Breaking Canadian Immigration News
November
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- Express Entry Draw #105 Results: 3,900 Invitations Issued on November 28th
- Recent Announcements Affecting Canada’s Francophones
- Are You An Entrepreneur? Check out the Start-up Visa Program!
- Express Entry Draw #104 Results: 3,900 Invitations Issued on November 15th
- OINP – Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream
- Are You Inadmissible to Canada for Complicity in Crimes Against Humanity?
- What is Canada’s New Multi-Year Immigration Levels Plan for 2019-2021?
October
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- New Instructions for Saudi Arabian Nationals Regarding Study Permits
- Express Entry Draw #103 Results: 3,900 Invitations Issued on October 29th
- Travel Often? Here are 5 Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Nexus Passes for Canadians
- The Municipal Election: How does it work for Permanent Residents?
- High on Changes on Cannabis Legalization – Can I Now Get into Canada with a Criminal Record for Cannabis?
- Express Entry Draw #102 Results: 3,900 Invitations Issued on October 15th
- It Is Citizenship Week: How Long is it Taking to Obtain Canadian Citizenship?
- Judicial Review of a Residency Obligation Appeal before the Immigration Appeal Division returned for re-determination
- Express Entry Draw #101 Results: 3,900 Invitations Issued on October 3rd
September
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- The Revocation of Citizenship
- Express Entry Draw #100 Results: 400 Invitations Issued on September 24th
- P.E.I. Shuts Down Two Streams of its Business Immigration Program
- Express Entry Draw #99 Results: 3,500 Invitations Issued on September 19th
- Post Graduate Work Permits – When Policy is Law?
- Government of Canada to Improve Application Intake System and Accept more Sponsorship Applications for Parents and Grandparents
- Impaired Driving Convictions and Criminal Inadmissibility
- Express Entry Draw #98 Results: 3,900 Invitations Issued on September 5th
August
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- Renewing Permanent Residency Cards: The Basics
- UN Releases Decision on Access to Canada’s Interim Federal Health Plan for Undocumented Migrants
- Express Entry Draw #97 Results: 3,750 Invitations Issued on August 22nd
- Changes in Application Processing Times
- Mario D. Bellissimo Discusses The Case of Two Canadian Kids Whose Citizenship Is In Limbo
- I am not Inadmissible I have a Foreign Pardon! Not quite . . .
- Express Entry Draw #96 Results: 3,750 Invitations Issued on August 8th
July
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- Pleading Guilty Without Considering the Immigration Consequences
- Express Entry Draw #95 Results: 3,750 Invitations Issued on July 25th
- Canada to Open New Visa Application Centres
- Deferral of Removal Requests and Expert Evidence
- Express Entry Draw #94 Results: 3,750 Invitations Issued on July 11th
- Top 10 Amusing and in Some Cases Heart Breaking Comments from Clients with Respect to Family Class Processing
June
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- New Deadline to Complete Your Permanent Resident Application
- Express Entry Draw #93 Results: 3,750 Invitations Issued on June 25th
- Mario D. Bellissimo Discusses the Long-Term Impact of Family Separations
- The American Zero Tolerance Immigration Policy Equals Maximum Consequences
- Mario D. Bellissimo Comments on Canada’s Policies Around Separating Families
- IRCC Announces Creation of New Francophone Immigration Policy Hub
- Express Entry Draw #92 Results: 3,750 Invitations Issued on June 13th
- Welcome, Students! IRCC Announces New Program – Student Direct Stream
- The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program – Masters Graduate and PhD Graduate stream – steps and eligibility
- New Program Delivery Instructions Regarding Medical Inadmissibility – June 1st
- Canada’s Expansion of Biometrics Collection
May
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- Express Entry Draw #91 Results: 700 Invitations Issued on May 30th
- Express Entry Draw #90 Results: 3,500 Invitations Issued on May 23rd
- The Supreme Court Has Announced it is Revisiting Dunsmuir
- Express Entry Draw #89 Results: 3,500 Invitations Issued on May 9th
- Important Citizenship Recommendations and Requirements
April
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- How does the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) work?
