My eBook, How To Immigrate To Canada For Skilled Workers: The Authoritative Guide To Federal And Provincial Opportunities is available now on Amazon and other online retailers. Get your copy of the essential guide to Skilled Worker class applications today!

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Also available is my new eBook, "How To Immigrate To Canada In The Family Class: The Authoritative Guide Including Québec And Super Visa Opportunities". Get it at Amazon or the other e-retailers noted above.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

These are a few of my favorite links

As I find different online resources, I collect the links in my bookmarks folder like anyone else. Every now and then I think about sharing them, like today! Turns out, I can drag and drop them! So in no particular order...

Blogs I like:
[daily dose of imagery]
The Steven Pages
by Sheldon Cohen

Newspapers I read:
CANOE - Canadian Online Explorer
Metronews
Montreal Gazette
National Post - canada.com network
The Globe and Mail - Toronto
The Hockey News
Toronto Community News
Toronto Life Online
Toronto Star
Toronto Sun
Vancouver Sun

I'll publish some more later! Enjoy your surfing!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Change I don't believe in

This mantra of change in the US...we heard it all through the election. But in US politics and policies, somethings never change - especially when they cause America to examine itself.

The current blowup with Canada has to do with US Foreign Affairs Secretary Janet Napolitano's repetition of the myth that some of the 9/11 hijackers came from Canada.

Why is this more of the same idiocy from the Obama administration as came from Bush? First because it illustrates the development of border policy based on myth and not fact. Secondly, because it illustrates how the US continues to point at everyone but themselves when assigning responsibility. 11 of of the 9/11 hijackers came into the US from Saudi Arabia. Not a single one from Canada. The Millennium Bomber did attempt to get into the US from B.C. - but he was CAUGHT. Isn't that what border security is there for? Is it Canada's fault that he tried to get in from there? Apparently so, according to two US administrations.

Now if you understand US international policy at all, you'll understand that all policies are about money. The US is about money - making it, influencing with it, protecting it for their homegrown multinationals. So when Napolitano speaks about tightening the Canadian border with the US, which everyone knows will slow trade and commerce as well as communication and cooperation - don't believe for a moment it has anything to do with security.

It has to do with gaining a financial advantage for homegrown business. It has to do with bypassing NAFTA and making it easier to say no to business with Canada because of the "difficult" border security situation. It has to do with protecting American jobs. Keeping American money in America.

When Americans want to limit or eliminate access to something - be it a health program or a government benefit - we rarely do away with it. That would be too blatant. What we do is add a step, add a requirement. One additional requirement makes it that much harder for people to do something. In the case of the border with Canada, that one thing is a passport.

With one additional requirement, the US has potentially reduced the number of Canadians who access the US by 59% (according to Statistics Canada, only 41% of Canadians over the age of 18 hold a passport).

Maybe this is change, but its not change I believe in...

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Obama wrongs a wrong

Sometimes you right a wrong, and sometimes you wrong a wrong. US President Obama's administration is clearly wrong in continuing to bar Mahar Arar from entering the US. Some of you may be unaware of his story, but this is a Canadian man who was wrongly accused of being a terrorist while on a visit to the US, barred from returning home to Canada, then shipped from the US off to be tortured for over a year. A Canadian inquiry found that the suspicions against Arar were without merit.

But the US, even the US of Change, is still predominantly run by bureaucrats that have not changed - and who still maintain Arar is a threat to US security.

I guess because it makes us insecure to be caught doing something very wrong - including violating human rights...they are right - he is a threat.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Google bends the rules?

Maybe you can help me. In this article published on the 13th by the Star, we read the story of a talented technology manager who works for Google in the US, but, because of US visa restrictions, is living in Canada. The article is titled, "U.S. red tape forces gifted workers north".

But that's deceptive. North to live, not to work. North without contributing to Canada - except living here. Now that's the story of the husband of this pair - the wife, also a technology pro, IS actually working and contributing to Canada.

Maybe it's just me, but it really seems like Google - not the family - is the one taking advantage of the immigration system. While the husband is stationed in Toronto, he works in the US, collects a US paycheck, pays US taxes...

I'm just not sure how to think about this, but it seems like an abuse of the skilled worker visa program to me. I'm willing to be wrong about this opinion. Read the article and tell me what you think...

Friday, April 10, 2009

Seasons change

I was thinking today about how the seasons are changing and how the same sorts of changes go on in the world of Canadian immigration issues. In this world of immigration issues, we have seen seasons of need and promotion, where we are wooed and made aware of how badly Canada needs us, how welcome we are and what amazing opportunities await us. There are seasons of caution, where we are informed and helped to make wise choices. There are seasons of fear, where we are undesireable and politicians use us to shore up their support. And there are seasons of rejection, where we are the enemy - not wanted in any way.

Thank goodness these seasons come and go, and that there is, for each of these seasons, one of acceptance as well. No matter what season you are in right now, don't forget that seasons change.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Maddening status

Those of you in the immigration process to Canada like I am are aware that you can check the status of your application online at anytime. The value of this information however, is marginal at best. While there is a schedule of "status" and sub-status categories listed, so you can correlate your progress with them, the only ones that show up are top level ones, as in my case - "In Progress".

My reaction to that is: hasn't it BEEN "in progress" since the day you guys got it? You're not telling me ANYTHING!

The whole thing just makes me crazy.

Can you tell I'm anxious for this to be over?