NAFTA - THE DONALD CAMERON CANADIAN IMMIGRATION
This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment I rarely send other's information to this group. However, I have been a = fan of Donald Cameron for several years now. If you are thinking of = coming to Canada as an immigrant or trying to get your parents into = Canada, take a look at these waiting periods. However, if you are a skilled professional and qualify under NAFTA, you = can be working in Canada in a couple of days. (see my list at end of = Donald Cameron;s newsletter. =20 =20 THE CAMERON IMMIGRATION NEWSLETTER - JUNE 2004 CONTENTS - Immigration and the Federal Election - Reduction in Sponsored Parent Quota - Too Many Skilled Worker Applications IMMIGRATION AND THE FEDERAL ELECTION In the election campaign which we are at present enduring I have heard = representatives of both the Liberal and Conservative parties say that = they would reduce the processing times for permanent residence = applications. The Liberals are even repeating the tired old promise = (which they have been using since the 1993 election campaign) to = increase annual immigration to 1 per cent of Canada's population - which = would be about 300,000 a year. The fact is that, although the Liberals = under Jean Chretien were elected in 1993 and twice since then, they did = NOT honour their promise to increase immigration. The historical facts contradict the popular myth that the Liberals are = the pro-immigration party. The immigration policies of the Trudeau = Liberal government were restrictive and resulted in annual immigration = levels in 1983 of 89,188, in 1984 (the year in which the Trudeau = Liberals were replaced by the Mulroney Conservatives) of 88,271 and in = 1985 of 84,334. =20 The Mulroney Conservative government announced a policy of accepting = 250,000 immigrants a year and increased the amount of money allocated to = the immigration department so that in 1992 the number of immigrants = arriving in Canada was 254,817 and in 1993 (the year in which the = Mulroney Conservatives were replaced by the Chretien Liberals) the = number arriving was 256,741. Despite their promise to increase annual = immigration to about 300,000 the Chretien Liberals immediately took = steps to reduce immigration levels and in 1998 the number of immigrants = arriving had fallen to a low of 174,159. Since then the number of = annual arrivals has risen but it has not reached the levels of the = Mulroney Conservatives much less the promised 1% of the population. Neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives have addressed the fact that = reducing the processing times of permanent residence applications will = increase the number of immigrants arriving in Canada. If all = applications were processed in a few months the number of immigrants = arriving in Canada each year would exceed 300,000. Since neither party = supports such high levels of immigration it looks like reducing = processing times is yet another election promise to be broken later. REDUCTION IN SPONSORED PARENT QUOTA The effectiveness of the measures taken by Citizenship & Immigration = Canada (CIC) to reduce the number of sponsored parents (and = grandparents) admitted to Canada as Permanent Residents may be judged = from the following information concerning the number of these persons = granted Permanent Residence:=20 JAN - SEP 2003 - 15,756 JAN - SEP 2002 - 18,519 2002 - 22,502 2001 - 21,300 2000 - 17,759 What the above figures show is that, until CIC took steps to limit the = number of sponsored parent applications being processed, the number of = parents and grandparents sponsored as members of the Family Class for = permanent residence in Canada was growing. However, the number admitted = to Canada in the first 9 months of 2003 was 15% less than in 2002. =20 The 2004 immigration "level" (CIC's name for the quota) for sponsored = parents and grandparents is 10,500 to 13,500 - so there will be further = large reductions in the number of permanent residence applications from = sponsored parents that will be processed each year until the quota is = not exceeded. This, of course, means that there will be large increases = in the processing time for sponsored parent applications for permanent = residence. CIC has not made it more difficult for Canadians to qualify to sponsor = their parents nor has it made it more difficult for sponsored parents to = qualify to receive permanent resident visas. Instead it has reduced the = amount of time and money it devotes to processing this type of = application. Early last year it took 6 weeks for the CIC Case = Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario (which processes ALL = applications to sponsor members of the Family Class) to approve an = application from a Canadian to sponsor his or her parents. Now this = same procedure takes one year! After the Mississauga office approves the sponsorship application the = parents submit their application for permanent resident visas to a Visa = Office outside of Canada - where the processing times are also = lengthening. Almost half of all Family Class immigrants come from just = 5 countries - India, China, USA, Pakistan and Philippines. In 2003 the = processing time for sponsored parent and grandparent applications at the = Visa Offices responsible for these countries was as follows: New Delhi - 28 months Beijing - 21 months Buffalo - 18 months Islamabad - 25 months Manila - 26 months Taking into consideration the fact it now takes one year to obtain = approval of an application to sponsor a parent or grandparent (and that = this processing time continues to increase), sponsors can expect a delay = of at least 3 years (and growing) in bring their parents to Canada for = permanent residence. TOO MANY SKILLED WORKER APPLICATIONS=20 The number of persons whose applications for Permanent Resident Visas in = the Skilled Worker Class were waiting to be processed