A 3-year Atlantic Pilot Project

What you Need to Know About the Atlantic Immigration Pilot

As announced on July 4, 2016, the Atlantic provinces will start an exciting initiative in March 2017 to attract and retain skilled immigrants in Atlantic Canada: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. This one pilot project will cover the entire region known as “the Maritimes.”

Beginning in March 2017, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada will be accepting permanent resident applications under the pilot program. In 2017, a total of up to 2000 applications, including skilled workers and accompanying family members, will be accepted for these programs.

It is anticipated that this project will help the provinces to increase the shrinking labour force—due to an aging population—and will ensure long-term economic growth for the Atlantic region. It is anticipated that the project will also sustain the population growth, aid in developing a skilled workforce, and, as a result, increase employment rates in the provinces. The program is set to last three years.

The government of Canada and the Atlantic provinces are building a vibrant economic future for Atlantic Canada as they are directing their efforts and resources to stimulate the economy, support the middle class and address longstanding and evolving regional challenges.

This one interprovincial team is focussed on increasing Atlantic growth, as they share a common vision to bring continued and long-term economic prosperity to the four provinces.  The areas involved comprise:

  • skilled workforce/immigration
  • innovation
  • clean growth and climate change
  • trade and investment, and
  • infrastructure.

The difference from other pilot projects is that principal applicants arriving under this program will have a job offer from an employer and a customized settlement plan for assisting the family to integrate and become economically established in the province. Employers will also take part in the long-term integration of the newcomers in order to meet the goals of their settlement plan upon arrival in Canada.

Employers wishing to participate in the program need to meet certain requirements and must be screened by their respective province prior to hiring a foreign worker through this program.

This new Atlantic pilot project consists of three categories (2 employer-based streams and international students). Please contact us for assistance in pursuing your dreams of becoming established in the Maritimes.

 

URGENT: Be the first to know – reopening of OINP

The Province of Ontario announces an increased provincial nominee quota for its 2017 Immigrant Nominee Program for a total of 6,000 applications.

These include skilled workers, foreign students, successful entrepreneurs and key personnel of foreign corporations aiming to expand into the province.

The proprietary online platform developed by the OINP IT department (which we reported about with respect to the OINP French-speaking Stream in January) is ready to open intake for the International Masters/PhD Graduate streams and the Ontario Express Entry Human Capital Priority stream next week. These are the most popular and highest volume streams, which last year were filled by May 9 and have been suspended till now. Attending the “dry run” demonstration of the new online paperless system next week will allow us to better serve our clients willing to settle in Ontario.

The announcement was made jointly by Laura Albanese, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration of Ontario, and Deb Matthews, Deputy Premier and Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, recognizing both the success and importance of OINP for the economy of the province.
https://news.ontario.ca/mci/en/2017/02/ontario-continuing-to-welcome-newcomers-with-expanded-and-modernized-immigration-program.html

How U.S. Travel Ban to the States Affects Canadians and Permanent Residents

   Despite the fact that the Trudeau government has received assurances that Canadian passport holders will not be caught up in an American travel ban temporarily banning citizens of seven countries from entering the United States, the issues are not quite clear for many Canadians and permanent residents travelling and working in the U.S.

Due to the recent travel legislation changes in the United States, individuals with passports issued by Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia are not permitted to travel to the United States at this time.

Persons with permanent resident status in Canada who have a passport from any of the countries listed above, including individuals with valid U.S. travel visas, cannot travel into the U.S. at present.  Those visas will be cancelled.

Canadian citizens from the listed countries should take caution and limit travel into the U.S. at this time as well as use the means of travel suggested below.

   If a Canadian citizen MUST fly into the U.S., they should travel via airports that have U.S. customs pre-flight inspection and avoid small airports.   The review would occur on Canadian soil, and a person may exit the airport without an issue.

If a Canadian citizen MUST drive to the U.S., via regular border crossing, if the entry is denied, it is expected that the individual  will be allowed to return directly to Canada.

