For the past 15 years, I have routinely requested that my business immigration clients provide business plans to support the various business class applications I seek on their behalf in Canada. I never gave a thought to recommending the services of a business plan writing company….that is until I learned how great an impact they can have on the approval of a business immigration application.

In this episode, I was joined by Marianella Manzur, Vice President at Joorney Business Plans who shared some great insight and opened my eyes to how outsourcing this essential component of a business immigration application can make all the difference in its success or failure.

Normally, I don’t invite 3rd party vendors to join me on my Podcast. I tend to invite other practitioners to talk about the nuts and bolts of various Canadian immigration applications. However, as I have been doing more and more business immigration application as the Canadian economy continues to rebound, the need for solid business plans has become increasingly important.

Traditionally, I have left the development of these business plans to my clients. However, I have come to realize that not all business plans are created equal. In fact, a company can put together a fantastic business plan that is extremely persuasive for securing much needed financing, but completely useless for the purposes of securing a business visa.

As a business immigration lawyer, it is essential that I am doing everything in my ability to give my client the best chance of success. As I have become increasingly aware of the significant impact a well written business plan can have on the success or failure of my client’s application, I would be borderline negligent not to introduce my clients to the possibility of outsourcing the business plan development to professionals.

Over the years I have danced around companies like Joorney Business Plans. However, it was not until recently that I truly discovered the broad scope of services they can offer to my clients… and that the costs of these services are entirely reasonable in the context of business immigration applications. In fact, they offer so much more than drafting a simple business plan.

Joorney Business Plans

Joorney is one of the leading Business Plan writing companies in the industry. They specialize in providing custom business plan writing services and market analysis. Since 2012, they have completed over 2,500 projects with expertise in 120+ industries, and they can handle communications in many different languages. They have successfully established 500 B2B partners throughout the USA and continue to grow in Canada.

With their breadth of experience across many different industries, Joorney is ideally situated to support our client’s in a variety of different areas including: consulting projects, strategic plans, investor approaches, market analysis and much more. The team at Joorney is flexible enough to adapts to the unique needs of our clients while provided extremely responsive service at competitive rates.

Joorney’s main focus is business plans for immigration. They specialize in business plans for Provincial Nominee Programs, Intra-company Transfers, Self Employed, and LMIAs. They hand all aspects of business plan development. They also provide market research for clients wanting to enter the Canadian market.

Joorney is offering a 10% discount to everyone who let’s them know they heard about them right here on the Canadian Immigration Podcast

After listening to what Marianella Manzur had to say about her company today, I can honestly say that they will become one of my go to companies for the development of business plans…..

…..tune in to this episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast and you will understand why outsourcing the development of business plans to experts within the immigration field may be the best decision your client ever made.

In this episode we covered the following topics:

1. Introduction of Joorney – Marianella Manzur and Joorney Business Plans
2. Main Focus of Joorney:
   • Business Plans
   • Market Research
   • Feasibility Analysis
   • Financial Models
   • Idea Selection Process
3. Client Process Flow
4. Competitive Advantage

[Tweet “Why outsourcing business plan creation for immigration makes sense“]

Additional Resources:

• How to Contact Joorney Business Plans:
  • Phone: 18448298639
  • Website: www.joorney.ca
  • Marianella’s E-mail: marianella@joorney.ca
• Joorney Pricing Information: Pricing Canada Oct 2018

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Have you ever experienced a refusal on your LMIA application because your advertising did not meet the rigid content requirements set out on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program website? If so, you are not going to want to miss the recent interview I did with Canadian Immigration Lawyer, Robert Leong. Robert shared some great insight on his Federal Court case challenging an officer’s refusal of his client’s LMIA application because the business address was missing from one of the advertisements. We definitely need more decisions like this.

Many of us lawyers remember the good old days when obtaining a Labour Market Opinion (now Labour Market Impact Assessment) for a client was a relatively pleasant and straightforward exercise. After conducting recruitment efforts and not locating a qualified candidate, the LMO would be approved. In fact, Service Canada officers would actually work with employers to assist them in ensuring the forms were properly completed so the application could be approved as quickly as possible…….flash forward to today…….everything has changed!

In today’s LMIA world, employers are treated like the enemy by Temporary Foreign Worker Program officers who now look for any reason possible to refuse an application……including failing to include a business address in an advertisement. Despite the significant cost and time associated with challenging these ridiculous refusals, some employers have finally said: “Enough is enough!” and took the matter to Federal Court to have the officer’s decision reviewed by a judge. In the vast majority of cases, when these types of Judicial Reviews are launched, things get settled pretty quickly by the government lawyers. However, in some rare occasions, employers and their legal counsel see things through to the end and we get amazing decisions that help the rest of us as we fight our own battles with ESDC and their delivery arm “Service Canada”.

In this Episode, Robert Leong shares his experience arguing his case: Canadian Reformed Church of Cloverdale B.C. v. The Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada (2015 FC 1075).

During my interview with Robert Leong, we covered the following topics:

• Robert Leong’s background.
• How he got into immigration law.
• Introduction into the LMIA regime.
• ESDC’s minimum advertising requirements.
• Insight on the Canadian Reformed Church of Cloverdale BC decision.
• Tips and strategies for navigating the advertising requirements of Service Canada
• How people can reach Robert.

[Tweet “Are LMIA refusal’s getting you down? This might help!“]

Additional Resources:

• Robert Leong’s bio: 2016-01-25-rl-bio-1
• Robert’s Law Firm – Lowe & Company: http://www.canadavisalaw.com/
• Robert’s case – CRC of Cloverdale BC decision [2015 FC 1075]: http://bit.ly/2dp71VV

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If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all the episodes here.

Ask Mark an Immigration Question

Periodically I answer listener questions on my podcast. If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you. You can also leave me a voice message on the Ask an Immigration Question widget on the side bar of this website.

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Have you ever had a problem with a Canadian immigration application and needed to speak with an officer to try to resolve the issue? I’ll bet you spent hours trying to get through to a live call centre agent…only to be told there was no way to speak with the officer actually processing your file. If you are like me, one of the most frustrating aspects of practicing immigration law is trying to have any meaningful communication with Canadian immigration authorities. The government has put up every possible roadblock they can think of to keep people from contacting them regarding their immigration applications.

In this Episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Liz Wozniak who practices immigration out of her firm, North Star Immigration Law, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Liz and the other lawyers in her firm handle all kinds of complex immigration issues for their clients. However, after my interview with Liz, the one thing that stood out most to me was the fact they cared enough about the practice of immigration law to offer Pro Bono assistance to people in a Province where no legal aide exists for immigration related matters.

Now don’t get me wrong, Liz and her colleagues do charge for the legal services they provide; however, they recognize the importance of helping those most vulnerable by paying forward the gift they have received in practicing Canadian immigration law.

In this spirit of giving, Liz took some time to visit with me about some of the best strategies she has developed over the years to communicate with the various Canadian immigration departments.

In most cases, immigration lawyers tend to hold these strategies pretty close to the vest…..however, Liz was generous enough to pull back the curtain a little bit so  as to help you and I understand what works and what doesn’t in this crazy world of communicating with Canadian Immigration authorities.

In my interview with Liz, we cover some great strategies in communicating with the government in the following circumstances:

• inland applications (IRCC);
• visa office’s abroad (IRCC);
• reporting abuse (ESDC/IRCC);
• labour market impact assessment applications (ESDC/Service Canada); and
• Canadian ports of entry (CBSA).

[Tweet “Trouble contacting #cdnimm- we’ll show you how!“]

Additional Resources:

• The best way to reach Elizabeth Wozniak : http://nsimmigration.ca/
• Liz’s Blog – http://nsimmigration.ca/lizs-blog/ 
• Case Specific Enquiry E-mail: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/web-form.asp
• Government Departments Discussed in the Podcast:
  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp
  • Temporary Foreign Worker Program (Service Canada/ ESDC): http://www.esdc.gc.ca/en/foreign_workers/index.page
  • Canada Border Services Agency: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html

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You can read additional notes for this episode, [spoiler]

CIP Show Notes – Elizabeth Wozniak, Immigration Lawyer

Liz Wozniak is the owner of North Star Immigration Law Inc., the largest Canadian immigration law firm in the Maritimes. Liz leads a team of four lawyers and one articled clerk in providing legal services and creative solutions in all aspects of Canadian immigration law.

Liz and her team work in a collaborative environment where only lawyers work on client files and they only charge flat rates.

Liz is originally from Edmonton, Alberta and lived overseas for 5 years (in China and Korea), where she taught English after getting a degree in education from the University of Alberta. She graduated from law school in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2001 where she remains as a lawyer and lives with her spouse and two children.

Liz is frequently consulted by journalists, government and non-governmental organizations on matters pertaining to immigration law and policy. She regularly presents at conferences, workshops and panel discussions on immigration, legal ethics and legal innovation.

Question Intro: Tell me a little more about your experience teaching English in China and Korea.  I don’t suppose that had anything to do with you getting into immigration period?

Well… over the past few years it has become increasingly difficult for us as immigration lawyers to be able to speak with anyone within Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) – or other immigration related government departments when we have run into processing delays or other issues with the files we have submitted.

Contacting the government to inquire on an immigration matter has become a real issue.

