LC2 CEM UPDATE
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CANADIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS
Canadian Immigration Change on Dependent Child Age Takes Effect
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
From January 1, 2014, the age of dependent child has been lowered from 21 years to 18 years by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), following the amendment of Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
Accordingly, any application submitted after the change came in force will be assessed on the new dependent child age criteria. Any child who turned 19 on January 1, 2014 will no longer be eligible to be included in the Canadian permanent residency applications as dependent child.
Applications for parents and grandparents sponsorship which allows the principal applicants to bring dependent children with them to Canada have been accepted by CIC from January 2, 2014. Under the Canadian immigration rules, the family sponsorship stream allows citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their eligible siblings along with their parents and grandparents.
The dependent child age is defined as follows:
is less than 19 years of age and not a spouse or common-law partner, or
is 19 years of age or older and has depended substantially on the financial support of the parent since before the age of 19 and is unable to be financially self-supporting due to a physical or mental condition.
If the family members who are 19 years or older meet the selection criteria of any Canadian provincial immigration programs, they can apply for Canada immigration as independent applicants.
Links:
http://www.canadaupdates.com/content/canada-lowers-dependent-child-age-18-years-19617.html
http://www.migrationexpert.com/canada/visa/canadian_immigration_news/2014/Jan/0/1044/Canadian_Immigration_Change_on_Dependent_Child_Age_Takes_Effect
Canadian Immigration Change on Dependent Child Age Takes Effect
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
From January 1, 2014, the age of dependent child has been lowered from 21 years to 18 years by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), following the amendment of Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
Accordingly, any application submitted after the change came in force will be assessed on the new dependent child age criteria. Any child who turned 19 on January 1, 2014 will no longer be eligible to be included in the Canadian permanent residency applications as dependent child.
Applications for parents and grandparents sponsorship which allows the principal applicants to bring dependent children with them to Canada have been accepted by CIC from January 2, 2014. Under the Canadian immigration rules, the family sponsorship stream allows citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their eligible siblings along with their parents and grandparents.
The dependent child age is defined as follows:
is less than 19 years of age and not a spouse or common-law partner, or
is 19 years of age or older and has depended substantially on the financial support of the parent since before the age of 19 and is unable to be financially self-supporting due to a physical or mental condition.
If the family members who are 19 years or older meet the selection criteria of any Canadian provincial immigration programs, they can apply for Canada immigration as independent applicants.
Links:
http://www.canadaupdates.com/content/canada-lowers-dependent-child-age-18-years-19617.html
http://www.migrationexpert.com/canada/visa/canadian_immigration_news/2014/Jan/0/1044/Canadian_Immigration_Change_on_Dependent_Child_Age_Takes_Effect
Major Changes to Canadian Citizenship Act Announced Today
Thursday, 06 February 2014
Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander today revealed plans for comprehensive reforms to the Canadian Citizenship Act. These are the first major reforms to take place since 1977. The changes are part of Bill C-24, which has yet to be passed by Canadian Parliament.
The Act is being reformed to address citizenship issues on a number of fronts. In its overhaul of the program, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is seeking to make the following changes:
1. Introduce legislation that will streamline the overall program;
Reduce the application review process from three steps to one step, thus speeding up processing
Increase citizenship fee applications from $100 to $300
Require up-front proof of certain requirements
Change certain elements of the judicial review and appeal process as well as the process for issuing discretionary grants
2. Modify residency and other requirements that will ‘reinforce the value of Canadian citizenship';
Increase residency requirements from 3 out of 4 years to 4 out of 6 years
No longer count time spent in Canada as a non-permanent resident toward citizenship residency requirements
Require citizenship applicants to declare their intent to reside in Canada
Require applicants to file Canadian income taxes
Expand the age group for applicants required to demonstrate language proficiency and take a knowledge test from 18-54 to 14-64
Extend citizenship to ‘lost Canadians'
3. Crack down on citizenship fraud
Designate a regulatory body whose members may act as consultants in citizenship matters
Increase penalties for citizenship fraud
Streamline the process of revoking citizenship in exceptional cases
4. Introduce new rules intended to ‘protect and promote Canada's interests and values'
Fast-track citizenship applications for permanent residents who join the Canadian Armed Forces
Introduce the ability to revoke or deny citizenship to individuals who commit ‘acts of terrorism or acts against Canadian interests'
Expand citizenship by descent rules so that children born to Crown citizens working abroad may pass on their citizenship
Bar citizenship for individuals charged with or convicted of serious criminality abroad
Update the Citizenship Act to ensure that international adoptions are done in accordance with the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption
“Our government is strengthening the value of Canadian citizenship,” said Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander. “Citizenship is a pledge of mutual responsibility and a shared commitment to values rooted in our history. I am pleased to bring forward the first comprehensive and overdue reforms of the Citizenship Act in more than a generation."
