The Federal Government has announced plans to start collecting exit information for almost all individuals who travel out of Canada.  It may come as a surprise to many that Canada does not currently know when most people leave the country.  While we collect information on individuals who legally enter Canada, we generally don’t track when people depart.  Our only form of exit tracking was implemented in 2013 when Canada began receiving entry records from American authorities for foreign nationals and

UPDATE: Parent/Grandparent interest to sponsor form will be available at noon EST on January 28, 2019. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) kept eager applicants guessing until the very last minute, but finally announced on December 31, 2018 that the much anticipated reopening of the 2019 Parent/Grandparent Sponsorship program would not occur right at the dawn of the new year, but would instead be reopening “in late January”.  The announcement, which was done via Twitter also indicated that IRCC would

In October of 2018, Canada legalized the recreational use of marijuana (cannabis) for adults. The introduction of this legislation arrives with some significant changes to the penalties that may be imposed on those who commit offenses related not only to marijuana but to many driving related offences as well. Taking effect on December 18, 2018, one such change will see an increase in the maximum penalty for driving under the influence, or “DUI”, and it is this change that may

On June 19, 2017, the federal government passed Bill C-6, changing the rules for obtaining and keeping Canadian Citizenship. This bill has been a hot-button political issue, because it removes the citizenship system brought in by the previous Conservative government, in which dual citizens could have their citizenship revoked for some serious criminal offences. However, for most immigrants to Canada, the other changes contained in the bill will be more important. They will mean fewer hurdles on the pathway to

“Please, can you help us bring over our daughter?” the couple asks. They hand me a photo of the three of them together—parents and young daughter, all grinning for the camera. They hand me the adoption certificate from the country overseas that makes her legally their daughter. They tell me about the regular visits, the Skype calls, the repeated questions from their daughter wondering why she cannot come and live with Mommy and Daddy yet. And finally, they hand me