Thursday, 26 September 2013
MONTREAL ATTORNEY DAVID COHEN
CANADA IMMIGRATION NEWSLETTER
Volume 17, No. 09, September 2013
1. Quebec Immigration Regulations Challenged in Court
On August 1, 2013 new immigration regulations came into effect, which significantly changed the selection criteria under the Quebec Skilled Worker program. Not only did the changes apply to applications submitted after August 1st but also to be the vast majority of files submitted prior to that date. Tens of thousands of applicants will be affected. Many of them have waited patiently in line for a number of years and many of them will no longer qualify. To make matters worse, most of them will not be refunded their Quebec government processing fees.
Read full story
2. Changes to Alberta Programs Create Greater Opportunities for Applicants
On Friday, September 13th, the Province of Alberta announced a number of changes to its Provincial Nominee Program. These changes will help make immigration to the province more accessible for many prospective applicants.
Read full story
3. Biometric Requirements for Certain Nationalities Now in Force
The Canadian Government now requires biometric data from certain visitors, students, and temporary workers. This requirement, originally announced in the Budget plan for 2008, began its first phase on September 5th, 2013.
Read full story
4. Working While Studying in Canada: Options for Students
There are a number of possible options for international students to work while pursuing their programs of study in Canada. Depending on a student's situation, s/he may be eligible to work on-campus, off-campus, or as part of an internship or co-op program.
Read full story
Saturday, 21 September 2013
FEDERAL COURT DECISIONS
Spencer v. Canada (Attorney General) - 2008 FC 1395 - 2008-12-18
Alleyne v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2009 FC 96 - 2009-02-03
Samad v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2011 FC 324 - 2011-03-17
Trainor v. Canada (Attorney General) - 2011 FC 484 - 2011-04-20
Diabate v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 129 - 2013-02-06
Canada (Attorney General) v. Cruden - 2013 FC 520 - 2013-05-21
Nimako v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 540 - 2013-05-24
S. C. v Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) - 2013 FC 491 - 2013-06-04
Gordon v. Canada - 2013 FC 597 - 2013-06-04
Nagy v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 640 - 2013-06-11
Zero Spill Systems (Int’l) Inc. v. 614248 Alberta Ltd. (Lea-Der Coatings) - 2013 FC 616 - 2013-07-18
Clover International Properties (L) Ltd. v. Canada (Attorney General) - 2013 FC 676 - 2013-06-18
Uribe Meneses v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) - 2013 FC 713 - 2013-06-26
Gharialia v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 745 - 2013-07-03
Mikhail v. Canada (Attorney General) - 2013 FC 724 - 2013-06-28
Xi v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 796 - 2013-07-18
Bela v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 784 - 2013-07-12
Carrera v. Canada (Public Safety) - 2013 FC 798 - 2013-07-18
Pararasasingam v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 805 - 2013-07-22
Ganeshan v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 841 - 2013-08-01
Gil Aguilar v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 843 - 2013-08-01
Drobina v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 837 - 2013-07-31
Mbaioremem v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 791 - 2013-07-15
Campos v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 882 - 2013-08-19
River Road Hutterian Berthren v. Canada (Agriculture) - 2013 FC 857 - 2013-08-12
Mah v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 853 - 2013-08-09
Fischer v. Canada (Attorney General) - 2013 FC 861 - 2013-08-12
Lakeland Bank v. The Ship "Never E Nuff" - 2013 FC 864 - 2013-08-12
Khan v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 891 - 2013-08-22
Mollajafari v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 906 - 2013-08-27
Jerome v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 893 - 2013-08-22
Riczu v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 888 - 2013-08-21
Liu v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 917 - 2013-08-29
Luanje v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 792 - 2013-07-16
Michelin v. Caw - 1996-12-19
Gebre v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 672 - 2013-06-18
Xuan v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 673 - 2013-06-18
Alade v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 845 - 2013-08-01
Zahedi v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 931 - 2013-09-03
Balakrishnan v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 944 - 2013-09-12
Murillo Taborda v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 957 - 2013-09-17
