Vancouver, Canada- Morgane Oger, Vancouver‘s aspiring city councillor, has shared some fundamental ways that 2SLGBTQIA+ migrants can use to enter Canada.
Although Oger is not a lawyer, she has cited that the four legal ways to get into Canada are, a skilled worker program for permanent residency, temporary foreign worker, asylum claim inside Canada through the Inland Refugee Process or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) resettlement protection.
“Skilled worker program:
This is the most-used path to immigrate to Canada. By far, it is the best way to safety for 2SLGBTQIA+ persons. The Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) is what it is called, and Canada invites skilled workers to move to our country, currently 400 000 per year.
To be eligible for a Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa under the FSWP, you must meet these four criteria, have at least one year of continuous full-time, or equivalent, paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation, have validated language test results equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in English or French across all abilities, have a Canadian educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree) or foreign credential supported by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report, and have enough settlement funds for settlement in Canada once in Canada as a Permanent Resident.
To be eligible for Canadian citizenship you must be physically present in Canada as a permanent resident for 1 095 days within the five years immediately before applying for citizenship. Only the five years preceding the date of your application are taken into account.
Temporary foreign worker program:
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). It allows people to work in the country for only six months, with the possibility of extensions. During this time, the foreign worker is allowed to only work for one employer and they get a work permit and visa. They can live in the place in Canada where their job is and must abide by Canadian laws. This is one way to wait for things to get better at home and if the work runs out there is an option to use the Inland Refugee Process.
The last two other options for finding safety in Canada rely on applying for asylum and are far more unpleasant and much slower. These options should only be considered as a last resort.
Inland refugee process:
In Canada, everyone is protected from discrimination on the basis of the following grounds, race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability and conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been given.
Any foreign citizen who is authorized to enter Canada qualifies to apply for asylum in Canada under the Inland Refugee process in Canada or at a port of entry.
This process, however, requires you to be eligible for entry into Canada. This most often means that it requires a visa to travel to Canada. Getting such a visa is difficult if you do not have strong ties to your country of origin and if you can not show the funds to pay for your trip.
If you make a refugee claim, Canada will decide if it can be referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). The IRB is an independent tribunal that makes decisions on immigration and refugee matters.
Your refugee claim may not be eligible to be referred to the IRB if you are recognized as a Convention refugee by another country that you can return to, were granted protected person status in Canada, arrived via the Canada–United States border or by air from the United States, have made a refugee claim in another country as confirmed through information-sharing, are not admissible to Canada on security grounds or because of criminal activity or human rights violations, made a previous refugee claim that was not found eligible, made a previous refugee claim that was rejected by the IRB abandoned or withdrew a previous refugee claim.
The IRB decides who is a Convention refugee or a person in need of protection. Convention refugees are outside their home country or the country they normally live in. They are not able to return because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on race or ethnicity, religion, political opinion, nationality or place of origin, being part of a social group, such as women or people of a particular sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
A person in need of protection is a person in Canada who can’t return to their home country safely. This is because, if they return, they may face the danger of torture, the risk to their life, risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.
UNHCR protection:
Anyone fleeing violence at home can travel to a 3rd country and seek United Nations protection at a UNHCR office and ask for refugee status. The UNHCR then names a Refugee Status Determination (RSD). Unfortunately, the RSD process can take years.
Any UNHCR facility anywhere in the world will process a refugee claim but it is important to know that UNHCR staff in every country are from that country.
If you are fleeing violence and seek UNHCR protection in a country that discriminates against you because of who you are, it is important to understand that the staff in the host country are likely to hold bias against you.
Seeking UNHCR refugee status is a long and difficult process that takes years, and until RSD has been completed, persons are prohibited from working in the host country. People who are going through this process are extremely vulnerable. This should be undertaken if all other options have failed,” said Oger.
In addition, Oger said that that fleeing persecution should always remember to carry a passport or a UNHCR document as there are no exceptions to that rule as well as proof of citizenship or birth certificate.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
