration Agency has launched its new points-based system for all work permit applications. From this date on, UK-based employers may no longer apply to bring in foreign workers under the previously-available work permit schemes (including au pairs, gap year workers, working holidaymakers, etc.), but must now first obtain a s...

CANADIAN IMMIGRATION RESTRICTED TO 38 DISTINCT OCCUPATIONS - Effective February 27, 2008

On Friday, November 28, 2008, the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration published its new list of allowable occupations for individuals seeking to apply for permanent residence to Canada under the Federal Skilled Worker category. The list of restricted occupations, which focuses on occupations in the health, skilled trade, resource extraction and higher education sect...

TN VISAS EXTENDED FROM 1 TO 3 YEARS - Effective October 16, 2008