Link:
http://www.canadavisa.com/news/entry/major-changes-to-canadian-citizenship-act-announced-today-06022014.html
Thursday, 06 February 2014
Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander today revealed plans for comprehensive reforms to the Canadian Citizenship Act. These are the first major reforms to take place since 1977. The changes are part of Bill C-24, which has yet to be passed by Canadian Parliament.
The Act is being reformed to address citizenship issues on a number of fronts. In its overhaul of the program, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is seeking to make the following changes:
1. Introduce legislation that will streamline the overall program;
Reduce the application review process from three steps to one step, thus speeding up processing
Increase citizenship fee applications from $100 to $300
Require up-front proof of certain requirements
Change certain elements of the judicial review and appeal process as well as the process for issuing discretionary grants
2. Modify residency and other requirements that will ‘reinforce the value of Canadian citizenship';
Increase residency requirements from 3 out of 4 years to 4 out of 6 years
No longer count time spent in Canada as a non-permanent resident toward citizenship residency requirements
Require citizenship applicants to declare their intent to reside in Canada
Require applicants to file Canadian income taxes
Expand the age group for applicants required to demonstrate language proficiency and take a knowledge test from 18-54 to 14-64
Extend citizenship to ‘lost Canadians'
3. Crack down on citizenship fraud
Designate a regulatory body whose members may act as consultants in citizenship matters
Increase penalties for citizenship fraud
Streamline the process of revoking citizenship in exceptional cases
4. Introduce new rules intended to ‘protect and promote Canada's interests and values'
Fast-track citizenship applications for permanent residents who join the Canadian Armed Forces
Introduce the ability to revoke or deny citizenship to individuals who commit ‘acts of terrorism or acts against Canadian interests'
Expand citizenship by descent rules so that children born to Crown citizens working abroad may pass on their citizenship
Bar citizenship for individuals charged with or convicted of serious criminality abroad
Update the Citizenship Act to ensure that international adoptions are done in accordance with the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption
“Our government is strengthening the value of Canadian citizenship,” said Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander. “Citizenship is a pledge of mutual responsibility and a shared commitment to values rooted in our history. I am pleased to bring forward the first comprehensive and overdue reforms of the Citizenship Act in more than a generation."
Link:
http://www.canadavisa.com/news/entry/major-changes-to-canadian-citizenship-act-announced-today-06022014.html
Immigrant Dreams Die with Deceased Nannies
Despite being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, Edna Aldovino postponed her medical treatment and continued to work as a nanny in Toronto.The dying woman from the Philippines was desperate to collect the employment hours she needed to qualify for permanent resident status to bring her only child, Kenneth, here under Canada’s live-in caregiver program — the last gift she could give him. When she died in hospital last August after cancer spread to her liver and brain, so did her dream to give Kenneth, now 20, a better life.
Immigration Canada terminates immigration applications when the principal applicant is deceased and a decision is still pending, with no exception for live-in caregivers.
“But the live-in caregiver program is unique because the applicant has to make a commitment and sacrifice before they receive something tangible in return,” said Toronto immigration lawyer Guidy Mamann, who is helping Kenneth on a pro-bono basis. “They come and spend two years looking after others’ children to allow their own family to come here. They have done their end of the bargain. It’s like we owe it to their kids.” Although there are only about a dozen such cases a year, Mamann and other advocates said immigration officials should not stop processing these applications, leaving the deceased applicant’s dependants in limbo.
