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Canada expands visa transit programme for Chinese

Canada is expanding its China Transit Programme which allows eligible Chinese travellers to fly to and transit through Canada visa-free when they are enroute to and from the United States.

From 01 June, the programme will expand to three additional major transit hubs of Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, and Seoul Incheon, which are in addition to the Beijing, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Manila and Taipei airports that are already part of the programme.

canada

This expansion means more choice and greater flexibility for eligible Chinese travellers going through Canada Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said that this expansion means more choice and greater flexibility for eligible Chinese travellers to transit through Canada, and more business for participating airlines and Toronto Pearson and Vancouver International Airports, including additional revenue for airports through landing fees and spending by travellers.

He also announced that the Canadian government is simplifying the administrative process by which new airlines can participate in the China Transit Programme. This change will make it easier for airlines to carry eligible Chinese transit passengers through Toronto Pearson and Vancouver International Airports.

‘The Government of Canada is committed to the expansion of transit programmes and is assessing the eligibility of other departure cities in China to be added in the future,’ said Alexander.

Consultations with the air and tourism industries are ongoing as officials explores new opportunities for facilitating transit passengers through Canadian airports, particularly once the new Electronic Travel Authorisation system is implemented next year.

The Canada-China Air Transport Agreement, which was recently updated, has increased air traffic between Canada and China by approximately 14% between 2013 and 2014, to reach close to 1.5 million total one-way passenger trips.

China continues to be one of the top source countries for immigrants to Canada and is also a leading source country for international students and visitor visas. In 2014, for example, Canada issued a record 360,923 visas to Chinese citizens.

Other key ways Canada is facilitating travel for Chinese citizens includes expedited processing for visitors and businesspeople under such programs as CAN+ and the Business Express Programme and more broadly, the 10-year multiple entry visa.

In 2014, China was Canada’s second largest export market, with exports valued at nearly $19.3 billion, up 45.7% over the past five years.

‘The government is committed to facilitating legitimate trade and travel, including supporting Canada’s air industry efforts to attract more transit business to the country,’ said Alexander.

‘This expansion of the China Transit Programme will help generate more business for our airlines and airports, and could potentially lead to the opening of new routes and destinations, which would benefit all travellers, including Canadians,’ he added.

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Training programs are designed to allow foreign professionals to come to the United States to gain exposure to U.S. culture and to receive training.

USCIS Partners with City of Atlanta to Support Citizenship Education and Awareness

ATLANTA – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director León Rodríguez and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed signed a letter of agreement today to begin a partnership to strengthen citizenship education and awareness efforts. The agreement will remain in effect until December 2017.

“Our partnership with Atlanta will strengthen local efforts to help aspiring citizens find the information and resources needed to succeed during the naturalization process,” said Rodríguez. “USCIS is proud to join forces with Mayor Reed to expand citizenship education and awareness efforts and to support permanent residents as they consider the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.”

During today’s signing at City Hall, Rodríguez and Reed highlighted the need to incorporate all sectors of society in a determined effort to support aspiring citizens and create more welcoming communities. They discussed plans to establish “Citizenship Corners” at Atlanta-Fulton Public Library branches to make official USCIS citizenship preparation materials more easily accessible to newcomers. USCIS also plans to train librarians and other city officials about the naturalization process and the free preparation resources available to immigrant library patrons.

“The contributions of immigrants and foreign-born residents to the cultural and economic fabric of Atlanta are irrefutable,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “In the City of Atlanta, immigrants are over-represented among the self-employed, and across our state, new immigrant business owners generate business revenue of $2.9 billion a year. Despite their proven value to our city, thousands of our eligible residents have not yet completed the naturalization process. That’s why I’m thrilled to announce a joint commitment with USCIS to expand access to citizenship in Atlanta, with all its privileges and responsibilities.”

USCIS and the City of Atlanta also plan to:

Provide citizenship information through public schools, community centers, and other city facilities.

Expand community partnerships to hold naturalization information sessions throughout Atlanta.

Raise public awareness about immigration services scams.

Air citizenship education videos and public service announcements highlighting the letter of agreement on the city’s public access television station, Channel 26, and city websites.

Atlanta is USCIS’ fourth municipal partner, joining Los Angeles, Chicago and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.

Follow USCIS on Facebook (/uscis), Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and USCIS’ blog The Beacon. Use #NewAmericans on social media to discuss this issue.

Eastern provinces launch Canadian immigration streams aligned with federal Express Entry immigration selection system

The Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, both located in the Maritimes region of Eastern Canada, have this month both announced new immigration streams that aim to attract skilled newcomers from abroad. These ‘enhanced’ streams are aligned with the federal Express Entry immigration selection system, which strives to process complete applications within six months of submission.