Nashed v. Balakrishnan - 2013 FC 943 - 2013-09-10
ABB Technology AG v. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. - 2013 FC 947 - 2013-09-11
Diallo c. Canada (Citoyenneté et Immigration) - 2013 CF 959 - 2013-09-17
[ Français ]
Magan v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 960 - 2013-09-18
Khan v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 633 - 2013-06-13
Varco Canada Limited v. Pason Systems Corp. - 2013 FC 750 - 2013-08-12
Kambiri v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 930 - 2013-09-04
Liu v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 914 - 2013-08-29
Pinto v. Bronfman Jewish Education Centre - 2013 FC 945 - 2013-09-11
The Carbon Trust v. Pacific Carbon Trust - 2013 FC 946 - 2013-09-11
Morin c. Canada - 2013 CF 670 - 2013-06-18
[ Français ]
Hall v. Canada (Attorney General) - 2013 FC 933 - 2013-09-04
Sotomayor v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 962 - 2013-09-18
Domaines Pinnacle Inc. v. Beam Inc. - 2013 FC 831 - 2013-07-30
Chieu v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 1996-12-18
Ward v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 1996-12-19
Canada (Attorney General) v. Krever - 1996-12-18
De Leon v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 1996-12-16
Friday, 20 September 2013
FEDERAL COURT DECISIONS
Pulido Barron c. Canada (Citoyenneté et Immigration) - 2013 CF 867 - 2013-08-15
[ Français ]
Palmerino c. Canada (Revenu national) - 2013 CF 919 - 2013-08-30
[ Français ]
Guerrier v. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) - 2013 FC 937 - 2013-09-06
Flores Et Al v. Canada (The Minister Of Citizenship And Immigration) - 2013 FC 938 - 2013-09-06
Sandra Mcewing Et Al v. Canada ( The Attorney General Of Canada) - 2013 FC 953 - 2013-09-16
Alexander v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 844 - 2013-08-01
Connelly c. Société de communication Atikameckw-Montagnais - 2013 CF 909 - 2013-08-28
[ Français ]
Latifi v. Canada (Attorney General) - 2013 FC 939 - 2013-09-06
Lapostolle c. Canada (Procureur général) - 2013 CF 895 - 2013-08-20
[ Français ]
Radonjic v .Canada Revenue Agency - 2013 FC 916 - 2013-08-29
Sylvester v. Canada ( Attorney General) - 2013 FC 904 - 2013-08-27
Martinez Gonzalez v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 898 - 2013-08-23
Rahman v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 877 - 2013-08-16
Johnson v. Warkworth Institution Disciplinary Court (Independent Chairperson) - 2013 FC 905 - 2013-08-27
Gvozdenovic v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 851 - 2013-08-09
Dayebga v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 842 - 2013-08-01
Henguva v. Canada (The Minister Of Citizenship And Immigration) - 2013 FC 912 - 2013-08-28
Wu v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) - 2013 FC 838 - 2013-07-31
Palogan v. Canada (The Minister Of Citizenship And Immigration) - 2013 FC 889 - 2013-08-21
Saturday, 27 July 2013
BRAZIL: LEPROSY - 30,000 NEW CASES YEARLY
PRO/EDR> Leprosy - Brazil: thalidomide use, birth defects
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promed@promedmail.org
02:39 (11 hours ago)
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LEPROSY - BRAZIL: THALIDOMIDE USE, BIRTH DEFECTS
************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
Date: Tue 23 Jul 2013
Source: BBC News Magazine [edited]
A new scientific study seen exclusively by the BBC indicates that the
drug thalidomide is still causing birth defects in Brazil today. It's
been given to people suffering from leprosy to ease some of their
symptoms, and some women have taken it unaware of the risks they run
when pregnant.
Thalidomide was 1st marketed in the late 1950s as a sedative. It was
given to pregnant women to help them overcome morning sickness, but it
damaged babies in the womb, restricting the growth of arms and legs.
About 10 000 thalidomide babies were born worldwide until the drug was
withdrawn in the early 1960s. In most countries the thalidomide
children became thalidomide adults, now in their 50s, and there were
no more thalidomide babies. But in Brazil the drug was re-licensed in
1965 as a treatment for skin lesions, one of the complications of
leprosy.
Leprosy is more prevalent in Brazil than in any other country except
India. More than 30 000 new cases are diagnosed each year -- and
millions of thalidomide pills are distributed. Researchers now say 100
Brazilian children have injuries exactly like those caused by
thalidomide. "A tragedy is occurring in Brazil... it is a syndrome
which is completely avoidable," says Dr Lavinia Schuler-Faccini, a
professor at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. But
campaigners, doctors and leprosy sufferers say the drug is vital. They
believe the benefits outweigh the risks.
