canadian government: Few people seek to flee the world largest economy, and one of its oldest democracies, on humanitarian grounds A mere 170 Americans claimed asylum at Canada land borders through the first 11 months of this year, according to The Waterloo Record. Yet that was more than twice the total from 2015 and it was led by a noticeable five-fold increase in the month of November, with 28 people claiming refugee status last month compared with merely five in November 2015. The overall numbers, however, remain tiny. Was any of this driven by politics and Donald Trump Nov. 8 election The Canadian government wont touch that question. Therefore the CBSA will not discuss specifics of asylum cases. Refugee claims are protected under the Privacy Act, said Nicholas Dorion, a spokesman for the Canada Border Services Agency, which supplied the figures to The Canadian Press. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

francisco valdivia: No one was inside, and to this day, the 30-year-old mother of four has yet to be found, according to Guelph Mercury. Investigators think her husband, Francisco Valdivia, killed her. Police later found her car fully engulfed in flames. Authorities also say Valdivia has another wife and that she helped kill Cecilia Cabrera. Valdivia has been charged with murder and arson, while Lopez has been charged with being an accessory after the fact, the prosecutors in Tulare County, Calif., announced Wednesday. Valdivia, 37, and his other wife, Rosalina Lopez, 39, have been arrested in connection to Cabrera suspected death. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

robot hand: Researchers at Cornell University have invented a soft robot hand that can touch fragile items and even sense their shape and texture, according to Guelph Mercury. When asked what theyve used the hand for, researchers said, That not important! Conan OBrien A NASA scientist has warned that Earth is unprepared for a surprise asteroid hit, and said, There not a hell of a lot we can do about it. When asked what happened, Apple said, We finally found them behind the couch cushions. So, ladies and gentlemen, happy holidays! A flight attendant has pled guilty to smuggling 60 pounds of cocaine in her carry-on bag. A new lawsuit claims that Uber employees use passenger data to stalk celebrities. People got suspicious when her safety lecture went on for four hours. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

varsity ranks: The familiar green, white and black colour scheme is gone and so is most of last year squad, according to Brandon Sun. Kellen Giilck is the lone player returning for his senior season with Grade 11s making up the rest of the roster. Neelin varsity boys basketball team will have a very different look when it takes the court for the 13th annual Brandon Sun Spartan Invitational tournament this afternoon. That not to say it isn t a talented group of young players moving into the varsity ranks as 11 of the 12 newcomers were on Neelin team which won the junior varsity AAA provincial title last season. That has him feeling comfortable with the group of which he will try to be a leader. Giilck has some experience with his new teammates, earning a provincial JV silver medal with half a dozen of them two years ago. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

zoe dickson: Zoe Dickson and Felicia Joh became sisters when they had no one else, according to Brandon Sun. In the early 1990s, the friends who once played on opposing kickball teams fled Liberia separately during a bitter civil war. The two women fled Liberia in the early 1990s. Enlarge Image Zoe Dickson, left, watches as her eight-year-old son William admires the snowfall. The two women became refugees from Liberia in the early 1990s. The mother and son, along with friend Felicia Joh, moved to Killarney this summer. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

al mouhammed: There are no words to express it, the joy that Im seeing, Al Mouhammed said through a translator, surrounded by his four other children and expectant wife, according to Hamilton Spectator. Choaa and Khaled, who came to Canada in February, along with the rest of their family, are two of the refugee youth artists whose work was showcased at the Fananeen artist in Arabic exhibition and funder-appreciation party Tuesday evening. A red house like their home in Syria painted by his nine-year-old daughter, Choaa; and a cat designed by her twin brother, Khaled, stacked on top of one another. The art was created by kids who had taken part in workshops, summer camp and other programming facilitated through Centre 3 and made possible by fundraising of the Welcome to Hamilton benefit concert held in June. Through Centre 3 one of the organizations selected to receive funding kids had a chance to try activities like costume-making, T-shirt designing and printmaking, said community arts manager Becky Katz. More than 50,000 was raised at the show, which was conceived by Brandon and Amanda Reid and presented by Supercrawl, to support music, art and recreation activities for newcomer youth. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

