[AlvinofDiaspar]

To give you an anecdotal example I am currently working with..

My girlfriend moved here from Colombia in 2020 to study and build a life here in Canada. She did well, she earned her diploma with honors in Travel and Tourism while working hard to ensure she did not need help from the Government or anyone else.

She graduated in 2022 and has been working full time on a work permit since then. She loves what she does and loves being here.

Now, her work permit is coming up for expiry in January and she is struggling to meet the points requirements for a PR invitation. She is doing everything she can including taking high level french courses to further her employability in Canada.

We are now looking at other options for her after January because the Governement is kicking their heels despite attempts by her immigration laywers working on things.

It is mind boggling to me that someone who is actively doing everything they can to contribute in Canada all on their own while not asking for help has such a hard time staying here. She is actively working, paying taxes and loves being here.

Sigh sorry for the rant folks, this hits home for me.

To be fair, it was never a guaranteed pathway to PR/citizenship, and the current economic and social environment makes it extremely difficult to justify the level of intake we have had previously.

AoD

 

[Richard White]

To be fair, it was never a guaranteed pathway to PR/citizenship.

AoD

Agreed but my point was that she did everything right, made an effort to contribute and still got hung out to dry. Compare this to the countless others who abused the system and still got PR.

It's a systemic issue at this point.

Anyway, I digress.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Agreed but my point was that she did everything right, made an effort to contribute and still got hung out to dry. Compare this to the countless others who abused the system and still got PR.

It's a systemic issue at this point.

Anyway, I digress.

Those who abused the system and got PR can still find their status voided.

AoD

 

[Frankietls]

To give you an anecdotal example I am currently working with..

My girlfriend moved here from Colombia in 2020 to study and build a life here in Canada. She did well, she earned her diploma with honors in Travel and Tourism while working hard to ensure she did not need help from the Government or anyone else.

She graduated in 2022 and has been working full time on a work permit since then. She loves what she does and loves being here.

Now, her work permit is coming up for expiry in January and she is struggling to meet the points requirements for a PR invitation. She is doing everything she can including taking high level french courses to further her employability in Canada.

We are now looking at other options for her after January because the Governement is kicking their heels despite attempts by her immigration laywers working on things.

It is mind boggling to me that someone who is actively doing everything they can to contribute in Canada all on their own while not asking for help has such a hard time staying here. She is actively working, paying taxes and loves being here.

Sigh sorry for the rant folks, this hits home for me.

This is a typical case for hundreds of thousands other PGWP (Post Graduate Work Permit) holders who are actively employed in Canada right now. The idea is that most of these TFW (Temporary Foreign Worker) is deemed replacable and need to be send home to open up the spot for Canadian job seeker. Unless they are highly sought-after global talent, their employer will not be willing to sponsor them with a LMIA-based (Labour Market Impact Assessment) offer, and even are not allowed to if the job pays below median wage in areas with 6% or higher unemployment rate. The whole purpose is to reduce the TFW from 7% to 5% of population. There are however lower cut-off selection point for targeted categories: Healthcare, Science, Trade occupations, Education and French speaker (there is a growing share of immigrants from West African countries and the Middle-east/North African taking place of South Asians).

In your gf case, she doesn't have a lot of options. She'll need first to resign from her employment in January, if she want to remain in Canada she can apply for a Visitor Record which buys her an extra 6 months but no work is allowed. If she want to keep her job the only option is for you to marry her (common-law relationship is possible but requires at least 12 months of proven cohabitation) and apply for spousal sponsorship before January which will get her a Bridge Open Work Permit granted while the application is being processed.

She has a visitor visa for a few more years so we are working on options with that as well

Be careful because her valid visitor visa allows her to enter Canada from outside, not to stay inside Canada for more than 6-months period. And if she leaves Canada and try to re-enter with this visa while having an active Work Permit or Permanent Residence application in process, her entry will come under extra scrutiny with the CBSA for dual intent.

 

[lenaitch]

Ok, UT..............we need, collectively to write to the Immigration minister. (and/or the PM)

The Star has an article out this morning about an American family physician who moved to Toronto from North Carolina, with his family, quickly got permission to practice here (Yay).........and is now regularly caring for a roster of 2,000 patients.

All great, except.........we haven't given him Permanent Resident status yet........partly his fault for some trivial mistakes made on forms last year; but we've since changed the rules, removing 50 points for having pre-arranged employment.............
and leaving our doc.....about 35 points short of qualifying.

Working against him are two other things....one he's 49, and our system weights in favour of applicants at or under 45; and two, wait for it, we have not included physicians as a priority category, lumping them in with Massage Therapists, and Chiropractors, among others.