The Canadian Council for Refugees recently passed a resolution at its annual conference asking Ottawa to ensure the permanent residence application is processed to completion, taking into account the best interests of the dependant and other humanitarian considerations.
“Canada has the obligation to consider what’s in the child’s best interest. We are asking (the government) not to stop the process and drop these people like a brick,” said Janet Dench, the council’s executive director.
Aldovino left the Philippines in 1999 to work as a nanny in Taiwan, Kuwait, Singapore and Hong Kong before she ended up in Canada a decade later. Upon her arrival, her agency told her she wasn’t needed anymore and immediately released her contract. She finally finished her work requirement toward her permanent resident application in early 2013, and only then began treatment for her cancer. With help and donations from the Filipino community, Aldovino managed to scrape together money for a visitor’s visa and airfare for Kenneth to visit her at her hospital bed in late July. She died in August.
“I was shocked when I saw how sick she was,” recalled Kenneth, who was raised by his maternal grandmother after he was abandoned by his father. “She didn’t even tell me she was dying. She died nine days after I got here. I was with her till the end.” Kenneth, who is now staying with a Filipino family in Oakville, said his visitor’s visa has just expired and is up for renewal, a process that can take three to four months. In the meantime, Mamann, the Toronto lawyer, hopes to help him apply for permanent residency under humanitarian consideration.
Aldovino’s story resembles that of live-in caregiver Maricon Gerente, who died earlier last year of a brain tumour, leaving behind her two teenage daughters, Lean, 14, and Saniel, 11.
They came to Canada to visit their dying mother last May with their guardian, aunt Aileen Bazon Tan, under a temporary resident’s visa.
In their case, immigration officials went to the hospital to grant Gerente permanent residency on her deathbed after her story appeared in the Star. The girls and their aunt are renewing their visas that expired in November, and will apply for permanent residency on humanitarian grounds.
“No one plans to be struck by tragedy. All parents want the best for their children, who for sure have a much better future outside of the Philippines,” said Tan, who works to support the girls and became a friend of Kenneth due to their shared circumstances.
Mamann said Ottawa has established special rules to deal with rare situations such as the processing of Sri Lankan boat people arriving en masse on British Columbia’s shores in 2010.
“There should not be discretion. There should be a rule,” said Mamann. “Even though it’s rare, with thousands of live-in caregivers in Canada, it’s going to happen again. This will give the dying mother comfort knowing that her child is going to be OK and their future is not depending on them.”
link:
http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2014/01/22/immigrant_dreams_die_with_deceased_nannies.html
Despite being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, Edna Aldovino postponed her medical treatment and continued to work as a nanny in Toronto.The dying woman from the Philippines was desperate to collect the employment hours she needed to qualify for permanent resident status to bring her only child, Kenneth, here under Canada’s live-in caregiver program — the last gift she could give him. When she died in hospital last August after cancer spread to her liver and brain, so did her dream to give Kenneth, now 20, a better life.
Immigration Canada terminates immigration applications when the principal applicant is deceased and a decision is still pending, with no exception for live-in caregivers.
“But the live-in caregiver program is unique because the applicant has to make a commitment and sacrifice before they receive something tangible in return,” said Toronto immigration lawyer Guidy Mamann, who is helping Kenneth on a pro-bono basis. “They come and spend two years looking after others’ children to allow their own family to come here. They have done their end of the bargain. It’s like we owe it to their kids.” Although there are only about a dozen such cases a year, Mamann and other advocates said immigration officials should not stop processing these applications, leaving the deceased applicant’s dependants in limbo.
The Canadian Council for Refugees recently passed a resolution at its annual conference asking Ottawa to ensure the permanent residence application is processed to completion, taking into account the best interests of the dependant and other humanitarian considerations.
“Canada has the obligation to consider what’s in the child’s best interest. We are asking (the government) not to stop the process and drop these people like a brick,” said Janet Dench, the council’s executive director.
