Immigration Corner | Married to a Canadian, will they harass me?: Dear Miss Powell, I am married to a Canadian citizen. Before we were married, I had my visitor’s visa, so I was going back and forth, and he did the same. That works out good for both of us as we are very busy with our work, plus my husband says he... The immigration officer will not “harass” you because you are now married. However, you should expect to provide explanations about the reason for your visit and whether you are considering living or working in Canada. You should be honest with them as you could be barred from Cana ..read more

Immigration Corner | What is an Authorisation to Return to Canada?: Dear Miss Powell, I used to live in Canada, but I was sent home. My cousin is getting married and I have an invitation to attend the wedding. Can I reapply for a visitor’s visa? What are the chances of my application being successful? Thank you Dear WW, A foreign national who has contravened the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and its regulations can be the subject of a removal order from Canada and may need to apply for an Authorization to Return to Canada (ARC), and a Temporary Resident (visitor’s) visa. The su ..read more

Dear Miss Powell, I am a Jamaican citizen and I live with a man who is a Canadian citizen, even though he was born in Jamaica. We have been living together for the past two and half years in Jamaica and we own a small business. We buy and sell household goods and small appliances. He usually goes to the USA and Canada to buy the stuff for the store, and I manage the store. I asked him if he could sponsor me, as I would like to go back to college to certify as a nurse. I see where that kind of job pays well. I have the subjects, and it has always been my dream. He said that he won’t be able to ..read more

Dear Ms Powell, I am engaged to someone in Canada. What are the requirements to get Canadian citizenship? Do I get citizenship automatically after marrying a Canadian citizen? What if our child is born outside of Canada will our baby get citizenship as well? We just need to know these things as we plan our future together. Thank you for your time. A.C. Dear AC, Congratulations on your engagement. You will not automatically get Canadian citizenship, just by marrying someone in Canada, but there a steps to acquiring same. The critical question is what is your fiancé’s legal status in Canada? Is ..read more

 Dear Miss Powell, Why does it cost so much to go to Canada? I spoke to a consultant and he said I need to have at least CDN$15,000 to pay to go Canada. Honestly, Miss Powell, if I had that amount of money to give the Canadian government, I wouldn’t need to leave Jamaica. I am a professional with a little savings with my mother, and an old house that my grandmother left me, but I can’t give that money away. Why do they charge so much? Is there a programme that doesn’t need so much money? AF Dear AF, If you wish to apply via the Express Entry System under the Federal Skilled Worker Prog ..read more

  BOOK A ZOOM CONSULTATION Dear Mrs Powell, I am a 28-years-old truck driver, and my wife is a nurse aide. We have one son. We are interested in moving to Canada, but we are not sure how to go about applying. We read your articles all the time and we are hoping you would answer our question in The Gleaner. We are law-abiding and have been saving our money to make sure we have the required savings. We are just not sure if our occupation would qualify us to apply. Please let us know how we could qualify. Thank you. CW Dear CW, There are various programmes available for individuals and ..read more

  BOOK A ZOOM CONSULTATION Dear Mrs Powell, I follow you on Facebook and I was hoping to see a post about my situation. Since I haven’t, I am writing to ask a few questions, and hope you will answer my question in The Gleaner. I am a chartered accountant with three years experience. My husband is 35 years old and I’m 29. My husband and I are interested in living in Canada. He is an accountant as well. We are just wondering if we would qualify seeing that I don’t have a bachelor’s degree, like my husband. I am qualified through ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants ..read more

  BOOK A ZOOM CONSULTATION Dear Mrs Powell, Can I sponsor my brothers? They are 17 and 21 years old. The older one is graduating soon from university and the younger is in high school. I am a 29-year-old citizen of Canada. I live alone and have a good job, so I can afford to keep them with me. Which application should I file for them? I am more concerned about my younger brother as both of our parents have passed away. I’m sending money for them to go to school, but I would prefer them to be here with me in Canada. I hope that there is a way for me to get them to live in Canada with me ..read more

Dear Miss Powell, I spoke to an immigration lawyer in the USA, and she told me that I would qualify for an O1 visa as I have published several books. Does Canada have an O1 visa programme like the USA? I would like to know if I could qualify to live in Canada, since I’m a published author and have received a few prizes for my work. I prefer Canada over the USA, as I have relatives there. Also, if there is a similar programme, what is the processing time? Thank you. KL Dear KL Highly skilled individuals may qualify to get an O1 visa to work in the USA and then apply for a green card or perma ..read more

Dear Mrs Powell, My half sister is a Canadian citizen. I have a mechanical engineering degree. The problem is that I haven’t really worked as an engineer. I’ve been working as a maintenance technician, plus I own a small mechanic shop where I work part-time and supervise one guy who works full- time for me. Would I still qualify to go to Canada? Another very important thing is, can I add my mother and my daughter as a dependent? They live with me and rely on me. So I can’t leave them behind if I qualify. Thank you. KE Dear KE, Canada has a very generous immigration system. Individuals have ..read more