Neither of these immigration streams require a job offer from a Canadian employer in order for an application to be made. However, candidates must be eligible for at least one of the federal economic immigration programs processed through Express Entry: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, or the Canadian Experience Class.

New Brunswick Express Entry Labour Market Stream

This stream functions on an Expression of Interest (EOI) model. Candidates may complete an EOI form and send it to the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), which receives forms from the 1st to the 15th of each month. Candidates are assigned a score based on the information provided, after which they are assessed according to the following criteria:

Highest score;

Evidence of training and experience in a high priority sector as determined by the province;

Demonstrated ability to become economically established in the province; and

The likelihood of positively contributing to the provincial labour market.

Candidates must meet the following criteria:

All eligibility criteria and selection factors for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (obtaining at least 67 points out of 100);

Provincial criteria, including age (22–55, inclusive); and

A signed commitment to live and work in New Brunswick.

The highest ranked candidates are invited to apply to the NBPNP by email. Applicants to the NBPNP through this stream are processed through the federal government’s Express Entry system. Documented proof of ability to meet all eligibility criteria is required for the NBPNP assessment stage, as well as the federal stage once an Invitation to Apply has been issued through the Express Entry system.

Candidates expressing their interest under this immigration stream are required to have language test scores and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) result (if their education was obtained outside Canada) acceptable to the government of Canada, and document their work experience.

The aforementioned provincial criteria includes a points assessment grid, whereby candidates must score at least 67 out of 100 in order to be eligible. Selection factors include language ability in English and/or French, level of education, work experience, age, whether or not the candidate has an arranged offer of employment in an occupation that falls under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A or B, and adaptability. The points assessment grid is very similar to the equivalent grid for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, with some minor adjustments to reflect the needs of New Brunswick.

Learn more about the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program and eligibility criteria for the Express Entry Labour Market Stream, including information on which individuals are ineligible to apply to the stream.

Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry

When Nova Scotia introduced this stream earlier this month, it became the first province to have two immigration streams aligned with the federal Express Entry system. (The launch of Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry was covered by CICnews in January, 2015.)

Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry provides a pathway to Canadian permanent residence for highly skilled applicants who have worked for a Nova Scotia employer for at least one year.

In order to be eligible for Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry, candidates must:

Be between the ages of 21 and 55;

Have at least 12 months full-time (or an equal amount in part-time) skilled work experience in Nova Scotia in the three years before the application is made;

Have gained your experience in Nova Scotia with the proper authorization (work permit, etc.);

Have completed Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary educational credential OR a completed foreign educational credential from a recognized institution or authority AND an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report issued by an organization designated by CIC if the educational credential was obtained outside Canada;

Meet the required language levels needed for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing, and listening). These levels are CLB 7 for NOC 0 and A and CLB 5 for NOC B; and

Demonstrate that they will become economically established in Nova Scotia and that they intend to live in the province permanently.

There are two application routes to the Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry stream. Candidates may either apply directly to the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI) or be selected from the federal Express Entry pool by the NSOI. In either case, the principal applicant will need to submit a complete application to the NSOI.

Learn more about the Nova Scotia Nominee Program and eligibility criteria for the Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry stream, including information on which individuals are ineligible to apply to the stream.

The reaction

“With the advent of Express Entry in 2015, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are using their respective Provincial Nominee Programs in a dynamic, forward-thinking way. They are approaching immigration as a more active process, in doing so ensuring that they attract and retain highly-skilled newcomers who possess the tools to succeed,” says Attorney David Cohen.

“With obtaining an enhanced provincial nomination certificate such a game-changer under Express Entry — triggering an Invitation to Apply, in effect — candidates thinking seriously about immigrating to Canada would be well advised to look toward these programs, as well as other Provincial Nominee Programs.”

To find out if you are eligible for any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs, including enhanced Provincial Nominee Programs processed through Express Entry, please fill out a free online assessment today.

Dominica Economic Citizenship Program

Because of a diverse variety of colonisers that Dominica has had starting from Spanish, graduating to the French and finally in the hands of the British, before getting independence, Dominica has a huge collection of all the three forms of architecture and other features that reflect its colonisers. It is a small, congenial country with total area of just 750 sq. kms. The Economic Citizenship Program Dominica offers applicants a wealth of benefits and privileges, including:

Physical residency is not required

Dependent children up to the age of 18 can accompany

No educational requirement

No language requirement

No managerial experience required

No interview

Visa-free travel to over 70 countries including the UK, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Turkey

No taxes for those who do not reside in Dominica

Current nationality can be retained

Qualifications

The applicant must

be of outstanding character

not hold any criminal history

be in excellent health

have basic knowledge of English

make a direct, non-refundable investment with the government of Dominica.