Aldovino left the Philippines in 1999 to work as a nanny in Taiwan, Kuwait, Singapore and Hong Kong before she ended up in Canada a decade later. Upon her arrival, her agency told her she wasn’t needed anymore and immediately released her contract. She finally finished her work requirement toward her permanent resident application in early 2013, and only then began treatment for her cancer. With help and donations from the Filipino community, Aldovino managed to scrape together money for a visitor’s visa and airfare for Kenneth to visit her at her hospital bed in late July. She died in August.
“I was shocked when I saw how sick she was,” recalled Kenneth, who was raised by his maternal grandmother after he was abandoned by his father. “She didn’t even tell me she was dying. She died nine days after I got here. I was with her till the end.” Kenneth, who is now staying with a Filipino family in Oakville, said his visitor’s visa has just expired and is up for renewal, a process that can take three to four months. In the meantime, Mamann, the Toronto lawyer, hopes to help him apply for permanent residency under humanitarian consideration.
Aldovino’s story resembles that of live-in caregiver Maricon Gerente, who died earlier last year of a brain tumour, leaving behind her two teenage daughters, Lean, 14, and Saniel, 11.
They came to Canada to visit their dying mother last May with their guardian, aunt Aileen Bazon Tan, under a temporary resident’s visa.
In their case, immigration officials went to the hospital to grant Gerente permanent residency on her deathbed after her story appeared in the Star. The girls and their aunt are renewing their visas that expired in November, and will apply for permanent residency on humanitarian grounds.
“No one plans to be struck by tragedy. All parents want the best for their children, who for sure have a much better future outside of the Philippines,” said Tan, who works to support the girls and became a friend of Kenneth due to their shared circumstances.
Mamann said Ottawa has established special rules to deal with rare situations such as the processing of Sri Lankan boat people arriving en masse on British Columbia’s shores in 2010.
“There should not be discretion. There should be a rule,” said Mamann. “Even though it’s rare, with thousands of live-in caregivers in Canada, it’s going to happen again. This will give the dying mother comfort knowing that her child is going to be OK and their future is not depending on them.”
link:
http://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2014/01/22/immigrant_dreams_die_with_deceased_nannies.html
Immigration backlog: Anti-fraud measures add years to citizenship process
Ottawa's tightened scrutiny of citizenship applications means a nine-year wait from some immigrants.
Extra scrutiny introduced by Ottawa to crack down on citizenship fraud means thousands of immigrants will have to wait as long as nine years to become full-fledged citizens.
Until recently, immigrants with permanent resident status had to wait three years before filing a citizenship application, which would then take about 21 months to process in routine cases — for a total of about five years.
Last May, the federal government introduced a more rigorous “residence questionnaire” for some applicants, to establish proof that they’ve actually been present in Canada. Applicants were told the detailed four-page forms — which must be accompanied by proof such as tax returns, pay stubs, and airline tickets to document even brief absences — would take 15 months to process.
But this month, those applicants are learning they’ll have to wait four more years to get their files assessed.
Mana Golnazi, a Toronto engineer who came here from Iran in 2008, calls the process “frustrating.”
“We feel like we are held hostage by the government,” she said.
Golnazi, 33, was asked to fill out the questionnaire after she passed the citizenship test in July. She was shocked when she called to get an update on her application and was told she’d have to wait 48 months.
“I went to school here. I work hard. I pay taxes. I volunteer in the community. I am a good citizen. Where’s my rights after all these years?” said Golnazi, an IT business analyst.
“I can’t vote in the system that I’ve been contributing to. I do what good citizens do, but they don’t want to give me the same rights.”
Many citizenship applicants have expressed similar frustration and anger about the delay on online forums.
Golnazi — an avid volunteer for The Weekend to End Women’s Cancer, the Terry Fox Run and the Salvation Army — said she has been out of Canada only twice since her arrival, for a total of 28 days. She took a vacation to England and visited her mother, who was battling cancer in Tehran.