As a result of all this, he's struggling, his kids, set to go University next year would now be considered 'international students both in Canada and the U.S. leaving him with a huge tuition burden.

So there's an individual story here in need of attention. But also clearly highlighted, doctors need to be a priority immigration category, and arranged employment in that field specifically should certainly be worth 50 points.

We apparently have another 2,000+ doctors waiting in the queue .....sigh.

Go get'em UT.

Article here: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada...cle_1d2e94c6-1b18-4b94-9320-23ca5a9b41f7.html

The Minister's contact through the Ministry is convoluted, I would suggest contacting her as an MP:

lenametlege.diab@parl.gc.ca

Alternatively, you can submit your comments through the portal for the Prime Minister's Office:

Contact the Prime Minister

Right Honourable Mark Carney - Le très honorable Mark Carney

www.pm.gc.ca

Done!

 

[lenaitch]

Chrystia Freeland will serve as Canada's Special Representative for Ukraine's Reconstruction.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1968531322432868536

This stinks on so many levels. Why is Canada involved in the "reconstruction of Ukraine"? This is not our war. We did not cause the destruction. This is a war that has been provoked by the United States, dating back as far as 2014, and the American-led/engineered coup that overthrew democratically elected president, Viktor Yanukovych. Let the Americans pay for Ukraine's reconstruction.

I read recently that Canada has pumped $22 billion into Ukraine since the start of the war. Where did that money go? Imagine what that $22 billion could have been used for in Canada? We have enough problems in Canada, why are we pumping billions into the most corrupt country in Europe? How come this is not even debated in Canada? Everyone seems resigned that this is "the right thing to do," even though they haven't given two thoughts about it.

And of all people, why is Freeland being put in this position? Her Ukrainian grandfather was a major Nazi collaborator. When this was exposed a few years back, she dismissed it as "Russian propaganda," but the historical record is clear. Of course, none of us is responsible for our grandfathers' actions, but she has shown solidarity with the Banderite movement that still exists today in Ukraine. In February 2022, Chrystia Freeland was photographed at a Ukrainian solidarity march in Toronto holding a black-and-red scarf emblazoned with the slogan “Slava Ukraini” (“Glory to Ukraine”). The scarf’s color scheme—black and red—is strongly associated with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), the paramilitary wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) led by Stepan Bandera during WWII. These colors have become symbolic of Banderite ideology, which is controversial due to its historical ties to fascism, antisemitism, and Nazi collaboration.

I don't trust most of our politicians, and certainly not Chrystia Freeland. With this appointment, she will be in a unique position to line her pockets if she is so inclined. I recall that during the pandemic, she was involved in some very questionable no-bid contracts, so I have a sense of her inclinations.

Does anyone believe that Canadian taxpayers have a responsibility to rebuild Ukraine? If you do, I would like to hear your arguments. Again, there is no debate over topics like this. Canadians are being sleepwalked off a cliff as we get robbed blind.

Dude (dudette?). You don't even try to hide who you are shilling for. Do they at least give you a window in your basement room at the embassy?

 

[guavadelic]

This is a typical case for hundreds of thousands other PGWP (Post Graduate Work Permit) holders who are actively employed in Canada right now. The idea is that most of these TFW (Temporary Foreign Worker) is deemed replacable and need to be send home to open up the spot for Canadian job seeker. Unless they are highly sought-after global talent, their employer will not be willing to sponsor them with a LMIA-based (Labour Market Impact Assessment) offer, and even are not allowed to if the job pays below median wage in areas with 6% or higher unemployment rate. The whole purpose is to reduce the TFW from 7% to 5% of population. There are however lower cut-off selection point for targeted categories: Healthcare, Science, Trade occupations, Education and French speaker (there is a growing share of immigrants from West African countries and the Middle-east/North African taking place of South Asians).

In your gf case, she doesn't have a lot of options. She'll need first to resign from her employment in January, if she want to remain in Canada she can apply for a Visitor Record which buys her an extra 6 months but no work is allowed. If she want to keep her job the only option is for you to marry her (common-law relationship is possible but requires at least 12 months of proven cohabitation) and apply for spousal sponsorship before January which will get her a Bridge Open Work Permit granted while the application is being processed.


Be careful because her valid visitor visa allows her to enter Canada from outside, not to stay inside Canada for more than 6-months period. And if she leaves Canada and try to re-enter with this visa while having an active Work Permit or Permanent Residence application in process, her entry will come under extra scrutiny with the CBSA for dual intent.

Recently read that there is a backlog of 2.2 million applications in the system. The next couple years will be very tough for immigration as that backlog is lowered, and the government tries to bring down the share of temporary residents from 7% to 5%. Also wouldn't be surprised if that number is further lowered because even 5% is historically high.

