The Chairman of Fredericton’s committee has praised police to work with Canadian migrants and build a better understanding with them. An initiative taken by the police has been encouraged by the Canadian Immigration, which has praised the former for snuggling cultural diversity amongst the immigrants and counseling them to Canada.

Councilor Eric Megarity confirmed that within the next two decades, the country will enhance by 14.5 million new migrants. Keeping this facet in mind, the biggest challenge would be to retain the new immigrants in Canada.

It is a great news for prospective immigrants who are residing in Canada as well as those who are planning to make their moves towards the country. The initiative will also work towards assisting new immigrants to the city in the future.

Police official Leanne Fitch confirmed that police force decided to come out with an action/plan that would court prospective immigrants as police officials in future. It will ensure a better understanding and accord between the immigrants and future officials.

This step would further clear the speculations that people have their minds regarding the unfriendly and cruel behavior of police force! In addition, the city of Fredericton is decked with certain strategies which allow prospective police officials to mentor with police force!

Hence, a perfect opportunity for applicants intending to court into police force to gain some healthy experience in advance!

While the whole Canada makes a favorable immigration destination, people often get confused deciding where to live or which city would suit them best! Of course, choosing the right place to live makes one of the most important facets of the immigration process. It comes across as the most important factor when you plan to take your family along with you.

Many of you might have already chosen the Canadian city where you will work and live. Though, here is a little description about Vancouver. Even though this city does not need any introduction, here is what makes this city special and one of the most popular Canadian immigration destinations. There are a number of reasons for which overseas people intend to immigrate to Vancouver.

• Vancouver in British Columbia is a very multi-cultural city like most of the Canadian cities, where you would get to see a wide range of cultures and languages spoken. Thousands of immigrants, including students, investors, entrepreneurs from all over the world come to this city and do not want to leave!
• Vancouver’s economy is evolving and it holds endless job opportunities for local, as well as overseas workers. Some of the prominent sectors that are generating these opportunities include education, technology, film production, and financial services. The city is North America’s third largest film production location.

Apart from these, Vancouver’s temperate climate is one of the reasons as to why people prefer it as an immigration destination. Not to forget its natural beauty, that comprises mountain rages, forests and coastlines, which offers a multitude of opportunities for outdoor activities like skiing, snowboarding, biking, hiking and walking!

On 10th March 2010, the government of Canada announced certain amends to be brought about in the criteria for excepted language skills. These changes would be applicable for all those applying under the Federal Skilled Worker and the Canadian Experience class. This was announced by Jason Kenney, the Minister for Immigration and Multiculturalism.

Clarifying the above, Kenney said that the language skills criterion has not changed as such. The only change is that from now on, the applicants have to submit the proof of their language skills while submitting their application itself. So, the applicant has to now submit his proficiency either in English or French since these are the two official languages for Canada. This amend has been brought about to ensure faster processing of the applications.

Earlier, the applicants were permitted to either submit a written statement or a test conducted by a third party that is independent from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The written statement was meant for those who had English or French as their first language. But this was not being limited to the above. Those not having the above as their first language were also due advantage of the same. These written statements did not prove the candidate’s proficiency in the practical use of the language. So, they had to provide with other forms of evidence which obviously lead to a processing delay.

With this, all the applicants would be given a single chance to prove their proficiency in the same. However, they are still free to submit a written statement.

On the other hand, submitting test results for the language skills would ensure quick and genuine processing of the application. With this, these tests would also let the applicants know of their standing in the same. After getting their test results, they would be in a better position to decide on whether to apply for immigration or not. Incase of written statements, the applicants would not know how much they have scored till their application has not been assessed by the relevant authority.

However, it is recommended to present with the test results straight away to avoid any forms of delay.

It has to be realized that for any immigrant, the language skills are the key indicators to his success rate in the job market. The better his language skills, the more likely are his chances of landing with a good job.

When it comes to the applicants of the Canadian Experience Class, it is mandatory for them to meet the requisites for the same. For the Federal Skilled Workers, a maximum of twenty four points are awarded for this criterion.

If you are a permanent resident of Canada and are planning to apply for a Canadian citizenship, the following article would be of great help to you. To become a citizen of Canada, there are certain pre – requisites to be catered to. The applicant should not have undergone any form of immigration enquiry or investigation and so on.