I’ve brought Liz on to share some insight on this process including some potential tips and strategies in attempting to navigate the painful experience of trying to communicate with all of these lovely government departments.

Question #1:  so if we are an individual who has submitted an application to IRCC and wants to obtain an update on the status of that application, how does one go about doing this? And is there a difference between inquiring on a permanent resident application, versus a temporary resident application? Inside versus Outside Canada?

Question #2: So let’s say that we have an urgent issue that requires us to reach out to an immigration officer on a file that is in process.  Are there other options available to try to deal with the issue as quickly as possible?

Question #3: Bogus IRCC mechanisms for reporting abuse and conditional PR violations.

Question #4:  let’s talk about the CBSA.  Sometimes we have clients that are adjudicating their applications directly at a port of entry.  Is there any way to reach out to these officers at the POEs in advance of someone’s arrival to discuss issues related to an application? Or to speak with an officer who has recently been refused admission to a client?

Question #5:  Okay, let’s now talk about the wonderful world of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and communicating with Service Canada when filing LMIA applications. Do you have any suggestions for navigating this ruthless world?  Are there pitfalls people must be aware of when filing applications?

Question #6:  let’s say you run into issues when the application is being processed.  Is there a way to speak to an officer prior to a refusal?  What options are available to speak with an officer after a refusal has been rendered?

[/spoiler]

Binge on all of our Canadian Immigration Podcast Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all the episodes here.

Ask Mark an Immigration Question

Periodically I answer listener questions on my podcast. If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you. You can also leave me a voice message on the Ask an Immigration Question widget on the side bar of this website.

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With the destruction of the immigrant investor and entrepreneur programs in Canada, few options remain to help business immigrants find their way to Canada. In this Episode, Immigration Lawyer, Jeffrey Lowe explains how the Owner Operator LMIA can be the game changer in facilitating permanent residence for not only business immigrants, but one of the groups hit hardest by the creation of Express Entry – the international student.

In this episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast the Chief Inspirational Officer of Vancouver based Lowe and Company, Jeffrey Lowe, joins us to offer some unique strategies for using the Owner Operator Labour Market Impact Assessment to facilitate immigration opportunities of not only business people, but international students working in Canada on postgraduate work permits.

I was completely blown away by the creativity Jeffrey uses in securing amazing results for his clients. The insight Jeffrey shares can not be found in any immigration law textbook or government website. In this episode he revealed some brilliant strategies that can benefit any immigration lawyer or consultant struggling to assist clients who are left in the dark because of the exclusionary nature of Express Entry. Jeffrey is without a doubt one of the most entrepreneurial lawyers I know and I was delighted to have him join me.

In my interview with Jeffrey, we cover the following areas:

• What is an LMIA?
• What is the basis for the Owner Operator LMIA?
• Practical tips on applying for an Owner Operator LMIA.
• Specific examples of how Jeffrey has used the Owner Operator LMIA to benefit his clients.
• Unique strategies for leveraging off of LMIA exempt work permits to transition to an Owner Operator LMIA and eventual permanent resident status in Canada.

[Tweet “Shut out by Express Entry – Consider an Owner Operator LMIA?“]

Additional Resources:

• The best way to reach Jeffrey Lowe: jlowe@canadavisalaw.com
• Lowe and Company: http://www.canadavisalaw.com
• Free Resources from Jeffrey:
  • Business Imm Options
• Owner Operator LMIAs: http://www.esdc.gc.ca/en/foreign_workers/hire/variations.page

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You can read additional notes for this episode, [spoiler]

CIP S1 E19: Podcast Show Notes – Jeffrey Lowe – PLMIAs

Jeffrey S. Lowe  has practiced immigration and business law in British Columbia since 1983.  He holds a bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia, and is considered an innovator in the convergence of business, technology and law.

Jeffrey is the Chief Inspirational Officer of Lowe and Company, and has taught immigration law, practice management and legal ethics to lawyers across Canada since 1990.

In this episode of the Canadian immigration podcast we discussed the Owner Operator LMIA. If you’ve not yet heard about this LMIA category, don’t worry about it.  Jeffrey does a fantastic job of setting out the ground rules, and explaining to you some unbelievably creative and unique ways to use this LMIA category to help your clients immigrate to Canada.

Some of the specific areas covered include:

• What is an LMIA?
• What is the basis for the Owner Operator LMIA?
• Practical Tips on Applying for an Owner Operator LMIA
• Specific examples of how Jeffrey has used the Owner Operator LMIA to benefit his clients.

In order to help you jump to the areas of most interest to you, I have included below some timestamps for some of the significant topic covered in this episode.

4:54  – Who is Jeffrey Lowe?

14:25 – What is an LMIA?

19:00 – What is the Owner Operator LMIA?

27:23 – 6 Different ways an individual can come to Canada to start a business with a work permit without an LMIA:

• ICT
• NAFTA Investor
• Korea, Chile, Peru, Columbia – Free Trade Agreements with comparable investor programs
• Post Grad Work Permit Holders – can set up a business (1-3 years to get operating) and then apply for O/O LMIA
• Spousal Open work permit – can also set up a business and then apply for an O/O LMIA
• Work Holiday work permit – can also set up a business and then apply for an O/O LMIA

30:37 – Can an investor obtain an O/O LMIA in the context of “passive investment”

32:20 – What percentage of ownership must an application have to qualify for an O/O LMIA

36:00 – How important is job creation to the success of the O/O LMIA?

33:51 – Specific Examples of how the O/O LMIA can be used. Including a great solution for Post Grad students seeking to remain in Canada a permanent residents of Canada

44:00 – Consider the possibility of having co-owner operators who are both eligible for an O/O LMIA

47:37 – How to locate Jeffrey Lowe – jlowe@canadavisalaw.com

[/spoiler]

Binge on all of our Canadian Immigration Podcast Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all the episodes here.

Ask Mark an Immigration Question

Periodically I answer listener questions on my podcast. If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you. You can also leave me a voice message on the Ask an Immigration Question widget on the side bar of this website.

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If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe.

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show. Share the Love

This is the fourth and final blog in a 4 Part series that examines the TFWP in depth and proposes why Express Entry is the solution for all that ails the TFWP. Read, comment, criticize or praise. The purpose of this blog is to create dialogue.

Transitioning from reliance on the TFWP to adopting Express Entry is not a stretch. 

Currently, any candidate with an LMIA support Job Offer is virtually guaranteed to be drawn from the Express Entry pool and receive an Invitation to Apply for permanent resident status in Canada. One of the primary purposes of Express Entry is to ensure that special priority is given to candidates that fill labour shortages in the country.

Whether you are a Rocket Scientist or a Food Service Supervisor, if your job offer from a Canadian employer is supported by an LMIA, your chances of obtaining permanent resident status in Canada skyrockets. Regardless of your occupation, provided it is considered to be “skilled work” you have an equal opportunity at the golden ticket to permanent resident status.

For many foreign nationals seeking to immigrate to Canada from countries where economic opportunity is limited, finding an employer willing to obtain a Permanent Labour Market Impact Assessment (PLMIA) is a lot like the experience of Charlie in the Warner Bros. movie “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Finding an employer with a PLMIA supported job offer is like Charlie finding that last “golden ticket” in his Wonka Bar.

Currently, the golden ticket route requires an employer to show there are no Canadians or permanent residents of Canada available to fill the position before the LMIA can be granted. In essence, the government has superimposed the TFWP requirements on the Express Entry regime and given special priority to these candidates by awarding them a whopping 600 out of the maximum 1200 CRS points for their super charged Job Offer. With ITAs being granted consistently to candidates below 600 points, the government has sent a message that any skilled worker seeking to immigrate to Canada is welcomed with open arms if they can show their arrival in Canada is not going to cause a Canadian to lose an opportunity for work.

Some may say this transposition of the TFWP onto the Express Entry regime is a bad thing.

However, I believe it actually opens the doors wide open for Express Entry to truly replace the TFWP as the primary option for employers.

The only challenge is that the government is going to need to create some incentives for employers to “choose” Express Entry over the TFWP.

Why?

Because it is very clear that “bad employers” will not want to part with the TFWP easily. After all, if they bring in a foreign worker under the TFWP, they control that worker. If that worker comes in as a permanent resident of Canada, they are a “free agent” and the employer has no more power over them than any other Canadian employee.

I believe it is for this exact reason that the Express Entry system is the answer when it comes to all that is wrong with the TFWP. However, let me start by explaining what permanent resident status means to each of the stakeholders involved (foreign workers, employers, and finally the government)

Express Entry – What’s in it for the foreign national?

It means labour mobility – the ability to work “condition free” anywhere in Canada pursuant to section 6 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

It means the foreign worker is no longer tied to an employer unless “they” want to continue working for them.

It means their future in Canada is not determined by their ability to keep their employer happy.

It means no more exploitation of the vulnerable – if an employer treats you like garbage, you move on to another employer.

It means they as  newly landed permanent residents are free to enjoy virtually every benefit a Canadian citizen enjoys except the right to vote.

Simply put….it means no more abuse at the hands of bad employers. And what foreign national would not jump at the chance to have control over the lives and their future in Canada. To no longer have to feel trapped in a job because it is the only means for them to be able to continue providing for their families back home…and most importantly, the only means by which they can obtain permanent resident status in Canada.

Express Entry – What’s in it for the good employers?