couldn t: And there are other troubles for artists The processing time for these visas has ballooned over the past several years from 45 days to nearly 120, according to the Canadian Federation of Musicians CFM which helps artists file for permits, according to Globe and Mail. For some artists, this has meant sinking money they didn t have into tours they had to cancel because they couldn t cross the border in time in turn burning relationships with promoters, venues and audiences they need to make their careers viable. Related story Exporting necessary for survival Canadian musicians Also read What trade rules can Canada turn to if Trump rips up NAFTA At 325 U.S. a band, it not cheap particularly for new musicians trying to get a foothold in a crucial music market that, on a map, looks otherwise easy to enter from here. On top of it all, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services USCIS is raising the cost by 42 per cent, to 460, on Dec. 23 as part of sweeping changes to its fee schedule. For bands that might really be able to get some legs in the States, the most prohibitive thing can be the cost of the visa, and not the quality of the music, says Mr. There may be a silver lining there the musicians federation believes USCIS extra revenue could lower the dreaded processing times but it illustrative of the trouble Canadian musicians face when trying to build a sustainable career. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

couriers charge: That raised concerns that the visas were going to those who could afford to pay the high fees or camp out for hours at the Mississauga, Ont., immigration office, according to Globe and Mail. High demand came in part from the fact the previous Conservative government closed the program entirely between 2011 and 2014 to bring down a massive backlog. The change comes after The Canadian Press first reported earlier this year that the previous first-come, first-serve process was seeing couriers charge more than 400 to guarantee applications would be at the top of the pile for the spots available in 2016. It re-opened in 2014 with a annual cap of 5,000 applications. Couriers had already started taking reservations to deliver 2017 applications, with fees ranging from 60 to 200, depending on whether someone wanted to guarantee their application was delivered first. Last year, 14,000 applications were received and the Liberals later raised the cap on the number of applications they would accept to 10,000. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

crisis today: I think one aspect of this crisis today is that there are not enough countries receiving enough refugees to solve the problem, to put it mildly, he said, according to CBC. So I do believe this initiative, which is essentially to export to interested countries in the rest of the world our privately sponsored refugees program could make a significant impact on the refugee crisis. Speaking at a news conference to officially launch the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative, which will train and advise other countries on how to establish programs that allow private individuals and groups to finance, facilitate and support refugees coming to the country, McCallum urged other countries to do more. Participants from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Germany, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. are in Ottawa for a three-day session on how Canada program could be replicated in their own countries. Canada is dedicating six staff to spearhead the initiative to get the greatest buy in from other countries. About 90 international delegates are attending. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

denzel washington: Barry Jenkins coming-of-age tale Moonlight and Denzel Washington August Wilson adaptation Fences followed with three each, including ensemble, according to The Chronicle Herald. They ll be competing with the fact-based NASA crowd-pleaser Hidden Figures and the family drama Captain Fantastic. Its leading four nods included best ensemble cast, best actor for Casey Affleck and best supporting performances for Michelle Williams and Lucas Hedges. Shut out of the coveted ensemble award was Damien Chazelle candy-colored musical La La Land, which scored nominations only for its leads, Emma Stone and London, Ont.-native Ryan Gosling. In the past, SAG nominees have served as helpful predictors of who will land nominations in the four Oscar acting categories. List of nominees for the Screen Actors Guild Awards Sophia Bush and Common announced the nominees early Wednesday morning in West Hollywood, California. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

election victory: Many in the industry are worried that Trump will stifle innovation, curb the hiring of computer-savvy immigrants and infringe on consumers digital privacy, according to Hamilton Spectator. He immediately tried to allay those fears. Trump, still savoring his election victory, convened a summit at Trump Tower for nearly a dozen tech leaders, whose industry largely supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. We want you to keep going with the incredible innovation. Youll call my people, youll call me. Anything we can do to help this go on, we will be there for you, Trump said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration minister: But that system has now been replaced by a random draw, the federal immigration minister announced Wednesday, according to Hamilton Spectator. Were ensuring everyone can access the application process by giving them the same chance to have their name chosen, Immigration Minister John McCallum said in a statement. Applications for the always oversubscribed program had been accepted only via courier or mail at a single immigration office, and since they were processed in the order received, couriers had been doing brisk business promising to be at the front of the line, in exchange for fees that could be as high as 400. Beginning this Jan. 3, Canadians will have 30 days to fill out an online form indicating their desire to sponsor a parent or grandparent. The change comes after The Canadian Press first reported earlier this year that the previous first-come, first-serve process was seeing couriers charge more than 400 to guarantee applications would be at the top of the pile for the spots available in 2016. From those, immigration officials will randomly draw 10,000 individuals who will then be asked to submit the full application within 90 days. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