The following are the key points to be noted before applying for citizenship:

• You must have lived in Canada for a minimum of three years or 1095 days in the last fours year. This period of residence should be prior to applying for citizenship. However, children are exempt from this requirement. Accurate time period of residence should be provided with, prior to becoming a permanent resident as well, if it is within the above mentioned four year period. This is because there are instances where in an applicant would be considered as residing in Canada when he was physically not present in the country.
• In order to apply, you should be atleast 18 years of age.
• You should not have been convicted of any crime or offence that is prohibited under the Citizenship Act or imprisoned. The time spent in prison does not count for the residency period.
• Proficiency in English or French is a must to communicate with the local citizens.
• As a future citizen of Canada, you must be aware of the rights and responsibilities of a Canadian citizen. This includes the right to vote as well. Others include the history, geography and the political aspects of the country.

After the ensuring that you clear the above pre-requites, the following steps should be followed to apply for citizenship:

• Check your eligibility criteria, as mentioned above.
• Submit the application for citizenship.
• Incase, you are between the age group of 18 and 54 years, you have to appear for the Citizenship test.
• Incase you are 14 years of age or older, you must be present for the citizenship ceremony.

It has to be remembered that it is not mandatory for all the permanent residents in Canada to apply for citizenship. They are free to apply for an extension or renewal of their PR card if it expires. This PR card is permitted for five years at a stretch. However, on the PR card, certain rights are not available which are only applicable for the citizens of Canada.

This surely raises the question, what happens when a foreign child is adopted by Canadian parents! It becomes a matter of concern when a case of hearing reported for a teenage; accused for committing an assault and robbery that is facing the threat of deportation to his birth land. The teenager had committed the crime four years back in 2005 and has been released from a juvenile detention center recently.

The accused who was a minor at the time of the crime had been adopted by a Canadian family. This means he is not a Canadian citizen. Now that question arises what really happens to such an adopted child? So, here is the answer…

A child born after 1947 in Canada is regarded as a citizen of that country. Besides, if a child is born outside Canada after 1977, but if he/she has a Canadian parent is also regarded as a citizen of Canada. This criterion was applicable to a number of generations of people who were born to original Canadians until 2008. But, a law that had been passed in 2009 restricted this to only one generation.

Until 2006, an adopted child from a foreign country was required to be sponsored as a permanent resident first before he/she could be regarded as a Canadian citizen, which is popularly know as naturalization. Towards the end of the year 2007, this law was altered which stated that an adopted foreign child would be granted with Canadian citizenship without first going through the process of immigration. The same law was extended to Canadians who live outside the country.

Now foreign nationals who are adopted by Canadian citizens can obtain Canadian citizenship directly, without having to go through the process of naturalization! To know more about this, contact an Immigration and Visa consultant!

Of late, the number of refusal cases of Labor Market Opinion (LMO) applications of Canadian employers is increasing, thanks to the more demanding regulations pertaining to the LMO applications and to some extent the global economic downturn! Whatever the reason, the fact is that more and more interested international workers and Canadian employers are finding it tough to get the approval of the Human Resources Development Canada on their LMO applications and this is no good for the country.

Labor Market Opinion approval becomes important when it comes to obtaining certain Canadian work permits by Canadian employers. When the employers want to hire overseas workers, they need to make application for a LMO to the HRDC. In order to obtain the approval of the Service Canada, the employers are required to convince the HRDC that they have tried to hire a Canadian for the job that they are eventually offering to an overseas worker. An employer should make all the efforts, like publishing advertisements on newspaper for the vacancy in order to convince the authority. Once the Service Canada is satisfied that there are no Canadians who fit the bill for the offered job, it gives confirmation/approval or confirms the offer of employment to the overseas worker and then issues the Labor Market Opinion letter to the employer.

It is unfortunate for Canada to have increasing numbers of refused LMO applications, especially when the country needs more international workers. So, here is the lesson for Canadian employers that they should prepare their LMO applications more carefully and convincingly, so that they could get the approval. All you employers need to do is that make your applications as persuasive as possible when it comes to making the efforts in searching for the local worker to fill the offered job!

According to a recent report, the need for skilled immigrants in Ontario will go on a massive high in the upcoming years to come! The same report by Seneca College depicted that Ontario would face a major skills shortage, leaving plenty of unfulfilled positions in the lime light! The matter can only be solved by taking eligible skilled workers to Ontario!

It is good news for all those job seekers planning to make Ontario as their next employment destination. Rick Miner, former president of the college holds this belief that Ontario’s economy in future would be dominated by skill based employments! But the current education scenario, the condition of labor pool and their training makes it difficult for the province to fulfill its needs.

In addition, the aging population of Ontario’s skilled workers is making the whole condition even worse! The scenario would surely affect the companies who need skilled workers to fulfill their positions on an urgent basis!