Clearly the Express Entry process is pretty awesome for a newly landed permanent resident of Canada; however, what’s really in for the good employers? I just want to remind you that there is nothing attractive about Express Entry to “bad employers.” It undermine their position of power and forces them to have to work to keep their employees.

Employers complain that if they put in the time and resources to bring someone here as a permanent resident of Canada, there is no guarantee they will stay with them. My response, to this concern is:

“then create an atmosphere in which they want to stay”

In the old TFWP system, the bad employers were rewarded because they didn’t have to be good. They knew the foreign workers were tied to them for as long as they could drag things out until they obtained permanent resident status. This would not be the case in the new world of Express Entry because:

“bad employers are punished for being bad employers.”

And who punishes them?

Not the government. Not the Integrity Services Branch Officers of ESDC.

The market does.

If a bad employer tries to treat their new PR like they did within the TFWP, the new PR will not last a month with that employer. They will move on to greener pastures where they are treated better….

…better wages, better working conditions, and better opportunities with better employers….good employers!

For years we have listened to the President of the Alberta Federation of Labour, Gil McGown slag the TFWP. One of his chief gripes was the perceived downward pressure on wages. When a foreign sourced worker comes through the Express Entry regime with an official Express Entry Job Offer, wages are no longer an issue. The market will dictate what that new PR will get paid.

Yes, I know that the LMIAs that support these Express Entry Job Offers are approved at the prevailing wage. However, once a foreign national becomes a permanent resident of Canada, the conditions imposed through the LMIA are unenforceable against the employer and the new PR.

So theoretically, much to Gil’s chagrin, an employer could pay the newly arrived PR minimum wage if not otherwise governed by a collective agreement.

However, the reality is that very few new PRs would put up with that for long. The market would make the correction because these new PRs are free to explore every opportunity available to them. And that includes telling an abusive, underpaying, bad employer to take a hike.

See…..good loyal workers are not easy to find these days and with complete labour mobility, the new PR would likely have no trouble finding a new job that paid more. So if bad employers are not able to keep these newly hired PRs at the low wages they are offering, guess what happens?

Surprise, surprise…..wages go up!

And if bad employers are unable to keep their newly recruited PRs, and presumably unable to entice Canadians to work for them, guess what happens to bad employers?

They are put out of business.

I can not see any scenario where shutting down bad employers is harmful for our economy.

Bad employers are inevitably replaced by good employers. Employers who treat their workers with respect and in turn earn their loyalty. Loyal employees care about their jobs and are far more productive than those who are simply showing up to collect their pay cheque. Good employers are rewarded for being good employers because they no longer have to compete against bad employers that grind their profits out of their employees through oppression, abuse and exploitation.

Now what good employer doesn’t like a level playing field?

Express Entry – What’s in it for the Government

But a level playing field only benefits the employers. What about the government? Why does it makes sense for the government to entice employers to use Express Entry over the TFWP?

Remember what I said about the dog barking and barking, but never biting?

Well……with Express Entry as the primary tool for meeting our labour shortages, why do we even need a guard dog in the first place?

If foreign nationals are coming to fill jobs in Canada through Express Entry, they come as permanent residents. The entire need for a robust enforcement regime completely washes away. Each of these newly landed PRs are strategically serving the dual purpose of filling current labour shortages as well as counting towards our annual immigration levels planning targets.

The government was going to be bringing these folks in under one economic category or another anyways, so we might as well get rid of the pain and suffering that accompanies the TFWP and bypass the middle man by recruiting them directly into PR status.

Think of the millions of dollars that have been wasted on the enforcement arm of the TFWP. I am not going to rehash all of the reasons I gave previously for its ineffectiveness and misguided priorities. Suffice it to say that if foreign workers were instead brought in directly as PRs, there would be no need for a naughty list, employer compliance reviews, inspections, monetary penalty regimes, an online fraud reporting tool, or even a robust Integrity Services Branch.

As a side note, Immigration lawyer, Betsy Kane, of Capelle Kane Immigration Lawyers in Ottawa, prepared a great blog on the Employer Compliance Review process and provided an ESDC Inspection Document Checklist that is a great resource for assisting employers going through an inspection. So if you are an employer currently going through an inspection, definitely check out this blog.

Each province in Canada has their own Employment Standard Branch, so the position of Integrity Services Officer with ESDC becomes almost redundant. I wonder if the Canada Revenue Agency would be able to give these officers their jobs back if these positions became obsolete?

Imagine what Canada would be like if the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk, could forget about the TFWP and instead focus all of her energies on the top priorities set out in her Ministerial Mandate Letter from Prime Minister Trudeau.

As she undergoes her current review of the TFWP, I am not surprised that she has been somewhat vocal in her desire to simply scrap the whole thing. Prime Minister Trudeau gave her a very clear mandate on what she was expected to accomplish within her portfolio. Noticeably, overhauling the TFWP was not on her list.

One of my colleagues made one of the best suggestions I have heard in a long time. She suggested that given Minister Mihychuk’s mandate, the TFWP is likely better suited to be slotted within the mandate of Minister John McCallum and his Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada than within her portfolio of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour.

I couldn’t agree more…..and suspect both Ministers would likely not disagree either.

One huge problem – Express Entry is not open to low skill workers

However, there is one critical component to the entire Express Entry discussion that must be addressed. Only “skilled workers” are current eligible to participate in Express Entry.

So all of my wonderful eloquence regarding the virtues of Express Entry in protecting the vulnerable, punishing the bad employers and saving the government millions of dollars in their feeble attempts to enforce the TFWP are all pretty much useless unless low skill workers are somehow accommodated within the Express Entry regime.

Under the Express Entry system, the only pathways to PR are through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Trade Program, or a participating Provincial Nominee Program. None of these programs contemplates someone with only low skill work experience. As such, a new set of criteria would have to be created and tailored specifically to low skill workers with LMIA supported Job Offers.

If I tried to provide a comprehensive overview of what a low skill Express Entry program could look like, this blog would likely break all records for blog length and result in no one reading it. It’s likely many people have already given up before we got to the good stuff.

However, as I stated previously, my goal in writing this blog is to stimulate discussion.

I am going to set out below two simple suggestions that if considered, could contribute to a system that may just work for all stakeholders. If you like these suggestions, then let me know. If you have alternative ideas that you would like to share, leave a comment below, or better yet, leave me a digital voice message by clicking on the “Ask an Immigration Question” on the right side bar of the CanadianImmigrationPodcast.com website.

There is nothing better than an open source think tank for resolving the difficult issues of the day. So don’t be afraid to sound off. This should be fun. For any of you daring enough to leave a voice message, I will select the best ones and share them with everyone on a Podcast Episode I intend to dedicate entirely to this topic.

Maybe I could get Minister Mihychuk to join me to discuss her thoughts on the topic as well. (Yes I know there is about a .00001% chance of that happening).

Here are my two suggested strategies for replacing the Low Skill TFWP with the Express Entry system.

1. First look to the Provincial Nominee Programs to accommodate low skill workers through special Express Entry Streams

Some of our Provincial Nominee Programs have experience administering low skill (semi-skill) streams that are driven by employers. These programs are traditionally focused on transitioning low skill foreign workers into PR status (TFW flips) when they have gained a certain amount of work experience in that province. However, with some encouragement from the Feds, some Provinces may be willing to work with industries experiencing low skill shortages to issue nominations that are specifically designed for the fast track Express Entry process.

One point of contention has always rested with the number of nominations granted to a Province each year. For Provinces such as Alberta where low skill foreign workers have formed a significant portion of the AINPs annual quotas, any discuss about the 5500 current allocations going to Express Entry has been met with considerable resistance. However, by allocating additional nominations to the AINP for the sole purpose of a Low Skill Express Entry program – this may just be something Brad Trefan, Director of the AINP just might be willing to entertain.

In fact, the AINP has already experimented with an Alberta Experience Class that opened the door for any low skill worker with Alberta work experience to qualify for nomination provided they had a sufficient level of English language ability.

This option is entirely doable if the PNPs were granted additional allocations for this purpose. However, I’m just not sure whether or not Minister McCallum would be willing to do so. In previous speaking engagements he has reiterated that immigration is a Federal program and he is reluctant to allocate additional nominations to the provinces when they already form a sizeable portion of the economic immigration quota. In Season 1 Episode 13 of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, I shared some of the highlights from Minister McCallum’s speech to the National Immigration Section of the Canadian Bar Association at our annual conference held in Vancouver this year. Minister McCallum was pretty clear that no additional allocations to the PNPs would be coming anytime soon!

2. Create a Federal Low Skilled Worker Program (FLSWP) within Express Entry

There is nothing preventing the government from creating a program similar in kind to the Federal Skilled Worker Program where PLMIA supported Job Offers are a prerequisite to eligibility. In order to ensure candidates have the greatest chance of success upon arriving in Canada, a separate FLSWP selection grid could be created to target candidates with human capital factors ideally situated to success within the program (language, age, education, and work experience).

Further, in order to ensure employers do not waste time obtaining PLMIAs for candidates that do not meet the minimum threshold for the FLSWP, some form of mandatory mechanism could be put in place to ensure that candidates are pre-approved for the FLSWP before an employer can start the PLMIA process.

Now if only there was some form of “government sponsored employer/ employee matching service” that could be used to connect pre-approved candidates with Canadian employers.

