The following is collected and archived by CND-Canada. If you have any questions regarding the following information/message, please contact the original sender(s) listed below. Thank You. China News Digest - Canadian Regional Services (Bo Xiong) --------------- Date: Thu, 14 Apr 1994 19:37:34 EDT Reply-To: GOOD 1994 Sender: FCSSCD-L is a list for the open discussion and info exchange From: GOOD 1994 Subject: Reposted Immigration #1 To: Multiple recipients of list FCSSCD-L Status: R Dear Colleagues: Since "Immigration #2" was posted yesterday, some friends send me messages to request "immigration #1". For the convenience of the people who did not receive that article and are considering their PR applications, I repost the mesasge and wish that it would be a little help for your consideration in your applications. I apologize for disturbing you, if you have read it, and you may stop reading the following. Immigration #1. Where is the Expressway for Landing into Canada (March 17, 1994) Hi, Friends: As you have seen or heard, many friends around you are applying for permanent residence in Canada. Some of them have already successfully obtained their Landed Immigrant Visas. Maybe you are still wondering how could you reach your goal safer and quicker, and worry about that your turn may be not so lucky as those gays. Some friends are indeed involved more or less troubles in their applications. They need more concern about and I wish that you could do better. For this reason, I would be pleased to introduce some background information which may be useful when you consider your application. At the end of 1993 and the beginning of this year, there was an increasing concern about the changes in terms of the Canadian Immigration Policies towards worse direction, because there seamed over heating in the acceptance of independent immigrants from the sources of higher level education group since the new Immigration Law issued in February of 1993, and also for the reason that the February of 1994 is the beginning of the new budget year for the new government. With the time passed, it appears that NO major changes on the Immigration Polices except the processing speed for PR application has been a little bit slowed down some how. According to Employment and Immigration Canada, total 250,000 immigrants and refugees, about the same as last year, will be accepted in 1994. Among them, the number of independent immigrants will INCREASE to 86,700. It is a sign showing that the new Canadian Government seams happy with what was done last year and has no tendency downwards in the immigration polices. It may be safe to say that 1994 is still a good year for you to become a landed immigrant in Canada. Some friends are hesitating if they should apply for PR by themselves or ask for a lawyer's help. The answer can be quit simple: if your comprehensive background is strong and you know how to handle the situation which you would face, then apply directly; if you are not so confident, not so sure, ask for a lawyer's assistance. What dose strong comprehensive background mean? A good example is the case of Mr. Zhu who posted his "interview" on the network weeks ago: 9 years work experience in China, plus, not only job offer but also actually working in a Canadian company for several months after his M.Sc degree in computer sciences obtained in Canada. It will be explained later how these factors contribute to his success. In this case, so long as he didn't show so proud of his achievements as not to respect immigration officers, he should be OK. It is hard to fail. Put several thousand dollars saving into a future's house purchasing plan, why not?! Unfortunately, not every one is a super star. It is true that we have many non-super stars who have already successfully landed by their own efforts, however, believe or not, many of them do not exactly know how the immigration evaluation system works and what made their success. They just made it. If you follow the same way as what they did, you may or may not get the same result. Why is this? It really depends on individual situation. Do you know there is something danger which could make you fail after you submit the application by yourself, particularly for the people who are still studying in school? If you are very familiar with the way how to account points, you should have no difficulty to calculate the points which you may have, say, 72 points before interview. However, the 72 points would not be effective until after immigration officials would have been convinced that you should qualify in your intended occupation in Canada by BOTH of your education background and related work experience. If the immigration officials are not satisfy with your documentations which support your qualification in the occupation, that 72 points mean nothing - you would not be allowed to account the points in that way like others. It is the reason why you could have the least trouble if you have a job offer which is the best evidence for the qualification from practice point of view. In another word, it supports the 72 points to be effective. If a job offer is not available, consider your application more carefully. What a good lawyer can do for you? Not only, as you know, he will select an occupation which is most likely supported by your education background and work experience, but also submit, together with your application package, a forceful reference letter directly to immigration officials, which indicates that from his professional point of view you are suitable to immigrate into Canada and he will justify your qualification (making that 72 points effective). An assessment sheet showing the points you are entitled will be enclosed in your application package as well. Any possible mistakes and weakness which you may have and could against you, some of them maybe you never thought of, will not be exploded directly to immigration officials since your lawyer will speak to them on your behalf in all immigration matters except at interview. You will be trained through a special preparation for interview. Further more, a good lawyer/lawyer's firm always has his posts in Canadian Embassies/Consulate Generals world width. You will be no longer requested to fill the Pre-application Form first, which has became a necessary step in some Canadian Consulate Generals, such as in New York, if you apply by self. ... Your chance of success will therefore be maximized. You may collect the information as much as you wish to prepare the application by yourself, however, you could never "collect" the actually functional part. Everyone of us had the experience applying for Graduate Programs at Universities. One of the most important part which determined your future was the reference letters from your professors. Certainly you know that it is illegal to pay a professor for the return of a good reference letter. You also must know that it is legal to have a good lawyer speak for you in your PR application affairs, to get the powerful support and professional recommendations to the immigration officials by payment. A problem maybe bothering you is how to find a lawyer who is really good for you. Indeed, a bunch of them are there available and the fees are similar. You has to be careful when you are listening to whatever you will be told. There are a large number of unqualified groups and individuals who purport to be experts in this particular field. Unfortunately, too many of them are interested only in THEIR OWN PROFITS, but have little regard for the interests of the people with whom they are dealing. Some of them are not licensed immigration lawyers, but may be unlicensed consultants. You may ask them questions, but it would not be good to ask a consultant,licensed or not, to represent you in the PR application. There are still big differences even in the licensed immigration lawyer's groups, in terms of the quality of services and what they really concern. I once shopped around for a quit while from BC at west coast to Ontario where 54% of total immigrants landed last year, and found some powerful immigration lawyers who are in leading Canadian law firms and can mostly defend the interests of their clients. On my experience and the results, I would say that I got my right choice. I have been talking with my lawyer and requesting the firm to gave more care to the Chinese graduate students in Canadian universities. Maybe you could understand that it is hard to ask a good lawyer to release the background information about their work even they are friendly. I wish that my efforts may bring you more benefits, and show you that the expressway for landing into Canada indeed exits. If it works, further posted messages should be expected on the network soon. Best regards! All friends!