March 31 2015 Last updated 4 minutes ago gulfnews.com InFocus Canada Making Canada your home Thousands of people from across the world immigrate to Canada every year. They all want the same things a promising future, a comfortable lifestyle, equal opportunities and a good life for their children. loading Close [x] By Neesha C. Salian, Staff Writer Published: 23:14 September 8, 2007 Image Credit: Between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006, Canada took in 254,400 immigrants, 9,800 more than in the previous year. Keen on moving to Canada? Here are answers to all your immigration questions. Thousands of people from across the world immigrate to Canada every year. They all want the same things a promising future, a comfortable lifestyle, equal opportunities and a good life for their children. Canada offers them all of these and more in great measure.
According to Nizar Lalani, CEO and Country Manager (UAE), Antal International Network, Canada welcomes immigrants from around the world with open arms. Its immigration policy is based entirely on eligibility criteria and the selection process is fair and transparent without any discrimination or favour for any particular nationality. "A new immigrant has the same rights and privileges as a Canadian citizen except the right to vote till they become citizens," he says. "The biggest factor that makes Canada such a favoured destination for everyone is the respect and the acceptance for everyone's culture. Canada is known for respecting people who come to settle down in the country and for integrating them into the society, while respecting their traditions and customs," says Helene Mathieu, a Canadian barrister and solicitor, public notary of Quebec and head of Helene Mathieu Legal Consultants, which is based in the UAE. Cassie Walker, a legal consultant with immigration consultants Aries International, says that Canada has a booming economy and is a politically stable country. It offers its citizens a range of benefits including social security, health care and education and these are among the best in the world. Immigrants want to enjoy a good standard of living and that's available here. "We have seen that people who want to immigrate to Canada from the UAE want to move because the cost of living here has been steadily rising. We also have clients who cite the traffic as a reason, as long commutes and delays due to traffic jams are eating into the time they get to spend with their family," says Walker. These factors have resulted in an increase in the number of immigrants year on year. Increase in immigrant numbers Figures from Statistics Canada quoted in their publication The Daily show that net international migration continues to be the main engine of population growth in Canada, accounting for about two thirds of
the annual increase in 2005 06. The publication also stated that between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006, Canada's population increased by 324,000 to an estimated 32,623,500. During this period, the nation took in 254,400 immigrants, 9,800 more than in the previous year. It was the highest level since 2001 2002 when 256,300 international migrants arrived in Canada. Categories Most of the immigrants who come to Canada apply under several categories for permanent residency status, says Sam Bayat, Senior Partner, Canadian Legal Services. "Immigration to Canada is through three major categories: a) independent (economic) class, b) family class, and c) refugee class (asylum seekers). Other categories which are lesser known are: d) Quebec destined applicants holding a 'Certificate de Selection du Quebec' (CSQ) and e) the provincial nominee programmes (PNP). Independent (economic) class applicants are individuals who rely on their skills, either professional or business. The applicants applying based on their professional skills are called skilled workers and the applicants applying based on their business skills are called 'entrepreneurs', 'investors' or 'self employed'," he says. According to Bayat, skilled workers are assessed under a point system that takes into consideration a series of factors related to the applicant's abilities. If married, either of the spouses can choose to be the principal applicant for purposes of determining eligibility. A visa officer assesses the application against six factors: education, language, experience, age, arranged employment and adaptability. "If your score is the same or higher than the qualifying mark (67 points since September 2003), you may qualify to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker. The principal applicant should demonstrate his ability to use his work experience in Canada's work environment. Skilled workers are only required to show minimal available and transferable funds to Canada," he says. Prabhjeet Singh, Branch Manager, WWICS (Global
Strategic Business Consultancy FZCO), says that the 'Business Class Immigrant' programme was designed to attract immigrants who have abilities and resources to invest or establish businesses in Canada. "There are three categories under this segment. To qualify for the investor category, you need to have a net worth of C$800,000 (about Dh2.806 million) anywhere in the world, have minimum three years of managerial experience, and invest C$400,000 (Dh1.403 million) in a fully guaranteed, zero interest, government term note for a period of five years. Those applying under the entrepreneur class need to have business experience, a legally obtained minimum net worth of C$300,000 (about Dh1.052 million), and provide a written statement to an officer that they can and will be able to meet the conditions," says Singh. He adds that those applying under the federal self employed category will need relevant experience in cultural activities, athletics