The Government of Canada has made announcement that it would implement rigid regulations. The motto behind this step is to enhance the working conditions of applicants who come to work in the country on temporary basis as well as the care-givers in the nation.

The Federal government has confirmed that the employers have been exploiting and mistreating people who come here. According to Chair Nigel Thomson from the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, the new stringent regulation would see to it that the temporary workers don’t face any hassles here and it would be made sure that employers play their rules.

In order to take care of this issue, the Federal government has implemented these rigid rules to take care of the employees who are live-in caregivers, plus the ones who work on temporary basis. The steps would save them from potential exploitation from their employers.

The rules came into implementation in April 2010. In accordance with these regulations, the employers would be required to give the contracts which have properly demonstrated wages, benefits and hours of duties, including the leaves which would be granted to these employees.

Also, starting from April 2011, new regulations will apply a stricter and accurate assessment to employments for these categories before the employers are granted the authority to hire. It will take care whether the employer who is hiring the workers are following the guidelines or not.

At the time when most immigrant doctors from India are struggling to get their degrees recognized by Canada in one of the most popular Canadian cities, Toronto, here is the news that would make all Indians feel proud, as well as inspire medicos to make it big in foreign land. The founder of BSA Diagnostic Medical Imaging Center, who hails from Amritsar, Punjab in India has made it big in the Canadian land. The center happens to be one of the largest medical facilities in Canada. A graduate from the Amritsar Medical College, Birinder Ahluwalia is a famous figure in Canada, thanks to not only his professional achievements, but also for his contributions to the cultural aspect.

Physician Ahluwalia immigrated to Toronto in the year 1985. He started off his career in the Canadian city as a courier boy. However, he did not wait much time, as soon after he joined the chief of the RDS Diagnostics as his assistant. Alongside, he was training as a diagnostic imaging specialist. He just took the right move at the time. Diagnostic imaging was just taking off, where there were lots of opportunities in the field at that time.

He then opened the BSA Diagnostic Imaging Center in the year 1989- the vehicle for his successful journey! In 2009, the center handled a total of seventy thousand cases. According to Mr. Ahluwalia, his center expects to treat even more patients this year. It was his achievement which earned him the one of the top 25 slots for the immigrant achievers in Canada. He accompanied the Canadian PM Stephen Harper to India in 2009.

Birinder Ahluwalia’s achievements are not restricted to only his profession. He is one of the founders of the Toronto’s Spinning Wheel Film Festival. Mr. Ahluwalia is the perfect example of a promising immigrant who holds the determination to make something remarkable in foreign land. He, especially, is a role model to immigrant doctors in Toronto, where one can find the highest number of immigrant physicians who are earning their livelihood as taxi drivers, due to the non-recognition of their degrees.

Immigration is a life altering decision which involves an investment of an entire lifetime worth of savings. So, it is important to think at least ten times before taking the plunge. Be it any developed nation such as the United States, United Kingdom or Canada, a strategy has to be formed keeping all the loopholes and the Plan Bs ready. Research and answering all your questions is the key to have a successful immigration. The research never goes waste…if you do not believe it now; time would surely prove it to you. How to go about the process effectively and what to do – all depends on your initial research. So, your first goal should be to have an objective to immigrate. And you should be very clear about it.

So, how would you go about this objective? In other words, why do you want to immigrate? The reasons can be many based on your purpose. Some such instances include:

• I want to pursue my higher studies at a subsidized fee in the United States.
• I would like to invest in the US economy and start a business.
• I am looking forward to better work and life opportunities in Canada. So, I want to immigrate to Canada.
• My company wants me to go to the UK and set up a new office but doing so is better if I am an immigrant and a permanent resident. That gives me much leverage with financial institutions and local business community.
• My husband is a citizen of Australia and so, I would want to immigrate to live with him.
• Quality of life issues such as law and order problems, pollution and corruption are important and therefore, I must migrate to a place where systems work and people can live honorably and without fear.
• I am concerned about the future of my children

The above are few of the many reasons as to why people would want to immigrate to a developed nation. After knowing the reasons behind your immigration plan, the next step is how to go about it. For this, get informed about the kind of visa that is required and whether you are eligible for it or not, how to apply for it, the documents required, the fee that has to be paid, the various procedures that have to be followed and so on.

