Immigration Blog about US & Canadian Immigration matters.

The new Agri-Food Immigration Pilot was designed to help address the labour needs of the Canadian Agri-food sector. Debuting in March 2020, this pilot program will run until May 2023. It is aimed at attracting non-seasonal farm and livestock workers who have the intention of settling and remaining in Canada year round. To learn how you can apply for permanent residency in Canada through this new immigration pilot program, continue reading below.

About the Process

To apply for permanent residency through the Agri- Food Pilot, you must meet all of the following requirements to be deemed eligible:

How Do I Immigrate as a Self Employed Individual?

You may have done some digging into how to immigrate to Canada as a permanent resident, and noticed that unless you are coming to Canada while being sponsored by a family member or loved one, or applying for refugee status, almost all paths to permanent residency require the applicant to have a valid job offer before they will be able to apply successfully. Though, if you are a self-employed individual, it may not be in your agenda to work as an employee. You may see a keen opportunity to open your business in Canada, and you may want to act now. If this is the case, you should be aware the options are minimal, but there are ways in which you can immigrate to Canada as a self-employed individual. Throughout this article, we will work to help you understand how to go about immigrating to Canada as a self-employed individual.

What is Self Employed Immigration?

Well, as the name suggests, it is the way in which a self-employed individual immigrates to Canada, not because they have a valid job offer to support their permanent residency, but because they have promised to start a business upon their arrival in Canada and proved to be capable of doing so to an immigration officer when applying for permanent residency. To be eligible for this program, there are fairly strict requirements, though, this program is not to be overlooked; it presents a very unique opportunity to immigrate to Canada. Specifically, an individual who wishes to apply through the Self-employed immigration program must have relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics. These are the areas of the Canadian economy the Canadian government has determined are in need of assistance self-employed immigration can offer, whereas other sectors are not in need of assistance.

Changes to the Canadian Investor Program

One of the most unique immigration programs offered by the Canadian government has changed in the last couple of years. It is important to Akrami and Associates, that not only the immigration professionals are able to keep up with the changes, but also that we help our clients keep up with the changes as well. Therefore, this article will cover the changes which have taken place over the Canadian Investor program, formally known as the Federal Immigrant Investors and Entrepreneurs program. It has now become the Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Pilot Program, and more than just the name has changed.

If you have Already Applied under the Former Federal Immigrant Investors and Entrepreneurs program…

Unfortunately, with the termination of the Federal Immigrant Investors and Entrepreneurs program, many applications were also terminated. If a decision was not made on your application before February 11, 2014, your application would have been terminated, and the fees should have been returned. The only exception to this is applications made under the Quebec Investor Program and the Quebec Entrepreneur Program.

How to Avoid Common Application Mistakes

The number one reason applications are refused is because they are riddled with mistakes. These applications are difficult applications to pursue on your own, because, if you are unfamiliar with the process, there is a good chance you overlook certain details and submit an imperfect application. Unfortunately for applicants, the Canadian Government is not interesting in assisting others file applications; this is why they recommend you consult an immigration specialist, or a lawyer. It often comes as a surprise when an application which is incomplete is returned and refused, without any ability to re-submit it and pick up where it left off. However, one needs to understand, immigration and border protection cannot be taken lightly. Applications must be complete and robust for the security of Canada as a whole. Therefore, it makes sense that when an application is complete, it cannot simply be approved. Furthermore, the Canadian government has to devote all its time and resources to processing and approving complete applications for individuals who truly deserve to fulfill their long-worked-for-wish of immigrating to Canada. Everyone who submits an application to immigration can understand, the wait time are agonizing at the best of times, and they would not like to think their applications are being inefficient they are spending too much time processing applications. Ultimately, we have created this article to help applicants have an easier time submitting applications which will not be returned and refused, and get everyone working together to help Canadian border officers process more files successfully.

1. Always check country specific requirements before submitting your application.

Regardless of the type of application you are submitting, whether it be for permanent residence, or for temporary residence, please take the time to do this. Depending on the country and the type of application you are submitting, you could need to submit additional documents. Or for example, you could have to submit originals of some documents which other countries are only required to submit a copy of. If you do not submit original documents when required, your application will be returned as incomplete.