Oh that’s right…..there already is an e-Harmony for employers and employees right under our noses. Maybe the FLSWP could actually bring life into the Job Match system that has turned out to be a wholly ineffective tool for matching employers with employees.

Closing comments and tying off loose ends

I don’t want the TFWP shut down for skilled workers, just low skilled

Despite my souring on the TFWP, I want it to be known that I am not calling for a complete shut down of the TFWP. I feel that it has a vital role to play within the ranks of skilled workers including specialized technicians and service providers, professionals, and most importantly senior managers and executive level positions.

However, I will go on the record by stating that I would not have a problem if the low skilled (low wage) program was axed in favour of a direct pathway to permanent residence for these foreign nationals filling low wage positions.

I honestly believe it would be good for our economy and good for our country generally. Especially if the PLMIA regime continued to ensure these low skill candidates are filling positions that Canadians simply do not want to work in.

The only exception I see to scrapping the low skill program is the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) which really kick started the entire low skill program in the first place. I am not sure how else to manage the needs of agriculture without retaining this program. However, with all of the new found time Integrity Service Branch Officers should have on their hands, they could allocate this time to conducting site visits on the farms to truly make sure these employers are behaving themselves.

If Minister Mihychuk scraps the TFWP altogether, expand the IMP to accommodate

I also want to go on record by stating that if the TFWP were to be scrapped entirely, then all of these skilled positions need to be accommodated within the International Mobility Program (IMP).

The Significant Benefit (C10) category could be expanded to include a broader definition of significant benefit. Further, for specialized service providers, owner/operators and other unique situations, it would not take much to accommodate for them within the IMP as well.

However, for all other skilled workers, the answer is simple.

Encourage employers to recruit foreign nationals to fill areas of critical skill shortage through the Express Entry system.

The employer has to go through the same LMIA process regardless of bringing the foreign national in as a foreign worker or a permanent resident. All of my arguments for doing so support this natural conclusion. I am also pleased to know that Minister McCallum also supports this conclusion as outlined in previous blogs.

Ultimately, only time will tell what the latest overhaul to the TFWP will look like. With any luck, the government will read this blog, examine the numerous comments that will most assuredly be left below and develop a solution that solves everyone’s concerns

……..as long as that solution is Express Entry.

….So with high rates of non-compliance within the low skill ranks of the TFWP, coupled with the equally acknowledged need for foreign labour in various industries, I am going to share with you exactly why I feel Express Entry is the solution to all that ails the TFWP.

The government will no longer need to perpetuate the fiction that the TFWP is actually being enforced?

The last time I checked, there has not been a new employer added to the government’s naughty list since November of 2014. Without trying to be too critical, the government’s enforcement mechanism has been like a barking dog with no bite.

After a while, it doesn’t matter how loud the dog barks, the burglar knows the dog isn’t going to bite, so they just keep on stuffing your jewelry into their pillow case

Since 2011, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) (collectively referred to as the “government”) keep ratcheting up the consequences of non-compliance with employers …. but in the end, they rarely punish malfeasance.

Bad employers (and I am going to keep referring to them as this because that is exactly what they are) understand that they can do pretty much whatever they want with their vulnerable foreign workers. Although some initial fear may be struck with each incrementally loud enforcement bark, any apprehension quickly disappears with the realization that no bite is ever coming.

The Administrative Monetary Penalty (AMP) regime, that became law on December 1, 2015, could be helpful in deterrence. However, we have heard virtually nothing regarding enforcement since this latest round of barking commenced. In fact, there has been very little of anything describing how the AMPs will even be administered.

It amazes me that the government can enact arguably punitive legislation against employers without providing the basis upon which the penalties will be applied…but this is also a topic for another blog or maybe even another Podcast.

If there has been any enforcement, [note the inflection in the word “has”] it has come at the hands of the fearsome Integrity Service Branch Officer who goes to all possible lengths to identify the terrible corporate villain who dares to give their beloved foreign worker CEO a 3% annual raise after he had the audacity of earning the company and all its Canadian employees $50 million in the previous year….non-compliance in all its horror!

What a colossal waste of time and governmental resources.

Officers need to conduct site visits

If each of these officers donned their coat, hopped in their bat mobile and actually popped in on the premises of the extensive list of “bad employers,” most assuredly building through ESDC’s online fraud reporting tool, a disincentive would actually be created.

If anyone actually knows how many tips have been generated to date, I would love to know. Clearly they are not being investigated as robustly as previous Minister Jason Kenney assured us all when the TFWP was overhauled/gutted in 2014.

I can’t help but quote from the government’s very own “Bark Sheet” released simultaneously with the announcement that “once and for all” the TFWP was being overhauled and “bad employers” ….well….their days were numbered:

Stronger Enforcement and Tougher Penalties

Increasing the Number and Scope of Inspections

Given concerns over abuse of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), the Government is making a significant investment in its TFWP inspection regime.

Despite the fact that the Low Skill TFW Pilot Project was created in 2002, no inspections were done at that time. In recent years, the Government began conducting inspections, and there is now a dedicated team of inspectors for the TFWP at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Nevertheless, an additional investment into the TFWP inspection regime is required to ensure stronger enforcement.

Effective immediately, the Government is massively increasing the number of inspections so that one in four employers using temporary foreign workers will be inspected each year These inspections will be as a result of tips, employers being deemed high-risk and random audits.

And we must not forget how seriously those critical “tips” were to be taken by that newly hired team of dedicated inspectors. Pulling once again from the “Bark Sheet”:

Increased Detection of Abuse

The Government launched a Confidential Tip Line in April 2014 for Canadians to report abuse of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). More than 1,000 tips had been received to date.

In addition to the tip line, a new Complaints Web page has been launched to allow the public to submit tips easily and securely online.

The Government will continue to follow up on each and every complaint to make sure that employers who are breaking the rules are caught and face the consequences.
We encourage all Canadians who have concerns or information to call our anonymous and confidential tip line. Any allegation of abuse will be investigated.

To report abuse of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, contact:

Service Canada Confidential Tip Line
1-866-602-9448 or
visit www.esdc.gc.ca/tfwp

I think you get the picture. Lot’s more barking and very little bite.

What the program needed more than anything was actual investigation, not overhauling.

Yes. Please do strengthen the enforcement regulations if they were somehow deficient.  However, after doing so, you have to actually follow through. Especially when you have so clearly set it out in writing.

If the regulations call for site visits, then actually visit the job sites and conduct real investigations. If the regulations call for AMPs, then fine employers that abuse the program!

Since the summer of 2014, the TFWP has been pulling in hundreds of thousands of dollars (likely well into the millions [I couldn’t find the actual figures]. With an application fee of $1,000 per foreign worker named in an LMIA application, and high rates of refusal, it is easy to see how the TFWP should have plenty of resources available to actually honour the commitments made in the “Bark Sheet.”

Yes…. I know that the Integrity Services Branch has been conducting lot’s of “investigations” since the program was overhauled. However, these paper based virtual inspections are targeting the wrong kind of non-compliance. What is being turned up is loads of non-compliance for such horrific violations as “fractional” wage increases, slight occupational shifts, and failing to notify Service Canada when a foreign worker stops working and leaves the country.

Seriously… is this the best use of program resources?

If you are inspecting a bad employer, their records are going to show exactly what they want you to see. Remember, they have already required the foreign worker to repay them the cash difference between the LMIA wage and the under-the-table wage they forced the foreign worker to accept.

I’m not so naïve to believe that a site visit will uncover all elements of non-compliance and that a paper based review is ineffective in turning up non-compliance and abuse. However, by actually going to the job site and interviewing both the Canadian and foreign worker employees from time to time, you are sending a message to bad employers that you are serious.

Now of course I know that virtual inspections must have turned up some serious violations; however, if this is the case why have there been no new additions to the governments naughty list in the past two years? 

In fact, the list has actually shrunk versus grown.

Everyone remembers the CBC Go Public piece entitled, “McDonald’s accused of favouring foreign workers” by reporter Kathy Tomlinson, that kick started the whole overhaul to the program back in the Spring of 2014. Glen Bishop, the owner of the McDonald’s franchise highlighted in the article saw his franchise placed on the “black list” and then experienced the pleasure of McDonalds allegedly stripping away all of his franchises as a result of the ensuing investigation.

This is what Ms. Tomlinson reported:

As a result of Go Public’s inquiries, the government has suspended all pending foreign worker permits for the three McDonald’s locations owned by franchisee Glen Bishop and has blacklisted his franchise from using the program, pending the outcome of the probe.

Guess what the outcome of the probe was?

Why don’t you take a second look at the current list of “black listed” employers.

Why?

Because the suspension levied against Glen Bishop’s x-franchise has been lifted and they are no longer on the list any more. In fact, Glen Bishop is now suing McDonalds for damages he allegedly incurred when McDonalds forced him to turn over the franchises when they were in full scale damage control mode following the CBC Go Public article.

I will repeat once again that if any semblance of serious enforcement had occurred at the early stages of the low skill program, there would have been no need for an overhaul.

The public shaming exacted by CBC Go Public on the government would never have occurred. And most importantly, if the overhaul did not take place, the undeserved punishment that was exacted on the good employers (low skill and high skill alike) would have also never occurred.

