Planning Canada Immigration

[go_guy123]

Originally Posted by bobzibub

Alternatively, you can go there, work for a couple years and then start a business with your permanent residency.

Canadians are notoriously risk averse and don't often start them so the government offers tax regime is more generous than the US, you have access to excellent infrastructure and people. Yes there is regulation but no Sarbanes-Oxley.

Yes Canada is very risk averse country....in fact other that mining no other major
industry. IT industry is very small. Typically Canada has just one famous IT company
in an era, Nortel a decade ack and now RIM.

other than that almost everything is either made in China or made in US (cereals, food etc)...a lot like so called "banana republic"

That why I support Harper, atleast he talks of deregulation.
"no Sarbanes-Oxley" oxley only impacts publicly traded companies.

Yes..one the whole to stay in Canada long term, one needs to have a small business
liek consulting etc Thats the only way you can protect from taxes.

[ivar]

Originally Posted by kumar1

We applied for Canadian immigration in 2004/2005 and got the whole thing done in 18 months. We did not hire any lawyer. It is simple.
However, right now we are in the I-485 stage (EB3-India, best category you know). I have been here for last 9 years now and if my Green Card does not come through then I would head back to India. I do not have any motivation left to start over my life in a brand new country.

Kumar1,

This is exactly what i am thinking right now. You atleast stayed here for 9 years. I have completed only 4 and half years and i some how don't feel comfortable with the idea of moving to a new country. We have lot of freedom and happiness in india than why to move to canada and suffer. Maybe in the long term it might work out good but looking at all the other posts it seems not enough opportunities for IT people in Canada. I am really confused, sometimes i just think it always good to have a backup.. but i am not sure.. what to do yet.

Thanks,
R.

[GC_dd]

Thanks Kumar1, I have dropped idea of getting Canada PR.
Mostly due to weather.
I have completed 3 years here and my GC just started. If situation arises I would prefer to go back to India.
I am still exploring Australia immigration. Australia salary will be half of USA salary. That is good sunny place.

[go_guy123]

Originally Posted by GC_dd

Thanks Kumar1, I have dropped idea of getting Canada PR.
Mostly due to weather.
I have completed 3 years here and my GC just started. If situation arises I would prefer to go back to India.
I am still exploring Australia immigration. Australia salary will be half of USA salary. That is good sunny place.

One should not just base decisions on weather. Toronto is cold like Chicago.
Australia is another resource driven(mining) economy like Canada with high taxes.

[suavesandeep]

Even from my personal experience, I applied for Canada immigration as a backup by myself.Spent a weekend reading the forms and submitted it. But like most others i did not end up going there.. So most likely if you do something as a backup..It will stay a backup..I have many other friends who have done the same mistake.

So i would advise to only apply If you are completely serious of relocating to Canada. Dont use it as a backup. You will be wasting your time/money and also of the canadian officials.

My 2 cents.

[Hong12]

I will be in US on H1B visa starting March, 09. I plan to apply for a Permanent Resident in Canada while I am on the H1B visa. Please advise if I would be able to apply for the tourist visa in Canada and also Permanent Resident in Canada at the same time while being on H1B visa in US. I’m not sure if applying for a tourist visa to Canada will cause any effects on Permanent resident application of Canada . Anybody pls help. Thank you very much.

[kumar1]

Hong12 - It would be difficult for you to get tourist visa after applying for PR. These are 2 different motives. Canadian consulates, just like US consulates make sure that you should be likely to go back after a brief stay in Canada on tourist visa. It would be hard for you to prove that after applying for Canadian PR. A denial of tourist visa will have no effect on your PR application though.

PR process is quite fast from USA. You can finish from start to end in 18 months. Good Luck.

Originally Posted by Hong12

I will be in US on H1B visa starting March, 09. I plan to apply for a Permanent Resident in Canada while I am on the H1B visa. Please advise if I would be able to apply for the tourist visa in Canada and also Permanent Resident in Canada at the same time while being on H1B visa in US. I’m not sure if applying for a tourist visa to Canada will cause any effects on Permanent resident application of Canada . Anybody pls help. Thank you very much.

[ivar]

Originally Posted by suavesandeep

Even from my personal experience, I applied for Canada immigration as a backup by myself.Spent a weekend reading the forms and submitted it. But like most others i did not end up going there.. So most likely if you do something as a backup..It will stay a backup..I have many other friends who have done the same mistake.

So i would advise to only apply If you are completely serious of relocating to Canada. Dont use it as a backup. You will be wasting your time/money and also of the canadian officials.

My 2 cents.

Backup is used only when the current plan doesn't workout. I hope you got couple of stages finished in your GC process and you don't need a backup. For me, i am yet to file a new PERM and i have only a year and half and in these market conditions i am not sure what are the chances of new PERM getting approved. When applying for canadian PR we are paying fees etc, so we are not wasting anybody's time. If i don't go than ofcourse i will waste my money thats for sure.

Still i haven't applied for canada, i am confused. I am still evaluating if i should go to India after i complete my 6 years here instead to start all over again in a different country where job prospects for IT are so limited.

Thanks,
R.

[kumar1]

Absolutely right! I applied for Canadian PR because I was in my 5th year of H1 and there was no hope left for my US GC. Somehow, we got to file 485 in July-07 fiasco and that changed everything. I had started looking for job in Vancouver, BC area. Also, with a growing kid in our family, we would prefer to head back than starting it from zero in Canada. One can not change countries all the time.