Schuler-Faccini and other researchers from the Universidade Federal do
Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre looked at the birth records of 17.5
million babies born between 2005 and 2010. "We looked at all children
with limb defects and those with the characteristic defects of
thalidomide," Schuler-Faccini says. We compared the distribution of
thalidomide tablets with the number of limb defects and there was a
direct correlation. The bigger the amount of pills in each state the
higher the number of limb defects." In the same 2005-2010 period, 5.8
million thalidomide pills were distributed across Brazil. "We had
about 100 cases in these 6 years similar to thalidomide syndrome,"
says another of the research team, Dr Fernanda Vianna. "We couldn't
evaluate each case, we cannot say that all are cases of thalidomide
syndrome, but this type of defect is very rare."
Poor health education and widespread sharing of medicines may [also]
be to blame, she says. "[A patient] said that the doctor didn't tell
him that women couldn't take it. He said they didn't tell him anything
about it." There are strict regulations around the drug. It can only
be prescribed to a woman who is taking 2 forms of birth control and
agrees to regular pregnancy tests. There are clear warnings on the
packets and there is a picture of a child damaged by thalidomide. But
leprosy is a disease of the poor, in areas where health care is patchy
and education is inadequate. The Amazon region, where access to the
health system can be difficult, is particularly hard hit.
And plenty of people in Brazil argue that thalidomide should continue
to be used. "Nowadays there is a myth about thalidomide," says Mariana
Jankunas, production coordinator at FUNED, a state-owned manufacturer
of the drug. "I think with information and publicity about the
benefits that thalidomide brings to patients, this myth can be
overcome, because the benefits outweigh the risks."
Doctors who prescribe the drug agree. "It is the best drug," says Dr
Francisco Reis, from the Leprosy Clinic at Curupaiti Hospital near Rio
de Janiero. When I tell him that many people may be shocked to hear
thalidomide is still being used he responds: "You have the ghosts of
thalidomide in the 50s, but you should forget those ghosts." He
introduces us to one of his patients, Tainah, who shows us how the
medicine has reduced the debilitating lesions on her arms. "I know
that I need the medicine," she tells us. She says she understands that
if she doesn't take contraceptive pills she could get pregnant and
give birth to a disabled child.
Brazil is a country of enormous inequalities where 20 per cent of the
population live below the poverty line. Overcrowded housing and poor
health systems are common to both rural areas and the slums of the
cities -- places where leprosy thrives.
Where the disease is most common, thalidomide will continue to be
prescribed and the risk of babies being born terribly injured will
remain. Artur Custodio from Morhan, the national leprosy campaign
group, recognises that the medicine is dangerous, but says it is cars
that cause most injuries and disabilities in Brazil. "We don't talk
about banning cars, we say we should teach people how to drive
responsibly," he says. "It's the same thing for thalidomide."
[byline: Angus Crawford]
--
communicated by:
ProMED-mail
[Erythema nodosum (EN) is an inflammatory immunologic reaction in the
subcutaneous fat to a variety of stimuli that results in tender, red
subcutaneous nodules. EN is most common on both shins, but it may also
occur on other areas of the body (buttocks, calves, ankles, thighs,
and arms). Conditions associated with EN include streptococcal
infection, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, histoplasmosis,
coccidioidomycosis, ulcerative colitis, Behcet's disease, or drug
reactions; as well as Hodgkin lymphoma, renal cell carcinoma and
carcinomas of colon, pancreas and uterine cervix.
EN also occurs as an immune response to the antigens of _Mycobacterium
leprae_, the organism that causes leprosy and is called erythema
nodosum leprosum (ENL). ENL occurs most often in patients with
lepromatous leprosy, and occasionally in borderline-lepromatous
leprosy. It occurs during the course of treatment, and also occurs in
untreated cases
(). ENL
presents with sudden appearance of tender, red nodules that are often
accompanied by fever; pain; general malaise; muscle, bone and joint
pain; and may involve other organs, including the eyes, nerves, lymph
nodes, testes, kidneys, liver, and spleen. Mild ENL may last for about
2 weeks and be followed by a reaction-free period of a month or 2;
severe ENL may persist for years.
Thalidomide has been considered the treatment of choice for ENL,
except in premenopausal women
(), because
use of the drug in pregnancy is associated with severe birth defects
-- for example, missing or abnormal legs, arms, feet and hands; spinal
cord defects; cleft lip or palate; absent or abnormal external ears;
heart, kidney, and genital abnormalities; and abnormal formation of
the digestive system. However, because of poor understanding of the
risks involved by patients and perhaps health care workers, and
widespread sharing of medicines, a resurgence of thalidomide-damaged
babies is occurring in Brazil, as detailed in the news report above.