Stay tuned for Part 3 which will be released tomorrow. The story keeps unfolding….

Please provide your comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the TFWP.

By now, most people are fully aware of the fact that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program is once again facing a whole new review by Minister Mihychuk and the Liberal government. Some say that Minister Mihychuk is ready to scrap the whole thing. Others say the Minister may actually use what is learned from these consultations to reshape the TFWP in a positive way.

Regardless of which rumour is true, one thing is certain…..Overhaul deja vu is on its way.

Not surprisingly, I am yet to receive an invitation to appear before the HUMA Standing Committee charged with the responsibility of conducting the TFWP review.

I am not an industry leader. I am not the head of a large corporation. I am not someone of influence the government would really even pay attention to.

However, like other Canadian immigration lawyers who have earned a living providing advice to companies and foreign workers whose businesses and lives depended upon the program, I figure I might just have something to offer.

So what better way to get my message heard than to write a blog.

The blog itself kind of got away from me a little. Because of this, I have chosen to break it down into a series of blogs that I hope will add a different perspective  to the whole discussion.

I’m not exactly sure how this series of blogs will unfold. However, I want everyone to understand that the time I took in drafting this was designed purely for the purposes of stimulating discussion and hopefully gaining the ear of the HUMA Standing Committee as well as Minister Mihychuk and Minister McCallum who are both inextricably intertwined with the TFWP and the solution going forward.

So the best thing in the world people can do when they read this blog is to leave a comment below and tell everyone what they think.

Express Entry is the Solution

Regardless of what Minister Mihychuk ultimately chooses to do with the TFWP, I think the future of Canada’s labour shortage challenges rests not in the TFWP, but actually in the Express Entry regime.

Despite the downturn in the economy in Canada, Canadian employers continue to experience skilled and unskilled labour shortages in many industries and regions. Employers have relied heavily on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) to source foreign workers when local Canadians and permanent residents are unwilling, or unavailable to fill these positions.

Currently, employers experiencing labour shortages first turn to the TFWP, then the Provincial Nominee Programs and lastly the Express Entry regime. IRCC Minister John McCallum has indicated that he would like to see the reverse of this with Express Entry as the first choice for employers and the TFWP being the option of last resort.

As an immigration lawyer who has spent his entire career working with Canadian employers to access the TFWP to source foreign workers (at all wage levels), I have to admit that I actually agree with our Liberal Minister. Taking into consideration the collective needs of all stakeholders, Express Entry is by far a better solution than the TFWP.

Now let me clarify a few things before I cause any concern amongst my fellow Board Members on the Conservative EDA in Lethbridge, Alberta…..I am definitely not trading in my blue shirt for a red one. I want to reassure you and our esteemed MP Rachael Harder that I am still batting for the Right team (pun intended).

So without wasting any more time with my windup, here is the pitch…

History of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

But before I dive right into my rational, let me start with a little history lesson on the TFWP to provide some context for those of you coming late to the game.

Over the past ten years, statistics have shown that the use of the TFWP has mirrored the Province of Alberta’s boom and bust cycle. In the early to mid 2000s, the TFWP was heralded as the saviour to Alberta and the rest of the country’s critical labour shortage needs. With unemployment rates remaining below 4% from 2005 to 2008 (3% in October 2006), my then 11 year old daughter could have applied for a Labour Market Opinion (now rebranded as a Labour Market Impact Assessment) and obtained an approval.

The role of Service Canada was that of a facilitator during the boom and definitely not the gatekeeper we know them to be today. Employers struggling to complete the LMO application forms in Alberta could contact Service Canada and the officers  would go so far as to almost fill out the forms for the employers.  They would explain exactly what the employer needed to do to obtain an approval and if the employer still got it wrong, would give them chance after chance until they finally got it right. After all, it was common knowledge that labour shortages existed across all industries.

It didn’t take long for industries like food service and hospitality to jump on board. In fact, they did more than jump on board – they built an entire fleet of ships to take full advantage of the TFWP. Franchises started reworking their human resource model to take advantage of the TFWP.

It wasn’t long before the greater portion of our fast food restaurants and hotel chains were staffed almost entirely with foreign workers…..and who could blame them? As a business owner, what scenario would you rather have….10 casual Canadian employees that may or may not show up for their shifts each day, or 3 full time foreign workers that you could count on to work  their tails off each day and considered it a privilege to even have a job.

Unfortunately, in an effort to ensure that the foreign workers were not taking away jobs from Canadians, extreme restrictions were placed on the terms of employment creating a terrible power imbalance for the employer.  Now I understand why ESDC did what it did. However, the power imbalance that traditionally exists between any employer and its employees is magnified 100 fold within the low-skill (low wage) program of the TFWP.

NOTE: For the purposes of this blog, I intend to use the term “low-skill” instead of “low wage” because it more properly correlates with IRCCs consistent reference to “skilled workers” within the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and its regs.

Exploitation and abuse of low skill foreign workers

Foreign workers working in low skill (low wage) positions are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.  Let me explain why.

Foreign workers working in Canada on an LMO/LMIA based work permit are typically authorized to work for only one employer, at a specific location, in a specific position, for a set wage. Any variation to these conditions would be considered unauthorized work for the foreign worker and trigger potential remove from Canada. Employers could be found non-compliant and subject to sanction.

In the height of the boom, the government was more focused on meeting the significant labour demands of Canadian employers versus checking up to see if employers were actually following the rules and treating their foreign workers fairly.

Because foreign workers were generally not aware of the seriousness of the employment conditions imposed by the government, some nasty employers took full advantage of them.

Some classic examples of exploitation included requiring the workers to work 18 hour days, 7 days a week, with no overtime. In some cases truly nasty employers  required their low skill foreign workers to pay back, in cash, the difference between what the LMIA required the employer to pay and what the employer really wanted to pay the foreign worker. By requiring “cash back”, the employer was able to maintain payroll records that complied with the terms of the LMIA in case they were ever audited during an Employer Compliance Review (ECR).

….yes this did happen….and far too frequently.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am definitely not saying that all employers treat their foreign workers like indentured servants. They absolutely do not….I and many of my colleagues act for and work as in-house counsel for many wonderful employers that treat their foreign workers like family and do all they can to help them in their journey to become permanent residents of Canada.

Significant non-compliance does occurs within the low skill program

From my experience, the percentage of non-compliant employers within the ranks of the low skill program was, and still is, significant.

Some may say….you can’ t know that for sure. This may be true. However, I believe that the sample size of interactions I have had with employers and foreign workers within the TFWP gives me just as much of a platform to make these statements as those who disagree with me.

As an immigration lawyer, anyone who speaks with me benefits from solicitor client privilege. Because of that, foreign workers are much more willing to tell me when the rules are being broken because they know I can not share this information with anyone else.

I have had a steady stream of low skill foreign workers coming to my office for assistance, but in almost every single case, they refused to go to the authorities about the abuse they were suffering. Some days I wish I wasn’t a lawyer subject to “solicitor client privilege” because then I could have taken action independently by leave anonymous little messages on the Online Immigration Fraud Reporting Tool.

So with high rates of non-compliance within the low skill ranks of the TFWP, coupled with the equally acknowledged need for foreign labour in various industries, I am going to share with you in Part 2 of my blog exactly why I feel Express Entry is the solution.

Part 2 will be released tomorrow…..

In this episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, I share with you where the CIP is headed into the future. I honestly believe this Episode is going to be the one that I look back on and recognize as the Episode that changed it all. Look out – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the CIP is going to pull back the curtain!

After attending the CBA’s National Immigration Conference in Vancouver last month, I had an epiphany. No longer am I going to hoard this Podcast all to myself.

Listen in to this Podcast if you want to know what I have in store for the Canadian Immigration landscape! I am unbelievably excited and I know that the future of Canadian Immigration will never be the same again.

Oh, and by the way…..here is a sneak peak into the amazing guests that are joining me in the coming weeks and months:

1. Ravi Jain, Green and Spiegel LLP: http://www.gands.com/canadian-immigration-lawyers/ravi-jain/
2. Rekha McNutt, Caron and Partners: http://www.caronpartners.com/rekha-p-mcnutt/
3. Marina Sedai, Sedai Law Office: https://immigrationcitizenshiplaw.com/our-team/marina-sedai/
4. Jeffrey Lowe, Lowe and Company: http://www.canadavisalaw.com/about-us/
5. Les Morley, Morley Law Office: http://www.lesmorley.com/leslie-h-morley-bio.html

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If you are an international student, temporary foreign worker, immigration lawyer, consultant, HR manager, global mobility specialist, Canadian employer or just plain old Canadian citizen or permanent resident with a curiosity in Immigration … you’ll be regretting the day you didn’t listen to this Podcast.

As promised in Episode 12 of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, I am going to share with you in this Episode everything I learned from Immigration Minister John McCallum on April 8, 2016 in his speech to the CBA’s National Immigration Section in Vancouver during our National Immigration Law Conference.

Because I can not resist my Top 10 lists……here is another one for you!

