Canadian Immigration Podcast

Canadian Immigration Podcast – Show notes Season 1: Episode 14 Interview with Barbara Jo Caruso. Barbara Jo Caruso is a founding partner of Corporate Immigration Law Firm, located in the heart of the Financial District in Toronto, Ontario. BJ is a co-author of the Annotated Immigration & Refugee Protection Act, published by Carswell ("The Annotated IRPA").  The Annotated IRPA is a leading immigration textbook in Canada, and is used by Federal Court Judges, Canadian immigration officials at all levels including Canada Border Services Agency Officers, Immigration Officers, Appeal Board Members, Refugee Board members, lawyers and law students alike. I can attest to the fact the Annotated IRPA was definitely used by government officers. My first copy was given to me by the hearings officers in Calgary when I was working as a Pro Bono Student (Slave) while attending law school. BJ is Certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Immigration Law. She is one of the most respected business immi

  Sunny Days ahead for people seeking to immigrate to Canada in 2016 Immigration Forecast for 2016 with Minister John McCallum, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. There has been considerable coverage of the Liberal government’s sweeping changes to immigration culture in Canada.  As quickly as the Conservative government changed many of the countries old immigration laws and programs, the Liberals have been just as fast to announce their intention to reverse them.  So the big question is…… ….where exactly are the Liberals headed? In Episode 12 of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, I shared some brief highlights from a speech given by the Minister of IRCC, John McCallum to the Canadian Bar Association’s National Immigration Section members who attended our Annual Conference in Vancouver April 7-9, 2016. I also promised that more would be coming…. so here it is! My Top 10 List of Highlights from Minister McCallum’s Speech to the CBA Immigration Section As you can tell, I really like the whole Top 10 C

Insights on the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program for 2016 – Brad Trefan, Managing Director This Episode continues forward on the foundation I laid with a blog I wrote yesterday and posted on the Canadian Immigration Podcast website regarding the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program. It’s entitled: “Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program – How did we get here? What every Temporary Foreign Worker must know before applying! This blog will give you a little bit of a foundation for what I am going to share in the Podcast today. In the blog I covered a brief history of how the AINP has been somewhat of a love hate relationship for TFWs and their legal counsel. I cover the ups and downs of the program over the past 10 years and really lead up to what I am going to be talking about today. In this Episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, I am going to be sharing some insight on where the AINP is headed for this year and what every TFW needs to know before risking their future in Canada on a very volatile program.

CIP S1 E11 - Interview with Emma Goerzen of Hire Standard www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com  In this episode we will discuss one of the most common questions I get from people who are looking to immigrate to Canada.  How can I obtain a job offer from a Canadian company? Why is this important?  When applying to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker, the most common process is Express Entry. [Explain how Express Entry works] History of EE Process for Candidates Ranking System Importance of an LMIA supported Job Offer Job Matching (eHarmony for employers/employees) terribly ineffective In my practice, I do not do any recruiting for companies, nor assist foreign nationals in finding jobs with companies.  My law practice is focused exclusively on Canadian Immigration Because I spend a lot of time explaining to people that I can not help them with finding a job, I figured that the best thing I could do would be to bring in an expert in this field. In todays Podcast  I have the pleasure of interviewing a good f

Spousal Sponsorship Case Study In this Podcast we discuss the process of spousal sponsorship from the perspective of a Canadian Immigration Officer. Bill joins me and takes the perspective of the immigration officer (bad cop) and I take the position of a persuasive Immigration Lawyer (good cop) through the assessment of the spousal sponsorship application. We discuss how an application is analyzed by an officer. What happens if called in for an interview. What factors support the relationship as being genuine. What factors suggest the relationship is non-genuine.  We also provide our Top 5 Things to Strengthen your Spousal Sponsorship Application. Include lots of supporting documents Include lots of photos Get to know each other's family and friends Explain away any problem areas Don't rush off and file too quickly without a track record in your relationship  

Show Notes – Canadian Immigration Podcast – Season 1 Episode 9   http://www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com https://www.stringam.ca/immigration-mark-holthe/ LAST EPISODE – S1 E8 -indicated that Billie and I would use our prior experience as Canadian immigration officers to debate whether or not a spousal sponsorship application should be approved based upon a fictitious fact pattern we developed.   -Billie and I will be doing this in Episode 10 instead of this episode, so stay tuned, because it should be a lot of fun.   WHY I HAVE NOT RELEASED A PODCAST IN 2 MONTHS -Canadian Immigration Institute Created  -Why I decided to create a course on Express Entry Lots of misinformation on the internet Many people coming to me when it was too late CIC’s “one touch” policy very ruthless Just wanted to help people who had no other place to turn for information they could trust Running a firm to financially support my family, so could not provide one-on-one free advice like I had in the past Decided to create a Course on

