According to the Immigration and Refugee board of Canada, it has been confirmed that Tamil immigrants who were to appear in a detention review (which was due to be held in British Columbia) would now have to be in custody for another extended one week. There are a total of 492 Tamil migrants.

It was on Tuesday, when the first hearings for 15 migrants from Sri Lanka happened. Reports say that these people came through sea route and arrived at the coast of British Columbia last Friday. The hearing happened in Vancouver.

The migrants have been given accommodation in various detention centers located in Vancouver. Also, it was on the request of Federal government that the stay of these migrants should be extended for them to go for fingerprint checks and identification verification. The second hearing of 15 other women who appeared for their detention review earlier will take place on August 24.

The main purpose of the hearing is to determine the immigration status of these immigrants and who will remain in detention and who would be given the status to live in community.

A person from the board has confirmed that it is desired to hold initial hearing of 60 men and 15 women every day. Although, no information has been provided as to what is the outcome of the first hearing which was held recently.

The wait for intimidating the refugee status may take months and in some cases, years.

According to the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, the nation would not recline from strengthening the laws to deal with the trend of prospective refugees coming to Canada through channels of human trafficking in ships. He said that Canada is a land of refuge but the local Canadians are also concerned when boats containing people arrives. And this is not through the legal channel which follows an application process. It simply tends to land with loads of people in it. And so, the government would take all the measures as it is responsible for securing its own borders as well as fundamental exercise for its sovereignty.

This has been the first time since the Prime Minister spoke on this issue post the arrival of the Thai cargo ship in British Columbia. This ship was carrying around 492 Tamils from Sri Lanka who expect to be granted asylum in Canada. The ship arrived at the MV Sun Sea.

According to the authorities, some of these people might be belonging to a terrorist group called Tamil Tigers which is outlawed in Canada. As of now, the first migrant who has come before the immigration authorities has been put under detention till the government confirms on the identity that the person claims herself to be. According to Eric Purtzki, her lawyer, this woman came along with her original birth certificate and her national identity card.

Similar to other migrants, even she has been subjected to a short interview by the officials at the border. However, the process is yet to be complete. This woman was accompanied by her parents and her brother. She also has relatives in Canada.

As of now, it is planned for her to come back next week and appear before the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada where she is anticipated to appeal once more for release. However, the officials have made it clear that the local media would not be permitted into the detention review of this woman. Access to such reviews would be completely based on each case.

As per an adjudicator with the board, these reviewed would be limited to two Tamil advocacy groups which are namely the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam and the Canadian Tamil Congress. The Transitional Government of Tamil Eelam is looking in for an appeal in the Federal Court.

A new co-production treaty is soon to be signed by India and Canada at the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA). This is the 12th edition of the IIFA. The event is planned to take place in 2011 at Toronto. This treaty would aid the filmmakers from India to get access to the nation’s scenic locales which also includes that of the British Columbia.

According to Pratap Raju from the British Columbia International Trade and Investment Representative Office, it is likely that one of the offices would be opened in Mumbai soon. It is being planned to take the filmmakers on a trip to scout for locations in BC.

He also said that the province is concentrating on pulling in India firms which are in to gaming and other new media companies. It is being expected for atleast three firms to set a base in Canada. As of now there are about 144 firms in BC which are into game development. These together churn out annual revenue of $1.4 catering to about 5000 jobs.

There are a few companies which are moving to Canada with the procedures for some of the companies at advanced stages. This has led to a huge demand for visas. The main reason for BC being an ideal choice is its cost-effective tax structure. When it comes to the corporate income tax, it is only 16.5% in BC whereas it is 35% in the rest of the North America.

The above clearly projects the demand for investors in Canada. This can be considered as an apt time for those who would want to venture out and start a business in Canada. To know more, it is best to consult an Immigration and Visa expert who deals with Canadian immigration with specific relation to investor relations.

The British Columbia PNP requires nurses to be registered with the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses in BC in order to be able to practice as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse in the province. Basic registration requirements for these professionals include:

Unregistered psychiatric nurses must apply to the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses in order to be evaluated for registration eligibility. Below are a few application requirements:

• The applicant must hold a diploma in psychiatric nursing. A graduate or an undergraduate degree in the same is also acceptable.
• The applicant may also hold a general nursing diploma. An advanced diploma or graduate, as well an undergraduate in psychiatric nursing are accepted as well.
• Applicants who belong to non-English speaking nations must produce evidence of their proficiency in English language.
• Applicants must produce the proof of the completion of registration exam in Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia, or Saskatchewan.
• Character certificate.
• Proof of fulfilling the requirement of 1400 hours of minimum practice hours over the recent 5 years.