INVESTMENT REQUIREMENTS

The investment options for obtaining Citizenship status in Dominica are as follows:

A. Single applicant

A single applicant has to make an investment of US$100,000.

B. Family application I

(Applicant + spouse)

An investment of US$175,000 needs to be made.

C. Family application II

(Applicant + spouse + 2 children under 18)

An investment of US$200,000 needs to be made.

D. Family application III

(Applicant + spouse + 3 children under 18)

An investment of US$350,000 needs to be made. An investment of US$50,000 is required for each additional child under 18 years.

Mr. Parvinder Sandhu

Mr. Parvinder Sandhu,

Sr. Director, WWICS Group Member of ICCRC (R418407)

Born in India but brought up in Canada, Parvinder Sandhu did his schooling from J.A.Turner Secondary School, Brampton, Canada. After graduating from high school, he went to the University of Toronto for Mechanical Engineering in the year 1990. He also completed Immigration Practitioner Course from Seneca College, Toronto.

Since 1993 he has been in the immigration business as a Senior Director of WorldWide Immigration Consultancy Services (WWICS). WWICS has a global presence with 15 offices in India and international offices in Canada, Australia, and UAE.

Throughout his career, he has represented immigration cases of thousands of immigration aspirants who wished to live, work, study and do business in various destinations around the world, and who are now happily settled abroad.

Committed to getting the clients application fair assessment, he, on behalf of WWICS, has got close to hundreds of Judicial Review cases filed, which were rejected erroneously, with assistance of lawyers without charging any additional fee from the clients.

Mr. Parvinder Sandhu is associated with Global Placement Services (GPS), which takes care of the Settlement and Placement aspect when the clients land in Canada. GPS staff includes placement counselors, job developers, resume writers, settlement coordinators, business consultants, etc. who provide complete assistance to the clients from the time they land till they completely settle down in Canada.

His sustained involvement and support both financially and otherwise is highly regarded by various associations, ethnic groups, not for profit organizations, religious organizations etc.

It is worth mentioning that Mr. Sandhu has played a pivotal role in establishing Continental Group of Institutes, known as CGI. Further, CGI encompasses Continental Institute of International Studies in partnership with Georgian College-Canada, Thompson Rivers University-Canada, University of Brighton – UK & UCOL & Wairiki Institute of Technology-New Zealand, which offers international diplomas and degrees in India. The institute has Canadian faculty and program coordinators from all the programs are based in India at CIIS. In addition, he has been instrumental in setting up a Golf and Country Club resort-Forest Hill Golf & Country Club Resort in India, which is spread over 700 acres.

Last but not the least, Mr. Parvinder Sandhu is a member of various associations and key professional bodies. He is a full-member of Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (CAPIC), Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Canada (ICCRC), the Board of Trade of Metropolitan, Toronto, Mississauga Board of Trade, Association of Professional Immigration & Education Consultants (APIEC), Indo-Canadian Chambers of Commerce, Indo-Canadian Business Council, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC), Better Business Bureau, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PHDCCI), Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and numerous other professional and civic organizations.

Mr. Devinder Sandhu

Mr. Devinder Sandhu,

Sr. Director, WWICS Group Member of ICCRC (R418415)

Born in India, Devinder Sandhu did his schooling in India. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arts from Punjab University, Chandigarh and did a Certified Management Accountancy Course from Toronto, Canada.

Since ’93, Devinder Sandhu has been in the immigration business as a Senior Director of WorldWide Immigration Consultancy Services (WWICS). He has been looking after the South East Asian Operations with 15 offices in India, Canada, United Arab Emirates, East Africa, India, Australia and business associates spread across the world.

Mr. Devinder Sandhu is well versed with the laws of immigration and has been handling the immigration business for the past eighteeen years. He has served more than 80,000 clients to immigrate to Canada and has brought WWICS to new heights with corporate image and innovative skills.

Mr. Sandhu is also the Sr. Director of Continental Group of Institutes (CGI), which is imparting not just international education in India as it is a joint venture between Georgian College, Canada, Thompson Rivers University-Canada, University of Brighton-UK, Universal College of Learning-New Zealand, Wairiki Institute of Technology, New Zealand; but also courses with Indian orientation. The Group Institute comprises Continental Institute for International Studies (CIIS), Continental College of Higher Studies (CCHS) and Continental Institute of Engineering & Technology (CIET).

Mr. Sandhu is also handling Global Placement Services (GPS) as a Senior Director, which takes care of the Settlement and Placement aspect when the clients land in Canada. GPS staff includes employment counselors, job developers, resume writers, settlement coordinators, reception officers etc. who provide complete assistance to the clients from the time they land till they completely settle down in Canada.