Immigration Minister John McCallum responded to questions from reporters at the Canadian Bar Association’s Immigration Law Conference April 8, 2016. (CBC)

(Thank you CBA News – I wasn’t close enough to get a better picture myself)

My Top 10 Canadian Immigration trends for 2016 – straight from the mouth of our Immigration Minister, The Honourable John McCallum:

1.   The Liberals actually care what us Canadian immigration lawyers think – who knew?

2.   Canadians like refugees after all and it will continue that way for the foreseeable future.

3.   Sayonara to two tiered Canadian Citizenship – “A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian.” 

4.   The Family Feud is over….Family Class processing on its way down!

5.   The Minister hates the term “Economic Immigrant” – all immigrants contribute regardless of program.

6.  Express Entry is having “unintended consequences” that must be addressed.

7.   Complete overhaul to the Live-in Caregiver program on its way!

8.  IRCC versus CBSA – definitely a “good cop” – “bad cop” situation!

9.   What does the future hold for PNPs? Status quo according to Minister McCallum

10.  International Students – the calvary is on its way!

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Sunny Days ahead for people seeking to immigrate to Canada in 2016

Immigration Forecast for 2016 with Minister John McCallum, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.

There has been considerable coverage of the Liberal government’s sweeping changes to immigration culture in Canada.

As quickly as the Conservative government changed many of the countries old immigration laws and programs, the Liberals have been just as fast to announce their intention to reverse them.

So the big question is……

….where exactly are the Liberals headed?

In Episode 12 of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, I shared some brief highlights from a speech given by the Minister of IRCC, John McCallum to the Canadian Bar Association’s National Immigration Section members who attended our Annual Conference in Vancouver April 7-9, 2016. I also promised that more would be coming…. so here it is!

My Top 10 List of Highlights from Minister McCallum’s Speech to the CBA Immigration Section

As you can tell, I really like the whole Top 10 Concept. Hopefully this list will actually have 10 highlights as opposed to Episode 12 of the Canadian Immigration Podcast where I somehow skipped a number and ended up with only 9 on my Top 10 list.

At any rate, if you have anything to do with Canadian immigration, whether as a lawyer, consultant, HR manager, Global Mobility Specialist, foreign national, or even Canadian employer, you are not going to want to miss this Top 10 List.

I want to start off this Podcast with one caveat. I am a 100% true and blue card carrying Conservative Party member. I hold these values dear and intend to continue my active involvement with the party long into the future. However, with this being said, and despite my best efforts to find fault, there was very little I could complain about with the vision Mr. McCallum has for immigration in Canada.

So here we go….

1. The Liberals are actually willing to listen to Immigration Lawyers and their clients in shaping the immigration landscape of Canada into the future. 

MM Knows that CBA has worked on this day and night – he has read our reports on TFWP and EE – Minister impressed with CBAs contribution – didn’t disagree with anything.

Stark contrast to the previous regime. Basically considered their relations with the CBA to be adversarial.

2. Update on the Refugee situation in Canada and future intentions

Succeeded in bringing 25,000 refugees to Canada by end of February 2016

They went from a situation were the main concerns of Canadians was security especially at the time of the Paris attacks and these concerns evolved to a huge welcome provided by Canada across the country to these refugees.

Quote:

Minister McCallum felt he was the “only immigration minister in the whole world whose main challenge was to provide enough Syrian refugees to satisfy the overwhelming generosity of people who want sponsor them.

Have committed to bringing in another 10, 000 which they will expedite as quickly as possible

The liberal levels planning calls for a 300,000 target – which is an absolute maximum – one more refugee means one less of something else

The Liberals have already quadrupled the number of refugees and have reached the limit.

Restored Refugee Healthcare

3. Canadian Citizenship Act – revoked in part

Bill C6 – introduced by the Liberals to ensure – one class of Canadians in Canada and they believe a “Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian” – “the place for terrorists is in jail not at the airport”

4. Various Changes to Family Class Applications

• – Restoration of age of dependence from 19 back to 22

MM signed documents restoring the age of dependants to 22. However, it will take a 1 ½ years to go through the regulatory process.

Goodness knows why going from 19 to 22 should take a year and a half. Too bad I couldn’t use ministerial instruction on that.

Minister is generally opposed to Ministerial Instructions, but some times they do come in handy. 

• – Ending of 2 year conditional status on Spousal Applications.

• – Committed in the election to bring down substantially the processing times of Family Class members. 

Quote: 

“Just as he is very proud as a CDN for refugees coming in, ashamed that the heavy hand of the CDN state keeps spouses apart for 2 years. This is unacceptable. This is not something that can be fixed like flicking a switch with Bill C6. On this one it takes longer.”

Solution will be to increase the capacity for immigration in this country

– the max is currently at 300,000 – want to increase this to accommodate the possibility of more immigrants and more spouses to get these processing times.

We will do this by: 1) more money and 2) more importantly need to do things more efficiently. Need to learn from experience in Lebanon and Jordon with the Refugees – where they processed applications fast, but equally well, super fast, but concurrently, ABC together, not A then B then C.

Must transfer over the experience with refugees to family class applications – do it just as well, but much more efficiently. – we did it for refugees, so of course we can do it for other – he told his department to “get to work”. This is what the department is doing – we will have positive news on spouses in coming weeks. – which could means months as usual.

5. Changes to Economic Class Applications

On “Economic Immigrants” – MM hates this term because all immigrants are economic. When you say “economic immigrants” it implies that the economic immigrants contribute and the others do not.

In 2016 many family members work – parents and grandparents enable the father and mother to work even when they do not work.

Refugees also work and contribute in the medium run – “let’s not use the word economic immigrants because all immigrants contribute to the country in one degree or another”

6. Possible changes to the Express Entry regime

In election campaign the liberals were neither critical nor praising of EE because it was so brand new. Now in process of seeking ways to reform express entry and MM values CBA input….

Had a meeting with Ontario Business People at an Ontario Chamber of Commerce and they ranked the different streams for PR status in Canada as:

TFWP

PNP,

EE

MM would like to see this reversed.

Express Entry should be the favored process for businesses wanting immigrants, then PNP, then TFW.

Challenge for MM is to make EE more flexible, more fluid, more desirable for businesses wanting to bring immigrants to Canada. Make it the first choice and not the third choice of businesses.

The First proposed change and most for sure is He thinks International Students are the best source of immigrant to Canada– because they know French and English, because they know Canada, because they are educated, because they are young, all good reasons to be great Canadians

“we should encourage them to come here and not slap them in the face by taking away their 50% credit for time in Canada, so I want to make it easier and give more points to facilitate their entry to Canada as PRs, that is pretty well for sure, other things are less for sure…

… looking at possibly less points for people getting LMIA approved Job Offer because right now  it is totally dominant and has certain unintended consequences. Possibly limit ore eliminate the use of the LMIA under Express Entry…. NOT committed to doing this, but certainly committed to looking at doing it very seriously. It is something they will look into very seriously.

7. Proposed Overhaul of the Live-in Caregiver Program 

MM thinks it is a great program both for young people and aging people – processing times will be coming down automatically in the next months. One major thing is that they will honor their campaign promise make significant changes to how the program works. They intend to a have a system of regulated companies who hire caregivers on behalf of families needing them and deploy them to households that need them.

Changes will help Families because they will be spared the hassle of the LMIA AND– will benefit the caregiver because if household is a problem, the company can transfer caregiver from household A to B. thus protecting the interestswill help both sides, the family and caregivers by doing this.

8. How is IRCC dealing with the challenges of two departments (including CBSA) administering immigration?

Sunny Days have arrived with IRCC, but have not yet arrived with CBSA.

– Separation of immigration into CIC and CBSA in the past

Question = has any consideration been given to bringing CBSA and IRCC back together?

He can’t speak for CBSA, but knows there has been a culture of enforcement throughout CBSA that public servants are awarded for catching as many bad people as possible. Understand there is a quota for how many refugees they expose – there is definitely scope for improvement within CBSA – Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety is working on these issues.

9. What does the future hold for Provincial Nominee Programs?

When asked whether Liberals are considering increasing allocation of nominations to the provinces? MM is of two minds on this issue. He is willing to do whatever is best for the country, but being a federal person, it is not to have the federal roll disappear altogether. 50% of economic immigrants come through the PNPs. If that is best for Canada…fine.

But big theme of his speech was to improve EE so it becomes the first choice for employers. So priority right now is to improve EE. Want companies to see the Federal program EE as their first choice of what is most flexible, best, accommodating choice, there would be less demand on PNPs each year – he wants to add more immigration, but first desire is to improve the federal program so that is more attractive for employers.

10. What is in store for International Students?

some people say MM has a habit of moving too fast, but some times it is important to do it fast – there is some urgency in this matter (international students)– thinking of doing the following in stages:

Stage 1 – give more points to students under Express Entry

Stage 2- do other things to improve EE

but hoping for him to do the student thing as quickly as he can – you would agree that Ministerial Instructions for these purposes are for a good cause.

[/spoiler]

Binge on all of our Canadian Immigration Podcast Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all the episodes here.

Ask Mark an Immigration Question

Periodically I answer listener questions on my podcast. If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you. You can also leave me a voice message on the Ask an Immigration Question widget on the side bar of this website.

Subscribe to the Canadian Immigration Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe.

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show. Share the Love

One of the most common questions I get from foreign nationals seeking to immigrate to Canada is how to obtain a Job Offer from a Canadian company to support their Express Entry application. In this podcast I interview a good friend and colleague Emma Goerzen from Hire Standard who shares some essential tips and strategies on how foreign nationals can improve their chances of landing that elusive Job Offer.

