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Immigration Canada announced a new policy on December 15, 2012, that allows for bridging work permits. Foreign nationals who are currently working in Canada and have applied for permanent residence (under certain programs) can now apply for such a permit. This will allow them to stay and work until their permanent residence application is finalized. read more…
Winds of change keep blowing on Canadian immigration lands. In July 2012, we discussed several steps taken by the federal government relating to the rules and processes applicable to temporary and permanent immigration applications in Canada. More changes have been announced in the recent months. These changes aim to allow more foreigners into Canada to meet growing labor shortages. read more…
It’s common for companies to fill executive positions in Canada and the United States with one executive. That person is based in the United States and commutes to Canada on a regular basis to provide services to the Canadian affiliate.
Since such executives are providing services to a Canadian company, they can’t qualify as business visitors in Canada. Instead, they need a work permit. Although not difficult to obtain under the NAFTA exemption for intra-company transferees (citizens from other countries in the same situation can also obtain work permits under another non-NAFTA exemption), these work permits are time limited. But on September 19, 2011, Citizenship and Immigration Canada issued a new Operational Bulletin (OB 346) that allows employers to “recapture” the foreign workers’ time not spent in Canada.
In our December 20, 2010, article, we discussed the ways to become a permanent resident of Canada. In this article we will briefly explain how to keep this status.
In contrast with Canadian citizenship, which in principle lasts for life, permanent resident status can be lost if the person doesn’t meet the residency requirements established by Canadian law. The requirements aim at ensuring that immigrants make Canada their home. Policymakers have drafted the rules in order to avoid people obtaining permanent resident (PR) status as a matter of convenience without making a commitment to a life in Canada.
How can an American resident become a Canadian citizen? Only permanent residents of Canada can apply. Therefore, one must start with applying for permanent resident status. There are various ways to become a permanent resident of Canada. This article will focus on those who apply in the “economic class.”
For those applying in the economic class, there are federal programs that are applicable across Canada as well as provincial programs that may facilitate the process.
By Bruce Grist and Derek Knoechel
The transfer of employees from foreign-based companies to Canadian-based affiliates is an increasingly common feature of the Canadian labor market. Many employers are familiar with the often complicated process of obtaining the necessary work permits for such employees at the beginning of the transfer. However, ending the relationship between the transferred employee and the Canadian-based employer can present its own challenges. Some of these challenges are illustrated by the British Columbia Supreme Court’s recent decision in Nishina v. Azuma Foods (Canada) Co., Ltd.
by Ingrid Anton and Gilda Villaran
In order to work in Canada, the general rule requires a foreign worker to obtain a work permit. There are certain exceptions to this rule. We present below the most common ones. Although some of the activities described below are normally considered “work” for immigration purposes, Canada’s immigration regulations allow foreigners carrying out these activities to enter the country as business visitors.
After-sales services
A U.S. citizen may enter Canada to perform/supervise installation, repair, or servicing of commercial/industrial equipment, machinery, or software. These goods must have been manufactured outside of Canada and sold or leased to a Canadian company by the U.S. citizen’s U.S. employer. This work permit exemption also applies if the employee will provide training to Canadian workers in connection with these services (see below, trainers). “Installation” means only setting up or testing. It doesn’t include hands-on installation such as would be performed by an electrician or pipe-fitter, for example.
Times have changed. Borders, too. Frequent business travelers know that and leave earlier to allow for longer security controls. But they are sometimes astonished when a border officer declares them inadmissible to Canada for criminality.
A new environment
Nowadays, border officers work in an enforcement environment. A much greater emphasis is now put on security controls and safety, without any consideration for the individual’s position or the purpose and duration of his visit to Canada. Where border officers in the past may have used their good judgment in assessing risks, they are now applying strict guidelines and a zero tolerance discipline toward visitors with any sort of criminal history.
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