or farm management. The skilled worker and investor category are popular options with people seeking permanent residency says Walker from Aries International. "We are seeing an increase in the number of applications from people migrating under the investors category from the Middle East." New application process Walker says that the Canadian immigration authorities have also introduced a new simplified application process for federal skilled workers and business immigrants. Since September 2006, most federal skilled worker and business class applicants are only required to provide the modified application form and processing fee at the time of application. Supporting documents will need to be provided only when the visa office is ready to assess the application. You can also get permanent residency under the family and refugee categories. Bayat says that if the applicant has a close family member who is a permanent resident or a citizen of Canada; who is at least 18 years old; has the required annual income; and is residing in Canada at the time the sponsorship application is submitted, this relative could sponsor the applicant. Only relatives
such as a spouse, dependent children, parents, grandchildren (who are orphans, unmarried and under 22), and children the sponsor plans to adopt can be sponsored. The sponsor has to undertake to provide for the lodging and support of the applicant and the applicant's dependents for a period up to 10 years. Mathieu says that the refugee category is applied for in cases when the applicant's life is in danger for political and religious reasons. "For this category, regulations are becoming more stringent as the system was misused in the past. So meeting the criteria is more difficult," she says. People can also apply for permanent residency through the PNP or provincial nominee programme. "This category indicates that each province has negotiated with the federal government about the possibility of accepting migrants in the province through the provincial government. In the case of skilled worker programme, each province issues a list of jobs that are in high demand in the province. A skilled worker applying for immigration with the PNP must have a validated job offer from the relevant province," says Mathieu. "Business migration through the PNP is similar to the federal businessman category. However, there will be more specific conditions for each province. For example, for the province of British Columbia, you have to invest at least a million Canadian dollars, for other provinces the amount is different. You do have to employ a specific number of Canadian residents who are not related to you," says Mathieu. The Quebec Selection Programme is another option. Bayat says that as part of this programme, Quebec's authorities select the applicants for this province and issue them a 'Certificate de Selection du Quebec' (CSQ). "Quebec's regulations have the same categories as the federal regulations but the criteria are different. "Prospective Quebec immigrants would also have to satisfy the federal requirements in terms of medical background and security screening. Skilled applicants who are young, well educated and speak French generally stand good chances of obtaining the
CSQ. Quebec immigration authorities schedule interviews much faster than the Federal authorities," he says. Citizenship Mathieu emphasises that all these categories are used to differentiate applicants for Canadian immigration to become permanent residents of Canada. "You have to make a distinction between residency and citizenship. One can be a permanent resident of Canada without asking for citizenship. "According to Section 28 (2) of Canada's Immigration Act, a permanent resident (PR) must comply with a residency obligation and be in Canada physically for a total of 730 days for every five year period," says Bayat. There are several other stipulations linked to permanent residency. Permanent residents hold a PR card, which is a status document that provides cardholders with proof of their residency status in Canada, which is needed when re entering the country following international travel. However, once the applicant has been accepted into the country as a Canadian resident, everybody is governed by the same rule for the citizenship. "The rule says that you have to spend 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada within four years preceding the application in order to be eligible for citizenship. Each resident above 18 years old, who fulfils this rule, needs to take a test, which examines his or her knowledge of Canada," says Mathieu. Applicants who have passed the test attend a citizenship oath ceremony, and are handed the citizenship certificate. Those who are unable to pass the test get a second chance for an oral interview before the citizenship judge. EXPERT SPEAK Shortage of personnel means demand for some professions Helene Mathieu says that the professions that stand a good chance of being accepted in Canada are the ones that have a shortage in terms of personnel. "For example, there is a huge shortage of