During the above process, it is essential that you do not get confused. To avoid this, it is best to hire a registered immigration consultant who would be able to guide you through the process. This would help clear the road map further.

It has to be noted that successful immigrants in various nations have always had clear plans which has led to the accomplishment of their goals. Thus, even a consultant would be of help only if you know what you want. Good Luck!

For all those prospective applicants who are intending to immigrate to Alberta, here is the not so good news. The province has stopped accepting applications from the applicants who are intending to apply under the Family Stream and the U.S. Visa Holder Category.

But cancellation has been performed on a temporary basis and is applicable until any further official notice is not brought in action. The same has been confirmed by a press release by the Government of Alberta.

Those who have already applied or are intending to apply, should know that applications under these two categories that were postmarked on or before August 23, 2010 would have their share of acceptance for processing further. The processing would be done in accordance with the current program criteria.

According to Thomas Lukaszuk, Minister of Employment and Immigration for the province of Alberta, the processing schedule would be continued for all those applicants who are decked with perfect skills and the enhancing economic needs of Alberta.

The applications under following programs would continue to gain acceptance: Engineering occupations, International students, Skilled workers, Semi-skilled workers in certain occupations, Compulsory trades, and Self-employed farmers.

The main motto behind Alberta’s immigration is to lure more and more applicants through its provincial nomination program rather than giving preference to those who want to come on a temporary basis.

The International Graduate stream of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program lets the province’s employers hire and retain the international graduates who have been studying or living the Nova Scotia. In other words, this stream is meant for international graduates who are living and working in the province and have the intention to establish their careers in Nova Scotia.

Here are the basic eligibility criteria for the applicants of this stream:

• International graduates must have graduated within the last two years. They must have pursued the degree/certificate/diploma from a provincially-accredited post-secondary institution in Canada.
• They must be legal residents in Canada on a temporary work permit.
• They must have a permanent, full-time employment offer from a Nova Scotia employer in their field of study. They must have been working in a regular position for minimum 3 months.
• Job offers for international graduates must require them to be in positions which fulfill the requirements of the NSNP, pertaining to the skill level.
• Graduates must have the required skills, qualifications, and training for the job.
• They must have the intention and ability to settle in Nova Scotia, permanently.
• They must posses the adequate settlement supports.
• They must fulfill the criteria pertaining to age, language proficiency and education set for the International Graduate Stream.

To more about this stream of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program, contact an Immigration and Visa Consultant!

The Nova Scotia Nominee Program’s Skilled Worker stream enables the province’s employers hire international skilled workers in order fill up the job positions, reason being the local workers lack the required skills. In order words, Nova Scotia employers make use of this program in appointing foreign skilled nationals, when they are unable to find Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents with the needed skills to fill those positions.

In order to be able to qualify for this stream applicants must possess a permanent, full time employment offer from a Nova Scotia employer in hand, much before filing their immigration application with the Nova Scotia Nominee Program. The skilled worker applicants can expect priority processing of their applications whose:

• Employers (from whom they receive employment offer) have genuinely tried to find and recruit qualified Canadian citizens or permanent residents for the positions.
• Employers are in a position to demonstrate that they will assist foreign workers with additional supports for settlement in the province.
• Employers have a practical strategy to recruit, as well as retain immigrant workers in the province.

Below are the eligibility criteria for skilled worker applicants:

• Applicants must have lawful status in the country where they are residing at time of applying for the NSNP.
• Applicants must intend to settle in Nova Scotia, permanently.
• Applicants must possess adequate settlement supports.
• Applicants must have a permanent, full time employment offer in Nova Scotia from a well settled Nova Scotia business/employer.
• Applicants must possess required qualifications, training, work experience, for the job.

For more information, contact an Immigration and Visa Consultant!

Employers working with Service Canada and who handle employment claims are soon on the verge of becoming unemployed. There is news that in an attempt to manage the budget, Service Canada would cut down almost 600 hundred of its government workers ahead of 600 who were cut down in the month of May.

In addition to that, reports have confirmed that more and more cuts are expected in the month of January. Those who have been made employed include those whose tasks involved processing employment insurance claims to pension problems to passport applications.

