Canada Passes New Immigration Law

The Senate of Canada passed Canada's new immigration law on October 31, 2001 and the bill has now received Royal Assent. However, it has not yet been proclaimed into law by the government. It is expected the new law will be implemented June 28, 2002. This new law completely replaces the existing Canadian immigration act. Much of the new law will be implemented by regulations which have not yet been published. It is expected the government will publish new selection guidelines for immigrants, and will abolish the current occupations list. This may make it easier for some people to immigrate to Canada, especially people with advanced university degrees. It will make it harder for others. Also, the new law imposes a new physical presence requirement for permanent residents, abolishes the Returning Resident Permit, and creates a new plastic card for permanent residents which will soon be needed to return to Canada. It is very important for permanent residents outside of Canada to follow these developments closely. Also, the law will probably be applied to many pending immigration cases. Find out how the law will affect your case!