Cassandra specializes in immigration to Canada from the USA, as well as immigration cases pertaining to Procedural Fairness Letters (PFL), post-deportation Authorization to Return to Canada (ARC), Study Permits, PR Card Renewal on Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds, Criminal Rehabilitation, Temporary Resident Permits, Canadian citizenship, Family Sponsorship, and Visitor Visas. She advocates for her clients with an impressive success rate, including for applications with prior refusals.
It’s official! The U.S. has announced the opening of land borders for Canadian and Mexican visitors who intend to visit the U.S., from November. This was annouced earlier today by the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, allowing visitors who are fully vaccinated visitors for COVID-19 to enter the United States for non-essential purposes, including to visit friends and family or for tourism, via land and ferry border crossings.
Lawmakers in both the U.S. and Canada have appreciated the gesture of finally lifting the restrictions that have been in place since March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly harmed the economies of both countries and has prevented visits to friends and families for more than 19 months.
Unvaccinated visitors will still be restricted from entering the United States from Canada or Mexico at land borders. The exact date of lifting the travel restrictions will be announced soon. Canada had lifted the restrictions for American visitors since August 9, 2021, for non-essential travel.
As a spouse or common –law partner of a study permit holder in Canada, you can apply for an open work permit to be able to join your partner in Canada if you are eligible.
IRCC has released a public policy update (essentially a rule change) regarding who is now eligible for the spousal open work permit, and eliminating the option of the OWP for spouses of students who are studying at institutions which do not offer courses eligible for post-graduation work permits.
Principal Foreign National
The new public policy has introduced the new concept of the Principal Foreign National (PFN). This refers to the person/foreign national who first applied for temporary status in Canada – in this case, the student.
Principal Foreign Nationals retain this status indefinitely throughout any applications for temporary status such as subsequent study permits or work permits. The PFN will NOT be permitted to change status from a student to that of a worker on the basis of their spouse’s open work permit if the spouse happens to be working in a NOC 0, A or B occupation.
This loophole previously allowed spouses and common-law partners to “flip-flop” between who was the principal status holder (the student or the worker in a NOC 0, A, or B job), and then become the spousal open work permit holder themselves as their own spouse either went to school or began working in an eligible job. This was done in order to continue remaining in Canada as a temporary resident and gaining eligible work experience for a PR application, and will no longer be possible.
NOTE: the Principal Applicant on a PR application is not required to be the same person who was the Principal Foreign National on previous temporary residence applications.
Spousal Open Work Permit Eligibility
Eligibility for a spousal open work permit was previously based on being the spouse or common-law partner of a student who held a valid study permit in Canada only. Now, eligibility is based on being the spouse or common-law partner of a PFN holding a study permit and studying at a Post Graduate Work Permit eligible institution.
Just as an international student cannot be issued a study permit to attend a school which is not on the Designated Learning Institutions list, their spouse can now no longer be issued a work permit if the student who is the Principal Foreign National does not attend a school which is eligible for graduates to receive the post-graduation work permit. NOTE: not all schools who are on the DLI list are eligible for students to apply for a PGWP.
In order for their spouse to be eligible for the spousal OWP, the Principal Foreign National (student) must now provide:
evidence that the principal foreign national is attending a designated learning institution
evidence that the principal foreign national is actively engaged in full-time studies in a post-graduation work permit- eligible study program and institution, such as
a Canadian public post-secondary institution, such as a
college
trade or technical school
university
CEGEP in Quebec
a private post-secondary institution in Quebec that operates under the same rules and regulations as a public post-secondary institution in Quebec
a private or public secondary or post-secondary institution in Quebec offering qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer leading to a diploma of vocational studies (DVS) or an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS)
a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees (for example, a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or doctorate), but only if the study permit holder is enrolled in a study program leading to a degree as authorized by the province, which may not include all study programs offered by the private institution.
Evidence of a Genuine Relationship Required for Spousal OWP
While obtaining the spousal open work permit has historically been easy for many applicants, students from certain parts of the world know that they have to go the extra mile and actually prove that the relationship they have with their spouse or common-law partner is actually genuine and is not a marriage of convenience simply to be able to come to Canada. For these students, a marriage certificate or statutory declaration of common-law union was NEVER enough to get a spousal open work permit approved.
