January 2015

11:59 am January 1, 2015.  Cup of tea by my side.  Two client files on my desk.  Waiting for Express Entry to open at noon…

All the sensible lawyers had closed their offices for the week, and here I was, waiting for the minute the program opened so I could get Express Entry profiles created for my clients.

December 2014

Since the Express Entry program was first announced last April, I’ve been checking the CIC website regularly for news on what the program would look like.  I’ve been following the tweets.  I’ve been reading the Canadian Bar Association listserv posts.  I listened to the webcast where the Express Entry Ambassador told lawyers what was coming.  Last month, I attended the Immigration Law Summit conference in Toronto where the Ambassador gave another presentation.  Over the past week, I read the Ministerial Instructions, digested the Comprehension Ranking System and went over the Express Entry Questions and Answers.    

I have Express Entry Exhaustion.

November 2014

I have many complaints about Canada's immigration system.

Some are fundamental, such as how family reunification no longer seems important to our governing politicians.  As an adoptive parent and former foster parent, I know how long periods of separation can affect attachments between parents and children.  For example, lost years of attachment can affect children's abilities to make friends, their schooling, and of course, their abilities to rebuild relationships with their parents from whom they were separated for so long.

Other complaints are about minor issues, annoyances really. Although annoying enough to drive people to my office because they've thrown up their hands in frustration trying to figure out how to fill out immigration forms and determine what documents they need to submit.  How many other prospective applicants to Canada give up entirely, just because the application process is so cumbersome?

I've selected five complaints which fall somewhere between these two extremes.

October 2014

Last month, we pretended that Canadian superstar Justin Bieber was an American, and considered whether his US and Canadian criminal issues would make him criminally inadmissible to Canada. They would.  We also discussed how in August, Justin Bieber bribed a border agent to get members of his band into Canada, even though they had criminal convictions in the US.