The Diamond Jubilee

One of the adjustments an American makes when coming to Canada is in accepting a new form of government.  Canada is a constitutional monarchy. More technically:

As per the Constitution Act, 1867, Canada is a constitutional monarchy, wherein the role of the reigning sovereign is both legal and practical, but not political. The Crown is regarded as a corporation, with the monarch, vested as she is with all powers of state, at the centre of a construct in which the power of the whole is shared by multiple institutions of government acting under the sovereign's authority; the Crown has thus been described as the underlying principle of Canada's institutional unity, with the executive formally called the Queen-in-Council, the legislature the Queen-in-Parliament, and the courts as the Queen on the Bench. - from Wikipedia

Canada is part of the Commonwealth of Nations (including 54 other mostly former British Colonies). As such, Canada's sovereign ruler is Queen Elizabeth. Recently, The Diamond Jubilee took place, marking 60 years of The Queen’s reign. The Queen came to the throne on 6th February 1952 (her Coronation took place on 2nd June 1953).

It's not hard to make the adjustment to a form of government with such deep historic roots. I have to admit, its almost nice to have a Monarch who is a constant in a world of fickle political change. After years of observing the Canadian federal government in action, I can tell you it has its share of sins the same way the U.S. governmental system does. Harper, the current Prime Minister, seems to have learned many political lessons from the U.S. - unfortunately.

There is one big difference here in Canada, however, and I think it relates to the Queen and the Monarchy. It's the idea that the political flavour of governments are temporary and that their true purpose is service to the people. I didn't hear much of that in my last few years in the U.S. It's nice to witness it in action here in my new home.  

Another step in integration- a bank account

If you read the checklists of what to do as soon as you arrive in Canada as an immigrant, one of the top things is to establish a bank account. Now I've been here nearly nine months and I'm just getting that particular item crossed off of my list.

Why the long wait? Well, I still have had a lot of business with the U.S., so I hadn't closed those accounts yet. My Love and I use those accounts when we go to the Niagara/Buffalo region to shop sales too. I just haven't had the need to set up an account until now.

But a tax refund check and the reality of U.S. tax laws meant that I had to do something. Until all the ramifications of  Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) are understood, it was better for us that I establish my own bank account rather than simply join my Love's.

That issue aside (it will be 2014 before anyone understands how the IRS intends to use the mandatory reporting), it's nice to take one more step to integrate into Canadian life.

So who am I banking with? TD? CIBC? RBC? Nope. I chose President's Choice (the same folks that bring you tasty food at Loblaws). They offer a completely free checking account through CIBC, with access to all the Interac machines in the country. One good thing about waiting a few months to get this done is I was aware of the best options for my needs.

Not sure what's left on the "after you arrive" list, but I'll keep you posted as usual!

"How to Immigrate to Canada for Skilled Workers - The Authoritative Guide To Federal And Provincial Opportunities" available now

My new book, "How to Immigrate to Canada for Skilled Workers - The Authoritative Guide To Federal And Provincial Opportunities" is available now from all major online retailers. I'm proud to report that the book has spent some time in its subcategory's Top 20 and Hot New Releases lists on Amazon. I hope that if you are considering Skilled Worker class immigration to Canada you will check it out.

While most books on Canadian immigration are either out of date, or try and cover every single class available, I wrote this book to walk a specific class through the current application process and requirements from top to bottom. Why buy a book where the majority of the content doesn't apply to you?

If you have purchased the book already, please let me know what you think and how it might be improved. New editions are planned and will be published in response to future changes in policy and process.

Good luck with your Skilled Worker class application!    

How does Jason Kenney find the time for immigration issues?

Jason Kenney is one of the Harper Government's busiest ministers.

Not only does he hold the responsibility for Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, he is also:

• The Regional Minister for Alberta
• Chair of the Operation committee (Provides day-to-day coordination of the government’s agenda, including issues management, legislation and house planning, and communications)
  
  and a member of
• The Priorities and Planning committee (Provides strategic direction on government priorities and expenditure management, ratifies committee recommendations and approves appointments)
• The National Security committee (Provides broad strategic direction for security and foreign policy related to Canada's national interest, and oversees Canada's national security response activities)
• The Social Affairs committee (Considers health care, justice, public safety, Aboriginal, training and skills development, culture, and immigration policy issues) 

That gives Kenney no fewer than six major responsibilities in the Harper Government. One can assume that these responsibilities don't simply entail showing up for a meeting now and then. Is it no wonder that Kenney illustrates a predilection for expedient solutions to complex problems, such as limiting his view of immigration to an economic issue? Perhaps he simply doesn't have time to deal with such a complex portfolio?     

The Canadian Press - Immigrant lawsuit fails to preserve backlogged applications

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney wants to change the way the skilled worker category is administered. The budget implementation bill would eliminate all backlogged cases and force would-be immigrants to apply again.

