Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Law Firm Blog

An Appalling Double Standard - Article by Geoffrey Johnston

Calgary Immigration Lawyer, Raj Sharma comments on religiously motivated violence resulting in refugees from Pakistan. Read more →

Removals to Libya have re-started

CBSA advises that they have lifted the Administrative Deferral of Removals to Libya, imposed in February 2011: "please be advised the CBSA has reviewed the situation and has determined that removals can resume. This is to inform you that the ADR to Libya is lifted effective immediately." Read more →

FSW requirements announced

Calgary Immigration Lawyer Raj Sharma provides an overview on recent changes to Citizenship and Immigration Canada Federal Skilled Worker requirements. Read more →

Electronic System for Travel Authorization - ESTA

Most people are unaware of the process to obtain an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) and/or whether they are eligible for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). As a result, I have provided a summary which will be of assistance to those with family members or friends coming from participating countries and wishing to enter the United States of America. The VWP is administered by the Department of Homeland Security and allows citizens or nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for a duration of 90 days or less without having to obtain a visa. The following is a list of participating countries. Citizens or nationals of the following countries can travel to the United States under the VWP: Andorra Hungary New Zealand Australia Iceland Norway Austria Ireland Portugal Belgium Italy San Marino Brunei Japan Singapore Czech Republic Latvia Slovakia Denmark Liechtenstein Slovenia Estonia Lithuania South Korea Finland Luxembourg Spain France Malta Sweden Germany Monaco Switzerland Greece the Netherlands Taiwan United Kingdom The ESTA is an automated system that assists in determining eligibility to travel to the United States under the VWP. A citizen or national from one of the above noted countries... Read more →

Hard Cases Make Bad Law - Jackie Tran and Jason Kenney's New Law

Calgary immigration lawyer Raj Sharma writes that Jason Kenney's new legislation, Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act, is fundamentally flawed. Kenney's legislation doesn't differentiate between the nature of the offence, and looks only to the length of the sentence. His legislation also doesn't differentiate between a 20 or 30 year permanent resident of Canada (or someone that arrived as a child) with someone that arrived over the age of majority and committed crimes shortly after arriving in this country. Read more →