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.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Asian Pacific Post - Canada's New Immigration Realities

The past 5 years have seen dramatic and widespread changes to Canada’s entire immigration program, whether it be for Economic Immigration, Family Class Immigration, or Canada’s Humanitarian/Refugee Program.

In recent years, we have seen some pretty quirky legislation such as the “Cracking Down on Crooked Consultants Act” and the “Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act”.

Both of these pieces of legislation, brought in strict new provisions.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

The Globe and Mail - Temporary foreign workers flood into Canada as youth can’t find work: Conference Board asks why

The Conference Board of Canada can’t fully answer the question, but it does wonder why Canada is importing so many temporary foreign workers when its own young people can’t find jobs.

In the final piece of a three-part look at the post-crisis labour market, the group cites the fact that the number of temps from outside the country reached almost 340,000 by December of last year, up from 150,000 in 2006.

This, as Canada’s unemployment rate continued to climb, particularly among young people.

The jobless rate stood at 7.1 per cent last December, with some 1.4 million Canadians out of work. Unemployment was far high for the country’s youth, at 14.1 per cent, with more than 400,000 young people without jobs.

Read the article here

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

"...we recommend looking for other options for a trip that do not include a stop in Canada"

...rotating foreign-service strikes have extended the wait for Canadian visas, to four weeks, six weeks, sometimes more. So the Canadian embassy in Bogota is politely advising people it’s best to stay away.

“All Canadian visa offices around the world are working at reduced capacity and processing times for visa applications are uncertain at the moment. So we recommend looking for other options for a trip that do not include a stop in Canada,” an official in the embassy’s immigration section stated in what appeared to be a rote Spanish-language reply.

Read the Globe and Mail article here

Sunday, July 07, 2013

Reflections from the USA

In just over a month I will mark two full years since my immigration to Canada from the US. It really is confounding, how quickly time flies. I am currently back in "the old country", visiting family and friends in Seattle, and having a good time of it.

What I notice when I come back home (yes, it will always be home too) are a couple things. First off, life goes on without me. No matter all the emotion I built into leaving, almost like dying; the truth is that people adjust, get on with their lives, and don't miss you nearly as much as you think they should! I always make an effort to let people know when I'll be back in town, and it still saddens me, how few make an effort to make time to see me during my brief visits. But its okay - I'm getting used to a different set of expectations.

The other thing I notice is very environmental. Toronto and Seattle are both cities on bodies of water: for Toronto, it's Lake Ontario; for Seattle, it's Elliot Bay, but there is a distinctly different feel. The difference is due to the salt air in Seattle. A little geography: Elliot Bay is a salt-water bay on Puget Sound, which is connected via the Strait of Juan De Fuca to the mighty Pacific Ocean. The salt air from these bodies is ever present, and the feel and smell of the air is distinct from the brine of Lake Ontario. When I come back, the air is something I miss a lot.

If you're an immigrant, please share some of your observations. I know from letters I receive that many people benefit from our shared experiences.

One  more thing I notice, is that after I time here, I want to get back home to my Love - and that is Toronto. I'm happy there, and so grateful Canada welcomed me.

Monday, July 01, 2013

Happy Canada Day!

I've been in the US traveling the last week, and without an internet connection, so forgive my lateness in wishing all my readers a Happy Canada Day! I hope permanent residents like myself are celebrating in appreciation of the country that welcomed them; new citizens in recognition of those that came before them; and native Canadians in a simple show of love of country.

To celebrate Canada Day 2013, CIC held over 30 special citizenship ceremonies in communities across Canada. These ceremonies welcome new citizens and highlight the rights and responsibilities of Canadian citizens. Citizenship judges highlighted our heritage as a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy.

CIC has granted Canadian citizenship to nearly 200,000 new citizens each year at almost 2,000 citizenship ceremonies across the country.

I hope in a couple years to be a part of one of these ceremonies.

Happy Canada Day everyone!