Our office has extensive experience in this area, so for our clients, spousal open work permit applications are prepared in the same way as a mini-sponsorship application to prove that the relationship is genuine. However, this is now going to be the requirement for all applicants for a spousal open work permit application as the spouse or common-law partner of a student or eligible work permit holder.
Evidence of Common-Law Relationship
Just as with a sponsorship application for PR, eligible common-law partners may come to Canada with their partner who is the PFN as a student or worker. But, just as with sponsorship applications, the applicants also need to prove NOT ONLY that their relationship is genuine (see above), but that they also meet the legal threshold for common-law status. It is not enough to simply fill out the statutory declaration of common-law union and include it with the application. Applicants need to show that they have historical evidence of having lived together for a period of at least 1 year (365 days).
Again, a statutory declaration (IMM5409) with a lease agreement and a utility bill is and has always been insufficient to prove common-law status, and will almost certainly result in the application getting refused. More information on meeting the threshold for common-law status for immigration applications is available here.
The changes brought about by this new public policy will have a huge impact on how future students decide on where they wish to study if they have a spouse or common-law partner. It may even affect whether Canada will be the first choice for some applicants.
नकली सलाहकार जिन्होंने गलत सलाह दी या गलत जानकारी प्रस्तुत की जिसके परिणामस्वरूप आवेदक को कनाडा से प्रतिबंधित कर दिया गया
असली सलाहकारों के नाम से स्थापित नकली फेसबुक और अन्य सोशल मीडिया प्रोफाइल बनाये गए
ये कुछ ऐसी समस्याएं हैं जिनका लोगों ने अनुभव किया है और जो हमारे ध्यान में आया
कोई प्रतिनिधि नकली है या नहीं ये बताने के सर्वोत्तम तरीके यहां दिए गए हैं:
1. अगर कोई खुद को “माइग्रेशन कंसल्टेंट,” “एजेंट,” “इमिग्रेशन एजेंट,” “इमिग्रेशन प्रैक्टिशनर,” “सलाहकार,” “विशेषज्ञ,” “परामर्शदाता,” या “इमिग्रेशन प्रोफेशनल” कहता है, तो वे बहुत ही नकली है।
विभिन्न देश (जैसे ऑस्ट्रेलिया) अपने कानूनी पेशेवरों के लिए अलग-अलग शब्दावली का उपयोग करते हैं, लेकिन कनाडा में, प्रवासन सलाहकार, प्रवासन एजेंट, इमिग्रेशन व्यवसायी, सलाहकार और विशेषज्ञ मौजूद नहीं हैं। ये ऐसे शीर्षक हैं, जिनके पास कनाडा के इमिग्रेशन का अभ्यास करने के लिए लाइसेंस के बिना लोग अधिक सच दिखने के लिए उपयोग करते हैं,जब कोई खरीददार अंतर भी नहीं जानते होंगे।
कनाडा में केवल रेगुलेटेड कैनेडियन इमिग्रेशन कंसल्टेंट्स (RCICs), कैनेडियन इमिग्रेशन लॉयर्स, और (क्यूबेक में) Chambres de Notaires du Quebec के सदस्य पैसे के लिए इमिग्रेशन एप्लिकेशन पर लोगों का प्रतिनिधित्व कर सकते हैं. कनेडियन पैरालीगल इमिग्रेशन और रिफ्यूजी बोर्ड की सुनवाई में प्रतिनिधित्व कर सकते हैं, लेकिन इमिग्रेशन अर्जी पर प्रतिनिधित्व नहीं कर सकते हैं।
शीर्षक
असलीयानकली?
