Posts by Michael Niren

Two weeks ago, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney told the media that immigration is needed to keep Canada’s economy growing. Economic immigrants  to Canada needed since recession “For a couple of generations Canadians have been deciding to have fewer kids than we need to grow and maintain our population, which means ultimately fewer […]

Man detained for 10 days while trying to visit family in Canada According to this article in the Winnipeg Free Press, a Polish man visiting family in Canada for the first time was detained by immigration officials for 10 days upon arriving at a Toronto airport. The man, a successful businessman in Poland, did not speak […]

Many applicants who are required to attend US visa appointments at the U.S. Consulate/Embassy in Canada often ask “well, how soon can I get an appointment?” or “how long do I have to wait?”  These common questions all share a common answer. The current waiting times vary depending on the location of the Consulate/Embassy. In general, […]

A new ten-year multiple-entry visa is being introduced, announced Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism on July 20, 2011. 10 Year Multiple Entry Visas Will Make It Easier to Visit Canada Currently, the maximum validity period of a multiple-entry visa is five years. However, increasingly, countries are issuing passports which are valid for […]

Family deported from Canada two years ago According to this Vancouver Sun article, a family originally from Albania that was deported from Canada has been allowed to return more than two years later. Almost 10 years ago, the father was left partially paralyzed in Albania after an assassination attempt and the man and his family came to […]

Number of US workers applying for work visas in Canada doubles According to this article in the Vancouver Sun, the number of workers from the United States who are looking for jobs in Canada has doubled since 2008. The unemployment rate in Canada is currently 7.3 per cent, which is lower than the unemployment rate […]

New Filing Procedures for US Relative Petitions Effective Aug. 15, 2011, US Petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices must file their Form I-130, Petition for an Alien Relative, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) lockbox facility in Chicago. This change makes the filing process more efficient and gives USCIS greater flexibility in […]

Two-thirds of Afghan interpreter refugee claims denied According to this article over at the CBC where your’s truly is quoted, Canada is rejecting most of the refugee claims filed by Afghan interpreters. In 2009, the program that intended to help out Afghan interpreters who provided a vital service to Canadian soldiers was announced by Citizenship, Immigration and […]

When traveling to Canada, it can be extremely inconvenient, disappointing and costly to be denied entry to Canada when visiting family, traveling for business or planning a vacation in Canada. People are usually denied entry to Canada because of a criminal past, but can even be denied for minor offences that occurred years and years […]

Current Canadian passports cost $87 According to this article at the CBC,  the new Canadian passports announced by the government to be available next year could cost around $225. The e-passport is already available to Canadian government officials and based on an expense claim filed by Prime Minister Harper, appear to cost $225. Like the […]

Immigration fraud tip line for “problem they haven’t even demonstrated exists” According to this article in the Montreal Gazette, a new government tip line that’s set up to allow people to report immigration fraud is garnering a lot of criticism. Tip line was announced last week by Citizenship and Immigration Canada The NDP immigration critic, […]

Ontario Liberals promise $10,000 to companies that hire immigrants The Ontario Liberals have proposed a new tax credit for businesses who hire new Canadians. The program would provide a $10,000 tax break for employers who hire new Canadians – new Canadian citizens who have lived in Ontario for less than five years. “The program is […]

Increased security leads to Canadians being denied entry to US More Canadians are being denied entry to the US after the events of September 11, 2001 because of heightened security restrictions. According to this Metro News article, one man has had to cancel vacations and business trips after being denied entry to the US, despite traveling […]

According to this article in the Financial Post, the Canadian immigration system is the worst in the world. This is because the article says that Canada is taking in far more immigrants than it needs without focus on the economy or jobs – resulting in an unfair situation for immigrants themselves who are allowed “into […]

Skilled workers earn more in Canada than other immigrant categories A new Queen’s University study has found that of all of the types of immigrants who come to Canada, skilled workers are the highest earners. The study, called Immigrant Earnings Differences Across Admission Categories and Landing Cohorts in Canada was conducted by Queen’s University and […]