The proposed Bill C-2 also gives the government new levers to pull to reduce immigration, so we'll see what happens.

 

[Jonny5]

The Star reporting Carney is going to shake things up a bit.

Mark Carney set to shake things up with diplomatic appointments, staff moves

Mark Carney is shaking up his office, diplomatic ranks and the top levels of the public service as he continues to put his stamp on how government is run.

www.thestar.com

The prime minister’s principal secretary David Lametti is suddenly leaving the Prime Minister’s Office, likely headed to the United Nations to replace Bob Rae as ambassador

Bill Blair, the Scarborough Southwest MP and former Toronto police chief, did not make the cut for Carney’s cabinet but is now widely expected to become high commissioner to the United Kingdom — a move that will open up a safe Toronto area seat as Carney seeks to bring into his caucus more faces from the private sector.
Blair would not confirm his move in speaking to the Star, but a Liberal MP told the Star Blair told him directly he was headed to the London high commission post.

Jonathon Wilkinson, a Vancouver-area MP and former energy minister who also did not make it into Carney’s cabinet, is in line for an ambassador position, a source close to Wilkinson said. Speculation abounds he will head to the European Union, a post currently held by Stéphane Dion, a former Liberal leader who is still ambassador to France.

That means including Freeland leaving there's two high profile Toronto seats up for grabs at the next election/by-election.

 

[Richard White]

The Star reporting Carney is going to shake things up a bit.

Mark Carney set to shake things up with diplomatic appointments, staff moves

Mark Carney is shaking up his office, diplomatic ranks and the top levels of the public service as he continues to put his stamp on how government is run.

www.thestar.com

That means including Freeland leaving, there's two high profile Toronto seats up for grabs at the next election/by-election.

I am so not looking forward to a by-election iny my riding.

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

 

[picard102]

Hopefully the NDP can pick up those seats then. We just had an election, Carney playing these games with seats and appointments isn't what people voted for.

 

[Richard White]

Hopefully the NDP can pick up those seats then. We just had an election, Carney playing these games with seats and appointments isn't what people voted for.

Mmmm... the NDP did pick up Scarborough Southwest years ago but I don't see them doing so again. The riding was Liberal from the time Tom Wappell got elected in 1988 until 2011 when Michele SImpson got the boot.

It has not gone blue since 1984.

The problem is that the Federal NDP does not have any good candidates. Even during the last election they parachuted a candidate in at the last minute who did not represent most of the riding.

 

[thettctransitfanatic]

Fraser says request for limits on notwithstanding clause not just about Quebec

Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the government’s request to Canada’s top court to set limits on the notwithstanding clause isn’t only about Quebec’s secularism law.

www.ctvnews.ca

Fraser says request for limits on notwithstanding clause not just about Quebec​

Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the government’s request to Canada’s top court to set limits on the notwithstanding clause isn’t only about Quebec’s secularism law.

In a statement released Thursday, Fraser says that he hopes the Supreme Court’s eventual decision “will shape how both federal and provincial governments may use the notwithstanding clause for years to come.”

Ottawa filed a factum Wednesday in the landmark case on Quebec’s Bill 21, better known as the secularism law, which prohibits public sector workers in positions of authority — including teachers and judges — from wearing religious symbols on the job.


Quebec invoked the notwithstanding clause of the Charter of Rights when it passed the law.

That clause shields legislation from constitutional challenges based on some sections of the Charter for five years, but the federal government is asking the Supreme Court to define limits on how it can be used.

Both Ontario and Alberta have supported the use of the notwithstanding clause, saying it is an essential part of the Constitution.

 

[thettctransitfanatic]

Hopefully the NDP can pick up those seats then. We just had an election, Carney playing these games with seats and appointments isn't what people voted for.

I'd be shocked if they flipped seeing the weak state of the NDP right now. Could flip Conservative, maybe, I'd be surprised though. It's not necessarily games but more, trying to reduce the Trudeau stink/leftovers and show that this is going to be different.

 

[picard102]

I'd be shocked if they flipped seeing the weak state of the NDP right now. Could flip Conservative, maybe, I'd be surprised though. It's not necessarily games but more, trying to reduce the Trudeau stink/leftovers and show that this is going to be different.

It's certainly games. These people were re-elected by their constituents. Carney should move on and govern instead of shuffling chairs around. Hope this bites them in the ass.

 

[adma]

I'd be shocked if they flipped seeing the weak state of the NDP right now. Could flip Conservative, maybe, I'd be surprised though. It's not necessarily games but more, trying to reduce the Trudeau stink/leftovers and show that this is going to be different.

Though depending on candidacy on all sides, University-Rosedale is flippable should Freeland take that extra step and resign.