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Time Business News
3 days ago
- Business
- Time Business News
SEP Immigration: For People Trying to Build Their Lives in Canada
Immigration isn't just about forms and checklists. It's about people trying to figure out what's next—and how to get there without making a mistake they can't fix. SEP Immigration, a small Toronto-based agency, works with those in that exact spot. They're not trying to be everywhere at once. They're trying to be helpful where it counts. You won't find a ticket system or automated replies here. Just people answering questions and sorting through problems that often feel much bigger than they look on paper. Some people call in thinking they've already done everything right, like the man who'd been in Canada for over five years and submitted a PR card renewal on his own. He didn't think twice until a letter from IRCC showed up asking for proof of residency—proof he hadn't included. It turns out travel dates and tax filings didn't quite match. That's when he found SEP. They went over his timeline, pointed out gaps, and gathered the records needed to fill them. There were spreadsheets, scanned receipts, old leases—anything that could help. He got his card renewed, but said later that without their help, he would've assumed the request meant his status was already lost. It's the kind of case that's more common than most people expect. Many don't even realize that to renew a PR card in Canada, you still need to prove you've met the rules. The assumption that it's automatic is what catches people off guard. One of the more misunderstood parts of Canada's immigration system involves the LMIA—short for Labour Market Impact Assessment. It sounds technical, and it is, but it can make or break a job offer for someone outside the country. Not long ago, SEP Immigration worked with a welder from Eastern Europe and a company in Alberta that wanted to hire him. The employer had no experience with immigration paperwork. SEP stepped in, explained what was needed, and helped them get through each step—posting the job, tracking applicants, documenting the offer. The LMIA was approved, and the welder arrived a few months later. The job got filled, and the employer didn't lose weeks chasing unclear instructions. People looking into LMIA applications in Canada often don't realize how specific the documentation needs to be. It's not impossible. It just needs to be done right. One woman, a student from the Caribbean, came to SEP after she'd already been refused a postgraduate work permit. Her study permit had expired by the time she found out. She hadn't included key documents, and by the time the letter arrived, it looked like she was out of options. She was scared—rightly so. The idea of leaving a life behind because of one missing form is heavy. SEP reviewed her timeline and helped draft a reconsideration letter. It wasn't a guaranteed fix, but it gave her a real shot. And that was better than packing bags and heading for the airport with no plan. That kind of case isn't rare. People miss things, deadlines pass, and confusion builds quickly. SEP doesn't overpromise. But they do read everything, line by line, and offer next steps that make sense based on what's actually possible. The people who turn to SEP Immigration aren't asking for miracles. They just want someone to explain what's going on and help them avoid mistakes. SEP's clients often say the same thing—they appreciate the straight talk. If an application looks weak, they're told exactly that. No guessing. No vague encouragement. Just facts. There's also no confusion about money. Fees are explained before anything moves forward. No one's left trying to understand hidden charges or unexpected extras. Most of SEP Immigration's work is done online these days. And that's opened the door to people living far from their office—clients in the Gulf, students in remote parts of Canada, caregivers working in households where getting to a meeting would mean losing hours of pay. The process still starts the same way: a consultation, a review of documents, and a decision about what to do next. Some people are just checking if they're eligible for something. Others are already in the middle of a crisis, trying to stop a refusal or salvage an expiring status. The team treats both the same. There's no distinction made between 'big' and 'small' cases. For someone who might have to leave Canada, every case is big. It's not always about winning or losing a case. Sometimes, the first step is just plainly hearing what the options are—and how much risk each one carries. SEP doesn't pretend every client will get approved. But they do take the time to walk through possible outcomes, without dressing them up. They've worked with skilled workers, refugee claimants, couples trying to sponsor one another, and people who've already been refused once (or more). The common thread isn't just the paperwork. It's the uncertainty. And SEP works in that space, helping people figure out what's next and how to make decisions they can live with. Immigration isn't simple. It's full of rules that don't always make sense until someone breaks them. SEP Immigration isn't trying to sell dreams. They work case by case, looking at what's on paper, what's missing, and what still might be possible. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Edmonton Journal
24-05-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
What the data show about the state of immigration in Canada since cuts were announced
Article content According to Statistics Canada data, the overall population reached 41,528,680 on Jan. 1, 2025, up from 41,465,298 on Oct. 1, 2024, an increase of 63,382, the report states. 'By contrast, the population increase between the two previous quarters was 176,699. Immigration level reductions played a critical role in the outcome,' the report states. While the number of new permanent residents in a single quarter declined by 15 per cent, when comparing the first quarter of 2024 to the first quarter of 2025, the largest reduction in newcomers was attributed to temporary residents who came via the International Mobility Program (IMP). The program allows companies to hire temporary foreign workers without the usual Labour Market Impact Assessment. The IMP includes the post-graduate work permits granted to international students, the International Experience Canada stream for workers aged 18 to 35, free trade agreements, company transfers and permits for high-demand occupations, such as software engineers, among other programs.