- Express Entry Draw #88 Results: 3,500 Invitations Issued on April 25th
- Maintaining Canada’s French Roots
- Urgent Update – New Medical Admissibility Provisions Announced
- Express Entry Draw #87 Results: 3,500 Invitations Issued on April 11th
- Common Misrepresentation When Filing Temporary Resident Applications
- Vulnerable Status Designation for Refugee Claimants
March
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- Express Entry Draw #86 Results: 3,000 Invitations Issued on March 26th
- Mario D. Bellissimo featured in Law Times article “Pushback over rejecting immigrants for health reasons”
- Self-represented litigants owed the opportunity to fully present their views and evidence before the Immigration Appeal Division
- What You Need To Know About Pre-Removal Risk Assessments (PRRAs)
- Express Entry Draw #85 Results: 3,000 Invitations Issued on March 14th
- IRCC announces Moratorium for Applications under the Federal Self-Employed Persons Class (Farm Management)
- The Right to Not Be Remembered, False News and the Impact on Immigrants
February
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- Caregiver Programs Under Review
- Express Entry Draw #84 Results: 3,000 Invitations Issued on February 21st
- My spousal sponsorship has been refused – what went wrong, and now what?
- Mario D. Bellissimo featured in Toronto Star article “Having a job offer is no longer key to immigrating to Canada”
- Expedited Processing of Refugee Claims by the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
- Express Entry Draw #83 Results: 3,000 Invitations Issued on February 7th
- Top 5 Key Tips When Preparing and Submitting an Immigration Visitor Visa Application to Canada
January
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- OINP re-opens for 2018 year!
- Express Entry Draw #82 Results: 2,750 Invitations Issued on January 24th
- Independent and objective evidence of country conditions enough to outweigh credibility concerns?
- Should environmental refugees be accorded refugee status?
- Express Entry Draw #81 Results: 2,750 Invitations Issued on January 10th
- What Does Dual Citizenship and Biometrics Have to Do With One Another?
- Parental Sponsorships Lottery Now Open – Act Fast and Be Mindful of Deadlines!
December
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- Express Entry Draw #80 Results: 2,750 Invitations Issued on December 20th
- Open work permit pilot project for spousal sponsorships extended
- Express Entry Draw #79 Results: 2,750 Invitations Issued on December 6th
- The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) reaches nomination allocation for 2017
- Family Matters: Inadmissible Family Members and Temporary Residence Applications
November
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- New Judge Appointed to the Federal Court
- New streams and pathways for Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program
- The Global Talent Stream Facilitates Entry of High-Skilled Foreign Workers
- Important Information for Bulgarian and Romanian Citizens Travelling to Canada
- Detention Reviews, Habeas Corpus and the Charter Navigating a New & Evolving Legal Landscape
- Express Entry Draw #77 Results: 2,750 Invitations Issued on November 15th
- New Judge Appointed to the Federal Court
- Express Entry Draw #76 Results: 2,000 Invitations Issued on November 8th
- Federal Government Announces Three-Year Immigration Plan
- Changes to the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program
- Express Entry Draw #75 Results: 290 Invitations Issued on November 1st
October
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- Young Adult Children Can Now Qualify as Dependents
- Supreme Court Issues Decision in Criminal Inadmissibility Case
- H&C considerations: what are they, and when do they come into play?
- Express Entry Draw #74 Results: 2,757 Invitations Issued on October 18th
- Significant Benefit – Entrepreneur and self-employed Work Permits
- Canada Implements New Legislation – Bill C-6
- Express Entry Draw #73 Results: 2,801 Invitations Issued on October 4th
- Permanent Residents Who Work Frequently Outside of Canada: How to Calculate Physical Presence For Citizenship Purposes
September
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- Indefinite Detention of Immigration Detainees: Brown v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 710
- New Work Permit Options For EU Citizens (CETA)
- Express Entry Draw #72 Results: 2,871 Invitations Issued on September 20th
- New Judge Appointed to the Federal Court
- Impact of Escalating Refugee Influx to Canada’s Refugee System Complex, Multi-Faceted and Potential Source of Conflict
- Express Entry Draw #71 Results: 2,772 Invitations Issued on September 6th
- Huge Influxes of Refugees to Canada is Not New but the Numbers May Be!
- Mario D. Bellissimo weighs in on the next wave of asylum seekers into Canada!
- Summer of Scrutiny for Canada’s Immigration Detention System
August
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- I Live in the United States, Can I Still Sponsor My Future Husband?
- Online Matching Services: Not Just for Dating Anymore
- Express Entry Draw #70 Results: 3,035 Invitations Issued on August 23
- Mandatory Job Match While Advertising for LMIA Applications
- Express Entry Draw #69 Results: 2,991 Invitations Issued on August 9
- Does Lucky in Love Mean Lucky in Immigration? I Fell in Love but have no Job Can I Still Sponsor My Husband for Immigration?