Originally Posted by ivar

Backup is used only when the current plan doesn't workout. I hope you got couple of stages finished in your GC process and you don't need a backup. For me, i am yet to file a new PERM and i have only a year and half and in these market conditions i am not sure what are the chances of new PERM getting approved. When applying for canadian PR we are paying fees etc, so we are not wasting anybody's time. If i don't go than ofcourse i will waste my money thats for sure.

Still i haven't applied for canada, i am confused. I am still evaluating if i should go to India after i complete my 6 years here instead to start all over again in a different country where job prospects for IT are so limited.

Thanks,
R.

[lvinaykumar]

my employer is ok for me to do work from home. I am thinking why not do it from canada. Does it make sense ?

[go_guy123]

Originally Posted by kumar1

Hong12 - It would be difficult for you to get tourist visa after applying for PR. These are 2 different motives. Canadian consulates, just like US consulates make sure that you should be likely to go back after a brief stay in Canada on tourist visa. It would be hard for you to prove that after applying for Canadian PR. A denial of tourist visa will have no effect on your PR application though.

PR process is quite fast from USA. You can finish from start to end in 18 months. Good Luck.

kumar1.....what you wrote in not completely correct.
Canada doesn't have a non immigrant intent like 221(b) in USA. In my case I got a visitor visa after applying fr PR in Canad (in fact I wrote yes I have applied for PR in the application form) and still got the visa. Not only that in 2007 I was joining MBA in Canada and my PR was in the last stage after medical(PP request pending). So as a bridge I got a student visa as well to join MBA.

So long you convince the officer that you will follow the immigration rule and not work illegally and leave after duration of stay, you will be given visa in spite of having an active
PR application. Applying from US, they dont create trouble.

[go_guy123]

Originally Posted by ivar

Backup is used only when the current plan doesn't workout. I hope you got couple of stages finished in your GC process and you don't need a backup. For me, i am yet to file a new PERM and i have only a year and half and in these market conditions i am not sure what are the chances of new PERM getting approved. When applying for canadian PR we are paying fees etc, so we are not wasting anybody's time. If i don't go than ofcourse i will waste my money thats for sure.

Still i haven't applied for canada, i am confused. I am still evaluating if i should go to India after i complete my 6 years here instead to start all over again in a different country where job prospects for IT are so limited.

Thanks,
R.

Yes true, use Canada option (Alberta option) if you want to give up on US GC like my case.
In 2006, I made my mind that I will leave US.

One thing...in Feb 2008, the federal skilled immigration has been tightened a lot and only 38 NOC categories are processed.

[kumar1]

Please ignore my previous post. go_guy sounds right.

Originally Posted by go_guy123

kumar1.....what you wrote in not completely correct.
Canada doesn't have a non immigrant intent like 221(b) in USA. In my case I got a visitor visa after applying fr PR in Canad (in fact I wrote yes I have applied for PR in the application form) and still got the visa. Not only that in 2007 I was joining MBA in Canada and my PR was in the last stage after medical(PP request pending). So as a bridge I got a student visa as well to join MBA.

So long you convince the officer that you will follow the immigration rule and not work illegally and leave after duration of stay, you will be given visa in spite of having an active
PR application. Applying from US, they dont create trouble.

[Hong12]

Thank you very much for your response and all information. I was thinking about applying for a tourist visa in March, 09 upon arriving US. After obtaining the tourist visa, I will then submit the PR application to Canada. I actually worked as an Electrical Engineer until May, 08 (the end of my 6 year H1). Then, I went back to Malaysia and worked on my family business as a store manager and business owner, selling electrical appliances. Since my PERM has been pending over 1 year and I have 2 months recapture time, I now get the approval for 1 year and 2 months on my H1 Extension, starting March, 09. The issue is that my last paystub as an electrical engineer was in May, 08. Also, I don’t get any paystubs while working on my family business in Malaysia (I only get the dividen by the end of the year). In this case, I am not sure if it would be alright to apply for the PR in Canada since I miss my pay stubs from May, 08 to the end of Feb, 09. Also, my work during the time in Malaysia is a store manager (owner) rather than the electrical engineer. Would that be alright to apply for PR in Canada as an electrical engineer since I have been working as an electrical engineer for all 6 years of my H1B except the time in Malaysia? Anybody pls help.... Thank you very much.

[Hong12]

Thank you very much for your response and all information. I actually just looked at the CIC website and think that my career (electrical engineer) does not fall in the 38 occupations for Federal Skilled Worker. I think that my career used to fall in this Federal Skill Worker before this new regulation. I wonder if I would be qualified under Federal Skilled Worker in the case that I submit the application to CIC before Feb 27, 09 (to fall under the old regulation). Pls advise. I also look under Provincial Program of Alberta (AINP) and my career still falls under Pressure List for the Strategic Recruitment Stream. I think that I will be qualified for the AINP though I have noticed the application still needs to be submitted to CIC after obtaining the certificate from Alberta. CIC will then decide if my application fits in the criteria required by CIC. I am not sure if there will be the possibility that my PR application will be rejected since I should be qualified for Alberta (not qualified for CIC due to the 38 occupations) according to this new regulation. Pls advise. Please also let me know which one would be the best alternatives between (1) applying through CIC by Feb 27, 09 and (2) applying through Alberta (AIPN) and followed by CIC through the Provincial Program. Also, pls advise if I need to submit the police certificate at the same time that I submit the PR Application. Otherwise, could I submit the PR application first and then submit the police certificate later on? Anybody pls help. Thank you very much.