Immigration Law in Canada
Immigrating to Canada:
Why You May Need the Help of an Immigration Representative:
1. Immigration laws are ever-changing. Instead of having to keep up with the these changes, you could instead spend your time at work and with your family. Hiring a lawyer or a trained immigration representative could save you from undue stress.
2. Some immigration representatives offer a money-back guarantee. If you do not get approved with your immigration application, they won’t charge you.
3. Applying to immigrate is a very important process in your life, one that many people feel safer leaving to the professionals.
4. Simple mistakes on your immigration application mean long delays in the processing of your papers. Immigration representatives, because of their experience with a lot of applications, can see mistakes on your application that you might overlook. Mistakes include incorrectly filling out the forms or even applying under the wrong category or class.
Tips on Choosing Your Immigration Lawyer or Representative:
- Make sure they are members in good standing of their provincial or territorial Law Society if they are lawyers, the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants if they are Immigration Consultants, and the Chambre des notaires du Québec if they are Notaries.
- Ask people who have gone through the process. See if they used a representative and get some feedback.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Find out how long the immigration representative has been in business and what their success rate is. Ask them what their services and their corresponding fees are.
- Check websites that give reviews on immigration representatives, consultants and lawyers.
Canada Provincial Nominee Program: The Easier and Faster Way to Immigrate to Canada
The Government of Canada has an agreement with most of the provinces, allowing them to nominate immigrants to settle in that province. Next to spousal sponsorship, this process is faster than applying to sponsor your family directly through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). It is also much faster than applying through several other categories or classes, such as the Skilled Worker without a Sponsor in Canada.
When your application for the Provincial Nominee Program is accepted, your application has a strong success rate and you can bring your family and dependents along with you.
For the most part, the applicant needs to show they have education, skills, and work experience that would benefit the province.
The requirements for the amount of skills, education, and work experience vary among provinces. It helps when you have a family member residing in that province too.
Compare the following CIC statistics from July 2008 to June 30, 2009. This is after the sponsor has been approved and assuming there is no mistake in the application.
Note how much quicker the processing time is for the Provincial Nominee applications.
Family Class : Dependent Children
| ALL REGIONS ( Asia, Africa and Middle East, Asia and Pacific, Europe & Americas ) |
||||
| 30% of cases finalized in: (months) |
50% of cases finalized in: (months) |
70% of cases finalized in: (months) |
80% of cases finalized in: (months) |
|
| Processing Times at Visa Offices in All Regions | 4 | 6 | 9 | 13 |
Family Class : Parents and Grandparents
| ALL REGIONS ( Asia, Africa and Middle East, Asia and Pacific, Europe & Americas ) |
||||
| 30% of cases finalized in: (months) |
50% of cases finalized in: (months) |
70% of cases finalized in: (months) |
80% of cases finalized in: (months) |
|
| Processing Times at Visa Offices in All Regions | 13 | 15 | 19 | 22 |
Provincial Nominee:
| ALL REGIONS ( Asia, Africa and Middle East, Asia and Pacific, Europe & Americas ) |
||||
| 30% of cases finalized in: (months) |
50% of cases finalized in: (months) |
70% of cases finalized in: (months) |
80% of cases finalized in: (months) |
|
| Processing Times at Visa Offices in All Regions | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
Skilled Workers Without A Family Sponsor in Canada
| ALL REGIONS ( Asia, Africa and Middle East, Asia and Pacific, Europe & Americas ) |
||||
| 30% of cases finalized in: (months) |
50% of cases finalized in: (months) |
70% of cases finalized in: (months) |
80% of cases finalized in: (months) |
|
| Processing Times at Visa Offices in All Regions | 27 | 36 | 57 | 62 |
CIC ( Citizenship and Immigration Canada) provides what is called the Working Canada Tool which shows detailed information on the job opportunities available in the province or city in which you wish to live. With their The Working Canada Tool, you can see how much the job you do pays and the demand for it., and it will give you an idea as to what you could study to be more competitive in the field.