But what will happen to those workers who lack knowledge and ample skills to fit in a particular job? The economy would be deeply affected by this factor too!

Cabinet Minister Murray Elston said that this situation would not only affect Ontario’s economy but other provinces in Canada too! Canada’s labor market would face plenty of similar challenges in the upcoming future.

Therefore, it becomes mandatory to welcome more and more skilled workers and overcome this scenario as soon as possible.

NETFILE is one of the available options through which Canadians can file their income tax returns. To be very precise, using NETFILE means you can file your return over the Internet. The best part of using this service is that you get the confirmation immediately that your return has been received.

However, there are a few guidelines in filing tax returns over the Internet. Let’s have a look at them:

• One cannot use the NETFILE service, if he/she has to file return for the previous years, not the current year.
• One cannot use the service, if he/she is a non-resident.
• One cannot use the service, if he/she has not filed a tax return with the Canada Revenue Agency for even once.
• One cannot use the service, if he/she is bankrupt.

Before you set to file tax return via Internet, remember to prepare your own form. You can do this by using a web application and this has to be approved by the CRA. The application or any other income tax software accredited by the CRA can be downloaded. Such software is also available for free for people who have modest incomes.

For your information, for this year the NETFILE service is available from February 15 to September 30. NETFILE is a convenient way of filing income tax returns in Canada, for it is quick and instant! In case if you find any problem in using the service, contact the CRA via Internet or over the phone. If you do not find the service convenient for you, you can always go the traditional way that is filing the return in the paper form!

Most people in Canada are eligible to use EFILE service for filing their income tax returns with the Canada Revenue Agency. Today, maximum Canadians prefer using this service for its quick and instant processing. EFILE is limited to authorized service providers that further send individuals’ income tax return information to the CRA.

When using EFILE, you need to prepare your income tax return on your own and take it to an accredited service provider, after which the latter sends it electronically to the CRA. Here are a few advantages of using the service:

• EFILE ensures accuracy, since the CRA carries out various computer checks before accepting a return.
• EFILE ensures faster refunds, since it reduces a number of manual steps included in the traditional tax return filing process. The CRA is known to process the returns using EFILE mostly in two weeks.
• EFILE discards the use of paper. In other words, we can call the service eco-friendly, since it avoids use of paper.
• As a professional prepares your return you can stay relaxed for the accuracy part.
• You can file your return early before the deadline approaches, and you do not have to pay for an amount owning until April 30.

All you need to do is to find an EFILE service provider in the area where you want to file your tax return. Once you have found one, you will have to produce your documents in front of the provider so that they can file the taxes accurately. However, you or your service provider cannot send the CRA a copy of the return, without the latter’s green signal. For more details of the service, contact an EFILE service provide and help yourself learning the know-how of the Canadian Income Tax Return filing!

Every department or agency in Canada is not authorized to collect the Social Insurance Number of a Canadian. There are a few specific authorized programs or departments that use a person’s SIN in order to manage a range of activities involving the person holding the number. Basically, any kind of execution of the SIN by the federal government is governed by the Treasury Board policy authorization.

The Canadian Employment Insurance Commission is entitled for issuing SINs. This is the same body, which is responsible for maintaining a record of the information needed to identify applicants who are entitled to various benefits under the country’s Insurance programs. In order to be able to avail these benefits, workers are required to provide their SINs to the respective administrative body.

As per the Canadian Income Tax Act:

1. A person is required to provide his/her SIN for filing an annual tax return.
2. Government agencies need the number for providing the SIN holder with grants, loans, and other types of financial assistance.
3. Employers need the SIN in order to provide an employee with his/her record of employment, as well as other purposes like pension and personal income tax.
4. A person needs to provide the SIN when applying for the Canadian Child Tax Benefit.
5. A person is also required to provide the SIN to banks, or other financial organizations.

Social assistance programs like Canada Pension Plan also require a Canadian’s SIN. These are the programs that offer financial assistance to a person engaged in pensionable job and his/her family when circumstances occur that cause loss of income, such as retirement, death or disability. In order to able to avail such benefits, one needs to provide his/her SIN, along with other details, such as name; sex; and address.

According to the Old Age Security (OAS) Act, a person is required to provide his/her Social Insurance Number at the time of availing the OAS benefits. Over 65-year-old individuals are entitled to the Old Age Security pension. In this respect, an SIN is required to confirm the amount of benefits a person is entitled to; his/her date of birth; sex; marital status; and date of death.