There are several other treatments for ENL, including the oral drugs
prednisolone and clofazimine. However, a Cochrane Review of 13
randomized controlled trials that involved 445 participants and
assessed betamethasone (1 trial), thalidomide (5 trials),
pentoxifylline (1 trial), clofazimine (3 trials), indomethacin (2
trials), and levamisole (1 trial) found these trials were too small
and poorly performed to identify important clinical differences
().
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a statement on the
use of thalidomide in leprosy
():
"Several controlled studies done in the 1970s have demonstrated that
prednisolone is more effective in controlling ENL and associated
neuritis. In addition, it was demonstrated that clofazimine, an
anti-leprosy drug introduced on a small scale in the early 1960s, had
anti-inflammatory action. Studies showed that clofazimine is the drug
of choice for the management of chronic, recurrent ENL reactions, as
it had both anti-reaction and anti-leprosy effects.
"The drug clofazimine is now a component of the multidrug therapy
(MDT), introduced by WHO in 1981 as the standard treatment for leprosy
and now supplied free of charge to all patients worldwide. The
presence of clofazimine in the combination has significantly reduced
the frequency and severity of ENL reactions.
"Because of its known teratogenic [causing malformations of an embryo
or fetus] effects, WHO does not recommend the use of thalidomide in
leprosy. Experience has shown that it is virtually impossible to
develop and implement a fool-proof surveillance mechanism to combat
misuse of the drug. Today, a number of thalidomide babies continue to
be born each year, reflecting regulatory insufficiency and widespread
use under inadequate supervision." - Mod.ML
Monday, 8 July 2013
IMMIGRATION NEWSLETTER
Same day UK Visa application - Call us on 0344 991 9222
Comprehensive immigration reform in the US came a step closer on 28th June when the Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform act. The Act still needs to be passed by the House of Representatives to become law. The Act would create a 'pathway to citizenship' allowing many of the US’s 11.5m illegal immigrants to become citizens. It would also greatly increase the number of H-1B temporary work visas available and allow many foreign graduates of US universities with advanced degrees to apply for US green cards.
The House of Representatives will vote on the bill in July. It will need at least 60% support to become law. Even if all 201 Democrats support the bill to make up the 261 voltes needed at least 60 Republicans must also vote for the bill. Many Republicans oppose reform so this is not assured.
The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has said that illegal immigrants who have been in the UK for twelve years should be given citizenship. Speaking on a London radio station, Mr Johnson said that, in reality, people are never deported after being in the UK for twelve years anyway, so it would be better to allow them to work legally and pay taxes. Last week, a Conservative MP, Nadhim Zahawi, who came to the UK as an immigrant, made the same suggestion.
The UK government plans to make people coming to the UK from outside Europe on work, student or family visas lasting over six months to pay a new annual ‘healthcare levy’ of about £200. People who come to the UK on visitor visas will not have to pay a levy but will be required to pay for their treatment if they are treated by the UK’s National Health Service.
Although foreign nationals are already meant to pay for NHS treatment, this requirement is not always enforced. Mr Hunt said that he hopes the changes will help prevent ‘benefits tourism’. Dr Claire Gerada, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said she feared the changes might contribute to the spread of tuberculosis and HIV.
Do you need help with your visa application for Australia or Canada? We can help you. In Australia we can help with 189, 190 and 489 visa applications. In Canada we can help the Federal Skilled Worker visa and Federal Skilled Trades Program applications. In the US we can help with H-1B and L-1 visas.
We can also help with UK Tier 1 and Tier 2 applications and with many other visas for countries around the world. We are registered with the immigration authorities worldwide and have 25 years of experience. Give us a call today.
One of the UK's most senior civil servants has told a committee of MPs that immigration staff will be made redundant in 2015 because of budget cuts. Mark Sedwill, the permanent secretary to the Home Office, said that the Home Office budget would be cut by 7.7%. He said that he did not know how many staff would lose their jobs.
The UK immigration authorities have come under much criticism recently for repeated failures to issue visas on time. They have also failed to deal with a backlog of over 300,000 asylum cases. It is likely that the cuts will have an impact on performance.
The US Supreme Court recently ruled that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) 1996 is unconstitutional. This will mean that same-sex spouses can now be sponsored for US family-based immigrant visas just like heterosexual spouses. DOMA was passed in 1996 with bipartisan support. Section 3 denied legal rights to same-sex spouses. On 26th June, the Supreme Court ruled that DOMA is unconstitutional. The Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, has directed US immigration to change their procedures so same-sex couples can apply for family-based immigrant visas in the same way as heterosexuals.
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
START-UP BUSINESS CLASS
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