Applicants can travel outside Canada, but need to obtain visas with the passport of their home country, which can be inconvenient and costly.
According to the immigration department, about 60,000 citizenship applications were referred for further examination between May 7 and Sept. 28, 2012. Of those applicants, 11,000 were asked to fill out the questionnaires.
“When a residence questionnaire and further investigations are involved, it is no longer routine ... The time needed to process non-routine cases varies from one case to another,” said department spokesperson Paul Northcott, adding that officials don’t keep track of the processing time of these cases.
Officials could not say how they decide which applicants must complete the questionnaire. Neither could they provide statistics on the rate of acceptance or rejection for those who fill it out.
Alexis Pavlich, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s spokesperson, said the Conservative government has admitted a higher number of permanent residents each year than the previous Liberal government, which has put pressure on citizenship processing times.
“Our government is committed to protecting the value of Canadian citizenship, which is why we are cracking down on residency and citizenship fraud,” Pavlich said in an email.
“This increased scrutiny has produced longer wait times in some cases, but will result in a cleaner, faster system in the long run.”
MP Kevin Lamoureux, the Liberals’ immigration critic, said there are more than 300,000 permanent residents with citizenship applications in the backlog.
“These processing times are totally unacceptable. We have thousands of potential citizens who are being denied the right to vote,” he said.
Palestinian immigrant Wael Saadeddin Gharbiyeh was sponsored to Canada by his Canadian wife in 2000. He passed his citizenship test in April 2010 but was handed the residence questionnaire after an officer questioned him about having an expired passport from Jordan.
Gharbiyeh, who has a degree in accounting and finance from the South Illinois University Carbondale, calls the immigration department regularly for updates. Last August, he was told it would take 15 months for his file to be assessed.
When he called again in early January, the department said the wait time now stands at 48 months.
“I feel betrayed. They can’t put my life on hold like this,” said the Toronto father of two. “We are not asking to jump the queue, nor are we asking to be granted citizenship without scrutiny. What we are asking for is a reasonable time frame for the processing of our citizenship applications.”
Each year, 160,000 people receive Canadian citizenship. But the refusal rate has crept up over the past five years, from 1.4 per cent to 3.5 per cent. Besides passing the citizenship test, applicants must have basic command of English or French, and no criminal record.
link:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/01/24/immigration_backlog_antifraud_measures_add_years_to_citizenship_process.html
Ottawa's tightened scrutiny of citizenship applications means a nine-year wait from some immigrants.
Extra scrutiny introduced by Ottawa to crack down on citizenship fraud means thousands of immigrants will have to wait as long as nine years to become full-fledged citizens.
Until recently, immigrants with permanent resident status had to wait three years before filing a citizenship application, which would then take about 21 months to process in routine cases — for a total of about five years.
Last May, the federal government introduced a more rigorous “residence questionnaire” for some applicants, to establish proof that they’ve actually been present in Canada. Applicants were told the detailed four-page forms — which must be accompanied by proof such as tax returns, pay stubs, and airline tickets to document even brief absences — would take 15 months to process.
But this month, those applicants are learning they’ll have to wait four more years to get their files assessed.
Mana Golnazi, a Toronto engineer who came here from Iran in 2008, calls the process “frustrating.”
“We feel like we are held hostage by the government,” she said.
Golnazi, 33, was asked to fill out the questionnaire after she passed the citizenship test in July. She was shocked when she called to get an update on her application and was told she’d have to wait 48 months.
“I went to school here. I work hard. I pay taxes. I volunteer in the community. I am a good citizen. Where’s my rights after all these years?” said Golnazi, an IT business analyst.
“I can’t vote in the system that I’ve been contributing to. I do what good citizens do, but they don’t want to give me the same rights.”
Many citizenship applicants have expressed similar frustration and anger about the delay on online forums.
Golnazi — an avid volunteer for The Weekend to End Women’s Cancer, the Terry Fox Run and the Salvation Army — said she has been out of Canada only twice since her arrival, for a total of 28 days. She took a vacation to England and visited her mother, who was battling cancer in Tehran.