By now, it is clear that psychiatric nurses who are the practicing health professionals in the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses are termed as registered psychiatric nurses in British Columbia. A applicant is required to fulfill the requirement of either becoming a practicing CRPNBC member or must possess an Interim Practice Permit (while the applicant awaits for the completion of practicing requirements for the registration) in order to practice as a psychiatric nurse in the province of British Columbia. The CRPNBC is responsible for the issuance of the permit to nurses who have been evaluated by the suitable regulatory body to work as a psychiatric nurse in the province. For more information, contact an Immigration and Visa Consultant!

According to reports, CIC will provide funds to the efforts of the University of British Columbia to protect the priceless knowledge of Chinese-Canadian legacy. In an attempt to do so, one effort is to archive project material prepared under the Community Historical Recognition Program (CHRP).

In addition to this, there are plenty of attempts which have been made in an effort to preserve the Chinese-Canadian Historical Recognition Project. It has been confirmed by Dr. Alice Wong from the Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism department.

He went on to say that courtesy the efforts of the UBB project, this priceless history would be preserved for the betterment of all the nationals. Also, the (CHRP) has provided funds for so many projects which acquaint us with the history and vast knowledge behind the Chinese community in Canada.

An amount of receive $900,000 for a 25-month project would be received by the University of British Columbia. Here are the facets which would be created by the project:

• A website would be created depicting the history of the Chinese community and civilization in Canada.
• A digital archive which would be accessible all over Canada and would be housed at UBC.
• Three ‘Mobile Museum’ kiosks
• Learning resources for the students. The resources would be based on the archived projects.

It is a great step in ensuring that the legacy of Chinese-Canadian culture is preserved throughout.

It is mandated by the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program that registration is must for health professionals, such as nurses who want to practice as registered nurses in the province of British Columbia. However, the educational preparations of the nominee applicants determines as to which regulatory body in British Columbia they would require to register with. Let us have a look at the province’s regulatory bodies responsible for the registration and which health professionals are required to register to which body:

• Generalist registered nurses need to be enlisted with the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia.
• Generalist prepared registered nurses who hold a post basic certificate in psychiatry have two options- they can either be enlisted with the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia or the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of British Columbia.
• Registered Psychiatric or Mental Health Nurses are required to get enlisted with the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of British Columbia.

Registration requirements for Registered Nurse include:

• The nominee applicants must have been completed a recognized nursing program, which should be equivalent to a recognized basic nursing program in British Columbia.
• Practice competency based on graduation from a recognized nursing program within up to 5 years. Besides, a successful attempt of the Canadian Nurses Registration Examination is also required.
• Apart from a clean criminal, as well as character background, applicants should not have any suspended/cancelled nursing registration claim. Besides, there should not be any sort of falsification on the registration application.
• Physical fitness and English language proficiency are also required.

For more information, contact an Immigration and Visa consultant!

The British Columbia has set requirements for its employers who wish to participate in the Provincial Nominee Program in order to nominate eligible foreign nationals to fill up the job positions. Private Sector employers and public/non-profit employers require to fulfill different prerequisites before applying to sponsor foreign skills. Let us have a look at them:

Following are the requirements a private sector British Columbia employer has to meet before supporting nominee application with BC PNP:

• The employer must be a limited liability partnership in the province of British Columbia.
• The employer must be permanently established in British Columbia.
• It is required that employer has been in operation in the province for a minimum of twelve months. However, for the Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled Pilot Project, the duration of operation must be 2 years.
• The employer is required to have at least 5 permanent/regular employees in British Columbia at the time of filing nominee application with the BC PNP.
• The business run by the applicant employer must be financially stable. It is also required to have a reputation of a good workplace.
• If the nominee applicant on behalf of whom the employer is filing application with the BC PNP, the former should have an ownership stake less than 10 percent in the latter’s business. For your information, those foreign nationals who hold more than 10 percent stake in an employer’s business are not eligible for Provincial Nominee Program of British Columbia.

Applications get rejected under certain circumstances, including:

• If the employer is associated with the production, distribution, or sale of pornographic products, and other such services.

When it comes to public sector, as well as non-profit organizations, the British Columbia PNP accepts petitions from the following types of employers. As far as the basic requirement is concerned, every employer should be permanently established in British Columbia.