Immigration / Migration AGENT
नकली
MIGRATION Consultant
नकली
Immigration / Migration PRACTITIONER
नकली
Immigration / Migration ADVISOR
नकली
Immigration / Migration SPECIALIST
नकली
Immigration / Migration COUNSELOR
नकली
Immigration / Migration PROFESSIONAL
नकली
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC)
असली
Canadian Immigration Lawyer (LLB credential, member of Canadian Bar Association)
असली
Member – Chambres de Notaires du Quebec
असली
Canadian Paralegal
अर्जीपरप्रतिनिधित्वनहींकरसकतेहैं
IRBसुनवाईमेंप्रतिनिधित्वकरसकतेहैं
कोई भी खुद को एक रेगुलेटेड कैनेडियन इमिग्रेशन सलाहकार या कनेडियन वकील के अलावा कुछ भी कह रहा है, वो निश्चित रूप से नकली है। हममें से जिनके पास कनाडा के इमिग्रेशन का लाइसेंस है,वो कठोर और महंगे प्रशिक्षण से गुजरे हैं – हम गर्व से आपको हमारे परिचय पत्र दिखा सक्ते हैं.
2. लाइसेंसिंग निकाय की वेबसाइट पर एक साधारण खोज के साथ आप आसानी से बता सकते हैं कि कोई व्यक्ति वास्तव में ICCRC का सदस्य है या कनेडियन बार एसोसिएशन का.
आईसीसीआरसी की वेबसाइट पर, आप लाइसेंस प्राप्त सलाहकारों को उनके प्रथम नाम,उपनाम,कार्यालय स्थान, या रजिस्ट्री क्रमांक का उपयोग करके खोज सकते हैं – नीचे दी गई तस्वीर देखें।
आप यह भी देख सकते हैं कि क्या कोई सलाहकार या वकील कभी परेशानी में रहा है या उनके खिलाफ कोई अनुशासनात्मक कार्रवाई की गई है https://iccrc-crcic.ca/find-a-professional/
कनाडा के वकील उस प्रांत की लॉ सोसाइटी के सदस्य हैं जहां वे रहते हैं जैसे कि लॉ सोसाइटी ऑफ़ ओंटारियो या ब्रिटिश कोलंबिया – नीचे दी गई तस्वीर देखें।
आपको केवल यह जांचना है कि क्या सलाहकार या वकील को लाइसेंस दिया गया है, उनकी जानकारी के किसी भी हिस्से में टाइप किया गया है। यदि वे यह मौजूद नहीं हैं,तो आपके पास आपका उत्तर है।
यदि कोई तथाकथित “पेशेवर” आपको अपना लॉ सोसाइटी नंबर या ICCRC नंबर प्रदान नहीं करना चाहता है, तो लगभग निश्चित रूप से यही कारण है।
3. अर्जी मंजूर होने पर ही पैसा लेना – निश्चित रूप से नकली है
कनाडा रेगुलेटरी काउंसिल (ICCRC) के इमिग्रेशन कंसल्टेंट्स द्वारा रेगुलेटेड इमिग्रेशन कंसल्टेंट्स को विशेष रूप से आकस्मिक आधार पर बिलिंग से प्रतिबंधित किया जाता है। इसका मतलब यह है कि अगर किसी अर्जी को मंजूरी दी जाती है तो हमें ग्राहकों से शुल्क लेने से मना किया जाता है.
सभी RCIC को ICCRC व्यावसायिक आचार संहिता का पालन करना चाहिए, जो आकस्मिक बिलिंग की अनुमति नहीं देता है। यदि एक सलाहकार के रूप में खुद का प्रतिनिधित्व करने वाला व्यक्ति केवल एक पेशेवर अर्जी मंजूर हो हो जाने पर शुल्क लेने की पेशकश करता है, तो वे या तो ICCRC के नियमों को तोड़ रहे हैं और ईमानदार नहीं हैं, या वे ICCRC के सदस्य नहीं हैं।
4. पैसे भरने के बाद अपने प्रतिनिधि से संपर्क करने में समस्या
आपका प्रतिनिधि आपके सवालों के जवाब देने और अर्जी प्रक्रिया के सभी पहलुओं के बारे में संवाद करने के लिए उपलब्ध नहीं है। रिटेनर एग्रीमेंट पर हस्ताक्षर करने और प्रक्रिया शुरू करने से पहले आपके पास उनके बारे में सभी जानकारी होनी चाहिए,जिसमें शामिल हैं:
प्रतिनिधि का पूरा नाम
कार्यालय का पता
फोन नंबर और ईमेल सहित संपर्क जानकारी
ICCRC या लॉ सोसायटी का रजिस्ट्री क्रमांक
बेशक, आपका प्रतिनिधि कितनी जल्दी ईमेल और फोन कॉल का जवाब देगा, इसके बर मै उन्हें भर्तीकरनेसे से पहले चर्चा करे (24-48 घंटों के भीतर एक सामान्य समय सीमा है). यह भी सामान्य है कि आपका प्रतिनिधि उन तक पहुंचने के लिए सेल फोन नंबर प्रदान कर सकता है या नहीं भी कर सकता है, जब तक कि वे आपको कार्यालय का फोन नंबर देते हैं.
