Cut-off looms for workers in Gulf states who have Canadian landed status but
don't actually live here
Oct 14, 2007 04:30 AM
Nicholas Keung
The Toronto star
IMMIGRATION/DIVERSITY REPORTER
As the first of Canada's new Permanent Resident cards hit their expiry date,
immigrants who haven't spent the required length of time in Canada - 730
days out of five years - face losing their landed status in the next few
months.The looming cut-off means hundreds, perhaps thousands, of "phantom"
residents - some of whom settled their families here and then went back to
well-paying jobs in China, India or the Middle East's Gulf states - will be
out of luck.
A large number of them came through a single Canadian visa office: Abu
Dhabi.
A government internal report estimates that a whopping 98 per cent of
"permanent residents" processed in Abu Dhabi, which serves the Gulf region,
had no intention of remaining in Canada after their initial landing.
Currently, 80 per cent of the permanent resident travel applications in the
United Arab Emirates capital are for people who have failed the residency
requirement.As a result, they must return to Canada to appeal the revocation
of their status.
"Unless something major happens in the region to make the Gulf less
attractive for expat workers, there is not a pool of professionals who are
serious about settling in Canada," notes the mission's annual overview,
obtained under the access to information process.
Toronto immigration lawyer Gregory James says people who fail the residency
requirement and are turned back at a port of entry can apply for a
"permanent resident travel document" at local visa offices abroad, though
there's no guarantee it will be granted. Those denied PR card renewal could
appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee
Board, which is already facing a growing backlog because of Ottawa's slow
pace in appointing qualified adjudicators. A spousal sponsorship could work
if one partner has already spent sufficient time in Canada to qualify. In
the worst-case scenario, skilled immigrants can reapply from scratch.
Read the rest of this article at:
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/266633
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Renewing
the residency cardCards issued since 2002 : 2.2 millionCardholders who become
citizens within four years: 60-75%Projected renewals July 2007 to March 2008:
77,500Renewal applications received to date: 13,819Processing time: 6-8
weeksRenewal requirement: Must be physically present in Canada for at least
730days (the equivalent of two years) in every five-year period.Exemptions:
People working full-time overseas for Canadian companies orgovernments, or
accompanying a Canadian spouse abroad, or with compellinghumanitarian or
compassionate reasons, may be exempted.Source: Citizenship and Immigration
Canada
