Immigration
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May 06, 2024
Ottawa’s proposed $72M for immigration legal aid in 2024 helps but more funds needed, CBA says
Immigration lawyers say federal Budget 2024’s boost for immigration legal aid is very welcome, but higher funding is necessary if the burgeoning number of refugee claimants are to access justice in Canada. As unveiled on April 16, 2024, by Chrystia Freeland, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Budget 2024 proposes $72 million for immigration legal aid in 2024-25, up from $43.5 million per year in Budgets 2023 and 2022.
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May 06, 2024
Cap on international students impacting post-secondary institutions
This year, Canada implemented strict limits on the number of study permits that could be issued to foreign students. Canada expects to approve 292,000 new study permits in 2024, down 28 per cent from the previous year.
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May 02, 2024
Child abduction and ‘habitual residence’: Definitive guidance from the Ontario court – Part two
In a recent article, we talked about a parental abduction case called Kalra v. Bhatia, 2024 ONSC 1443 (see link to part one below). It features several complex issues, including the key question of how “habitual residence” is to be assessed, for the purposes of the Ontario Court assuming jurisdiction over the matter, under the Children’s Law Reform Act (CLRA).
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May 01, 2024
Child abduction and ‘habitual residence’: Definitive guidance from the Ontario court — Part one
In family law, parental abduction cases are among the most complex. Not only do they invoke all the customary concerns — such as the best interests of the child, parenting time, and access rights — they do so against the background of numerous added issues. These include the parties’ residency, the courts’ extraterritorial jurisdiction, conflict-of-laws principles, and even the impact of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
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May 01, 2024
Court decisions spark debate on how Canada deals with alleged spies | Sergio R. Karas
Two recent rulings by the Federal Court of Appeal in Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) v. Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, 2024 FCA 69 and Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) v. Yihdego, 2024 FCA 70, have ignited concerns regarding their implications for public security. These decisions have quashed the inadmissibility of individuals linked to organizations accused of spying on journalists residing abroad.
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May 01, 2024
Canada to cut off-campus work hours for international students | Colin Singer
Canada will stop allowing international students to work more than 20 hours per week off campus, as of April 30.
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April 30, 2024
Ottawa unveils first 2024 budget bill, but doesn’t include boost to capital gains inclusion rate
The minority Liberal government says it hopes to expedite into law a newly proposed 660-page omnibus budget bill, which would enact many measures announced in this month’s federal budget, but not the government’s controversial proposal to tax capital gains at a higher rate.
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April 30, 2024
Feds bring changes to Start-up Visa and Self-Employed Persons programs
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller has announced a number of changes to Canada’s federal business programs designed to help reduce processing times and application backlogs, taking effect April 30.
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April 30, 2024
Lawyers among PM’s changes in public service senior ranks
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in a recent news release several changes in the senior ranks of public service personnel, including Jean-François Fortin and Samantha Maislin Dickson.
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April 30, 2024
Startup visa applications cap to reduce processing times | Colin Singer
Canada Immigration Minister Marc Miller has announced a cap on the number of permanent residence applications through the Start-Up Visa Program. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will limit the applications it receives each year to those associated with no more than 10 startups per designated organization.