at all Canadian = Visa Offices on 31 December 2003 was 466,318. The number of Skilled Worker Class immigrants Canada will admit in 2004 = (which, remember, CIC calls a "level" and not a quota) is 119,500 to = 135,500. In other words, it will take 3 1/2 to 4 years to process all of these = persons who had applied for permanent residence by the end of 2003. Immigration policy-makers in Ottawa have not yet solved the problem of = how to deliver a fixed number of immigrants to Canada each year (220,000 = to 245,000 for 2004) without building large backlogs of applications = which take years to process. "Backlog" is another word CIC does not = like. A former immigration Minister insisted they were merely waiting = lists. However, if your application is in a backlog or a in waiting = list the result is the same - your life is on hold for several years. My professional history is as follows:=20 "On graduation from the University of New Brunswick in 1967 Donald = Cameron=20 was employed by the Government of Canada as a Foreign Service Officer = and=20 served as a Visa Officer from 1968 to 1972 at the Canadian Consulate in=20 Glasgow and the Canadian High Commissions in London and New Delhi. In = 1972=20 he was assigned to the Asia and Pacific Division at the Foreign Service = headquarters of the immigration department in Ottawa and in October 1973 = he=20 was part of the delegation of Prime Minister Trudeau during his visit to = China. Mr. Cameron was responsible for the Family Reunification Program = with China which was successfully concluded by Mr. Trudeau and Premier=20 Chou En-lai. From 1973 until 1976 he was assigned to the Canadian = Embassy=20 in Beijing (although resident at the Commission for Canada in Hong Kong) = in order to implement the Family Reunification Understanding. =20 >From 1976 to 1979 he was again assigned to the immigration Foreign = Service headquarters Asia and Pacific Division in Ottawa and in 1979 he = became the Deputy Immigration Program Manager of the Canadian High = Commission in=20 Singapore to implement the Indochinese Refugee Program in Singapore,=20 Malaysia and Indonesia. He next became Counsellor and Immigration = Program Manager of the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv and then of the = Canadian High Commission in Nairobi and of the Canadian Embassy in = Mexico City. >From 1989=20 to 1992 he was the Deputy Director of the Asia and Pacific Programs = Division=20 at what is now the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa where he was = for=20 the third time responsible for the delivery of the immigration program = throughout Asia. =20 In 1992 Mr. Cameron was appointed Consul and Immigration Program Manager = of=20 the Canadian Consulate General in Seattle and in 1996, along with many=20 thousands of his colleagues, he accepted an offer of early retirement = from=20 the Public Service. He is a frequent radio, television and newspaper = commentator on immigration matters and has appeared on the Rafe Mair = Show=20 and the Bill Good Show on radio station CKNW in Vancouver. He has been = a=20 guest on David Ingram's television program on the Shaw community channel = and has appeared on Fairchild TV and Talentvision. He has also been=20 interviewed on "The National" on CBC television and on Canada AM. In=20 addition, Mr. Cameron has been asked by the Continuing Legal Education=20 Society of British Columbia and the Canadian Bar Association to make = presentations on=20 immigration matters to lawyers at several continuing legal education = seminars. =20 He is now an aficionado of retired racing greyhounds." Regards,=20 Donald Cameron=20 708 North Tower, Oakridge Centre=20 650 West 41st Avenue=20 Vancouver, BC=20 Canada V5Z 2M9=20 Telephone: (604) 261-1234 Ext.113 FAX: (604) 303-5844=20 E-mail: [email protected] =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D NAFTA Rules by david ingram NAFTA Professional - (North America Free Trade Agreement) PROFESSIONAL = BUSINESS PERSON A professional is defined as a person with a minimum of a bachelor's = degree, who applies for a position, which requires a degree as its = minimum entry-level requirement unless otherwise specified. This is the one we heard about in the news. To meet this classification = which is unique to Citizens of Canada, the USA and Mexico, you must have = a bone fide job offer and all licenses and degrees in place for your = profession.=20 CHECK LIST for the NAFTA Visa * An applicant for admission must establish Canadian US or Mexican = citizenship * The applicant must be entering the United States, Canada or Mexico = to engage in a profession or occupation at a professional level under = NAFTA * The applicant must be in possession of an offer or contract of = employment from a United States, Canadian or Mexican employer stating: 1) The professional activity to be engaged in 2) Purpose of entry=20 3) Remuneration 4) That the position is temporary in nature and will not = exceed one year (although it can be renewed) * The applicant must provide documentation of his or her educational = degree or professional qualifications * The applicant must meet all licensing requirements * Employment need not be full-time=20 * Permanent residence abroad is not a prerequisite * Maximum period of admission under NAFTA is one year * Dependants accompanying the principal will be admitted for the same = amount of time as the principal=20 * NAFTA applicants are not permitted to enter as a professional to = participate in any way to circumvent a strike * SELF EMPLOYMENT IS NOT PERMISSIBLE The following is a partial list of some who qualify under a NAFTA Visa. = Please note that extensive experience can equal a degree in many cases. = All need a Bachelor or Baccalaureate degree unless otherwise noted. In = some cases, 3 or 4 years of practical work in a discipline can count = for one year of a University degree. Therefore if the University