How to navigate Canada immigration programmes

Intending immigrants invest a lot of time and money pursuing their dream of immigrating to Canada.  With immigration rules and regulations constantly changing, effective legal strategies have become increasingly important to your success. 

Canada is the second largest country in the world and is divided up into 10 Provinces and 3 Territories.  The future of Canadian immigration is clearly shifting away from once popular Federal Programs such as the Skilled Worker or Entrepreneur programs.  The Provinces of Canada are receiving an increasing role in the selection of economic immigrants intending to settle within their provincial boundaries.  Canadian provinces now have their own immigrant nominee process called Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP).  They are intended to promote immigration policies suited to a province’s particular needs.  

While Quebec may be the only province with the right to select its own immigrants, all other provinces have the right to nominate immigrants, and those rights are growing on an annual basis.  For the foreseeable future, the number of immigrants to be granted permanent residence under a Provincial Nominee Program are expected to increase annually. That makes the Provincial Nominee Program a major player in any immigration strategy you and your family may decide to pursue.     

Canada happens to be a destination country that attracts intending immigrants at a rate which far surpasses the processing capacity of most immigration programs we offer.   This further makes the decision as to which immigration program you select to utilize even more critical.   Resource allocation, processing delays, and program requirements continue to play important considerations in the decision to pursue a Canadian immigration program that best suits your objectives.  That does not necessarily mean that a Provincial Nominee Program will be the best program in each and every instance, but the advantages and disadvantages must be considered and weighed against all of your objectives. 

Applying for admission to Canada as an immigrant will follow a much different path under a Provincial Nominee Program.  The processing time and the prospects of success can be significantly better than other permanent resident programs offered by the Federal government.  However, you need to know how to navigate both the law and the system of processing immigrant applications in Canada, especially when you may be dealing with both Provincial and Federal Government agencies within the same application.  There are nuances within our system, ones that professionals such as lawyers have developed and mastered after years of specialized practice in the industry.  This can be a significant advantage to a client seeking immigration to Canada.

For example, there are some instances where a person may qualify for admission to Canada under a Provincial Nominee Program, but may also qualify for a temporary work permit while the application is in process.  This strategy may facilitate a much earlier entry into Canada for the applicant and their accompanying dependents.   Legal counsel can help determine the advantages of either commencing the process with a work permit, or proceeding straight to the Provincial nominee immigration process.  They can also determine if a Canadian Port of Entry can be utilized to expedite certain types of applications over Consular processing.  These are areas of expertise that require a level of sophistication and ongoing involvement in the legal, political, and economic process of Immigration.   Further, experience and familiarity with all Canadian immigrant programs, specific industries, and relevant issues will present a major advantage to a prospective applicant. 

A highly skilled and well-trained Canadian Immigration Lawyer will evaluate all Canadian Immigration programs and determination which one best suits your circumstances and desired objectives.  After all, immigrating to Canada can be a once in a life opportunity for those fortunate enough to be selected.  If you’re interested in immigrating to Canada, you should seek credible and trustworthy legal advice before making any decisions with respect to Canadian Immigration strategies.  

Website:  www.cicpassport.com

Note 1: The author is a Canadian Business and Immigration Lawyer based at Winsor, Ontario in Canada

Note 2: The views expressed are the author’s own and do not reflect in any way, the views of Emirates 24|7. Readers are advised to carry out their own due diligence before taking any decision.

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