Changes to take away automatic citizenship for babies born on Canadian soil under consideration

Toronto Sun: http://www.torontosun.com/2012/02/22/changes-would-take-away-automatic-citizenship

OTTAWA - Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says the government is considering citizenship law changes to prevent so-called anchor babies from automatically becoming citizens.

Kenney says his department is not sure how widespread the problem is of foreign women duping the system by coming to Canada on tourist and visitor visas for the sole purpose of having a child.

"This is not a new phenomena. We have been aware of this happening for some time," Kennedy said in Vancouver where he announced changes to speed up the recognition of foreign credentials.

"In fact ... hospital administrators in Montreal have raised the problem with me ...in that they have seen a growing number of people ostensibly as visitors giving birth to children and immediately leaving without paying their hospital bill."

Kenney was reacting to reports in Canada and Asia that pregnant Chinese women are coming to Canada to have a baby so the child is a citizen.

The Chinese fraud is mostly based in Hong Kong where bogus immigration agents are coaching wealthy mainlanders how to keep their pregnancies hidden while entering Canada.

All babies born in Canada are considered citizens - meaning they could return later in life as students, for example, and sponsor their parents under family reunification applications. Many other countries do not grant automatic citizenship to babies born to foreigners.

Kenney could not say if the problem is widespread outside the Chinese community.

"We don't want people to get the idea that citizenship is a way to get a passport of convenience, that Canada is a country to be exploited," he said.

Opposition politicians said any changes being considered should be brought before Parliament, and not left for the minister to arbitrarily implement as he has done in the past.

"Allow politicians from all political parties to weigh in on the issue as opposed to 'Gee whiz, I hear about this, I want to glorify the issue and I want to talk tough,"' said Liberal immigration critic Kevin Lamoureux.

Kenney's officials say the matter will be brought before the Commons citizenship and immigration committee before changes are made.

Harper Government Introduces the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act

Ottawa, February 16, 2012 — Legislation to protect the integrity of Canada’s immigration system was introduced today by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.
The proposed measures include further reforms to the asylum system to make it faster and fairer, measures to address human smuggling, and the authority to make it mandatory to provide biometric data with a temporary resident visa application.
“Canadians take great pride in the generosity and compassion of our immigration and refugee programs. But they have no tolerance for those who abuse our generosity and seek to take unfair advantage of our country,” said Minister Kenney.
The new bill, Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act, proposes changes that build on reforms to the asylum system passed in June 2010 as part of the Balanced Refugee Reform Act.
The proposed measures would provide faster protection to those who genuinely need refuge, and faster removal for those who don’t.
In recent years over 95% of EU claims were withdrawn, abandoned or rejected. If that trend continues, that means that the unfounded claims from the 5,800 EU nationals who sought asylum last year will cost Canadian taxpayers nearly $170 million.
“Too many tax dollars are spent on bogus refugees. We need to send a message to those who would abuse Canada’s generous asylum system that if you are not in need of protection, you will be sent home quickly,” added Minister Kenney.

“Our Government is sending a clear message that our doors are open to those who play by the rules, including legitimate refugees. However, we will crack down on those who endanger human lives and threaten the integrity of our borders,” said Minister Kenney. “Human smuggling is a despicable crime and Canadians think it's unacceptable for criminals to abuse Canada's immigration system for financial gain.”
Mandatory detention remains for people who enter Canada as part of a designated smuggling event. But once the identity of a claimant has been established and a refugee claim is approved, individuals would be released from detention.
The final component of the new legislation would give the Minister the authority to make it mandatory for visa applicants to provide biometric data (i.e., fingerprints, photograph) to visit Canada. Documents can be forged or stolen, whereas biometric data provide greater certainty, confirming the identity of applicants when they apply.
“Biometrics will be an important new tool to help protect the safety and security of Canadians by reducing identity fraud and identity theft,” said Minister Kenney. “As fraudsters become more sophisticated, biometrics will improve our ability to keep violent criminals and those who pose a threat to Canada out. In short, biometrics will strengthen the integrity of Canada’s immigration system while helping facilitate legitimate travel.”
These measures would put us in line with international partners such as the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, and the United States. This would help prevent known criminals, failed refugee claimants and deportees from using a fake identity to obtain a visa. The use of biometrics would also bolster Canada’s existing measures to facilitate legitimate travel by providing a fast and reliable tool for confirming identity.
All these reforms are aimed at deterring abuse of Canada’s generous immigration and refugee system. With these proposed measures, the integrity of Canada’s immigration programs and the safety and security of Canadians will be protected.
“To maintain the support of Canadians for our generous immigration and refugee systems, we must demonstrate that Canada has a fair, well-managed system that does not tolerate queue jumping,” concluded Minister Kenney.

