September 2024

 

Each time Canada or the USA heads into a federal/presidential election period, the number of inquiries I get increases. When an American presidential election is coming up, I get calls mostly from Democratic supporters hoping to move to Canada should a Republican president be nominated. For Canadian elections, the calls are from temporary residents hoping to apply for permanent residence, worried that a change in government will result in less favourable immigration policies. On September 4^th, Canada’s second largest political party ended an agreement to prop up a minority governing party. We are only one confidence vote away from a general election. With the US presidential election scheduled for November 5^th, I’m hearing from many antsy individuals on both sides of the border.

Canada has had a liberal government since 2013. During their time in power, the number of new permanent residents increased from 259,000 in 2013 to 471,771 in 2023. The number of study permits issued went from 111,865 to 684,385. In 2013, the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada was 649,700; in 2021, it was 963,400.

In 2023, the number of new jobs created in Canada was less than that of new work permits issued. Unemployment rose in August 2024, and it was a tough job market for students this past summer.

With an election looming, the governing Liberal party has heeded public opinion to lessen the number of temporary residents in Canada. On September 26^th, new restrictions for work permit applications came into effect. These measures follow a cap placed on study permit applications announced in January.  The current immigration minister has also promised cuts to the permanent resident program.

If a Conservative government is voted in, more changes will undoubtedly come. The leader of the party has promised further cuts, tying the number of new permanent residents to the number of new homes built and considering other factors such as access to health care and jobs. Statements like that are guaranteed to make permanent resident hopefuls jumpy. ‘May you live in interesting times’ is never less welcome than when it is your future that will be affected. 

August 2024

I was on vacation last week. For the fourth consecutive summer, I spent a week on a catamaran with my best friend and her father, the spriest 86-year-old I’ve ever met. I am originally from northern Ontario, and returning to that part of Canada feeds my soul in ways no other vacation could. It also meant limited internet access, forcing me to take a break from my inbox. This was both a blessing and a curse, as I had 274 emails to wade through upon returning to the office.

 

The remote parts of Canada are unfamiliar for immigrants who have settled in Canada’s bigger cities and didn’t grow up taking Canadian geography lessons. Dana, my favourite fitness instructor, wondered why I’d missed class last week. She’s originally from Syria. I told her I’d been sailing on Lake Superior. She looked quizzical and asked me where that was. (For the similarly uninitiated, Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world and touches the shorelines of Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.)

 

On my first trip in 2020, I arrived at the airport in Thunder Bay and immediately noticed a change from my visits to the city as a child to visit my grandparents. Thunder Bay is adjacent to the Fort William First Nation and home to individuals from numerous indigenous groups. However, until recent years, the settler population was comprised mostly of European stock. The arrival of temporary foreign workers and international students has changed the composition of the population. This has changed the hospitality and services industry. On our last day in the city, we enjoyed traditional Ghanaian dishes from a local restaurant, which would not have been a dining option during my youth.

 

Thunder Bay has benefited from the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, which will soon become permanent as the Rural Immigration Program. It has also profited from an increase in the issuance of study and work permits. But the temporary resident boom is soon to be over. Canada recently put a cap on the number of study permits it will issue and will do the same for work permits.

 

However, Canada also plans to create a new permanent resident program for semi-skilled workers. This will allow some of the temporary foreign workers in Thunder Bay’s hospitality and service industries, amongst others, to stay in Canada permanently rather than living precariously from work permit to work permit.

 

Those lucky immigrants will be able to enjoy the region’s wonderful attractions, including walking across Canada’s longest suspension bridge, searching for treasures at Amythyst Mine Panorama, and hiking to the top of the giant in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.

 

The Canadian immigration system is complex and constantly changing. However, it has long been criticized for treating temporary foreign workers as a ‘disposable workforce.’ We’ve yet to see the proposed new program; details will be announced this fall. I’m hopeful it will be a turning point for immigrant communities all across Canada.

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.

 However, living in the capital of Canada, one of the world's most multicultural countries, has allowed me to experience the food and culture of many different nations. Ottawa, which likes to bill itself as the Shawarma Capital of Canada, boosts restaurants serving cuisine from all over the world. I subscribe to the Ottawa Citizen. Its local food reviews provide me with the background of popular dishes on the menu, tantalizing my tastebuds.

My favourite Ethiopian place, Habesha Restaurant, is within the same block as a Mexican and Salvadorian restaurant. I’ve been to the new Yemeni restaurant in my neighbourhood, but west of downtown is a new Filipino restaurant I’m dying to try. Another new place on my bucket list is a new Nepalese restaurant, a cuisine I’ve yet to experience.

 Ottawa also hosts many festivals, including the Ottawa Greek Festival, which is coming up in August. This festival has been running since 1975. September will boast the Latin Sparks Festival, and then in November, the Day of the Dead Festival.

 It’s not just Canada’s capital that celebrates the multicultural makeup of our population. In 2023, Brampton, Ontario, celebrated its first annual city-run Diwali event, which included a fireworks display.

 As to my travel bucket list, it remains small, and most places are within Canada. Recently added is Kitoki Inn, a Japanese-inspired retreat in the rainforest of British Columbia. Perhaps I’ll get there via the Rocky Mountaineer train, where many of my fellow passengers will likely be tourists from far-flung places. I am grateful to live in a country that allows me to experience so much of the world without leaving home.

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