Calgary Herald
24-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
What the data show about the state of immigration in Canada since cuts were announced
Article content A new analysis of immigration data released by the federal government reveals that while the number of new permanent residents dropped after the federal government announced that it would cut immigration levels, the number of temporary foreign workers actually increased, while other temporary permits declined. Article content Last October, the federal government under then prime minister Justin Trudeau announced it would reduce its permanent immigration targets from 500,000 down to 395,000 in 2025. The government also set a cap for the first time on the intake of temporary residents in both student and worker streams, at 673,650 temporary resident visas for 2025. Article content Article content 'Meeting these targets is not simple given the need to account for regional priorities, pre-existing and other considerations,' says a detailed analysis of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada data done by the Metropolis Institute and the Association for Canadian Studies. Article content Article content The government will also have to take into account population growth, which has slowed since the immigration cuts were announced. During the fourth quarter of 2024, Canada's population grew by 0.2 per cent, the slowest quarterly growth rate since the end of 2020. Article content 'Those declines in population growth, that's an issue that is the object of an important national conversation that we're not really having. We're not meaningfully having that conversation, which is, do we want population growth? Or do we not? We're very dependent on immigration in that regard, and so we're not making that connection,' said Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute. In a follow-up email, Jedwab noted that Prime Minister Mark Carney promised to return 'our overall immigration rates to sustainable levels,' in his mandate letter published on May 21. But that is a term 'that is open to much interpretation,' Jedwab said. Article content Article content According to Statistics Canada data, the overall population reached 41,528,680 on Jan. 1, 2025, up from 41,465,298 on Oct. 1, 2024, an increase of 63,382, the report states. 'By contrast, the population increase between the two previous quarters was 176,699. Immigration level reductions played a critical role in the outcome,' the report states. Article content Article content While the number of new permanent residents in a single quarter declined by 15 per cent, when comparing the first quarter of 2024 to the first quarter of 2025, the largest reduction in newcomers was attributed to temporary residents who came via the International Mobility Program (IMP). The program allows companies to hire temporary foreign workers without the usual Labour Market Impact Assessment. The IMP includes the post-graduate work permits granted to international students, the International Experience Canada stream for workers aged 18 to 35, free trade agreements, company transfers and permits for high-demand occupations, such as software engineers, among other programs.
CBC
12-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Foreign worker who paid $25K to land job in Canada awarded $115K by tribunal
A worker from India who claimed he had to pay $25,000 to obtain a job at a truck repair company in Richmond, B.C., where he was shorted wages, has been awarded $115,574.69 by the B.C. Employment Standards Tribunal. The determination also calculated the money A J Boyal Truck Repair Ltd. of Richmond, B.C., was deemed to owe mechanic Harminder Singh overtime, including statutory holiday and vacation pay he never received, along with accrued interest. In her 70-page determination, Shannon Corregan, delegate of the director of Employment Standards, details how Singh arrived in Canada in March of 2018 on a visitor visa before deciding he wanted to stay in Canada. Singh's cousin put him in touch with Sarvpreet Boyal, the sole director of A J Boyal Truck Repair Ltd. The company had a job opening for a mechanic and had recently obtained a Labour Market Impact Assessment, which allowed it to hire four temporary foreign workers as truck and transport mechanics. Singh signed an employment contract with Boyal and then returned to India for a month. On his return to Canada, he obtained a work permit at the border and started working at the company in July 2018. He left the job in October 2019. Singh alleged he was required to pay Boyal $25,000 to secure his employment. The first instalment of $10,000 was paid in cash, he claims. The remaining $15,000 was provided through cheques written by Singh's cousin and made out to one of Boyal's friends. The Employment Standards Act states that a person must not request, charge or receive, directly or indirectly, payment for employment from a person seeking employment. Employer not credible, judge says In ruling in Singh's favour, Corregan found that both Boyal and his lawyer, Pir Indar Paul Singh Sahota, were not credible in their submissions, describing their evidence and conduct in various parts of the ruling as "obstructive", "unprofessional", and "inconsistent." "Mr. Boyal's testimony was contradictory on key issues. He changed his evidence when faced with the negative implications of his claims. Some of his claims were prima facie unbelievable. Some of his claims contradicted A J Boyal's own documentary evidence," states the determination. "I find that Mr. Boyal was not a credible witness. Where his testimony conflicts with Mr. Singh's, I prefer Mr. Singh's testimony," she said. Conflicting evidence about the number of days and hours Singh worked during his employment was presented during proceedings, with both sides accusing the other of falsifying records. Corregan ultimately sided with Singh's account, after a documents expert brought by his counsel, Jonathon Braun, legal director at the Migrant Workers Centre, found Boyal's records to be suspect. At issue was a spiral notebook or "register," Boyal claimed, where employees recorded and signed off on their daily hours. However, the expert concluded that Singh's signatures in the register were "not genuine" and that all entries "were written by a single person, not multiple people." CBC reached out to Boyal for comment but did not hear back by time of publication. In calculating what was owed, the determination granted Singh just $15,000 of the $25,000 he paid to get the job. Corregan said she could not include the $10,000 cash because that payment fell outside the recovery period considered by the tribunal. The settlement breaks down as follows: Wages - $24,032.13. Overtime - $44,256.24. Statutory holiday pay - $2,505.76. Annual vacation pay - $4,585.38. Length of service compensation - $2,300.42. Charge for obtaining employment - $15,000. Accrued interest - $22,894.76 A J Boyal Truck Repair was also assessed mandatory administrative penalties totalling $4,000 for eight separate contraventions of the Employment Standards Act. Singh's complaints were originally adjudicated by the Employment Standards Tribunal in 2023. At that time, the company was ordered to pay him $3,149.39 in wages and $2,000 in administrative penalties.