With Invitations to Apply through Express Entry continuing to require above 450 CRS points, many foreign nationals are realizing that if they want any chance of getting drawn out of the Express Entry pool, they are going to need an LMIA based Job Offer from a Canadian company to support their Express Entry application.

The problem lies in exactly how a foreign national is going to be able to do this.

As a Canadian immigration lawyer one of the most common requests I get is for assistance in helping a foreign national find a Canadian company to offer them a job. There are some immigration law firms that do provide assistance with the recruitment process. However, my firm does not. We focus exclusively on the practice of immigration law and do not try to wear two hats at the same time.

There are many recruitment companies who have surfaced over the past decade in Alberta that made a lot of money connecting local companies with foreign sourced labour. However, with the downturn in the Canadian economy those days are gone until the economy picks back up again. So “for now,” foreign nationals are going to have to do much of the leg work themselves.

So how do you connect with a Canadian employer? And if you are able to connect, how do you convince them to hire you?

….I guess that’s the million dollar question.

Although Emma and I do not pretend to have all of the answers when it comes to landing a Job Offer (remember…this Job Offer must be supported by an LMIA) in Canada, we have put together our Top 5 List of Things Foreign Nationals Can Do to Increase their Chances of Landing a Job Offer.

As promised in the Podcast, Emma has also provided us with a sample resume template that will help to increase your chances of getting noticed by a Canadian employer. Click this link to download the document: Hire Standard Resume Form.

Thanks Emma!

[Tweet “Tips for securing a Job Offer for Express Entry“]

Listen to Mark Holthe’s Canadian Immigration Podcast

Topics for our Next Podcast

Read the Transcript

You can read additional notes for this episode, [spoiler]

CIP S1 E11 – Interview with Emma Goerzen of Hire Standard

In this episode we will discuss one of the most common questions I get from people who are looking to immigrate to Canada.

How can I obtain a job offer from a Canadian company?

Why is this important?

When applying to immigrate to Canada as a skilled worker, the most common process is Express Entry.

[Explain how Express Entry works]

1. History of EE
2. Process for Candidates
3. Ranking System
4. Importance of an LMIA supported Job Offer
5. Job Matching (eHarmony for employers/employees) terribly ineffective

In my practice, I do not do any recruiting for companies, nor assist foreign nationals in finding jobs with companies.

My law practice is focused exclusively on Canadian Immigration

Because I spend a lot of time explaining to people that I can not help them with finding a job, I figured that the best thing I could do would be to bring in an expert in this field.

In todays Podcast  I have the pleasure of interviewing a good friend, Emma Goerzen. Emma is the co-owner of Hire Standard –

Southern Alberta’s Premier Executive Staffing & Background Screening Firm, specializing in criminal record checks, reference checks, employment, education & credit/ID verification, along with temporary staffing & special project placement

Emma and her Team at Hire Standard are extremely knowledgeable regarding all aspects of the hiring process. In fact, I recently used them to fill an important position within our firm and we were absolutely delighted with the result.

I have worked with Emma in the past on obtaining LMIAs for companies here in Alberta that have had to source TFWs to fill labour shortages.

Our firm has handled the LMIA process and Emma was retained by the company to source the foreign worker and manage the nightmarish recruitment campaign which includes the strict advertising requirements of Service Canada that are mandatory to obtain an LMIA.

In this episode of the Podcast, Emma is going to share some insight into the hiring process in Canada. She is going to offer some tips and strategies for foreign nationals who are looking to land that coveted LMIA based Job Offer with a Canadian company and a golden ticket to receiving an ITA within the Express Entry System.

So let’s jump into the interview with Emma Right now.

INTERVIEW

I’m here in my office today with a good friend and colleague Emma Goerzen. Emma is the Co-Owner of Hire Standard, Sothern Alberta’s premier executive staffing and background screening firm.

Welcome Emma. Thanks for joining me today.

Tell us a little bit about Hire Standard. What do you do ?

Hire Standard – Permanent Staffing & Background Screening: http://www.hire-standard.com

Whether you’re looking for an Executive Member of your team or a Temporary employee to make sure your business doesn’t stop, our commitment to fit and quality never waivers. Benefits of working with us include:

1. Process: We hold fast to our stringent prescreening process – it serves as a series of checkpoints from which applicants either pass through or fall off.

2. Insight: Our staff have the insight to weed out resumes that an untrained eye may be overwhelmed or deceived by.

3. Dedication: We will leave no stone unturned. We want to find the best employee for your company and we work diligently until we do

4. Tempo: We pride ourselves on our ‘dog on a bone’ work style. We recognize that most quality employees, a.) don’t stay unemployed for long and b.) don’t want to work for an employer that drags their heels.

5. Experience: We are familiar with the local market and types of applicants you are likely to receive. Based on our experience we can narrow down the candidates in a short time so you only see the best.

6. Back Up: We offer a 3 Month Replacement Guarantee to ensure that everyone is comfortable and confident.

Top 5 List of Things a Foreign National can do to improve their chances of getting a Job Offer.

1. Look for Jobs in the right places
   • Friends and Family – best source
   • Online Websites:
     • Job Bank
       • Job Match Registration (eHarmony)
     • Monster
     • Workopolis
     • Kijiji.ca
     • Indeed
     • Industry Associations – appropriate to credentials

2. Ability to Communicate in English
   • Excellent communication skills, written, spoken etc.
   • Same Standard applies to Canadians as well
     • Talk about HT recruitment and excluded candidates due to poor English – written etc.
   • Safety Issue
3. Good Resume – this is what grabs the attention of the company
   • Not too long – no more than 2 pages
   • Outlining Education and Experience that is relevant to the position
   • Stable work history
   • Grammatically Correct (demonstrate good English on your resume)
   • SHOW NOTES: include sample of a great Canadian resume
4. Honesty and Integrity
   • – much fraud in order to get the job, so lack of trust can be fatal
   • be up front about any potential issues – if have necessary skills and experience, Canadian companies will work with that, but if you are dishonest, you will be rejected.
   • Talk about guy from Costa Rica
     • Prior refused visa, but not disclosed to us
     • Resulted in his rejection as a candidate – after we obtained LIA

5. Must present well in an Interview Setting (Skype Interviews)
   • Must have good internet connectivity to support Skype interviews (reflection on person)
   • Communication Skills (speak English)
   • Know about the Canadian Company – do your research
   • Dress Appropriately
     • Don’t wear a t-shirt saying “I love cannabis”
     • For women – don’t show cleavage

Thanks so much Emma. If people want to reach out to you for more information how do the listeners find you?

www.hiringforyou.com

[/spoiler]

Binge on all of our Canadian Immigration Podcast Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all the episodes here.

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

If any of you immigration lawyers or consultants out there listening to this Podcast are going to be attending the Canadian Bar Association’s Annual Immigration Law Conference in Vancouver next month, please attend the session I will be presenting with my good friends and colleagues Kevin Zemp and Marina Sedai. If you have not yet registered, you are unfortunately out of luck as the conference has been sold out. Info on the session is set out below:

Ask Mark an Immigration Question

Periodically I answer listener questions on my podcast. If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you. You can also leave me a voice message on the Ask an Immigration Question widget on the side bar of this website.

Subscribe to the Canadian Immigration Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe.

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show. Share the Love

What does the future hold for Post Grad Work Permit holders looking to apply through Express Entry? Do I need to include all of my work history when completing my Express Entry profile? Is it really worth it to have my spouse complete their English Language testing for Express Entry? These are just some of the Express Entry questions I will be answering in this special edition of the Canadian Immigration Podcast.

In this episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, I provide some great insight on the Express Entry process thanks to some fantastic questions from our listeners. I finally figured out how to get my voice messaging system working, so you will be able to listen to these questions direct from our listeners.

The general topics discussed include:

• Express Entry – Can a Post Grad Work Permit holder qualify for Express Entry without an LMIA supported Job Offer?
• Express Entry – What is a Job Offer with the Express Entry System? Does it have to include an LMIA to get the 600 points?
• Work Permit Renewal – Is it legal to work while in restoration status?
• Express Entry – Do I need to upload all of my work experience, or just relevant work experience?
• Express Entry – Should I have my accompanying spouse take the English Language Test to get points under Express Entry?

As the founder of the Canadian Immigration Institute, I am really excited to announce that the full Express Entry Pilot Course is just about ready to be released.

Go to our Canadian Immigration Podcast website and sign up for our mailing list to have the opportunity to receive our exclusive offer to participate in the full Express Entry course.

We will be sending out invitations first to all of the people on our mailing list to participate in a free webinar on Express Entry that will lead up to the release of the new Express Entry course. Space will be limited, so those on our mailing list will get the first opportunity to sign up for the webinar.

In the webinar I will share some awesome tips on submitting your Express Entry permanent resident application and explain in detail what the Express Entry course will look like and why I think it is going to be a real game change for people looking to file their own Express Entry application to Canada.