Are you eligible to immigrate to Canada?

Visit this link on the CIC website http://www.cic.gc.ca/app/ctcvac/english/index to find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada as a Federal Skilled Worker (FSW).  

Note however, that the FSW is only one of many options through which a person may be eligible to immigrate to Canada. For a comprehensive assessment, you may visit our website - 

Lastly, even if you are currently not eligible for any of the Canada immigration programs, stay tuned in to this blog and we would keep you updated on changes to immigration laws & policies.  Who knows, the next change may be to your advantage and it may come sooner than you expected.  

Immigration & population growth in Canada - latest reports

According to the Globe & Mail, Canada is the fastest growing country in the G8 thanks largely to its immigration program.  
Alberta & Saskatchewan are experiencing a population boom of immigrants and native born Canadian.  Manitoba has doubled its rate of growth since the last census, due to a doubling of immigration under the provincial nominee program.

Read full story: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canadas-future-is-in-the-west-2011-census/article2330716/

Citizenship & Immigration Canada Engaging employers on Immigration

Citizenship & Immigration Canada is holding the first round of meetings with employers today in Halifax to discuss economic immigration  and policies.

Federal Skilled Worker class faqs

What does “federal skilled worker” mean?

What does “federal skilled worker” mean?

Skilled workers are selected as permanent residents based on their education, work experience, knowledge of English and/or French, and other criteria that have been shown to help them become economically established in Canada.

The term “federal skilled worker” refers to the category under which skilled workers apply if they want to live in any Canadian province or territory except Quebec.

Skilled workers who want to live in Quebec apply under a separate category. The province of Quebec selects its own skilled workers and therefore applicants going to Quebec through that program are known as “Quebec-selected” skilled workers.

Will my fee be refunded if my application is returned or refused?

Will my fee be refunded if my application is returned or refused?

If you applied before February 27, 2008, the date the changes to the immigration law took effect, your application will be processed. You will not get a refund unless you choose to withdraw your application before it is processed.

If you applied on or after February 27, 2008, and your application is not eligible for processing, you will get a full refund. If your application is processed and it is refused, you will not get a refund.

What are ministerial instructions, and have they helped improve labour market responsiveness and reduce the backlog?

What are ministerial instructions, and have they helped improve labour market responsiveness and reduce the backlog?

Ministerial instructions are a flexible tool that allows the government to align intake of applications to priorities for immigration, as well as reduce application backlogs and improve processing times. The authority for ministerial instructions comes from amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act approved by Parliament in 2008 as part of the Action Plan for Faster Immigration.

Ministerial instructions have been effective in improving labour market responsiveness and reducing the backlog.

The pre-2008 federal skilled worker backlog has been reduced by 50% two years earlier than anticipated.  This means that a backlog that had reached over 640,000 people at the time these changes were made has been cut down to approximately 316,000 persons. Additionally, wait times for new federal skilled worker applications have been reduced from years to months – wait times for new applications are currently six to 12 months.

Are any applicants exempt from the mandatory language test? What about applicants from English or French speaking countries? Why would someone from England need to take an English test, for example?

Are any applicants exempt from the mandatory language test? What about applicants from English or French speaking countries? Why would someone from England need to take an English test, for example?

There are no exceptions to this rule. We want to ensure that all applicants are evaluated against the same standards, no matter what their language of origin, nationality or ethnicity.

• Is there any hope left if I do not meet the required pass mark on the points system?

Yes, with proper packaging.

• How long does the process take?

The government promises 6 - 12 months processing time however, this is rarely accurate and applications tend to take longer.  Factors that cause this include files already in queue, the class under which you apply, whether or not an interview is waived, and how complex your case is.

• Do I need to get a professional to represent me? 

No you do not.  But it can help prevent unnecessary delays & in some cases, significantly improve your changes for success.  For a full list of the benefits of retaining a Canadian Immigration lawyer, see list of Our Services.

Canada Immigration News

Visit  http://www.y-canada.ca/blog---news.php for more news and information on Canada Immigration.