Devinder Sandhu is also chairing Forest Hill Golf & Country Club as the Senior Director. A novel concept in recreation, sports and leisure, Forest Hill is a refreshing new wave of fun, adventure & entertainment. Nestled in the lush green foothills of Shivaliks- FHR is a championship Golf course planned and developed on an unprecedented scale of magnificence. This 18 hole, 7123 yards, par-72 Golf course with its rich Bermuda fairways and shimmering blue lakes, promises an ultimate golfing experience. The Country Club offers Multi-Cuisine Restaurant, Sporting and Adventure.

It is worth mentioning that Mr. Devinder Sandhu is a member of various associations and other primary professional bodies. He is a member of Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC),Association of Professional Immigration & Education Consultants (APIEC) the Board of Trade Metropolitan, Toronto, Mississauga Board of Trade, Association of Professional Placement Agencies and Consultants, Association of Canadian Search, Employment & Staffing Services, Information Technology Association of Canada, Indo-Canada Chambers of Commerce, Indo-Canadian Business Council, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) and numerous other professional and civic organizations.

Lt. Col. B.S. Sandhu (Retd.)

Member Detail

Lt. Col. B.S. Sandhu (Retd.),

Chairman & Managing Director, WWICS Group

Born in Punjab, Col. Sandhu joined the Indian Army in 1967 where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. While serving the army he continued his studies and earned dual post graduation in English Literature and Land Survey.

After completing his two Post-Graduate degrees in English Literature and in Land Survey, in the year 1988, he immigrated to Canada and worked as a Land Surveyor for various companies.

He successfully ran businesses of Super Market and Courier Company in Canada.

After years of diversified management experience that he accumulated at the highest levels, he set up WorldWide Immigration Consultancy Services (WWICS) in 1993. It all started from one office in Toronto and one in Chandigarh, India. From the humble beginning, the company has now grown to have a global presence with over 15 offices in India & international offices and Business Associates spread across the world in countries like CANADA -Toronto, MIDDLE EAST – Dubai, Sharjah, Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait, Muscat, KENYA – Nairobi, AUSTRALIA – Sydney.

The well-equipped infrastructure enables WWICS to provide tailor-made solutions to immigration aspirants across the globe. Resume writers, settlement coordinators, business consultants, etc. provide complete assistance to the clients from the time they land till they completely settle down in Canada.

In addition to WWICS, Col. Sandhu is also involved in establishing various venture/ companies as Chairman & Managing Director. Continental Group of Institutes, popularly known as CGI is one such venture. CGI is a premier institute of Punjab, which envisions to be a leading Professional & Technical education group in the region and comprises Continental Institute for International Studies (CIIS), Continental College of Higher Studies (CCHS) and Continental Institute of Engineering & Technology (CIET).

The focus of the Group is on providing a wide arena in Academics for the students stretching from Post Graduate / Under Graduate courses at International as well as the Domestic fronts.

By entering into tie-ups with International Universities, CIIS, formerly known as Canadian Institute for International Studies in India is an extension campus of Georgian College-Canada, Thompson Rivers University-Canada, University of Brighton – UK & UCOL & NATCOLL-New Zealand. CIIS has been brought to India to enable the Indian students to have an edge in the global job-market. The diplomas granted by CIIS have wider recognition as against the Indian credentials.

Col. Sandhu is also the President of Forest Hill Golf & Country Club. A novel concept in recreation, sports and leisure, Forest Hill is a refreshing new wave of fun, adventure & entertainment. Nestled in the lush green foothills of Shivaliks- Forest Hill Resort is a championship Golf course planned and developed on an unprecedented scale of magnificence. This 18-hole, 7123 yards, par-72 Golf course with its rich Bermuda fairways and shimmering blue lakes, promises an ultimate golfing experience. The Country Club offers facilities like Multi-Cuisine Restaurant, Sporting and Adventure Club.

Col. Sandhu had a vision when he immigrated to Canada that every immigrant enters Canada legally and settles squarely in the new country. The realization of his vision has changed the immigration world and his unrelenting contribution to immigration industry has earned him a number of honors and awards. He is rightly considered as a pioneer in the immigration industry.

8th Draw of Express Entry System Out!

This time 715 invitations were issued to the candidates and the cut-off score was 453 points. The cut-off score in this draw was same as the cut-off score of 6th Express Entry draw. After the successful completion of the 7th draw, within a short period i.e. with a period of one week Canada conducted the 8th Express Entry draw.

In the 8th draw, the number of ITAs issued for candidates was decreased when compared to the previous draw 7th draw.

Citing to the cut-off score of 453 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System, the candidates with no job offer are continued to be invited by the Canadian government.

There were also some predictions that very soon, i.e. within a span of two weeks Canada will conduct its 9th Express Entry draw.

For more information, visit your nearest WWICS Office.