[Tweet “Check this out! Great insight on Express Entry thanks to some awesome listener questions“]

Listen to Mark Holthe’s Canadian Immigration Podcast

Explore Additional Resources

In this episode we mentioned the following resources:

• Express Entry: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/Immigrate/skilled/index.asp
• Express Entry CRS Calculator: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/crs-tool.asp
• Restoration of Status: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/tools/temp/visa/validity/restoration.asp
• Work Experience (PR Programs): http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/apply-who-express.asp

Canadian Immigration Institute

We just completed our very first Pilot Course on how to submit your Express Entry profile (Phase 1). It was a resounding success. We will be releasing within the next two weeks,  Phase 2 of our Express Entry Pilot Course which will cover the entire process from submitting your profile to how to file your permanent resident application after receiving an ITA.

If you would like to register for the course, please subscribe to my mailing list in the top right corner of this site and you will be the first to receive notification when the new pilot course is released.

Questions for our Next Podcast

Read the Transcript

You can read additional notes for this episode, [spoiler]

[/spoiler]

Binge on all of our Canadian Immigration Podcast Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all the episodes here.

Ask Mark an Immigration Question

I answer questions each week on my podcast. If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you. You can also leave me a voice message on the Ask an Immigration Question widget on the side bar of this website.

Subscribe to the Canadian Immigration Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe.

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show. Share the Love

Welcome to Season 1, Episode 4 of the Canadian Immigration Podcast. In this episode I will share with you the presentation I just gave to the Lethbridge Chapter of the Human Resource Institute of Alberta.  

This podcast is dedicated to all you Human Resource Managers out there who are looking for a great Podcast to help pass the time on your long commute into work.

By listening carefully to this podcast, you just might learn a few things about the Canadian Immigration system and do so while being entertained a little more than you would typically expect from a dry immigration law presentation. We like to have fun and that definitely plays out in the presentation.

In this podcast, I am joined by my Immigration Technical Advisor, Billie Young who shared the podium with me for about an hour. In our presentation we covered the following areas:

• Immigration in the News
• Legislative Changes – thanks to the press
• Foreign Worker Basics
• Labour Market Impact Assessments
• Express Entry
• Employer Compliance and Enforcement
• What’s on CIC’s Horizon

Click the link to download the power point slide deck for the presentation: HRIA Immigration Presentation September 23, 2015

[Tweet “Listen to Mark’s recent live presentation on immigration to the HRIA.”]

Listen to Mark Holthe’s Canadian Immigration Podcast

Explore Additional Resources

In this episode we mentioned the following resources:

• Human Resource Institute of Alberta: http://www.hria.ca
• Power Point Slide Deck:HRIA Immigration Presentation September 23, 2015

Speaking Engagements

I will be speaking at the follow upcoming events. If you would like to register, please follow the links below for further information. Let me know if you will be attending as I would love to meet you in person.

• Canadian Institute’s Immigration and International Worker’s Forum (Oct 27-28, 2015)

Question for our Next Podcast

Read the Transcript

You can read a additional notes for this episode, [spoiler]

Welcome to the Canadian Immigration Podcast, Season 1, Episode 4.

Today is a special episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast. You will notice on my website that I did not produce a blog filled with tons of practical information. I do not intend to apologize for that because instead I have decided to share with you what I have been working on this past week or so.

Of course, this is in addition to the blogs and other podcasts I have released……and I can’t forget the fact that I am still trying to run the immigration practice within my firm…..and keep all of those wonderful clients happy.

Well,  over the last few days, I have been spending much of my time, preparing for a presentation I gave this afternoon to members of the Lethbridge Chapter of the Human Resource Institute of Alberta.

The Human Resources Institute of Alberta (HRIA) is the professional association for human resources professionals in Alberta. With chapters in all major cities in Alberta, HRIA is the third largest HR association in Canada representing over 6,000 members.

For the last two years I have had the opportunity to speak at the annual HRIA conference held in Calgary and Edmonton on alternating years. This spring I traveled to Edmonton to speak on various immigration issues affected HR Managers in Alberta. I was fortunate to have my immigration technical advisor, Billie Young (who is an x-immigration officer with way more government experience than I), share the podium with me.

We had an absolutely fantastic time with a great group of HR professionals. It is really the highlight of my year when I get to spend time with these exceptional people. Being the Manager of Human Resources within a company can be a somewhat thankless job at times, so I have a tremendous amount of respect for what they do and their extremely professional HRIA organization.

Well, I was absolutely delighted when they asked me if I would be willing to address the Lethbridge Chapter of the HRIA and provide them with an update as to what was happening in the crazy world of immigration….well, they didn’t exactly put it that way. However, I sure did in my presentation… which was entitled “Comprehending the Incomprehensible”.

Because of the time I put into that live presentation, I was not able to produce more great content for my website. Therefore, I figured the next best thing I could do would be to share with you the presentation I gave this afternoon to the HRIA Chapter in Lethbridge. Please forgive the quality of the audio as both my videographer and sound technician were away and unable to help this audio challenged rookie.

Thanks to my Zoom H2n Handy Recorder, I was able to record the audio from the presentation and amazingly enough, it worked…….its not perfect as I was not able to capture all of the questions from the audience. And It also caught a little bit of feedback as I fumbled around the podium from time to time during the presentation.

But that’s okay, because the presentation was super fun and turned out awesome. The reason I know this is because I had the pleasure of Billie Young joining me again as she covered off the Work Permit and Labour Market Impact Assessment part of the presentation. Although she claims she gets super nervous, it didn’t show at all. As for me, I never met a mic I didn’t like.

If you are an HR or Global Mobility Manager anywhere in the world who sends people into Canada for business purposes – this podcast is for you. However, any individual or employer accessing the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in Canada will benefit from this information just as much.

As I sit here in my office tonight getting ready to queue up the presentation, before my 3 minute drive back to my home this evening, I want to dedicate this podcast to all of you HR Professionals out there, or anyone else that will be facing an excruciating hour long commute into work in the morning. I know you are out there because you work for entities just like my large corporate and institutional clients. Although immigration can be a pretty dry topic….especially  when a lawyer is doing the presenting, I think you just might be entertained and learn a few things all at the same time.

So without further adieu, I will pull up the audio from that conference so that you can have a listen. Oh, and I also wanted to remind you that you can download the slide deck of the presentation and follow along……however, not you guys that are driving….keep your eyes on the road.

[PRESENTATION AUDIO]

Well, I hope you enjoyed that presentation as much as I did giving it. In all honesty, if I could spend my entire career presenting and teaching, I would be in heaven. Having completed my bachelor of education and taught high school prior to becoming a lawyer, teaching immigration satisfies both of my passions at the same time.

I was not able to address any questions from my listeners today, so I apologize for that. However, if you do have a question, please go to my website at www.canadianimmigrationpodcast.com  and leave a question for me. I recently realized that its not that easy to leave a question on my website. I am going to make sure that we put a widget on the front page to make this easier for you.

However, in the interim, you can click on the “Contact” button at the top right section of my landing page and all the instructions you will need are found there.

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

If you liked this podcast and want to hear me speak in person, please go to the show notes and I will have a link to my next speaking engagement that will occur at the:

• Canadian Institute’s Immigration and International Worker’s Forum, on Oct 27-28, 2015 in Calgary, Alberta. Click on the register button and you will be guided through the process. I’ll be running a ½ day hands on workshop on how to file a Labour Market Impact Assessments and accompanying Work Permit as well as a traditional presentation during the conference on the scary world of Employer Compliance within the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
• I’d love to see you there in person. So make sure you introduce yourself to me if you tuned in to this episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast.

Question for Next Podcast

In our next Episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, you the listener will have the opportunity to tell me what you want to learn about Canada’s new Express Entry process for obtaining permanent resident status in Canada.

As I have indicated in previous podcasts, on November 1 of this year (less than two months away) I will be launching my Canadian Immigration DIY Guide to Express Entry. This guide will be a screen cast where I walk you through each step of the Express Entry process as if you were sitting with me in my office. It will be filled with every ounce of my and my team’s experience and knowledge navigating the frustrating Express Entry portal.

The product is still in Beta, so if you have anything you would like to see within the guide, please comment below or message me through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and all the others.

Although I have a pretty good idea where the tricky parts are when attempting to submit an Express Entry Profile and PR application, I would love to get even more input from you. So please, please send your suggestions my way.

And don’t forget to like the Canadian Immigration Podcast on Facebook. I have a goal to get to 1000 likes by the end of the month. I am currently sitting at 480, so if you find the information I am providing helpful or worthwhile, please share the love with all of your friends and anyone else who you feel may benefit from what I am trying to do.

If you don’t like what I am doing, then please let me know as well. I appreciate constructive feedback every bit as much as a pat on the back. After all, I want to provide this free resources in a way that people can actually use. Otherwise, there is no point in me  wasting my time.

However, from the awesome feedback I have already received in just two weeks of my Canadian Immigration Podcast launching, I am pretty darn excited about what the future will hold. So thanks for all of your feedback and please keep it coming.

Subscribe to the Canadian Immigration Podcast

Finally, Don’t forget to subscribe to the Canadian Immigration Podcast on iTunes. If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. I would love any comments or suggestions you may have to make the podcast better.

Well that should about do it for this Podcast. I look forward to my next Podcast where I will share more practical tips and information on Canadian Immigration law, policy, and practice, to help you along your way!,

This is Mark Holthe, signing off for now.

[/spoiler]

Binge on all of our Canadian Immigration Podcast Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all the episodes here.

Ask Mark an Immigration Question

I answer questions each week on my podcast. If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you.

Subscribe to the Canadian Immigration Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe.

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show. Share the Love