हालाँकि, आपको कभी भी इस बारे में अंधेरे में नहीं रहना चाहिए:
विशेष रूप से आपका प्रतिनिधि कौन है,
उनसे कैसे संपर्क करें,
अर्जी प्रक्रिया कैसी दिखेगी
5. प्रदान की गई पैसे भरने की शर्तें या सेवा कान्ट्रेक्ट में स्पष्ट नहीं हैं
दोनों कैनेडियन रेगुलेटेड इमिग्रेशन कंसल्टेंट्स और कैनेडियन इमिग्रेशन वकीलों को अपने ग्राहकों के साथ एक कान्ट्रेक्ट पर हस्ताक्षर करने की आवश्यकता है ताकि उन्हें इमिग्रेशन सेवा प्रदान की जा सके।
यह अनिवार्य है कि इस अनुबंध में निम्न चीज़ें शामिल हों:
प्रतिनिधि संपर्क जानकारी·
प्रदान की जाने वाली सेवाओं की सूची
फीस के प्रकार और रकम
कब पैसे भरने है
अगर आपके प्रतिनिधि के साथ कोई मतभेदहो तो क्या करें
कैसे ICCRC या लॉ सोसाइटी से संपर्क करें अगर आप अपने प्रतिनिधि के खिलाफ शिकायत दर्ज करना चाहते हैं
इन कान्ट्रेक्ट (जिन्हें रिटेनर एग्रीमेंट कहा जाता है) को आपका प्रतिनिधित्व करने के लिए एक पेशेवर इमिग्रेशन सलाहकार या वकील के लिए हस्ताक्षरित होना चाहिए। यदि आपको कान्ट्रेक्ट पर हस्ताक्षर करने के लिए नहीं कहा जाता है, तो यह व्यक्ति या तो एक लाइसेंस प्राप्त पेशेवर नहीं है या वे उन नियमों को तोड़ रहे हैं जो उन्हें इमिग्रेशन के लिए लाइसेंस प्राप्त करने की अनुमति देते हैं।
—
ये केवल कुछ संकेत हैं कि इमिग्रेशन सेवाएं बेचने वाला व्यक्ति लाइसेंस प्राप्त इमिग्रेशन सलाहकार या वकील नहीं है, जिसका अर्थ है:
उन्हें कनाडा के इमिग्रेशन अनुप्रयोगों पर ठीक से काम करने के लिए कभी भी प्रशिक्षित नहीं किया गया है
यदि यह व्यक्ति आपके पैसे की चोरी करता है या कनाडा में भविष्य के आव्रजन आवेदनों की आपकी संभावनाओं को बर्बाद करता है तो कोई सहारा नहीं है
यदि आपको संदेह है कि एक सलाहकार या वकील एक नकली है, तो आप उन्हें सीधे रॉयल कैनेडियन माउंटेड पुलिस कैनेडियन एंटी-फ्रॉड सेंटर को 1-888-495-8501 पर रिपोर्ट कर सकते हैं – वे इमिग्रेशन धोखेबाजीसे उतनी ही नफरत करते हैं जितनी हम करते हैं।
Have you been one of the many people affected by the ban that came into place in April this year?
Today the ban has finally been lifted and not a moment too soon as thousands of Visitor Visa, Study Permit and Work Permit holders had started to lose hope.
