REASONS FOR IMMIGRATION:
Europeans,  Africans  &  Asians  have  been  immigrating  to Canada for more than hundred years. The British &  the French  were  the first  to  immigrate here in the 1800's  followed  by Africans from the US to escape  slavery  and  Asians after the World War especially  the  Japanese, Chinese &  Indians  both East & West Indians.

One of the main reasons why people like to settle down in this country is the total freedom that the Canadian Govt. advocates & the  comparatively liberal conditions available for Citizenship & Permanent Residency for the people who come here.

• landed immigrant becomes a  permanent  resident from  the  moment  he  land here. The status of a Permanent Resident can be compared to that of a Green Card holder in the US.

• A permanent resident  can apply for  becoming a Canadian  citizen  as soon as he/she fulfills her/her conditions of having lived in Canada for three of the four years priors to applying for citizenship.

Canada has a system of evaluating academic qualifications obtained from developing countries are not at par with the Canadian institutions. Professionals from developing countries in the fields of  engineering, pharmacy, dental surgery,  veterinary &  most other professional fields should be prepared to work in a designation lower than the one  they  had  in  their  country of  origin  in the  absence of Canadian or US work experience.  They  may  have to work  as Technicians in their field till they upgrade their education by part time or regular courses in the universities in Canada.

The  following  is  a  general  overview of  the main immigration categories in which Protech Immigration Consultancy Services (PICS) specializes:

INDEPENDENT CATEGORY

The  selection  process  for  independent  category  is based on a set criterion to encourage individuals with specific skills, education, training and experience required for a number of occupations.  Human Resources Development, Canada provides the list of  these  occupations after market  survey of job markets in  Canada. Different occupations are  given different weight, which is quantified by them. Therefore, the selection criterion is  basically uniform  for prospective immigrants. Only the principle applicant is supposed to qualify  this  criterion but  the spouse  and dependents are also given  immigration  after going  through  certain  procedures  such  as  medical examination etc.

The principle applicant is supposed to prove that he/she meets the requirements of education, training  and  work  experience  for the intended  occupation he/she will pursue when in Canada. The other factors that are taken into consideration include age, demographics, approved employment and  knowledge of English & French. The suitability factor for the individual to settle in Canada is ascertained at the interview level. The Visa Post examines all these factors and the applicant has to get at least 70 units  for qualifying  for immigration  to  Canada.  However, Visa  Officer still can reject the  application  if he/she is  not satisfied on the  suitability factor under the Immigration  Regulations. Sometimes  they  impose certain  conditions  with landing papers. The applicants are also required to pass the medical examination and meet the financial requirements and prove that they can establish successfully in Canada. They are also required to clear background or security checks.

BUSINESS IMMIGRATION PROGRAM

Canada encourages individuals who can immigrate to Canada with venture capital, business acumen and entrepreneurial skills. The program envisages to develop new commercial  opportunities  and to  improve  access  to  growing foreign markets by allowing  individuals  to come to Canada who  are  familiar with those markets and 
their special requirements and customs.

Individuals  with  business/managerial  experience  having  high  net worth and not necessarily owning any business may apply under one of the following sub-categories:

Investor

 An individual can qualify in this category if he/she:

• has successfully operated, controlled or directed a business;

• has accumulated through own endeavors a net worth of at least CAD$ 800,000; and

• invest CAD$400,000 for five years with the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada which acts as an agent on behalf of provincial and territorial investment funds

Entrepreneur

An individual can qualify in this category if he/she:

• has successfully managed a commercial enterprise ( or a part of a commercial enterprise ); and

• has sufficient assets to establish or acquire a business in Canada.

However, there are some conditions attached which have to be complied with. An entrepreneur must, within two years of landing in Canada, establish a business in Canada that makes significant contribution to the economy. Active and perpetual participation in managing the business is required. Also employment opportunities must be created for at least one Canadian citizen or permanent resident other than the entrepreneur and his or her dependents. The entrepreneur is required to report the progress to immigration officials on regular basis during this two-year period.

FAMILY CLASS CATEGORY

Under the family class immigration procedures, a Canadian citizen or a permanent immigrant can sponsor his/her spouse, fiancé, parents/grandparents, dependent child  and  orphaned  brother,  sister, nephew, niece or grandchild under 19 and unmarried. He/she can also sponsor an adopted child under 19 or a child who is orphaned or placed with a child welfare authority for adoption. If the sponsor has
 no relative as described above and no relative as Canadian citizen or permanent resident in Canada, he/she may sponsor one other relative.

However,  the  sponsor has to demonstrate  the financial ability to provide basic requirements for living in Canada, if  needed, for  the  individuals and dependents he/she is sponsoring in the Family Class for a specific number of years (presently 10). These requirements  are  eased while sponsoring a spouse and/or unmarried children unde r 19 years of age. The financial   requirements  are determined and revised by the Canadian government and there are Lowest Income Cut-off Limits 
to be followed as per these criteria.

The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, at least 19 years old and  physically  reside  in Canada. He  should not be  in prison, should not have 
been declared bankrupt and should not be under removal or deportation order if a permanent resident.

The sponsor has to enter into agreement with Government of Canada (or Quebec, 
as the case may be) whereby  he/she agrees  to support  the  individuals  being sponsored  for  a prescribed  period of time. Failure to do that can result in legal consequences against the sponsor.

FAMILY BUSINESS CLASS

A Canadian citizen or permanent immigrant who owns and operates a business in Canada and has a job to be performed by someone trustworthy for the business, can sponsor a relative under this class by getting that job approved.

The procedure for this immigration category is the same as in Independent class. The advantage is that the applicant will get enough bonus points, which helps in qualifying the criteria under the independent category.

TEMPORARY IMMIGRATION CATEGORIES:

STUDENT VISA

An  international  student  is  a  visitor who  has been  approved by an immigration 
officer or visa officer to study in Canada. This approval process is normally done at
a visa office outside Canada. The  student  authorization  document  identifies the level of study and length of time the individual may study in Canada.

International students must present an acceptance letter from the institution they plan to attend. They must also prove that they have enough money to cover tuition and living costs, and satisfy a visa officer that they plan to return home at the end of their studies. They must also, if required, pass a medical examination.

Many college and university students are eligible for long-term authorizations that permit them to change courses or schools without further approval.

Citizens of U.S. and dependents of foreign government officials can apply for student authorizations at Canadian port of entry.

International students are allowed to work in Canada under the following conditions:

• work if it is essential part of the programme under study;

• work in a field related to his/her studies; for up to one year after completing their schooling;

• graduate assistant work;

• to meet financial requirements when an existing source of funding is cut off through no fault of their own; and

• work on campus at the institution at which they are registered as full-time student.

EMPLOYMENT AUTHORISATION

Most  foreign  individuals  who  want to work temporarily  in  Canada must have an approved job offer and an employment authorization before they arrive.

It is the Canadian employer’s responsibility to  have the job offer approved  by  the local  Human  Resource  Centre  (HRC). If  the job meets Canadian labour standards 
and cannot be filled by a qualified Canadian, the HRC may approve the job offer.

Upon receipt of a HRC-approved offer, visa officials abroad will decide if the foreign worker  qualifies  for the employment  authorization.  They  would  assess  health, character,  security,  job   qualifications   and  other criteria. If  an employment authorization is issued, it is valid only for a specified job, employer and time period.

Some jobs may not need approval or require an employment authorization if they are included in the list under special programs.