July 2024

I am not well-travelled, which might seem surprising for an immigration lawyer. I spent a month in Russia with a group from McMaster University, where I was an undergraduate student. We had lectures in the morning and then toured the city in the afternoons with students from the University of Moscow. It was the longest time I’ve ever spent outside Canada and the furthest I’ve ever gone from home. Outside of trips to the USA, I’ve only otherwise been to countries in the Caribbean.

June 2024

For the spouses and partners of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, recent improvements to processing times of family sponsorship applications are welcomed. Processing times for both the Family Class and the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class are currently ten months for the majority of applications. However, ten months is still a very long time for newlyweds to be reunited

April 2024

This month’s newsletter is guest-authored by Moria Konecnik, our Immigration Case Manager.

On November 1, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced that the federal government intends to maintain its target of admitting 500,000 new permanent residents in 2026. In 2023, Canada welcomed 471,550 new permanent residents – all seeking the promising allure of the “Canadian Dream.”

Despite Canada's open arms to a large number of immigrants, a staggering 17.5% of them emigrate within 20 years in what is known as ‘reverse migration.’ This raises a pressing question – why? While various factors are at play, the issue of affordability stands out as a significant challenge for many immigrants.

March 2024

A year ago, the Canadian government created the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET), which allows Ukrainian citizens and their family members to apply for visas to come to Canada and, upon arrival, be issued work or study permits. In July 2023, the Temporary public policy for foreign nationals who applied under the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel measures and for new temporary resident applicants created an end date for the program, which will be at the end of this month. Those with visas must travel to Canada by March 31, and anyone wishing to extend their study or work permit must submit their application by that date. Thousands of Ukrainians were expected to arrive before the deadline to join the approximate 250,000 already here.