Applicants can travel outside Canada, but need to obtain visas with the passport of their home country, which can be inconvenient and costly.
According to the immigration department, about 60,000 citizenship applications were referred for further examination between May 7 and Sept. 28, 2012. Of those applicants, 11,000 were asked to fill out the questionnaires.
“When a residence questionnaire and further investigations are involved, it is no longer routine ... The time needed to process non-routine cases varies from one case to another,” said department spokesperson Paul Northcott, adding that officials don’t keep track of the processing time of these cases.
Officials could not say how they decide which applicants must complete the questionnaire. Neither could they provide statistics on the rate of acceptance or rejection for those who fill it out.
Alexis Pavlich, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s spokesperson, said the Conservative government has admitted a higher number of permanent residents each year than the previous Liberal government, which has put pressure on citizenship processing times.
“Our government is committed to protecting the value of Canadian citizenship, which is why we are cracking down on residency and citizenship fraud,” Pavlich said in an email.
“This increased scrutiny has produced longer wait times in some cases, but will result in a cleaner, faster system in the long run.”
MP Kevin Lamoureux, the Liberals’ immigration critic, said there are more than 300,000 permanent residents with citizenship applications in the backlog.
“These processing times are totally unacceptable. We have thousands of potential citizens who are being denied the right to vote,” he said.
Palestinian immigrant Wael Saadeddin Gharbiyeh was sponsored to Canada by his Canadian wife in 2000. He passed his citizenship test in April 2010 but was handed the residence questionnaire after an officer questioned him about having an expired passport from Jordan.
Gharbiyeh, who has a degree in accounting and finance from the South Illinois University Carbondale, calls the immigration department regularly for updates. Last August, he was told it would take 15 months for his file to be assessed.
When he called again in early January, the department said the wait time now stands at 48 months.
“I feel betrayed. They can’t put my life on hold like this,” said the Toronto father of two. “We are not asking to jump the queue, nor are we asking to be granted citizenship without scrutiny. What we are asking for is a reasonable time frame for the processing of our citizenship applications.”
Each year, 160,000 people receive Canadian citizenship. But the refusal rate has crept up over the past five years, from 1.4 per cent to 3.5 per cent. Besides passing the citizenship test, applicants must have basic command of English or French, and no criminal record.
link:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/01/24/immigration_backlog_antifraud_measures_add_years_to_citizenship_process.html
you are absolutely right, we are all under the mercy of the immigration godskannu1235 said:Its too bad :'( :'(
and we, who are alive, being through a lot too. We can't plan our lives for years. B'cz we dont know whats gonna happen and when s gonna happen. Our fate is being decided by immigration.
Suffer the caregiver
Every morning, Zeny Delmando rises at six, dresses quickly and leaves her neat North Toronto apartment, its walls lined with religious portraits and framed photographs of her family. On weekdays, she heads to her job as a nanny for a seven-year-old girl, often not returning until eight in the evening. On weekends, to earn extra cash, she cleans at another employer’s house. Sunday mornings, the devout 53-year-old Christian stops off at the Saint Paschal Baylon Church for mass. What does she pray for? “That my employers are happy with me,” she replies. Anything else? “To be given health,” she adds, “because I’m the one earning money to support my husband and two daughters.”......
link:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/01/24/susan-mcclelland-on-nannies-from-the-philippines-suffer-the-caregiver/
Every morning, Zeny Delmando rises at six, dresses quickly and leaves her neat North Toronto apartment, its walls lined with religious portraits and framed photographs of her family. On weekdays, she heads to her job as a nanny for a seven-year-old girl, often not returning until eight in the evening. On weekends, to earn extra cash, she cleans at another employer’s house. Sunday mornings, the devout 53-year-old Christian stops off at the Saint Paschal Baylon Church for mass. What does she pray for? “That my employers are happy with me,” she replies. Anything else? “To be given health,” she adds, “because I’m the one earning money to support my husband and two daughters.”......
link:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/01/24/susan-mcclelland-on-nannies-from-the-philippines-suffer-the-caregiver/