A federal court judge has quashed the hopes of hundreds of would-be immigrants seeking to force the government to review their files.

Over 800 skilled workers have seen their applications languish in a massive backlog that's set to be eliminated by the federal budget bill.

Read the rest of the story here

That Conrad Black thing

It's good to be convicted criminal Conrad Black

Many around the world have probably never heard of Conrad Black, Lord of Crossharbour. He is a former Canadian citizen who was convicted in the US of committing fraud and obstruction of justice. For his crime, he served 42 months in a US Federal prison. He was recently allowed entry into Canada on a Temporary Resident's visa for one year.

Two points may require some background in understanding the ire that Black has caused immigration watchers in Canada. First off, in order to become Lord Black of the British peerage, Black was required to renounce his Canadian citizenship. Whether this was done entirely of his free will is a matter of debate. History tells us that the Chretien administration forced Black's hand on this matter. Still - he gave it up in order to obtain his appointment to the House of Lords. He therefore gave up all his rights as a Canadian citizen (residency included).

Secondly, there is the matter of allowing people to enter Canada who have been convicted of "serious criminality". In short, crimes committed in other countries that, if committed in Canada could include a maximum sentance of at least 10 years or more make an individual inadmissible. If a person is not allowed into the country for this reason, they are required to wait 5-years after the expiration of their sentance and any conditional parole, and apply for rehabilitation. They are only allowed entry after their rehabilitation has been approved. The only other special circumstance that would allow a person into the country is the granting of a Temporary Residence permit through a so-called "Minister's Permit" based on hardship or compassionate grounds.

Black was provided a Temporary Residence permit BEFORE he left jail.

Clearly, critics have some reason here to raise their eyebrows. Black has never admitted his guilt or responsibility for his crimes - clearly he is not rehabilitated on that basis. Virtually no time had passed from his release to prove his acts were not in his character either (another method of proving rehabilitation). Still, friends in high places get results. Black is certainly well connected in Canada from running one of the nation's largest media empires at one time.

But don't expect this level of justice and compassion if you aren't Conrad Black. It's not coming. The average applicant for Criminal Rehabilitation can expect a wait of years to have their case reviewed. In 2010, of all applications in the queue, only 880 were succcessful.

Pardon the interruption

Hi Readers,
I've been in the U.S. for a few weeks with family and blogging has fallen off the table for the duration. I'll be back with a flurry of posts starting next week. Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoyed the Victoria Day long weekend!

The Globe and Mail - Changes to immigration policy could transform society

Those workers at Tims? Many are temporary foreign workers,
and now Tim's can pay them 15% less to do their job.
Welcome to Canada.

Disturbing economic analysis from The Globe and Mail on the impact to Canadians and temporary foreign workers now that the Harper Government has instituted a two-tier wage system, allowing employers to pay temporary foreign workers 15% less than it pays Canadians for the same job (as a side note, you'll notice that I use the propaganda name 'The Harper Government" when I describe the federal government. This is how Harper describes his federal government. I'm almost glad to use it, because to ascribe these policies to the Canadian government is heartbreaking, though true).

On the new wage system, The Globe notes:

Disturbingly, the federal announcement also set out new wage rules that permit employers to pay temporary foreign workers up to 15 per cent below the average paid for that type of work locally, sanctioning the creation of a two-tiered “us and them” labour market.

Even if such a rule were rigorously applied and monitored – and budget cuts may eliminate the staff to do this job – it guarantees a downward trend in wages for everyone. Fifteen per cent below the average is a recipe for continuous decline when labour shortages are filled, as a matter of policy, by those who get paid less and are not allowed to stay long enough to ask for more.

Read the rest of the article here

The Star - Immigration applications to Canada drop in Asian countries

“Without being part of a public consultation, we’ve drastically changed not only the way we do immigration, but the immigrants who come in,” said Ratna Omidvar, president of Maytree Foundation, which has a mandate to build strong civic communities.

“Immigration selection is not simply about headhunting, but about nation-building. Immigration policy is too important to be made in a piecemeal manner.”

Statistics obtained by the Star show a significant drop in the annual number of Chinese, Indians, Filipinos and Pakistanis applying for permanent residency between 2006 and 2011.

Read the article here

The Globe and Mail - Why Canada needs a flood of immigrants

Today the Globe and Mail published a massive online article on "Why Canada needs a flood of immigrants". Read the wealth of fact and opinion that makes the case against the Harper Government's restrictive and narrow-minded approach to this important subject.

Here's an excerpt:

Between now and 2021, a million jobs are expected to go unfilled across Canada. Ottawa is making reforms to the immigration system but isn't going far enough. We need to radically boost immigration numbers. With the right people, Canada can be an innovative world power. Without them, we'll drain away our potential.