business class | Bellissimo Law Group https://www.bellissimolawgroup.com Toronto Immigration Lawyers Canada Thu, 30 Jan 2014 18:51:08 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 Expression of Interest – Canada as the Matchmaker https://www.bellissimolawgroup.com/expression-of-interest-canada-as-the-matchmaker/ Thu, 30 Jan 2014 18:51:08 +0000 http://www.bellissimolawgroup.com/?p=15665 A few weeks in advance of St. Valentine’s Day, Canada is discussing a proposed new Expression of Interest immigration system through the use of matchmaking metaphor. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander suggests that a new database connecting prospective skilled immigrants to Canadian employers would work similarly to “a dating site”.

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]]> A few weeks in advance of St. Valentine’s Day, Canada is discussing a proposed new Expression of Interest immigration system through the use of matchmaking metaphor. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander suggests that a new database connecting prospective skilled immigrants to Canadian employers would work similarly to “a dating site”. The objective would be to facilitate “an economic match” between skilled workers and unfilled Canadian jobs, the Minister stated.  This EOI based system would be loosely modeled after similar systems in place in Australia and New Zealand.

The new system is set to launch in January 2015.  It will be used to manage applications for the following five immigration programs:

 

With the introduction of an Expression of Interest system, Canada will no longer process all applications in the chronological order they were received. Applications will be processed in two separate stages.  Stage 1 will be the application to the desired visa class; including language test results, education and professional skills assessments, and all other required documentation.  Stage 2 will be the inclusion of the applicant into an EOI database. Employers can search the database and identify candidates for job interviews. It is through this second stage that immigrant skill sets are to be matched with labour market needs before the application processing is complete.

Commentary on the proposed new EOI immigration system has come from the government’s official opposition, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and the CBA.  Areas of concern surround the absence of details available on how this proposed EOI system will be implemented.  Public consultation, the future role of LMOs, the possibility of an appeals process, and processing times are also areas of great concern.

To read an open letter on the CBA’s position on EOIs please click here. See also this video of Mario Bellissimo’s comments in his role as Chair of the National Immigration Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association.

 

Source

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]]> Applying for a Permanent Resident Visa as a Member of the Start-Up Business Class https://www.bellissimolawgroup.com/applying-for-a-permanent-resident-visa-as-a-member-of-the-start-up-business-class/ Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:10:05 +0000 http://www.bellissimolawgroup.com/?p=12861 In order to apply for a permanent resident visa as a member of the start-up business class, here are some of the key points that an applicant should know. To be a...

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]]> In order to apply for a permanent resident visa as a member of the start-up business class, here are some of the key points that an applicant should know.

To be a member of the start-up business class, a foreign national must:

1.   have obtained a written commitment for a total investment of at least $75,000 by one or more designated angel investor groups,

2.  obtain a written commitment for a total investment of at least $200,000 by one or more designated venture capital funds,

3.  have the commitments signed by a person with proper authority,

4.  have attained the specified level of language proficiency,

5.  have completed at least one year of high school in good standing,

6.  have the appropriate funds available as designated by Statistics Canada under the Statistics Act.

It will be deemed improper purpose and a foreign national will not be considered a member of the start-up business class if they enter into a commitment as a means to gain status rather than for the purpose of engaging in the business as the commitment intended.

While the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration may lend himself to an industry association representing angel investor groups or venture capital funds to provide for any matter relation to the instructions regarding the start-up business class, such as establishing a peer review panel, neither angel investor groups nor venture capital funds are under the control of the Minister.

In cases where there is more than one applicant concerning the same business, if an applicant deemed essential to the business is refused permanent residency then the other applicants will be classified as not having met the requirements and their applications will be refused as well.

In some cases, peer reviews may be required to assess the commitment.  The peer review panel is not under the Minister’s control and the officer deciding whether or not the applicant meets the requirements for the visa does not necessarily need to consider the assessment.

These regulations, as laid out by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, are in effect as of April 1st, 2013 through March 31st, 2018.

Click here to read the full list of requirements.

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