Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Law Firm Blog

"May you live in Interesting Times"

There's a remark attributed to Vladimir Lenin, "There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen," likely referring to the Bolshevik revolution and other remarkable watershed moments near the end of the Great War; periods where change accelerates at an unprecedented pace. On some level the sentiment is applicable to the Canadian immigration policy landscape of 2024, a year marked by swift and transformative changes. In 2024, Canada's immigration framework underwent significant transformations, reflecting the country's response to economic needs, public sentiment, global challenges and of course political considerations and calculations with the long-in-the-tooth Liberal government confronted by a frustrated and unhappy electorate. What did 2024 bring us? 1. Introduction of Temporary Resident Caps One of the landmark decisions was the government's move to cap temporary residents, including international students and foreign workers, to manage population growth and alleviate pressures on housing and infrastructure. Temporary resident levels weren't really counted or considered in immigration planning in the past. That's now changed. This policy change was part of a broader strategy to ensure "sustainable" immigration numbers, reducing the temporary population to 5% of Canada's total by the end of 2027. That reduction of course is based on... Read more →

Change to the Visitor Visa Process -Program Delivery Instructions Updated for Visitor Visa Issuance November 2024

Introduction In a notable shift, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revised its approach to issuing visitor visas. As of the updates made public on November 6, 2024, the issuance of multiple-entry visitor visas is no longer an automatic process. If an officer was going to approve the default would be multi-entry and until the expiry of the passport/travel document. That's no longer the case and reflects increased tightening in the visa regime and immigration/entry to Canada overall. Ostensibly the change aims to tailor visa issuance more closely to the specific circumstances of applicants. Here’s what you need to know about these changes: The Essence of the Multiple-Entry Visa A multiple-entry visa for Canada traditionally allows travelers to: Enter Canada multiple times during the visa’s validity period. Be valid for up to 10 years or until the expiration of either the travel document or biometric validity, whichever occurs first. However, Visa officers are now directed to use discretion to decide on the type of visa issued: Purpose of Visit: *Short-term or One-Time Events: If the visit is for a conference, short training, or similar one-off events, a single-entry visa might be more appropriate. *Regular Visits: For those visiting frequently,... Read more →

CBSA Raids in Calgary and Increased Focus on Enforcement

Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · 2024 10 07 RedFM Interview On CBSA Raids And Enforcement I was interviewed by RedFM news director Rishi Nagar on the recent reports about CBSA raids against employers and foreign workers engaging in unauthorized work. The interview is a Punjabi language broadcast and is above. The following provides some additional context to this interview: The Recent CBSA Raids on Unauthorized Workers: A Shift in Immigration Enforcement The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) appears to have intensified its operations, conducting widespread raids targeting foreign nationals working without proper authorization. This uptick in enforcement activities isn't just about numbers; it's a clear signal of changing priorities within Canada's immigration framework. Why Now? Well, we can look to the current political climate: With immigration often at the forefront of political discourse, these actions might serve as a response to public and political pressure to address unauthorized employment, which some perceive as undermining the integrity of legal immigration processes. - There's little doubt that there's been a change in policy. We're seeing a move towards stricter enforcement, possibly in alignment with Minister Marc Miller's strategy to reduce the number of temporary residents. This could be an attempt to... Read more →

2024 10 25 RedFM Interview On Reduction In Immigration Intake

Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · 2024 10 25 RedFM Interview On Reduction In Immigration Intake I discussed the recent announcement by Immigration Minister Marc Miller regarding the reduction in immigration levels for permanent residents in Canadarecently on RedFM -it's mostly in Punjabi and the audio is above but here's some additional context to the interview: Reduction in Targets: Minister Marc Miller has announced a significant reduction in the number of permanent residents Canada aims to admit in the coming years. This adjustment represents a notable shift from the increasing targets we've seen post-2015 under the Trudeau administration. One could call it cuts or one can simply characterize it as a regression to the mean. These numbers are in line or even more generous than pre-pandemic intake. Context of Change: This decision comes amidst pressures from various quarters, including economic considerations like housing affordability, employment rates, and public sentiment regarding immigration levels. As I stated above I think it's better described as a "regression to the mean," a return to more sustainable levels of immigration. Implications for Prospective Immigrants: Increased Competition: With fewer slots available, the competition for permanent residency might intensify. Potential immigrants should expect a more competitive environment... Read more →

Relocating Refugees Marc Miller vs. the RoC September 16 2024 Interview on CBC

Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Lawyers · 2024 09 16 CBC Interview Relocating Refugees Loren McGinnis: A row over a specific part of our immigration system. On one side you have Alberta Premier Danielle Smith saying We cannot handle an influx of asylum seekers moving to the province. On the other, you have federal immigration Minister Marc Miller saying Alberta needs to do more. The disagreement stems from a possible federal plan to move asylum seekers out of Quebec and Ontario. In the middle of this, are people seeking asylum in the first place. To tell us more about them and their circumstances, we have Raj Sharma on the line. He's an immigration lawyer here in Calgary with Stewart Sharma Harsanyi. Good morning to you, Raj. Raj Sharma: Good morning, Loren. Loren McGinnis: So what circumstances make a person eligible to seek asylum and perhaps the circumstances that push them into that situation? Raj Sharma: A person is a refugee or considered a refugee or eligible to make a refugee claim if they have a well-founded fear of persecution due to one of the convention grounds, race, religion, political opinion, membership in a particular social group, or that there is a... Read more →

Borderlines Podcast -Discussing the Spousal Sponsorship Process from Interview to Rejection to Appeals before the IAD

I joined my friends Steven Meurrens and Deanna Okun-Nachoff late August to discuss the spousal/common-law partner sponsorship process and some of the challenges including the interview and dealing with refusals based on genuineness/intent. A lot is at stake in such applications/appeals and it is important for those attempting to navigate it to understand the pitfalls and hurdles that are at play. I hope that the discussion is of assistance to other counsel, those that are intending to go down this road and those that are on it. Steve Meurrens: We are joined again by Raj Sharma, who's been on the podcast several times, both to discuss marriage fraud, which is going to be a topic that we pick up again today. It was actually, I think episode three, many, many years ago that Raj was on. Raj Sharma: We are so young, Steve. Steve: We were so young. We had Peter still not as a judge. Deanna Okun-Nachoff: What about me, was I not young then? Steve: We recorded in our office. Raj Sharma: You're always young. Deanna. Steve: And then we add a series of episodes about the same person whose agency was refused, it went to fed court,... Read more →