Since direct routes were restricted, such as from India, many had to stop over in other countries and along with that follow their quarantine and testing guidelines before they could even land in Canada and then another set of quarantine and testing requirements once they landed in Canada. This incurred a lot of travel costs.
It has been an impossible situation with many people wondering if they would ever get the chance to commence their studies, visit or work in Canada but finally, it seems, things may be returning to some sort of normality.
This is a huge boost to students in particular who, up until now, have had to study online if their designated learning institution authorized it. If they didn’t then it has caused huge issues with regards to any future applications like post graduate work permits.
Applicants who have had their visitor visas approved have been unable to join family in Canada up until now so things are moving in the right direction.
There are strict requirements that must be met of course. All travelers must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the approved Genestrings laboratory at the Delhi airport, taken within 18 hours of the scheduled departure of their direct flight to Canada.
They will also have to comply with all other requirements.
This is in addition to the ArriveCAN mobile app that must have all their information uploaded into it. Failure to do so will result in a refusal to board.
The IRCC has announced it is now sending out invites in response to interests in sponsoring parents and grandparents they received in 2020.
The IRCC has confirmed that it will be accepting up to 30,000 applications under the Parents & Grandparents (PGP) program this year, based on the applications of interest submitted in 2020. This will be the highest number of intakes under this program for any period so far.
How do I know if my application has been accepted?
If you’re one of those who submitted their interest to sponsor your parent or grandparent in 2020, you might want to regularly check your emails for an update. You will also need to have your application confirmation handy when submitting your applications.
I don’t have my confirmation number, what do I do?
If you’ve lost your confirmation number, or are you using a different email address than when you sent in your interest, you can retrieve your confirmation number and invitation status using the Lost My Confirmation Number tool. You should receive a response from the IRCC within 10 business days.
The tool will be active once all invitations have been sent out to prospective applicants.
Is there a deadline to apply?
Yes, you have 60 days from the date you receive the invitation to submit the application. You must apply online using the new Permanent Residence Portal. If due to an accessibility reasons or disability you are unable to apply online, you can request a paper based application package by sending an email to IRCC.2021PGPPaperApplication-2021PGPDemandesenversionpapier.IRCC@cic.gc.ca before October 21, 2021.
Do I have to show a minimum earning to sponsor?
Yes, you will need to show that you can support your parents or grandparents when they’re with you in Canada. However, for the tax year 2020, the IRCC requires that you should have meet the minimum necessary income (MNI) requirement, instead of the MNI+30%. It will also allow recipients of COVID-19 related benefits to be included in the MNI towards sponsorship. This is to ensure that applicants who have been affected by the pandemic are not penalized if they’re unable to meet the MNI requirement.
It is important to note though that for prior years, the requirement will continue to be MNI+30%. Read more about minimum necessary incomes here.
I haven’t received an invitation; do I have any other option to sponsor?
As a matter of fact, you still have the option to apply for a super visa for your parents or grandparents. The super visa allows your loved ones to visit and stay with you for up to 2 years at a time, instead of just 6 months if they were on a visit visa. They can also enter Canada multiple times, for up to 10 years. We however advise that all travellers follow the health guidelines related to the pandemic and their physicians to ensure they always travel safely and in good health.
I want to know more about this program
Speak with us today to know more about the PGP program and other immigration and temporary residence programs.
Why haven’t I heard anything about my Proof of Citizenship application?
Early March 2020 seems like a lifetime ago but it is when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The impact caused many problems for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Notably, Case Processing Centers, Visa Application Centers, and Visa Offices closed and staff had no choice but to work from home leading to reduced work capacity.
The impact of covid-19 is unprecedented, resulting in extremely negative impacts on Canadian citizenship and immigration processing times. Citizenship certificate applications have been among the hardest hit as these applications were de-prioritized in order to allow IRCC staff to focus on other types of applications that the government deemed more urgent.
Pre-COVID, processing time for Canadian Citizenship certificate replacement was approximately 6 months and was approximately 6 months to 1 year for a first-time application for proof of Canadian citizenship. When an application is submitted, you receive the Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) email from IRCC confirming receipt of your application.