election victory: Many in the industry are worried that Trump will stifle innovation, curb the hiring of computer-savvy immigrants and infringe on consumers digital privacy, according to Guelph Mercury. He immediately tried to allay those fears. Trump, still savoring his election victory, convened a summit at Trump Tower for nearly a dozen tech leaders, whose industry largely supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. We want you to keep going with the incredible innovation. Youll call my people, youll call me. Anything we can do to help this go on, we will be there for you, Trump said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration minister: But that system has now been replaced by a random draw, the federal immigration minister announced Wednesday, according to The Waterloo Record. Were ensuring everyone can access the application process by giving them the same chance to have their name chosen, Immigration Minister John McCallum said in a statement. Applications for the always oversubscribed program had been accepted only via courier or mail at a single immigration office, and since they were processed in the order received, couriers had been doing brisk business promising to be at the front of the line, in exchange for fees that could be as high as 400. Beginning this Jan. 3, Canadians will have 30 days to fill out an online form indicating their desire to sponsor a parent or grandparent. The change comes after The Canadian Press first reported earlier this year that the previous first-come, first-serve process was seeing couriers charge more than 400 to guarantee applications would be at the top of the pile for the spots available in 2016. From those, immigration officials will randomly draw 10,000 individuals who will then be asked to submit the full application within 90 days. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

right finger: The Hawkeyes 5-5 have had serious struggles so far, most notably losing to Nebraska-Omaha at home, according to The Waterloo Record. But that adversity has revealed reasons for optimism, because their freshmen have shown serious promise so far. The recent performances of its freshmen suggest that those efforts might not take very long. Newcomers Cordell Pemsl, Isaiah Moss, Jordan Bohannon and Tyler Cook have all become major contributors. Iowa plays Northern Iowa 5-4 on Saturday as part of an annual doubleheader in Des Moines. Pemsl, Moss and Bohannon started in last week upset of then-No. 25 Iowa State, and Cook 13.7 points, 5.3 rebounds per game was a starter before a broken right finger set him back. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration office: Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo By Stephanie Levitz The Canadian Press Wed., Dec. 14, 2016 OTTAWA Coveted spots for the parent and grandparent visa program will be awarded by lottery in 2017 after the federal Liberals have scrapped the old first-come, first-serve system that had raised concerns over people paying to be at the front of that line, according to Toronto Star. Applications for the always over-subscribed program had been accepted only via courier or mail at a single immigration office and since they were processed in the order received, couriers had been doing brisk business promising to be at the front of the line, in exchange for fees that could be as high as 400. We re ensuring everyone can access the application process by giving them the same chance to have their name chosen, he said in a statement. But that system has now been replaced by a random draw, the federal immigration minister announced Wednesday. Beginning Jan. 3, Canadians will have 30 days to fill out an online form indicating their desire to sponsor a parent or grandparent. We re ensuring everyone can access the application process by giving them the same chance to have their name chosen, Immigration Minister John McCallum said in a statement. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration officials: Beginning January 3, Canadians will have 30 days to fill out an online form indicating their desire to sponsor someone, according to Huffington Post Canada. From those, immigration officials will randomly draw 10,000 individuals who will then be asked to submit the full application within 90 days. The Liberals announced Wednesday that instead, applications for the coveted parent and grandparent visa program will now be selected by lottery, and not by which ones arrive first. Immigration Minister John McCallum speaks in Montreal on Dec. 11, 2016. That raised concerns that the visas were going to those who could afford to pay the high fees or camp out for hours at the Mississauga, Ont., immigration office the only place in Canada accepting the forms. Photo Graham Hughes/CP The change comes after The Canadian Press reported earlier this year that the old first-come, first-serve system was seeing couriers charge more than 400 to guarantee applications would be at the top of the pile. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

job seekers: Those companies and the Montreal man were unaware that someone had used them as a front to defraud foreign job seekers out of thousands of dollars until CBC News told them, according to CBC. This is the first we have heard of Giant Tiger being mentioned in this capacity, said Alison Scarlett, manager of brand communications for Giant Tiger Stores Ltd. It is happening to some of Canada best-known companies, including Bell Canada, Via Rail, Scotiabank and Bombardier and to a Montreal businessman, CBC News has learned. We are absolutely appalled that our trusted name would be used in such a scheme. Massive immigration fraud detailed at sentencing15 clients of fraudulent immigration scheme deported The relatives in India were working through a contact who claimed to be a lawyer named Daniel Philip Bornstein and who would help them obtain a Canadian job and documentation. The CBC investigation began after hearing from two Canadians whose family members were trying to immigrate to Canada from India. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

