Entries by Katrina

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. […]

Employers Take Note – New Rules for Foreign Workers

Amendments to Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to strengthen protections for temporary foreign workers during their period of employment in Canada are scheduled to come into force on September 26, 2022. Specifically, these amendments apply to those employers seeking employer specific work permits for foreign nationals via the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (“TFWP”), which […]

Foreign Students Return to School – In Person or Online?

It’s time to start thinking about back to school for many foreign students. Throughout the pandemic special measures were put in place to permit foreign students to study online remotely while maintaining their eligibility for a post graduate work permit (PGWP). Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is extending a transition period to international students […]

Open Work Permits for Certain Current and Former Post Graduate Work Permit Holders and TR to Pathway Applicants

On August 2, 2022, IRCC announced it would be expanding work permit opportunities for certain former or current post graduate work permit holders, as well as Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident (“TR to PR”) Pathway applicants. Beginning on August 8, 2022, individuals whose post graduate work permit expired on or after September 20, 2021, or […]