In June 2021, IRCC announced processing time for applications had increased to 15 months (due to a growing backlog of applications during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020). In truth, the processing time had already gone up, and IRCC only announced this officially in June.
They also specify that there will be long delays before the acknowledgment of receipt is issued. Our office can confirm this is accurate as we have had many clients who have still not received their AOR email for applications submitted in 2020. IRCC also confirms that first proof of citizenship or renewal applicants from outside of Canada will have to wait even longer than 15 months.
When can I expect to get my acknowledgement of receipt email?
The Acknowledgement of Receipt, which will include your file number (10-digit file number beginning with PR), was generally taking between (3) to (4) months to be received before the pandemic. Now, it would be realistic to expect to receive the email approximately 14 months after you submitted your application in 2020 if you submitted later than the first week of February.
Can I call IRCC to check on my application?
Yes, you can call IRCC on the regular phone number of 1-888-242-2100. However, if you have not received the Acknowledgement of Receipt email with your 10-digit file number, then IRCC will not be able to check on your application at all as it has not yet been entered into the system. Until you receive the AOR email with the file number, there is no way to track the application. Your only means of confirming that it has been received by IRCC is the delivery confirmation from the courier company you used.
How can I speed up the processing of my citizenship certificate application?
To apply for urgent processing, you must be eligible to apply for citizenship and have reasonable grounds for the request, such as the need to;
access benefits like:
accepting an offer of admission to a Canadian university or college
accepting a job offer from a Canadian employer
joining the Canadian Forces
apply for your pension
access health care (renew your health card)
obtain your Social Insurance Number
obtain your Canadian passport to travel urgently (such as because of death or serious illness in your family)
This list is NOT comprehensive – there are lots of other reasons why a request for urgency may be approved for a citizenship certificate application. If you have already submitted an application and your personal circumstances have changed whereby you need urgent processing, a new application can be submitted which will process urgently.
Expedited Processing Times – Proof of Citizenship
For a citizenship card or certificate replacement, urgent processing will have your Acknowledgement of Receipt issued in approximately 1 – 2 weeks and will have your citizenship certificate issued in approximately 8 weeks.
For a first citizenship certificate, urgent processing times are approximately 2 – 4 weeks for the AOR and 6 – 8 weeks for the citizenship certificate.
Contact us to see if you qualify for urgent processing.
My citizenship certificate application has been returned by IRCC – What should I do?
If you submitted an application to replace your Canadian citizenship card/certificate and the application was returned to you, or you received a letter requesting additional documents or information, this means that your application was not complete. IRCC will not continue to process your application for a new proof of Canadian citizenship until you provide exactly what they have requested.
If your entire application was returned, then your application has not gone into process. You will need to submit the entire application again and include whatever documentation or information was missing.
If your application went into processing, but additional info or documents were requested, you must provide what IRCC has requested. If you don’t respond within 180 days (6 months) of their letter to you, your application will be deemed abandoned and you will not receive a replacement of your Canadian citizenship card or a refund of your IRCC processing fee.
If you’re not sure why your application was returned, Contact us for more information.
If you’re one of the students affected by COVID-19 and studying remotely, and not sure if you’d be eligible for the PGWP, you’re not alone.
Thousands of students have been studying remotely from their home countries, while studying with their respective programs in Canadian colleges and universities. Many have enrolled in a post-graduate work permit (PGWP) eligible program and have been asking if their study period outside Canada, due to travel restrictions, would still count toward their PGWP.
Objectives of the Temporary Public Policy
This temporary public policy aims to:
allow eligible PGWP holders and former PGWP holders, including those who changed their status to visitor or fell out of status, to apply from inside Canada for an open work permit for a period of up to 18 months or until the expiry of the applicant’s passport, whichever is shorter; and
exempt eligible foreign nationals from the requirement that a work permit not be issued if they have not complied with certain temporary resident conditions or work permit criteria.
General Requirements for PGWP
As a rule, students will only be able to qualify for PGWP if:
have a valid study permit,
have been approved for a study permit by virtue of being accepted into a program with a DLI, and
submit a study permit application prior to beginning their program and eventually be approved.