In this episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, I provide answers to listener questions. The general topics discussed include: Express Entry - Can a Post Grad Work Permit holder qualify for Express Entry without an LMIA supported Job Offer? Express Entry - What is a Job Offer with the Express Entry System? Does it have to include an LMIA to get the 600 points? Work Permit Renewal - Is it legal to work while in restoration status? Express Entry - Do I need to upload all of my work experience, or just relevant work experience? Express Entry - Should I have my accompanying spouse take the English Language Test to get points under Express Entry? As the founder of the Canadian Immigration Institute, I am really excited to announce that the full Express Entry Pilot Course is just about ready to be released.  Go to our Canadian Immigration Podcast website and sign up for our mailing list to have the opportunity to receive our exclusive offer to participate in the full Express Entry course.  We will be sending

In this Episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast I interviewed Billie Young our newest immigration representative having just received her Canadian Immigration Consultant designation. Prior to joining our law firm, Billie was working as an immigration officer with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. I thought it would be great to ask her to share some of her insight and experience working as an immigration officer assessing immigration applications. During this interview, we turned back the curtain on Citizenship and Immigration Canada and explained how an officer adjudicates applications. There are things that officers like and things they definitely do not like to see in an application. Hopefully you will get a much better idea of what you need to do to increase your chances of getting your application approved.  If you would like to book a consultation with Billie, you can do so through our contact form on the www.ht-llp.com website. 

The New Liberal Government’s Immigration Reforms How changes impact foreign workers and prospective immigrants? ”We will make it easier for immigrants to build successful lives in Canada, and contribute to the economic success of all Canadians.” “Immigration has always been an important part of Canada’s economic growth, but over the past decade, Stephen Harper has turned his back on welcoming those who want to contribute to our country’s success.” Refugees: “We will renew and expand our commitment to helping resettle more refugees, and deliver a refugee program that is safe, secure, and humane.” Settle 25,000 Syrian refugees by Jan 1 Well underway Invest $250 million ($100 million this year) to increase refugee processing, sponsorship and settlement Restoration of Interim Federal Health Program Provided limited and temporary health benefits to refugee claimants Appoint individuals with appropriate subject-matter expertise to Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board. Establish an expert human rights pane

Express Entry - Top 5 Reasons you are deemed ineligible by the “Come to Canada” assessment tool Access the "Come to Canada" Wizard here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/come-canada-tool-immigration-express-entry.html   Don’t have a valid language test test is more than 2 years old test score is too low CLB 5 for CEC NOC B CLB 7 for FSWP TIP: remember you enter your actual scores from your test, NOT the CLB conversion totals. TIP: it asks for your Skilled Work Experience IN CANADA – you need to understand which skill level applies to you.   You don’t have enough skilled work experience Skilled – B,A, or 0 1 year, continuous, paid, F/T or equal amount in part time – in only one occupation You don’t have enough funds If no job offer, must meet LICO [ will provide LICO Tables Depends on size of family – larger fam = more settlement funds Don’t meet minimum qualifications under one of the Economic Programs: CEC = need minimum 1 year skilled work experience in Cana

This is a special episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast. I recently had a chance to speak to Lethbridge Chapter members of the Human Resources Institute of Alberta.  I had the opportunity to speak with my Immigration Technical Advisor, Billie Young where we presented on the following topics: Immigration in the News Legislative Changes - Thanks to the Press Foreign Worker Basics / LMIA Issues Express Entry Employer Compliance What's on CICs Horizon You can access the power point slide deck that accompanied this presentation here. If you like what you hear, go to www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com for more great content related to Canadian immigration law, policy, and practice.  Don't forget to rate this Podcast on iTunes as well. 

In this episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, I discuss my top five reasons Express Entry applications are refused. Reference Letters are Deficient Police Clearances are Missing Educational Degrees are not included with ECAs Language Test Results have Expired Proof of Funds Lacking I also shared some tips for avoiding these common mistakes. Collect all documents before you receive your ITA Consider declining your ITA if your application is not 100% complete prior to filing PR application. I also spend some time answering some listener questions related to the Express Entry program. Some of the topics covered included: How do I qualify for Express Entry? Can my employer apply for an LMIA that only supports Express Entry? Is it mandatory to have an LMIA to get the 600 Job Offer points. The full show notes can be found on the Canadian Immigration Podcast website. If you have a question you would like answered, please leave me a message on my website and if your question is selected, I will podcast t

