Entries by Katrina

Immigration Developments Kicking Off 2024

The New Year has brought with it developments in the Courts and at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) that will shape immigration and citizenship policy for years to come. Here’s what you need to know. Second-Generation Born Abroad Citizenship Rule Deemed Unconstitutional Along with naturalization, Canada provides for citizenship by birth inside Canada, and […]

New Licensing Requirements For Temporary Help Agencies and Recruiters

Effective January 1, 2024, under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”), temporary help agencies (“THAs”) and recruiters in Ontario will be subject to new licensing requirements which are aimed at cracking down on the exploitation of temporary workers. Any person or entity that wishes to use the services of a THA or recruiter in Ontario […]

TRUSTED EMPLOYERS TO GET QUICKER ACCESS TO TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS

At long last the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, has launched a trusted employer program for foreign workers, the Recognized Employer Pilot (REP) under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). REP is a three-year initiative intended to help address labour shortages and reduce the administrative burden for repeat employers participating in the […]

A Tech Strategy That Lacks Economic Benefits For Canada

In an attempt to help tech businesses, fill labour shortages and to become a “tech talent” leader, the Minister of Immigration Refugee Citizenship Canada (“the Minister”) recently announced six new measures. Open work permits for holders of H-1B visas: Foreign workers on H-1B specialty occupations visas in the US will be able apply for a […]

2023 Off to a Crazy Start – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

As the first month of 2023 comes to a close, we at Corporate Immigration Law Firm (CILF) are shaking our heads. Some of the recent announcements are so surprising and shocking that we are left with few answers for our clients and certainly few ideas of what will come next. On the other hand, we […]

Family of Foreign Workers Allowed to Work – But What About the Spouses of Canadian Citizens of Permanent Residents of Canada??

It’s been nearly a decade since Immigration Refugee Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) ran a pilot program that allowed the dependent children of high-wage foreign workers in certain provinces to work while in Canada.  Last Friday, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced a three staged plan to allow family members of numerous foreign workers to […]

New Occupations Eligible for Express Entry and Some Occupations Now Ineligible

On Wednesday November 16th, 2022, the Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), announced the implementation of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 for immigration programs managed under the Express Entry system. The NOC system is used by IRCC to evaluate the occupational eligibility of applicants, breaking down the level of […]

International Students Encouraged to Solve Canada’s Growing Labour Shortage

On Tuesday, October 7, 2022, the Honorable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), announced the temporary lifting of the 20-hour-per-week cap on the number of hours that eligible post-secondary students are allowed to work off-campus, while school is in session. Beginning November 15, 2022, at 12:00am ET until December 31, 2023, […]

It’s Official! Canadian COVID-19 Border and Travel Regulations to End Effective October 1

Today, the federal government announced the removal of all COVID-19 entry restrictions, including testing, quarantine, and isolation requirements for anyone entering Canada, effective October 1, 2022. The removal of COVID-19-related border regulations means that all travelers will no longer need to provide proof of vaccination when entering Canada, nor wear masks on planes and trains. […]