It is important to note that the time spent studying while being outside of Canada can only be counted towards PGWP duration after the IRCC receives the study permit application. The PGWP is issued for a minimum period of 8 months, based on the duration of the program a student has enrolled in, which again should be of a minimum 8-month duration.
The general eligibility requirements of PGWP remain the same as before.
Studying while outside Canada
Under normal circumstances, distance learning courses are not eligible for PGWP. For all other courses, at least 50% of the course must be completed in person while being in Canada. However due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions the IRCC has made temporary policy changes exempting students from this rule.
Exemptions for International Students during COVID
To be eligible for this exemption, students should either:
be enrolled in a PGWP-eligible programs in progress in March 2020, or
have begun or will begin PGWP-eligible programs between spring 2020 and fall 2021.
Thus, students who meet the above exemptions will not be required to meet the 50% distance learning rule; instead, up to 100% of their programs can be completed from outside Canada. But there’s a catch. Any time spent studying from outside Canada may be counted towards the overall length of the post-graduation work permit until December 31, 2021. If the student continues to study from outside Canada beyond this date, will be deducted from the length of the post-graduation work permit.
Students enrolled in multiple programs
Students enrolled in multiple programs that are eligible for PGWP may be able to:
complete 100% of their programs from outside of Canada (if both programs were either in progress in March 2020 or began between spring 2020 and fall 2021), and
combine the length of their programs of study when applying for a PGWP in the future.
Again, each course must be longer than 8 months in duration to be eligible for the PGWP.
Part-time or course cancellations due to COVID
Several numbers of students enrolled in a PGWP eligible course prior to the pandemic have been affected by the restrictions to classroom limits or course cancellations. As such they would have become part-time students due to no fault of their own. This policy maintains that if they were enrolled in the winter, spring, and summer 2020 semesters at a DLI, their eligibility towards a PGWP will not be impacted. They will be able to maintain their status as full-time students as it was the case when they enrolled in the program, for PGWP eligibility purposes.
What you need to apply for PGWP
As most schools are either closed or have restricted access, international students may face difficulties in obtaining a letter of completion or final transcripts from the DLI.
To address this situation, this temporary policy facilities PGWP applicants who fall under the abovementioned criteria to submit their application without a letter of competition or final transcript. The IRCC officer will require this information later when the application is being processed. Students will have sufficient time to apply for and receive these documents.
Students applying to restore their status can also apply without a letter of completion or final transcript.
Want to learn more about PGWP and how to apply? Speak with us today.
The Canadian government regularly issues travel advisory for people traveling to and from Canada, especially during the times of pandemic. Yesterday the government made a special announcement for Visit Visa applicants who have submitted their applications before September 7, 2021, and have been waiting for a decision.
The advisory provides recommendations and next steps for these applicants.
If you are waiting a decision because you need to travel soon to Canada
In this case, the government has recommended that applicants file a new visit visa application. This can be through your representative or by yourself. Your application may be considered as urgent or requiring a quicker decision if you are applying:
to unite with an immediate family member who is a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident of Canada
to unite with an immediate family member who is in Canada temporarily
to unite with an extended family member who is a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident of Canada.
to visit on business (meeting, special event, training)
to attend an end-of-life ceremony or funeral
to be present during the final moments of life of a loved one
to provide care to a critically ill person
to join a vessel as a marine crew member
to assume a posting as a diplomat or to travel as an accompanying immediate family member of a diplomat arriving on posting who will also be accredited in Canada
to handle the affairs of a victim of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752
Immediate and extended family members
The IRCC defines immediate and extended family members as follows:
Immediate family member includes a
spouse or common-law partner
dependent child (yours, your spouse’s or your common-law partner’s)
dependent child of a dependent child
parent or step-parent (yours, your spouse’s or your common-law partner’s)
guardian or tutor
You will not require an authorization to travel and exemption that you need to travel.
