LisaandSteve

Hay Folks,

We were wondering if anyone could provide the name of a good immigration lawyer / expert to help process our application?

We have been in contact with David Cohen (Campbell/cohen), do you know anyone who has used him? He says we qualify under Quebec skilled worker programme. We do actually meet the required points amount on the government immigration website so believe he is genuine.

Just good to know someone has used him or could recommend someone.

Cheers
Steve & Lisa

AmyDavid

Is Quebec the place you actually want to move to?

LisaandSteve

Amy,

Ideally no. We love Alberta. We know the area well and have friends there. We also got married there 2 weeks ago as we love the rockies.

That said, we love Canada as a whole so would move anywhere. However, if we did get the visa for quebec, we would probably move to Alberta. We dont speak french anyway so that alone would be a barrier for us.

Do you live in Canada?

christmasoompa

Aren't you supposed to settle in Quebec? Remember that if you are found to have obtained PR fraudulently (i.e. by saying you'll settle in the province that has nominated you and then moved straight on) it can be revoked. And how are you going to get through a French speaking interview if you don't speak the language?!?

If you want to be in AB, then got to ask - why are you moving to QC? There are over 50 different routes to a visa, are you sure you don't qualify for any other?

LisaandSteve

We have checked on the immigration website and spoken with the immigration lawyer. Both say we qualify under the Quebec province as a skilled worker. We did say neither of us speak french and wish to move to Alberta. The lawyer said once the visa is granted, you can live anywhere in Canada.

christmasoompa

Seems odd to me that a lawyer would recommend you apply via a province that you have no intention of settling in, and David Cohen is well regarded I believe.

Are you sure he understands you wish to move straight to AB?

Edit: just seen your other half is a nurse, so can you not apply as a SW?

LisaandSteve

Yeah we told him we wished to move to alberta. We need to check with him again. waiting his reply as we have mentioned it.

Yeah lisa is the main applicant under SW programme. Thats how we qualify.

christmasoompa

OK, so if she qualifies under Federal Skilled Worker (as nurses are on the list of 29 eligible occupations), then you can go anywhere - but that's not the Quebec Skilled Worker program, it's a different thing. Quebec has it's own immigration system, and therefore their SW requirements are different from the federal ones (including an interview in French from what I understand!!).

mandymoochops

There has to be something more to it - why on earth would a respected immigration lawyer reccomend that someone qualifies to move to a french speaking province half way round he country, when they want to settle in the best province in the world (biased ).

Especially if they qualify for pr anywhere. Doesn't add up?

BristolUK

One of the language controversies that was blowing up in Montreal when I was living there temporarily was the introduction of French tests for nurses for whom French was not the first language even if they'd been working as a nurse in Quebec for several years.

It wouldn't seem to make sense to allow a non French speaking nurse as a skilled worker if French is required.

AmyDavid

I would deffo double check to find out why they are recommending Quebec - let us know what the response is.

I can only think they are recommending Quebec now because the Federal Skilled Worker NOC for Nurses is now full and they will not be accepting any further applications until July 1st?

Not a good idea to even attempt applying via Quebec if you have no intention of living there and cannot speak French!

I would recommend that you get your pack all ready to go, IELTS done, police certs collected and get your pack sent to Sydney so that it arrives with them the week of 1st July.

james_72

@christmasoompa:

Don't forget that all Canadian permanent residents have a basic right in Canada's version of the bill of rights that specifically allows them to move anywhere, anytime they wish.

If someone in Canada tries to prevent another person from moving, then they are seriously violating that persons rights. We have several friends and family who also moved to Canada and no one has ever had their permanent residency revoked because they moved out of a province including Quebec.

It would be insane for the government to say you have the right to move anytime you want, but if you exercise that right they will punish you. (Show me one news story from Canada where that hsa ever happened?! It has never happened.)

@amydavid:
Also dont' forget canadians been hearing lots of news that the Harper government in power now wnats to reduce immigration this year.

The main way to do that is to make things more difficult in the skilled worker category as they've been doing each year making things harder bit by bit. I've heard from a couple of good sources that it's only going to get more difficult in July for the skilled worker category. So that's why increasing numbers of people are turning to the different province programs and PNP's instead of the federal skilled worker.

PMM

Hi

1. I suggest that you read the following Operational Bulletin regarding PNPs who indicate that they never intended or no longer intend to reside in the nominating province or territory. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resourc...2010/ob251.asp
2. What flows from this is the PNP applicant signs the schedule 4 that they intend to reside in the province. If they don't reside in the Nominating province it is quite possible that CBSA will take the attitude they misrepresented themselves on their application and they can be reported.

AmyDavid

You may wish to grab a cuppa and read this http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resourc...2010/ob251.asp

The PNP programs are there for people who are not eligible for the FSW route - and they work very well. However people should NOT be using them as a way in to Canada and then never even living in the very Province that nominated them.

The OP is not talking about using the PNP because they are not suitable for the FSW route - it just appears that their immigration lawyer has suggested that applying to Quebec would save them having to wait until July to submit their FSW pack. And this is wrong.

LisaandSteve

well we have received an email and we are going to ring him....see what he says and what he suggests, keep your fingers, toes and lots of things crossed x x