Stewart Sharma Harsanyi Immigration Law Firm Blog

Working the Canadian Immigration System: How Liars, Criminals and Terrorists Get Here and Stay Here

Canada (and all countries) have certain objectives with respect to immigration policy. Canada is lucky; many seek to immigrate here (as opposed to countries like North Korea, where many would seek to emigrate). Immigration works best when the objectives of the host country and the immigrant align, converge. Canada needs skilled individuals, proficient in English and/or French, that can contribute economically (and culturally). Most applicants under the economic class meet that criteria; despite some continuing challenges in underemployment they come to live in an advanced, open market, inclusive, and democratic country, truly one of the best countries in the world. Other objectives include providing refuge to asylum seekers and facilitating family reunification. Other immigrants have a different goal and interests anathema to the public good. They see Canada as providing them with safe harbour (should they ever need it). They see Canada as a country where they can access subsidized and excellent education for their children, health care, and a place to stash their significant funds in "land banks". They see the residency obligation and needing to remain in Canada to fulfill that criteria as "immigration jail". Canada to them is more of a hotel, a place to stay and... Read more →

With the end of TPS should El Salvadorans in the US come to Canada? #tpselsalvador

The Trump Administration has ended TPS for the 200,000 plus individuals from El Salvador. Will they come to Canada and follow in the footsteps of the thousands of Haitians that crossed the border last year? My interview with Danielle Smith this morning: Danielle Smith: Let's talk about another influence that the U.S. might have on us with this decision for them to essentially ... Let me read some of the background on this because we've seen it once before with the decisions regarding Haitians. In the U.S. they have this temporary status, temporary protected status that when something occurs that causes the displacement of people to the United States, then they have a grace period for a period of time until they're expected to return home. Traditionally what has been happening is that these grace periods have just continued to get extended, and extended, and extended. Well on Monday the Trump administration ended a major immigration program for El Salvadorians leaving nearly 200,000 people in legal limbo. Now what I find really interesting when I read these is the stories that say oh well it was related to a ... Most of the people who came from El Salvador came... Read more →