BA = requires 3 years, you need 9 or 12 years of work experience to qualify. = Back to Top * Accountants - RIA or SIA or CPA or CGA or CMA or CA ** Actuaries (this is one of two classifications added since 1989) * Agriculturalists * Agronomists * Animal Breeders * Animal Scientists * Apiculturist * Architects - BA or state / provincial license * Astronomers * Biochemists * Biologists * Botanists * Chemists * Computer Systems Analyst - BA or Post-secondary Diploma or = Post-secondary certificate and three years of practical experience. This = does not get you to the USA, if your job is programming a computer. An = Analyst might spend a day a month working on some modifications (in a = testing mode for instance), but they better not be thought of as a = "programmer" within the company. Back to Top **** Computer Software Engineer *** This is NOT here as an approved = occupation. However, Jackie Bednarz (US head of the NAFTA Section 16 = Working group in Washington stated specifically that if a recognized = University was to offer the degree, she would consider computer software = engineers under the ENGINEER classification when a recognized University = granted the degree. My understanding is that SFU and McGill are now = granting such degrees and that the Professional Engineers of British = Columbia have recognized graduates as members of their professional = society. Note that TC and TN's were being granted for this category on = a sporadic basis until the INS realized that no such "official" degree = existed.=20 Jackie Bednarz also pointed out (She was part of the original = negotiating team when the original FTA (Free Trade Agreement) was being = negotiated in 1985, 86, 87 and 88, there was no such thing as the = INTERNET, "web masters" and "web sites". When negotiating the job = titles, no thought was given to the computer revolution, other than the = computer system analyst designation, which at the time meant a main = frame analyst for a $1,000,000 computer. (Thanks to Stuart Lynne and Richard Pitt) (www.fireplug.net), the CEN-TA = Group was an official member of the internet as far back as 1986 and = thanks to Bill Gates himself (he told me to use Microsoft Xenix as my = operating system) and Radio Shack Model 16 computers, CEN-TA was using = "email" between offices in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver as early as = 1983.=20 As another aside, Stuart Lynne and Richard Pitt went on to found WIMSEY, = the FIRST ISP in CANADA. Bill Gates became quite famous as well. =20 Back to Top * Dairy Scientists=20 * Dentists - DDS, DMD, or state / provincial license * Dental Technicians * Dietitian * Disaster Relief Insurance Claim Specialists - (claims adjuster = employed by an insurance company located in the territory of a party or = an independent claims adjuster) - BA and successful completion of = training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to = disaster relief claims; or, three years experience in claims adjustment = and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of = insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims * Doctors - (see physician further on) * Economists * Engineers - BA or state / provincial licensing * Entomologists=20 * Epidemiologists * Forester - BA or state / provincial licensing * Geneticists=20 * Geochemist =20 * Geologist =20 * Geophysicists (including Oceanographer in the United States) =20 * Graphic Designer - BA or post-secondary diploma and three years = experience. * Hotel Managers - BA in hotel / restaurant management; or, = post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate in hotel / = restaurant management and three years experience in hotel / restaurant = management * Horticulturist * Industrial Designer - BA or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary = certificate and three years experience * Interior Designer - BA or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary = certificate and three years experience * Journalist BA plus three years experience - (This category is no = longer valid and has been left in to explain the circumstances. As I = understand it, journalists in general took it as an insult that they had = to have a BA degree, because, "most, if not all," of the best known = journalists do not have a BA degree.) * Land Surveyor - BA or state / provincial licenses * Landscape Architect * Lawyer (including notary in the Province of Quebec) - LLB, JD, LLL, = BCL degree (five years); or membership in a state or provincial bar * Librarians - MLS or BLS (for which another BA was a prerequisite) Back to Top * Management Consultants - BA; or equivalent professional experience as = established by statement or professional credential attesting to five = years experience as a management consultant, or five years experience in = a field of specialty relating to the consulting agreement. I must make = it clear here. A Management Consultant is NOT a manager. The surest = way to lose your management consultant renewal is to show up at the = border with a business card with the title General Manager, Western = Region, or Human Resources Manager, or, or, or. A management consultant = could consult with the actual sales manager about sales techniques or = about selling into Canada. A management consultant could be advising = the actual human resources manager in hiring techniques or even = suggesting that one candidate is a better fit than another one. A = management consultant can do market research, gather and assemble data = and write a report to give to the manager. This is likely the hardest TN = visa to get but is also a very important one when it comes to serving = the needs of the US company. Note that the management consultant does NOT need a degree, just five = years experience. This is the perfect job description for the person = with 23 years of job experience who has never gone through the formal = process of getting a