According to Steve McCuaig, who is the national executive vice-president of the Canada Employment and Immigration Union, people who are the receiver of these services are the ones who would suffer the most due to these cut offs. He further added that people who are heavily dependent on the Canadian staff for their pension issues would suffer a huge impact. The group includes elderly people and the ones with disabilities.

Those employees who would be affected by the move would be sent letters by next week. Speculations are made that those employees who are hired on contracts would suffer these cut offs.

The cuts are simply in regard with the flow of the current economy. The same has been confirmed by Service Canada. Also, those who were hired on a temporary basis were already acquainted that their jobs are on temporary basis.

Whetever is the case, the cuts offs would leave a massive effect on the service industry.

Under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program’s Strategic Initiatives stream, the province of Manitoba manages to meet the objectives of the CMIA (Canadian Manitoba Immigration Agreement) by letting foreign skilled workers to enter the province and fill the job positions in Manitoba, thereby meeting the needs of the labor market. Foreign nationals are eligible to file petitions with the MPIP through the Strategic Initiatives stream if;

• They have received an invitation letter to apply as part of a Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program targeted promotional initiative; OR
• They have been favored by a Manitoba-based ethnic/cultural group or a regional economic development entity, which will assist you in arranging an introductory visit (pre-approved by the MPNP) to the province; OR
• An adult dependant of a MPNP nominee who does not meet the criteria of a eligible accompanying dependant can also be qualified for the Strategic Initiatives stream, given he/she proves his/her financial capability to put up in the province and will receive assistance from the nominee in establishing himself/herself in Manitoba.

Below are the basic criteria that all the Strategic Initiatives stream applicants need to meet:

• Applicants must have the educational qualifications as well as the training as described by the terms of a specific initiative. However, the applicants must have completed high school.
• Applicants must demonstrate their employability to be employed in the province of Manitoba. They must have the work experience.
• Applicants must have proficiency in English or French language so that they can be employed in the Canadian province.
• Applicants must have the intention, as well capability to establish themselves in Manitoba based on their employability and settlements supports.

Contact an Immigration and Visa Consultant to know more about the Strategic Initiatives Stream!

Like any other Canadian Provincial Nominee Program, Nova Scotia Nominee Program facilitates skilled foreign nationals to immigrate to the Canadian province in order to lead a better and satisfied life. Nova Scotia employers or companies make use of this provincial program to hire skilled immigrants into their operations, when they find the local Canadian lack in the required skills. As for the international skilled workers, the Nova Scotia Nominee Program is a quicker way to be qualified for the permanent residents of Canada.

The Nova Scotia Nominee Program is administered by the province’s Office of Immigration, aided by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The program allows the province to recruit and choose immigrants who can contribute to the Nova Scotia economy and meet the labor shortages of the province.

Once an applicant is nominated by the Nova Scotia Nominee Program, he/she, along with spouse, dependent, children can apply with the Citizenship and Immigration Canada for permanent resident visa.

Different streams of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program include:

• Skilled Worker Stream
• Family Business Worker stream
• Non-Dependent Child of Nominees Stream
• International Graduate Stream
• Community-Identified Stream

For detailed information on each of the streams, contact an Immigration and Visa Consultant!

An Irish personality (Born Tim), who underwent treatment that deals with sex-change to become a woman, may apply for a refugee status as the immigration officials from Canada have granted her the permission to do so.

He said that people would hate him and he might face several rejections, provided he go back to his home country Northern Ireland. Also, his future would face danger in his return there.

Tanya Bloomfield (earlier Tim), is now attired with a duration of 28 days if he wants to file the refugee claim. For that it is mandatory to pass the eligibility interview as well as a test which would be conducted at the Halifax offices of Citizen and Immigration Canada.

Tim reached Canada in the year 2006 and got settled in Chester which is located near Halifax. He settled there and made application for a PR status through spousal sponsorship after getting married there.

It was in the year 2009 when he separated from the spouse and hence faced terminations for his spousal sponsorship application. Hence, he had no option but to go for temporary residence status. That too was denied by the immigration officials but later after coming in contact with Lee Cohen (Immigration lawyer), he was given the advice to reside in the nation on refugee status.

Cohen has stated that just because his client is “transgender” it would become very difficult for Tim to stay in Ireland. People would hate him.