Welcome to Season 1, Episode 2 of the Canadian Immigration Podcast (www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com) In this episode I will be discussing the Top 5 things you need to do to prepare yourself before even thinking about submitting your Express Entry profile. Opening Tip: Do not take an English Test first as indicated on the CIC Webiste! Follow my steps below and you will save yourself money if there is no current hope of you being eligible to submit your Express Entry profile.  Assess Your Admisibility to Canada Determine if you have at least 1 year of Skilled Work Experience Take the Language Test Get an Educational Credential Assessment done Determine if you qualify for one of the Economic Immigration Programs (FST, FSW or CEC) Listener Question The pro's and con's of removing a spouse from an Express Entry application. Question for Next Podcast Have you had your Express Entry application returned, or refused? If so, let me know and I will share in Season 1 - Episode 3, some helpful suggestions for improv

Welcome to the Canadian Immigration Podcast. I decided to take a little time off to figure out how to do these podcasts properly. I had a lot of fun making the initial ones, but felt that if I was going to take this on in any serious way, I had better get things sorted out early on. So I spent some money on better audio equipment and created a new website to host the future podcasts I intend to share. www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com.  Everything has finally come together to allow me to release this podcast once and for all. I intend to offer practical advise on all things related to Canadian Immigration law, policy, and practice.  In this episode, I explain why I created the Canadian Immigration Podcast, a little about who I really am, and conclude with my lofty plans for the future. In future episodes I will continue to answer listener questions related to Canadian Immigration. If you have a question, please go to my website and enter it through our audio "Ask an Immigration Question" widget, or alternati

                               CIC’sExpressEntry ProgramcomingJanuary 1, 2015 CrucialFactsfor CanadianEmployers and Prospective Immigrants        Fact Sheet:  Produced by the CBA's National Immigration Section   1. The Express Entry program is not simply a case management system. It imposes a new layer of requirements before prospective applicants are “invited” to make an economic class application for Permanent Resident (PR) status. These requirements apply to all applicants in the Federal Skill Worker (FSW), Canada Experience Class (CEC) and Federal Skilled Trade (FST) Worker classes. 2.  CIC language leads one to believe that prospective immigrants simply need a job offer to rank highly under the Express Entry program. This means not just any job offer. To rank highest in the pool of potential immigrants and compete for an Invitation to Apply (ITA), an applicant will need a job offer that has been approved by a federal Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or supported by provincial government nominat

As many are now aware, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has finally released the criteria upon which candidates will be assessed when applying under the Canadian Express Entry process. For the most part we are now in a very good position to understand what it takes for a foreign national to be drawn from the Express Entry pool and given the magical Invitation To Apply (ITA). Where to find the best  Express Entry information and resources If you want to read the proposed legal provisions (if you are interested in that kind of thing) they are found here. Although I am a lawyer, don’t get the idea that I enjoy reading them. I do it because my clients expect it and to practice immigration law with any degree of competence, you need to understand the actual regulations and law governing the immigration process and not just accept, at face value, an officers interpretation of what they think it is – especially when you are faced with a refusal of your application. With this being said, not everyone can make sens

On April 1, 2011, the government imposed a four year cap on all Temporary Foreign Workers working in Canada on LMIA (LMO) based work permits in trade or technical level positions and lower. Four years seemed like an eternity away for employers and their newly hired TFWs. When the cap was introduced, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) was heavily supported  by the Conservative government in Canada. Despite enacting added measures to catch employers abusing the program, the process for hiring and obtaining work authorization for foreign nationals was relatively straightforward. Those days are gone…..long gone! In fact, the TFWP is under full attack from this same Conservative government as they quickly take steps to distance themselves from any responsibility for the perceived abuses within the program.  In June of this year, the TFWP was overhauled and significant effort is being made by the Conservatives government to reduce the total number of foreign workers in Canada in preparation for an attempt

Top 10 things employers should be aware of regarding the recent changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program announced on June 20, 2014.  1. Employment skill level determined by wage versus NOC classification. 2. Cap imposed limiting the proportion of low-wage TFWs at worksites. 3. Refusing applications in areas of high unemployment. 4. Reduced duration and time caps on LMIA based work permits. 5. Cancellation of Provincial LMIA exemption agreements. 6. Transition plans for high-wage positions. 7. Expedited processing of LMIAs for highest demand, highest-paid and shortest-duration occupations. 8. New job match service for employers and Canadian employees. 9. Stronger enforcement will lead to severe penalties for non-compliant employers. 10. Increased fees to support employer compliance and enforcement measures. Stop by our website: www.ht-llp.com to learn more about our Canadian legal services and unique fee structure.