• Organizations or agencies dealing with provincial/regional health care.
• Public institutions providing post-secondary education.
• Private Career Training Institutions Agency of BC recognized private non-profit institutions providing post-secondary education.
• Federal or provincial government-support institutions that deal with research in the fields of natural/applied sciences, as well as health sciences, engineering and information technology.

Besides, above there are few other employers/organizations eligible for the British Columbia PNP. For more information, contact an Immigration and Visa Consultant!

Overseas entrepreneurs are eligible to immigrate to any city in British Columbia under any of the categories of the BC PNP’s Business Immigration. The Business Immigration has three categories-

1. Business Skills;
2. Regional Business; and
3. Strategic Projects.

Following are the requirements set by the Provincial Nominee Program of British Columbia for the applicants who wish to apply for immigration under the Regional Business:

• An applicant must invest personally a minimum amount of $200,000 (Canadian dollar) in order to set up the qualified business anywhere in British Columbia, but outside of the Metropolitan areas of Vancouver and Abbotsford.
• The applicant must own one-third of the business’ equity.
• The applicant must possess minimum net worth of $400,000 (Canadian dollar).
• The applicant must have plans to generate at least one new job for a Canadian citizen/PR.
• The applicant must possess the skills and necessary experience required to operate a commercially practicable business in British Columbia.
• The applicant must participate in the daily management of the business.
• The applicant must sign an agreement of performance with the Canadian province.
• The applicant must also come into agreement with the province for an agreement of deposit. However, this is applicable when an applicant wishes for immediate nomination to be PR in Canada.

It should also be kept in mind that applications can also be refused under certain circumstances, such as:

• If an applicant has an asylum claim in Canada that is still unresolved.
• If he/she is in Canada unlawfully.
• If he/she faces deportation order in Canada
• If he/she is being prohibited from entering Canada

To know more, contact an Immigration and Visa Consultant!

International Post-Graduates Pilot Project facilitates British Columbia’s higher educational institutions in attracting top overseas students from across the world, which in turn helps the province to retain the best skills for its workforce. This category is a new addition to the British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program. Under the International Post-Graduates Pilot Project, those overseas students can apply who have masters/doctorate degrees obtained from authorized British Columbia educational institutions. However, the degree should be obtained within the past 2 years, with or without an employment offer.

The BC Provincial Nominee Program has restricted the category to overseas students from certain programs-

1. Natural sciences,
2. Applied sciences and
3. Health sciences.

Following are the study fields from where the BC PNP considers nominee applications:

• Agriculture
• Engineering
• Mathematics and Statistics
• Physical Sciences
• Biological and Biomedical Sciences
• Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
• Engineering Technology
• Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences
• Natural Resources Conservation and Research

Following are the requirements the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program expects all nominee applicants applying under the International Post-Graduates Pilot Project to meet:

• The applicants must have obtained the doctorate/masters degrees from accredited post-secondary British Columbia educational institution, which;
  • Has been set up under the legislative act of British Columbia; or
  • Has gone through the government quality evaluation and obtained government’s approval under the Act of Degree Authorization.
• The applicants must include a reference from the institutions where they obtained their degrees. The application should contain the reference’s contact details.

For more information about the International Post-Graduates Pilot Program, contact an Immigration and visa Consultant!

Nominee applicants in this category must meet the prerequisite for either a qualified degree or a diploma from a authorized Canadian institution before applying to the Provincial Nominee Program of British Columbia under the Strategic Occupations stream. In addition, international graduates must have an employment offer from am employer in British Columbia in hand, however, unlike the skill workers category, this category does not require applicants to have work experience. Below are some of the prerequisites considered by the BC PNP:

Requirements considered for degree students:

• An applicant must acquire a graduate or undergraduate degree from an authorized post-secondary Canadian educational institution. There are two conditions attached to this-
  • if the institution is located in BC- either it must have been set up under the provincial legislative act; or has gone through government assessment to determine the quality, thereby accredited under the Act of Degree Authorization;
  • if the institution is located in any other region/province other than British Columbia, then it must be accredited by that province to provide graduate or undergraduate degrees.

• The applicant must provide a reference from the institution from where he/she studied. He can be a teacher or anyone from the administration of the institution, whose contact details must be included in the applicant’s nominee application.

Requirements considered for diploma students:

• An applicant must obtain a diploma from a publicly owned post-secondary Canadian institution.
• The course of study must be longer than twelve months.
• In this case as well, the applicant must include the contact details of a teacher or an administrator of  the institution where he/she studied the diploma course.

To know more about this category of the BC PNP Strategic Occupations Stream, contact an Immigration and Visa Consultant!