CANADA
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About CANADA
Over the last 10 years, Canada has
been ranked by the United Nations as one of the
best countries in the world to live in. This country
has much to offer for new immigrants. The schools
and universities in Canada are excellent, with a
wide curriculum catering to to the diverse needs
of a large number of international students that
come here to study. The people are friendly and
the environment is peaceful and multi-cultural.
This makes it a great place to live, work and raise
a family.
Canada is an accessible and open immigrant country
where the English language is widely spoken. The
federal government has programs that encourage
and facilitate a continuous flow of new immigrants
into the country. In addition, the provincial
governments are allowed to select a limited number
of their own immigrants for their own provinces.
Would you like to live, work, invest or study
in Canada? Click here to learn
how.
Coming to CANADA
Admission to Canada is based upon
universal selection criteria and factors and there
are no quotas based on country of origin or citizenship.
The procedures can be complex and the information
on this website is meant only for general information
purposes and may not apply to your particular circumstances.
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (ˇ°IRPAˇ±)
and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
(ˇ°IRP Regulationsˇ±) brought into effect in June
of 2002 govern admission to Canada as an immigrant
or as a temporary resident. Additionally there are
detailed Immigration Manuals and Operations Memoranda
that set out how Immigration officers in Canada
and abroad in visa offices are to apply and interpret
the IRPA and IRP Regulations. There are often specific
processing instructions and forms for particular
visa offices.
The IRPA, IRP Regulations, Immigration Manuals and
Operations Memoranda are amended quite frequently.
You should consult with an immigration professional
to determine the exact provisions that may affect
your entry to Canada as a permanent or temporary
resident.
Changing Status
As a general rule you cannot change from temporary
resident status to permanent resident status from
within Canada or from visitor to a worker or student.
There are exceptions for immigrants such as being
sponsored by a spouse or common law partner from
within Canada or if you enter Canada under a special
program such as the Live-In Caregiver Program (ˇ°LICPˇ±).
However you may use the prior experience obtained
working or studying in Canada to enhance an application
for an immigrant visa.