- Express Entry Draw #68 Results: 3,264 Invitations Issued on August 2
July
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- My Marriage is Over and I Want to Sponsor My Girlfriend, Can I?
- Ontario’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities Stream: Issuance of Notifications of Interest by Targeted Occupations
- Express Entry Draw #67 Results: 3,202 Invitations Issued on July 12
- Maintaining My Permanent Resident Status – Can I Come Back Later?
June
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- Express Entry Draw #66 Results: 3,409 Invitations Issued on June 28
- Initial Medical Inadmissibility Finding May Not be the End of the Story!
- Citizenship Bill C-6 Received Royal Assent
- New Judge Appointed to the Federal Court
- Conditional Permanent Residence for Certain Sponsored Spouses No Longer in Effect
May
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- Express Entry Draws #63/64 For Federal Skilled Trades Class Program and Provincial Nominee Program
- I Withdrew My Refugee Claim & Left Canada: Why Do I Have a Deportation Order?
- Upcoming Changes to Age of Dependent Child
- Express Entry Draw #62 Results: 3,687 Invitations Issued on May 17
- Applicants Succeed in Challenge of New Citizenship Revocation Process!
- Express Entry Draw #61 Results: 3,796 Invitations Issued on May 4
April
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- Can My Boyfriend in the U.S. Sponsor Me If I Have No Status? Can My Wife Be Deported, Though I Sponsored Her?
- If Visiting Canada to Attend Business Meetings, Can You Be a Business Visitor?
- Australia Changes 457 Visas
- Express Entry Draw #60 Results: 3,665 Invitations Issued on April 19
- Express Entry Draw #59 Results: 3,923 Invitations Issued on April 12
- Small Towns Target Immigrants
- Just in Time for National Siblings Day: Extra Canadian Immigration Points for Brothers & Sisters! Are There Other Immigration Options for Siblings?
- Express Entry Draw #58 Results: 3,753 Invitations Issued on April 5
- Upcoming Express Entry improvements
March
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- Express Entry Improvements beginning Spring 2017!
- What is Implied Status?
- Express Entry Draw #57 Results: 3,749 Invitations Issued on March 24
- Now That I Have Declared My Criminal Record What Happens at a Secondary Examination?
- “Global Talent” Pilot Stream
- Do I have to Declare My Criminal Record When I Enter Canada Even if I am Not Asked?
- Express Entry Draw #56 Results: 3,884 Invitations Issued on March 1
February
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- Express Entry Draw #55 Results: 3,611 Invitations Issued on February 22
- Federal Court of Appeal Finds an Incomplete Application is Not an Application!
- Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
- Common Visa Officer Errors in Work Permit Refusals
- Express Entry Draw #54 Results: 3,664 Invitations Issued on February 8
January
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- Three New Reasons to Consider Atlantic Immigration
- Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen
- Canada Celebrates 70th Anniversary of Canadian Citizenship
- MP Ahmed Hussen Becomes Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship in Reshuffle by PM Justin Trudeau
- New Financial Threshold for Medical Inadmissibility Announced
December
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- Express Entry Draw #50 Results: 2,878 Invitations Issued on December 22
- Updates to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program: Elimination of Four-year Cumulative Duration
- Express Entry Draw #49 Results: 1,936 Invitations Issued on December 16
- Parent and Grandparent Sponsorship Program: Changes to the Application Process
- Early Electronic Travel Authorization Enrolment for Mexican Citizens
November
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- Express Entry Draw #48 Results: 559 Invitations Issued on November 30
- Express Entry Draw #47 Results: 2,427 Invitations Issued on November 16
- Canada’s Fall 2016 Economic Statement May Lead to Faster Work Permits
- Express Entry Amendments Published
- Updated National Occupational Classification 2016
- Express Entry Draw #46 Results: 2,080 Invitations Issued on November 2
- Canada to Lift Visa Requirements for Romanian and Bulgarian Citizens Effective December 1, 2017
October
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- 2017 Immigration Plan
- Negative Messaging About Immigration Representatives Must Change
- Immigration Misrepresentation Cases on the Rise!
- Express Entry Draw #45 Results: 1,804 Invitations Issued on October 19
- Canada’s New Entry Requirements
- Canadian Immigration: Lead or Supporting Role in Canada’s Future Economic Plan?
- Express Entry Draw #44 Results: 1,518 Invitations Issued on October 12
- Bellissimo Law Group Recipient of Prestigious 2016 National Pro Bono Award!