Extended family member includes a
non-dependent child (adult child)
grandchild (dependent child of a non-dependent adult child)
sibling, half-sibling or step-sibling
grandparent
If you have a relationship with a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident of Canada, you may be considered as an extended family member provided you can prove that you are in an exclusive relationship for more than a year and have spent time together at some point in the relationship, and that you are both above the age of 18 years.
Resubmitting the application
When resubmitting your application, it is important to submit up to date information and documents, as it is a fresh application. Please note once this application is received, your previous application will be withdrawn, though if the application is already in process, there is no guarantee of a refund for the previous application, and you will not receive a notice of withdrawal for your previous application.
If you do not intend to travel immediately
In this case, you may not take any action. Your application will remain in queue for processing with the IRCC.
If you no longer intend to visit Canada
In this situation it is advised that you withdraw your application by placing a withdrawal request through the IRCC web form. However, please note that if processing has started, there is no guarantee of refund.
Are you looking to apply for a Visitor Visa to Canada? Speak with us today.
In an updated issued today (September 7), the IRCC has stated that IEC candidates who are already listed in the Working Holiday pool and are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to provide a valid job offer to receive their Invitation to Apply (ITA).
This news comes when today the Canadian government has started easing travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers. IEC candidates who wish to travel to Canada to join their place of work will now only be required to provide a proof of vaccination of both doses of the approved vaccines, when they enter the country. Job offers already submitted will not be required to be submitted again.
IEC candidates who have not received any or both doses of the approved vaccines will still have to provide proof of a valid job offers when they arrive at Canadian borders and will be required to follow testing and quarantine guidelines, as would be applicable at their time of arrival.
Starting September 13, IEC will begin random draws to issue ITAs to candidates. Candidates are requested that if they do not intend to travel any time soon, they should decline the ITA. Declining the invitation will not affect their chances of receiving an ITA in the future and the candidates will continue to main in the pool for future rounds.
However, if IEC candidates accept the invitation, they are responsible to ensure that all requirements are met at the time of entering Canada.
We also recommend following the latest travel, testing, quarantine, and border restrictions information regularly updated on Canada’s travel webpage.
Before making plans to travel to Canada, always check the government of Canada website for current information as policies related to travel restrictions, exemptions, etc. can change at any time and without prior notice.
International Experience Canada (IEC) provides candidates the opportunity to travel and work in Canada. Candidates from countries who have an agreement with Canada can apply for an IEC working holiday work permit. Some countries may allow candidates to apply once, twice, in the same or different pools, for one year at a time. It’s important that candidates confirm with their country’s Working Holiday agreements with Canada prior to applying.
Last year the IRCC announced that work permit holders were allowed to request restoration of their status beyond the usual 90 days to apply for restoration. This came because of how the pandemic continues to have a negative impact on temporary residents within the country. Read more about it here.
Under the new policy announced on September 2, 2021, the IRCC has announced that IEC candidates who have received their Letters of Introduction (LOI), but are about to expire at the end of 2021, can request to have them extended for 12 months.
Who is eligible for this extension?
The IRCC announced that those who have not been able to come to Canada to work under the IEC working holiday program since the start of the pandemic, may be eligible to request one final 12-month extension on their LOI. They would need to meet the following eligibility requirements:
their initial LOI was issued between January 1, 2019, and April 30, 2020 – even if an extension was previously granted due to the pandemic;
their present LOI has expired or will expire before December 31, 2021;
they were approved for the WHP (special program code WHP – Working Holiday Programme);
they still cannot secure employment to overcome travel restrictions to come to Canada; and
the request for extension is received before December 31, 2021, using the IRCC’s Web form.
Is a medical exam required again?
If the candidate has already undergone an immigration medical exam, then they will not be required to go through it again. The candidate will not be required to undergo biometrics unless it has been more than 10 years since they first submitted their biometrics.
Will all extension requests be approved?
All requests will be reviewed by immigration officers on a case-by-case basis. If they application to extend the LOI is granted, the 12-month extension will be either from the date of processing of the expired LOI, or from the expiry date of the current valid LOI.
As mentioned above, always check the government of Canada website before you make plans to travel to Canada as policies related to travel restrictions, exemptions, etc. can change at any time and without prior notice.