qualified staff in the medical field. So we can say that doctors, other medical staff, especially nurses, are in high demand. IT professionals can be quite successful, as well as certain engineering professionals. I think it might be quite tough for civil engineers but electrical engineers will definitely be in demand. Apart from the medical field, there is a growing interest in teaching staff: school, college, and university teachers," she says. Mathieu says that there are several reasons why certain professions are in demand. "The population of Canada is ageing and the birth rate of Canadians is not high enough to outweigh the number of senior citizens. The baby boomers' generation is starting to retire, which puts an additional strain on the medical field," she says. Cassie Walker, Legal Consultant, Aries International, says that there is a demand for professionals across the board because the economy is showing growth in all sectors. Hence, there is a demand for skilled people in most fields. According to Nizar Lalani, CEO and Country Manager (UAE), Antal International Network, it is vital that potential immigrants research the profession they intend to pursue in Canada before applying. Some professions such as health care, dental care, financial services and lawyers are regulated professions. As such, professionals in these fields have to take licensing examinations to be able to practice their profession in Canada. Each province in Canada has their respective licensing regulations. Lalani suggests that irrespective of whether you are seeking work under a regulated or non regulated profession, you should find out if Canada accepts your credentials (degrees and diplomas), have your credentials evaluated, pursue additional studies, perfect your language skills (English or French) and take the necessary licensing examinations, if possible. Prabhjeet Singh, Branch Manager, WWICS (Global Strategic Business Consultancy FZCO), says that skilled professionals from almost all fields do qualify for Canadian immigration provided they have work experience at a supervisory level or have technical
experience. "However, if you were to name the top five professions that are in demand, they would include the oil sector, medical, engineering, IT and hospitality. Having said that there is no preference given to any profession as far as the processing time of any application is concerned. All the applications go through a queue and are not hand picked randomly," he says. CITIZENSHIP What about the wait period? Planning to move to Canada and wondering if you can find your place in the Canadian workforce? Here's what experts say about the demand for professionals from different fields. From application to permanent residency, here's how long you may have to wait. In your bid to achieve Canadian citizenship, you have to first file an application for permanent residency. "Processing of the immigration application begins the day the application for permanent residency is received along with the appropriate processing fee at the Canadian visa office responsible for applicants in the area of residence of the applicants or at one of Canada's provincial nominee programme. The processing fee is paid to review and process the application," says Sam Bayat, senior partner, Canadian Legal Services. "There are visa posts in almost all the countries and your application has to be filed at the concerned visa post. For example, if you are living in the UAE, then the application can be filed at CHC, London," says Prabhjeet Singh, Branch Manager, WWICS (Global Strategic Business Consultancy FZCO). The immigration authorities at the visa post review the application and supporting documents and decide if an interview is necessary. The interview is of critical importance in the immigration process and proper preparation is necessary. The decision whether to grant an applicant the PR visa or reject the application is
made by the officer at the visa post. "If accepted, the applicant and his dependents will be required to undergo a simple medical examination by a designated medical practitioner (DMP). A background and security check is also carried out during this stage," says Bayat. Bayat emphasises that certificates of good conduct or police clearance certificates must be submitted with the application for each country where the applicants have resided for more than six months since attaining 18 years of age. This check includes every adult in the family. In order to issue permanent residency visas, the applicant, his spouse and all dependents above 22 should pay the right of permanent residency fee (RPRF). Singh says that the time taken by different visa posts to issue the visa can vary depending on the load of applications they are dealing with. For example, it takes two years or more to get the PR visa if your application is filed at CHC, London, UK, and on the other hand, it may take five years or more if it is filed at CHC,New Delhi, India. ISSUES Settling in Canada Experts tell you what you need to know about finding your feet when you land in Canada. "Settling in Canada, if well planned, is a beautiful experience. One should take advantage of the services and opportunities lined up for the newcomers (permanent residents) in Canada. When immigrants arrive in Canada, they have the right to study, work and live anywhere in the country. They should apply and will receive a social insurance number (SIN), which in turn helps them register with an employment centre. The SIN is required if you want to work in Canada or to receive government benefits," says Bayat. According to Nizar Lalani, CEO and Country Manager (UAE), Antal International Network, "The Government of Canada has recently launched programmes for newcomers and for overseas potential immigrants to
have their foreign training and credentials recognised in Canada and to help them to be able to work in the profession that they have had experience, education and training. For more details log onto www.workingincanada.gc.ca." Bayat says that if you are looking for education options for your children or for yourself, Canada has both public schools (funded by the government) and private schools. It has many top colleges and universities known all over the world. "Canada offers the latest medical services free of charge to all its citizens and residents. It also provides all the latest and modern life necessities to newcomers. Thus, living in Canada is a wonderful opportunity for you and your dependents," he says.