It might be wise for individuals associated with these seven countries to avoid flying directly into the U.S., as doing so would put  an individual at the greatest risk of potential detention in the U.S.,  keeping in mind that  the interpretation of the U.S. executive order is determined by the individual U.S. officer. It is also possible that if entry is denied, the examining officer may have difficulty determining whether the person should be removed back to Canada or the country of birth/dual nationality of the traveller.

The Canadian government has been advised by the U.S. government that Canadians born in and/or with dual citizenship with one of these seven nations will be permitted to enter the U.S.  However, we need to be cautious as the executive order continues to take form.  We trust that these suggested means of travel will minimize your risks.

Attention — immigration scam! A number of African, Caribbean and South-East Asian countries are targets.

   We have been receiving phone calls and e-mails asking about a so-called “Canadian Visa Lottery” — a fake news story apparently spreading through an online grapevine and gaining momentum on certain social media platforms. It appears that an article has been published online listing a number of countries, citizens of which would be allowed to participate in the new Canadian visa lottery, similar to the U.S. DV lottery. A certain geographical area appears to be being targeted by scammers: the list of “eligible” countries includes the Philippines, Thailand, Fiji, Guyana, Jamaica, Pakistan, Oman, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, Cameroon, Kenya, Lesotho, Uganda and Zambia.

   Beware: the story is clearly a scam designed to bilk thousands of citizens from poor countries who desperately seek better fortunes elsewhere, trusting that when it seems to be too good to be true, it may still be true. Professionally speaking, the rules of the so-called lottery listed in the article look randomly thrown together and have absolutely no relation to any existing immigration program in Canada. But since not everybody is well-versed in the intricacies of the Canadian immigration system, below are three main points for every Jane and Joe seeking to leave for greener pastures.

   First of all, any record of action taken or sanctioned by the government of Canada should be publicly available. However, no public announcement has been made by IRCC or any other branch of the Canadian government that would indicate that such a lottery could take place. The only lottery that IRCC will be holding — today, as a matter of fact — is the selection of applicants willing to sponsor their parents to Canada, a move announced by IRCC on December 14, 2016. And while one can easily find an announcement about parental sponsorship selection by way of lottery, there is none about any other lottery. No link in the story is provided to the official source for a very apparent reason — it does not exist.

   Secondly, a clear indication of fraud is a very conspicuous error in names: instead of using the correct title, “Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada,” the story quotes “Canadian Immigration and Citizenship” as the name of the Canadian government department in charge of immigration. Our rule is when in doubt, always search the official sources, and we urge everybody to protect themselves from immigration fraud and check the official IRCC publication at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/protection/fraud/index.asp.

   Last but not least, we checked the registration of the website where the article was published; do not be fooled by the name — it has nothing to do with U.S. TV. No surprise here — there is absolutely no clarity regarding who is behind the website, which is filled with online ads and pop-ups. It was registered on October 25, 2016, the names of the owners are hidden and it is a proxy domain — with the true identities of the site owners/domain, etc. disguised behind a string of glossy facades rented by anyone who pays for it. See for yourself:

https://whois.icann.org/en/lookup?name=usanews-tv.com

   It looks like immigration fraud was in the original design of this “masterpiece”; on the verge of the confusion that has erupted about who is being denied entry to the US and the ensuing border frenzy borne by the US President’s executive order signed on January 28, 2017, it has also managed to publish fake U.S. visa news alleging that citizens of African countries now have a 30-day free passage to the U.S., which is not true. We feel truly sorry for gullible folks who read it and may show up at the U.S. border with no visa…

   Our advice: avoid at all costs. Avoid anyone — whether a person or an organization — offering assistance with these two programs; the programs are fake and the only “assistance” you will get is your money being assisted out of your pocket into the pockets of the scammers. Always check the source — with the relevant authorities — Canadian or U.S.