- Study Finds Canada Now More in Favour of Assimilation Than United States
September
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- Changes to Owners/Operators LMIA Applications
- Express Entry Draw #43 Results: 1,288 Invitations Issued on September 21
- Canadian Immigration Further Extends Leniency Period for eTA Enforcement
- Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) Required Starting 30 September 2016
- Screening for “Anti-Canadian Values” is Anti-Canadian
- Procedural Fairness: One Letter is not Always Enough
- Express Entry Draw #42 Results: 1,000 Invitations Issued on September 7
- Express Entry – Why People Should Not be Surprised
August
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- Express Entry Draw #41 Results: 750 Invitations Issued on August 24
- Minister Seeks to Increase Immigration to Canada
- Is Your Electronic Device Password CBSA-Proof?
- Linking Paper Applications to Online MyCIC Accounts
- Express Entry Draw #40 Results: 754 Invitations Issued on August 10
- IRB Releases Information for Bondspersons
- Families Caught in the Waiting Game: Minister McCallum Calls Current Wait Times “unacceptable”
- Should We Send Immigration Officers Back to School?
July
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- Express Entry Draw #39 Results: 755 Invitations Issued on July 27
- Update to the Study Permit Instructions
- Update to the Study Permit Instructions
- Top 5 Mistakes in Medical Inadmissibility Immigration Cases
- Canada’s Atlantic Provinces: Fishing for New Immigrants
- Express Entry Draw #38 Results: 747 Invitations Issued on July 13
- CIC Advises Clients About Potential Canada Post Disruption
- Criminal Charges and the Immigration Consequences for Permanent Residents
June
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- Express Entry Draw #37 Results: 773 Invitations Issued on June 29
- Parlez-vous français?
- Should I Apply for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP)?
- Express Entry Draw #36 Results: 752 Invitations Issued on June 15
- Post- U.S. election immigration: Empty promises
- Express Entry Draw #35 Results: 762 Invitations Issued on June 01
May
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- International Mobility Program (IMP) Mobilité Francophone
- Best Interests of the (Unborn) Child
- Challenging Refused/Negative Labour Market Impact Assessments at Federal Court
- Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program – 2016 Caps Met for Select, High-Volume Streams
- Express Entry Draw #33 Results: 799 Invitations Issued on May 6
- Lack of Immigration Status and In Canada Spousal Sponsorship Applications
- Detecting and Preventing Fraud in the Canadian Citizenship Program – Is it a Big Problem? Ten Important Questions
- Can Divorce or Separation Affect Your Permanent Residence Status?
April
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- IRCC’s 2016 Immigration Plan
- Express Entry Draw #32 Results: 1018 Invitations Issued on April 20
- What are Retroactive and Retrospective Laws in Immigration Appeals?
- Express Entry at a Glance: Year-End Report
- Bridging Open Work Permits and Express Entry
- Express Entry Draw #31 Results: 954 Invitations Issued on April 6
- Tightening the Safety Net on Refugee Claim Appeals
- Challenging Refused Immigration Visa Applications – What to Expect?
March
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- Permanent Residence Options for International Students
- Goodbye CIC, Hello IRCC: Winds of Change In Immigration Law and Policy
- Nova Scotia Wants More Immigrants
- A Dash of Common Sense for Government Communication Policy: Lim v. Canada 2016 FC 217
- Express Entry Draw #29 Results: 1,013 Invitations Issued on March 9th
- 25,000 Syrian Refugees Have Arrived in Canada. What’s Next?
- Canadian Employer Compliance Regime: Ten Important Questions!
- New Month, New Rules: eTAs to Take Effect March 15!
February
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- Express Entry Draw #28 Results: 1,484 Invitations Issued on February 24th
- Amendments To Citizenship Act Proposed by McCallum
- New Citizenship Revocation Regime Challenged in Federal Court
- Parliamentary Committee to Review Temporary Foreign Worker Program
- Express Entry Draw #27 Results: 1,505 Invitations Issued on February 10th
- Additional Administrative Change to be Implemented by IAD
- Changes to Canadian Citizenship: Coming Soon!
- One Year of Express Entry Draws – The Numbers
December
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- Open Work Permit Pilot Program for Inland Sponsorships Extended
- Express Entry Draw #23 Results: 1,503 Invitations Issued on December 18
- Electronic Travel Authorizations Set to Take Effect Shortly!
- Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Announces Air Travel Changes
- Resettlement for Syrian Refugees Underway, but not without Challenges
November
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- Parent and Grandparent Program set to reopen 4 January 2016
- Temporary Pause on OINP “Base” Stream Applications
- In-Canada Spousal Sponsorships: Pilot Project for Open work permits due to expire 22 December 2015
- Liberal Cabinet Announced: John McCallum is Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Minister!