university degree in the discipline. * Mathematician (including statistician) * Medical Laboratory Technologist (Canada) / Medical Technologist (U.S.) = - BA; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate and three = years experience * Meteorologist * Nutritionist * Occupational Therapist - BA; or state / provincial license * Organic Chemist =20 * Pharmacologist (Pharmacist) - BA; or state / provincial license * Physician - (teaching or research only), MD or state /provincial = license. To work as MD, a doctor must pass his MLE (medical licensing = exam), which has three, parts written over a year. After passing, he or = she would enter the U.S. under an H-1A. * Physicist (including oceanographer in Canada) * Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist - BA; or state /provincial = license * Plant Breeder ** Plant Pathologists (This is one of two professions added since 1989) = =20 * Poultry Scientist * Professional (most recognized professions) * Psychologists - state / provincial license * Range Conservationist * Recreational Therapist * Registered Nurse - state / provincial license * Research Assistant (working in post-secondary educational = institution) Back to Top - * Scientific Technician - Possession of: (a) theoretical knowledge of = any of the disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, = chemistry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology, or = physics; and (b) the ability to solve practical problems in any of those = disciplines, or the ability to apply principles of any of those = disciplines to basic or applied research. * Social Worker * Soil Scientist * Sylviculturist * Teacher (College, Seminary, or University) (Post Secondary level only) = * Technical Publication Writer - BA, or post-secondary diploma or = post-secondary certificate, and three years experience * Urban Planner (including geographer) * Veterinarian * Vocational Counselor * Zoologist =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3DAnswers to this and other similar questions can be obtained free = on Air every Sunday morning. Every Sunday at 9:00 AM on 600AM in Vancouver, Fred Snyder of Cartier = Partners and I will be hosting an INFOMERCIAL but LIVE talk show called = "ITS YOUR MONEY" Those outside of the Lower Mainland will be able to listen on the = internet at www.600AM.com=20 Local phone calls to (604) 280-0600 - Long distance calls to = 1-866-778-0600.=20 Old shows are archived at the site. This from ask an income tax immigration planning and bankruptcy expert = consultant guru or preparer from www.centa.com or www.jurock.com or = www.featureweb.com. Canadian David Ingram deals daily with tax returns = dealing with expatriate: multi jurisdictional cross and trans border expatriate gambling refunds = for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, the United = Kingdom, Kuwait, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, = Indonesia, Egypt, Antarctica, Japan, China, New Zealand, France, = Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Georgia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, = Scotland, Ireland, Hawaii, Florida, Montana, Morocco, Israel, Iraq, = Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mali, Bangkok, Greenland, Iceland, = Cuba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Barbados, St Vincent, Grenada,, Virgin Islands, = US, UK, GB, American and Canadian and Mexican and any of the 43 states = with state tax returns, etc. income tax wizard wizzard guru advisor advisors experts specialist = specialists consultants taxmen taxman tax woman planner planning = preparer of Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona,=20 California Denver Colorado, Connecticut, =20 Delaware District of Columbia Miami Florida,=20 Garland Georgia, Honolulu Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana Des Moines Iowa Kansas Kentucky,=20 Louisiana Bangor Maine Maryland =20 Boston, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, =20 Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, =20 Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey,=20 New Mexico,New York, North Carolina, =20 North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon.=20 Paris, Rome, Sydney, Australia Hilton Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Rockwall,=20 South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, =20 Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia,=20 West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming,=20 British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan,=20 Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec City,=20 New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island,=20 Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Yukon and=20 Northwest and Nunavit Territories, =20 Mount Vernon, Eumenclaw, Coos Bay=20 and Dallas Houston Rockwall Garland=20 Texas Taxman and Tax Guru and wizzard=20 wizard - David Ingram's CEN-TA Group 108 the Gallery=20 100 Park Royal South West Vancouver, BC, CANADA V7T 1A2 BUSINESS(604) 980-0321 My personal cell number is (604) 657-8451 MY RESIDENCE IS (604) 980-3578=20 You are welcome to call my cell seven days a week from 10 AM to 10 PM - = To stop getting 25 phone calls at 9 AM on Monday Morning, I would rather = that you phoned at 2 PM on sunday or 7 PM on Saturday than save the call = up for Monday morning. Always try my cell first since I call forward it to my house or office. = There is no message service on any of the numbers. If you do not get = me, try again in two hours. I was likely either in a movie (every = Tuesday night with my kids) or in a self-defence class (every Thursday = night with my kids).=20 Hope this helps david ingram ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.centa.com/CEN-TAPEDE/centapede/attachments/f498dd3f/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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