Marriages of convenience

The government has listened to the cries of many Canadians who are duped into marriages that are only for convenience, some intentional and others cruelly duped.

The new legislation would put a crinkle in this arrangement and it will affect everyone who intends to marry and sponsor their partners.

I have seen a Canadian woman who married a Nigerian man, marched  on the streets with her wedding gown as a protest demanding government deport the man she worked hard to bring to Canada as her new husband. He came alright but not long after moved out of the wedding home and left her high and dry.  But that's not where the story ends. In this story if this man does not have a job he becomes the responsibility of his sponsor and if she does not pay up and he goes on the welfare system, that is a debt that the person who sponsored him would have to pay.  It seems unfair but the law is the law. It is our responsibility to ensure that the people we take responsibility for are worth it.
 There are also many Indian women and men who are caught in this trap and hearts are broken over this fraudulent behaviour of some people who would do anything to get a landed visa to a western country.

However with the changes now afoot, the government would require greater proof and visas will not be doled out as easily. In some cases a couple will be forced to live together for two or more years before their marriage would be recognised as such under the law.  Maybe it is a good thing because during that period the two people if not in love may actually fall in love and decided to stay together.
If there is family violence involved i.e. if a man brings a woman here and abuses her that would would be able to leave and maintain her status even if she has just arrived. This will also be the same for a man who is being abused in any way.

What do you think are some of the benefits and disadvantages of this new rule, would it help or hurt immigrant women?  Your views will be greately appreciated.

Employers get permission to pay foregin workers less

I think this is a step backwards.  This move will create more friction between Canadian workers and foreign born workers. Canadian born workers will see foreign temporary workers as a threat, not only to taking away jobs from Canadians but also of lowering the standard of living for workers who, if they want to compete for jobs will have to accept lower wage. If, on the other hand, the Canadian born workers receive higher wage than foreign workers for work of equal value then where is the justice? Could this be challenged under the Human Rights Code. What is the reason for this differential treatment?
 When foreign workers come here they work very hard and have to send money home to support large families. Many work under stressful conditions without family support and this added stress this decision might make would only exacerbate things for them.

What do you think?  Please share your ideas

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2012/04/27/mb-labour-foreign-workers-pay-120427.html

Equal Pay for work of Equal Value

Women in Canada are still lagging behind pay equity I heard at the last InternationalWomen's Day event. I heard that women work hard but take home less pay and are more likely to work part time and in more precarious jobs with little or no benefits.
Women have a ways to go to bring work/life balance in their lives because they are still saddled with most of the house-keeping chores, looking after elderly parents and still volunteering more in their community. What a life.
On top of this many women lose their jobs once they become pregnant.Employers are not willing to make any sacrifices to ensure there is future workforce. No, they are banking of developing countries to support their industries with employees who are qualified and educated by funds of the developing countries. Women have to stand up to these employers and file human rights complaint because it is against human rights to fire a woman because she is pregnant. It's time for equity.

Interesting information about immigrant women

http://criaw-icref.ca/ImmigrantandRefugeeWomen

More Provincial Nominee Accepted in Canada

More Immigrants Being Accepted under Provincial Nominee Programs

July, 2011

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While consultations are being held by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) regarding the number of immigrants Canada should accept each year, the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) are accepting more immigrants than ever. CIC plans to admit approximately 40,000 immigrants under the PNP in 2011, more than five times the number accepted in 2005.
“We understand the desire of provinces and territories to identify their own economic immigrants and that is why we have continued to increase our projected admissions for nominees each year,” noted Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney. “At the same time, we are committed to working with our provincial and territorial counterparts to continue to improve the program design, integrity, selection standards and management of the nominee programs.”
The PNP allow provinces to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada and who are interested in settling in a particular province. Provincial Nomination can be an important fast-track option to Canadian Permanent Residency. Each Canadian province and one territory have their own unique PNP. Quebec is not part of the PNP but has its own selection system.
Requirements for each PNP differ as the programs are tailored to meet the province’s/territory’s specific needs. Provinces select nominees based on current labour needs and select applicants who will be able to effectively contribute to the community. Applicants who apply through the PNP must first receive a Provincial Nomination Certificate from the province or territory. Once a nomination is successful, an application must be made to CIC for a Permanent Residence Visa.
Many applicants who do not qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program may be surprised to learn that they may qualify for a Provincial Nominee Program. Although the Federal Skilled Worker Program only accepts applicants who have eligible skilled work experience or a skilled job offer from a Canadian employer, many of the PNPs accept applicants who have work experience considered as semi-skilled. For example, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program accepts applicants who have a permanent full-time job offer from an Alberta employer in several semi-skilled occupations, including those in the Food and Beverage Processing Industry, the Hotel and Lodging Industry, and the Foodservices Industry. Similarly, the province of Saskatchewan accepts applicants who are currently working in the province in a semi-skilled position, specifically applicants are who Food/Beverage Servers, Food Counter Attendants/Kitchen Helpers, and Housekeeping/Cleaning Staff.
To qualify for some of the PNP, foreign workers must first obtain a job offer from a Canadian employer and then apply for a Temporary Work Permit. However, before a Temporary Work Permit can be issued, the Canadian employer who wishes to hire a temporary foreign worker may need to apply for and be granted a positive Labour Market Opinion (LMO) by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). HRSDC will grant a positive LMO if certain requirements are met and they are satisfied that the foreign worker will not have a negative impact on the Canadian labour force. Certain work permits may be issued without having to obtain an LMO; for example, work permits obtained under international agreements, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
New rules were introduced in April 2011 to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and requirements for both potential employees and Canadian employers have become stricter. Foreign workers who need to apply for a Canadian Temporary Work Permit and Canadian employers who need to hire foreign workers are encouraged to use an experienced immigration lawyer to avoid making costly mistakes.
As the Federal Skilled Worker Program is accepting fewer applications this year, many applicants will have to find new programs in which to qualify for Canadian Permanent Residency and the Provincial Nominee Programs can provide a great opportunity for those applicants.

Find out if you qualify under