- CIC Introduces the Employer Portal
September
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- Federal Court of Appeal Agrees that Niqab Ban in Citizenship Ceremonies is Unlawful
- Express Entry Draw #17 Results: 1,545 Invitations Issued on September 19
- Temporary Pause on B.C. and Alberta PNP
- An Image Speaks a Thousand Words – The Tragedy of Young Alan Kurdi and the Syrian Refugee Crisis
- Express Entry Draw #16 Results: 1,517 Invitations Issued on September 08
July
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- CIC’s New eTA Takes Flight
- Appeal Bar for Certain Refugee Claimants Stuck Down as Discriminatory!
- Latest Express Entry Draw Results: 1, 581 Invitations Issued on July 18
- High Refusal Rates for LMIA Applications
- Another Reason to Celebrate: CIC Brings in Birthday Rules!
- Latest Express Entry Draw Results: 1, 516 Invitations Issued on July 11
- Saskatchewan: Adding Express Entry Candidates to its Imports
June
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- Changes to Work Permit Policies Affect Some Ontario Provincial Nominees
- Latest Express Entry Draw Results: 1, 575 Invitations Issued on June 27
- Changes to Spousal Sponsorship Eligibility
- The Birth of Ontario PNP Express Entry Streams
- New Rules on Acquiring Canadian Citizenship
- 5 Serious Legal Questions Being Decided by the Federal Court of Appeal
- Citizenship Revocation Provisions Now in Force!
- New Judge Appointed to the Federal Court
May
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- Updates Introduced to the Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act
- Changes to the Bridging Open Work Permit Category
- Latest Express Entry Draw: 1,361 Invitations Issued on May 22nd, 2015
- Interim Federal Health Care Reforms (2012): An Consideration of Some Policy Rationales
- Federal Government Announces Amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
- LMIA Exempt work permits: No longer a free ride for Employers
- Appointment of New Judge at The Federal Court
- New LMIA Rules
March
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- Latest Express Entry Draw: 1,637 Invitations Issued on March 27th, 2015
- Latest Express Entry Draw: 1620 Invitations Issued on March 20th, 2015
- Beware: Laws on Sharing Citizens & Immigrants’ Personal Information Raises Many Questions That Have Not Been Answered!!
- Federal Court Applications – to settle or not to settle?
- Citizenship Changes: In Force or Yet to Come?
- Welcoming Long-Term Multiple-Entry Visas for Canadian Travellers to China
- Latest Express Entry Draw: 1620 Invitations Issued on March 20th, 2015
February
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- Latest Express Entry Draw: 1187 Invitations Issued on February 27th, 2015
- Federal Court Announcement
- Is Express Entry (EE) Really Accessible to Anyone Without an LMIA/Nomination? We have only seen the tip of the iceberg!
- Latest Express Entry Draw: 849 Invitations Issued on February 20th, 2015
- Educational Credential Assessments – the need for a verified “credential”
- Misrepresentation and Materiality – What Many People Don’t Know!
- Educational Credential Assessments – the need for a verified “credential”
- Express Entry Draw: 779 Invitations Issued on February 7,2015!
- Federal Court of Appeal Considers Refugee Health Care
- Express Entry Inaugural Draw: First Impressions Do Matter!
January
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- Collateral Consequences and Bill C-24
- Assisted Voluntary Return Program for Failed Refugee Claimants a Costly and “Questionable” Endeavour
- Citizenship Act Changes – Time to Move Quickly!
- Canadian Government Pledges to Resettle 10,000 Additional Refugees Over Next 36 Months
- 2015 Immigration Plan
- Immigration Processing at Vegreville Personified! Interesting…
- Launch of Express Entry British Columbia helps streamline immigration for skilled workers
- Iraqi Refugee Claimants Facing Threats from ISIS and Militias
- Happy 2015 Canada! What a Year it will be . . .
December
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- Misrepresentation – Fight or Flight?
- What is the Long Term Vision of Express Entry – the Evolution of Canada’s New Immigration System?
- Serious Criminality & Access to the Immigration Appeal Division
- Parent and Grandparent Program to Reopen January 2015
- CIC: Work Permits will be Available for Spouses and Common-Law Partners Living in Canada
- Comprehensive look at Canada’s new Express Entry Immigration System!
- New Immigrant Investor Pilot Program Will Launch January 2015!
- Filling in the Details on Express Entry…