Canadian Law Group

Canadian tech companies are thriving in 2018, standing at the frontline of global innovation. They may be headed towards replacing the United States as the #1 country in technological and scientific advancements.

Canadian tech companies are thriving in 2018, standing at the frontline of global innovation. They may be headed towards replacing the United States as the #1 country in technological and scientific advancements.

With spring and summer approaching, this means busy tourist season for Canada, especially with the snow now all gone. Approximately 18 million tourists are expected to be welcomed to the country. At this time of year, our Firm often sees a spike in calls from people who are booked for trips, such as cruises with a stop at a Canadian port of entry, concerned about the impact of a prior conviction on their ability to enter Canada.

When choosing to relocate to Canada, immigrants may be separated from their families back home. This has become far more common under the Trump Administration in the USA, whereby out of status migrants are looking to come to Canada in order not to be deported to their home countries; often, these undocumented U.S. residents now have a family in the U.S.A. which means that the deportation will wreak havoc on many, including young children who will see one of their parents be sent away.

As the Canadian immigration system is rapidly modifying its core structures to better fit the immigration needs of today, its merit-based setup seems to find many admirers around the world. On February 6, President Donald Trump complimented it via a tweet, stating that American immigration should strive to adopt a merit-based immigration system.

Canadian investors have thrived in 2017, celebrating the end of the year with a growing economy and a direct return on their investments. The new Start-Up visa is the only national investors program in Canada, established in 2014 as a pilot program. It seeks to encourage innovative foreign nationals to invest in the Canadian economy, while promising them permanent residence status.

On February 7, IRCC released the new Express Entry cut-off score, dropping to 442, compared to 444 in the previous draw. The score is based on the applicant’s skills, ties to Canada, marital and family status, and more. This drop is not surprising, as Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has had a tendency to lower the cut-off scores on the second and third Express Entry draft of the year since the creation of the program; Scores have been lowering since the implementation of the stream.

Due to the popular urban hubs in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec, other Canadian provinces have much lower immigration numbers: In 2017, Manitoba welcomed only 6.2% of Canada’s overall immigration numbers of the year. Determined to make a change in 2018, Manitoba rolled out a comprehensive and inclusive Provincial Nominee Program, attempting to attract many qualified foreigners to apply for permanent residence.

The Express Entry program, originally created in 2015, is the online program allowing skilled workers to submit immigration applications depending on their skills, family status, education level, and other factors. The Express Entry calculates eligibility scores based on the above-mentioned aspects of a prospective immigrant’s application and is divided as follows: Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades Worker, and Canadian Experience Class.

Canadian investors have thrived in 2017, celebrating the end of the year with a growing economy and a direct return on their investments. The new Start-Up visa is the only national investors' program in Canada, established in 2014 as a pilot program, in order to encourage innovative foreign nationals to invest in the Canadian economy, while obtaining permanent residence status.