Express Entry Podcast

This podcast is the source of immigration answers for people attempting to navigate the complex world of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Periodically, Canadian immigration lawyer, Mark Holthe, will respond to questions people ask through the "Ask an Immigration Question" portals on his law firm website: www.ht-llp.com. If you have a question you need Mark to answer, go to the site and ask away. You can leave your question via text or voice message or send us an e-mail at info@ht-llp.com.

Express Entry

From: han Subject: EE Job Bank / LMIA   Message Body: Hi Mark,   Thankyou for posting such useful information on your website. I wanted to ask whether the jobs advertised on the JobBank were those that already had a valid LMIA?    Or would the hunt for LMIA apply once a potential job offer is given?   The online tools give me a score of 393 but I need to bump this up. What do I need to focus on for my scores to be increased?   Thanks,   Han  

06-24
14:34

Express Entry - Education and Work Experience

  Subject: Immigration to Canada   Message Body:   Hi Mark,   I am in the process of applying for PR to Canada. I am finishing MBA in December and I am currently working in the IT sector as a Business Analyst  (California, US).   My questions are: 1) Does it matter what my grades were when I completed my Masters ( I have completed MSc. Finance from Scotland) 2) Is a Business Analyst considered as a skilled job in Canada ? 3) I have 5+ years of experience in Banking and IT , would that help my case?        

09-04
09:12

CIA - Express Entry - Language Testing

This week's question:   From: Syed   Message: I would like to inform you that i have got score 5.5 in ielts general exam.   S 6, L 5.5 ,R 5.0 and W 5.0 = 5.5     Can i proceed my case and what are the chances to get succeed for immigration on this score , further i am  Mechanical Engineer    If you would like to assess whether your IELTS score is sufficient to qualify for Express Entry you can go to the following links:      CLB Tables: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/language-testing.asp     Language Requirements - Skilled Immigrants - Express Entry: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/language.asp  

08-20
08:50

PNP: Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program

Disclaimer: the information contained in this Podcast is not to be construed as legal advice. Should you require specific legal advice related to your case, contact us at ht-llp.com to set up a formal consultation with immigration lawyer, Mark Holthe. Question sent from Ripu Subject: AINP Message Body: Hi mark, I am an international graduate on three years pgwp my work permit going to expire April 2016. I have applied my AINP in February 2014 as a food service supervisor which is still in under process. So my question is what should do before my work permit expire. Should I try Express Entry without LMIA or wait more for AINP and my second question is my company wants me to promote as a sous chef but I am not taking it because my AINP is entitled as a food service supervisors so can I take that position or not.  

08-07
14:59

Express Entry: Is your position eligible?

Disclaimer: the information contained in this podcast is not to be construed as legal advice. Should you require specific legal advice related to your case, contact us at ht-llp.com to set up a formal consultation with immigration lawyer, Mark Holthe. Question E-mail sent from Henry: Hi i am a Food Counter Attendant . Can I apply for express entry? My previous work was a Senior Supply Clerk and Warehouse Specialist. Resources National Occupational Classification System (2011): http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/English/NOC/2011/Welcome.aspx Job Bank: http://www.jobbank.gc.ca

07-31
04:29

Express Entry: Employer Reference Letters

Disclaimer: The information contained within this podcast is for general information purposes only. It is not meant to constitute legal advice. Should you require specific legal advice, please go to www.ht-llp.com to set up a formal legal consultation with Mark Holthe.  E-mail sent from Yuvraj: Hi, my employment letter states my hierarchal designation (General Manager) but does not detail my duties/ role. I do not wish to inform my employer about my intention to immigrate, and asking any such letter now may create difficulty for me. How do I meet CIC's requirement of proof of my duties as per my stated occupation? Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!   Resources   The following information is for reference purposes only. Because the Express Entry system changes frequently, you must consult the specific instructions contained within your portal when seeking to upload an employer reference letter. The instructions below come from the old document checklist for the Canadian Experience Class and are only to be used as a general guideline. Employer reference letters must be: • written on company letterhead, • signed by the responsible officer/supervisor, • have the printed name and title of the responsible officer/supervisor beneath the signature, • show the company's full address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and website addresses, • stamped with the company's official seal (if applicable). Reference letters must include all of the following information: the specific period of your employment with the company, the positions you have held during the period of employment and the time spent in each position, your main responsibilities and duties in each position, the corresponding National Occupational Classification (NOC) code (if known), your total annual salary plus benefits, the number of hours worked per week. 

07-31
03:14

Express Entry : Educational Credential Assessments

E-mail sent from Ludmila: Hello, I am going to apply under the FSWP, does my spouse need to get his ECA too so that we can get extra points, or is there no need? Thank you in advance.   3rd Party Organizations that can complete your Express Entry Educational Credential Assessment for Canadian Immigration Purposes:http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/assessment.asp?expand=designated#designated

07-31
03:54

Family Class : Sponsoring Overage Siblings

Question sent via e-mail from Maria: I'm a Canadian citizen. I have a home. I work. Can I bring my brother to be legal in Canada? He is 55 years old.   Family Class Sponsorship: click this link to determine if you maybe eligible to sponsor a family member:http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/sponsor/index.asp.

07-31
04:28

Express Entry: Can I apply without an LMIA?

Comment left on Holthe Tilleman LLP's Facebook Page: Hello, I've been following your post and I find it really. Helpful. Thanks for the answers to our questions and for what is happening right now with regards to TFW. I only have one question, in my case, it maybe the same situation as stated above except that my working permit will expire on June 2015, so technically I have 6 months still when the EE will open January 2015. Is there any chance that I ca apply without the LMIA cause I don't think the company that I'm with right now will not apply for LMIA for me.(base of what is happening right now. I'm a retail store supervisor and have almost 3 years managerial experience back home and graduate of 4 yrs course. I will appreciate if you'll enlighten me with the possibilities that I may have when this new program kicks off. Thanks!

12-21
07:16

Express Entry: Do I need an LMIA to be given an ITA?

Are Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) mandatory in order to be drawn from the new Express Entry pool and granted an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent resident status?

12-14
08:35

Express Entry: Can Food Service Supervisors Apply?

I am a food service supervisor working in Alberta for a fast food franchise. I have applied for nomination under the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program but have not yet received my nomination. Can I apply through Express Entry if my nomination does not come before I reach the 4 year cap on April 1, 2015?

12-14
07:56

Work Permits - Using a Spousal Sponsorship to support WP extension

Question: My work permit is expiring and my employer is not able/willing to obtain a new LMIA to extend my work authorization. I have a Canadian spouse. What are my options to extend my work permit without the LMIA?

12-08
08:15

Work Permit - Filing Work Permit Extensions without receipt of LMIA

Question: I am working in Canada on a valid LMIA based work permit. My employer has filed an LMIA application however it has not yet been approved. My work permit is expiring within the next 2 weeks. What can I do to ensure I can keep working until the LMIA is received?

12-08
05:00

Express Entry - Qualification Requirements

Question: I am a foreign worker in Canada since 2008 and am currently working in Canada on a low-skill / low wage work permit. Can I qualify for the new Express Entry program when it is released in January of 2015?    

11-29
02:44

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