number: In past, the number of applications has far exceeded the number of available spots, creating a backlog in applications, according to CBC. Were listening to what past applicants had to say and making the process fairer for people who want to sponsor their parents or grandparents, Immigration Minister John McCallum said in a statement. The change, which will take effect in the new year, is designed to make the system fair for all applicants, according to a release from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Were ensuring everyone can access the application process by giving them the same chance to have their name chosen. Spousal reunification wait times to be cut in half Canada to open door to more immigrant families Once the information is properly transmitted, the prospective sponsor will get a confirmation number. Between Jan. 3 and Feb. 2, 2017, Canadian citizens and permanent residents who want to sponsor their parents or grandparents will be required to complete an online form on the IRCC website within 30 days. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

phrase russia: Rizan Ali Hasan, 24, said Wednesday protest was prompted by high civilian casualties in Aleppo, according to Metro News. Many children were killed, he said. Refugees burnt a Russian flag and held up placards outside the building, which was heavily guarded by Greek police. Other protesters held up a banner showing a helicopter and a plane over Aleppo, and the phrase Russia destroyed us. Syrians make up the majority of the 62,000 refugees and other migrants stuck in Greece after a series of Balkan border closures and a European Union deal with Turkey to stop migrant flows. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sex identity: In 2012, Audrey Chedor, 53, filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission based on sex identity and citizenship after immigration officials required her to provide proof of sex change surgery to amend the gender designation on her citizenship certificate, according to Toronto Star. Chedor, an immigrant from Germany, came to Canada and first became a Canadian citizen identified as male based on her German ID, but decided in 2010 to change the gender on her identification to female, an identity she has grown comfortable with. AUDREY CHEDOR By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Wed., Dec. 14, 2016 The Federal Court has ordered Ottawa to honour a settlement reached in a human rights complaint by an immigrant who was born with ambiguous genitalia and who asked to change her citizenship ID from male to female. She told the Star she was born with ambiguous genitalia. However, she has never had any sex reassignment surgery. Although Chedor was able to obtain a birth registration from the province of Quebec, where she resides, to declare herself female, she couldn t change the gender designation on her citizenship certificate because as an immigrant, she also needed to provide the sex change documentation. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

show credits: He also worked at the CBC, where his list of show credits included producing roles on The Rene Simard Show, several Anne Murray specials and a variety special in the mid-80s called The First Annual Hockey Shtick, according to CTV. He also had a radio show with Alex Trebek, a writing gig for The Tommy Hunter Show and behind-the-scenes work on That Show Biz, an early variety show conceived by future Saturday Night Live mastermind Lorne Michaels. Here are a few of Thicke ties to his homeland Thicke got his start on the small screen here, hosting the game show First Impressions in Montreal in the 1970s and his own talk show, The Alan Thicke Show, in the early 80s. The CBC was the best thing that ever happened to me, he said in a 2011 interview with The Canadian Press to promote his appearance on a special episode of 22 Minutes. Thicke said the homegrown entertainment industry at the time was under-developed and he consistently championed Canadian talent. After a few years at the CBC, when I finally decided that maybe I would try my luck in the L.A. market, I was able to go down there with a portfolio of experience in a lot of different areas. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sinados teklehaymanot: For Reham Ibrahim, it was a delicate wire bicycle in a Saudi Arabian courtyard along with a game she used to play with her younger brother, according to Toronto Star. For Sinados Teklehaymanot, whose family is from Eritrea, it was the thought of her grandmother cosy big bed where she slept for most of her early childhood. Waiting to leave. For Khadija Farooq, there was a duality a split level structure representing a Pakistani home on the first floor, complete with a basket of oranges and a view of a family orange farm; and upstairs a Canadian home featuring a comfy couch and bookshelf stocked with a teenager favourites reads. An avid ballroom dancer, he said, in a world full of anger and sadness, dancing was when he felt most at home and most alive. Twilight series anyone And for Razmik Nalbandian, an Armenian who came here 10 months ago from Lebanon, it was, of all things, a man ballroom dancing shoe. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

vancouver: She says between herself and other private sponsors, there are about 100 Syrian refugees in northern Iraq who have families waiting for them in Metro Vancouver, according to Metro News. It felt like a really concrete positive thing we could do to help, said Dudley, who put in her private sponsorship refugee application for the two families with eight children in January 2016 . Knowing that here are a lot of Syrians in the Metro Vancouver area who are watching the war unfold and worried about their relatives, knowing that we could help one of our neighbours, a local family here, was really appealing. Alison Dudley and a handful of other Lions Bay residents are sponsoring two Syrian families who are stuck in refugee camps, waiting for Canadian refugee officials to interview them. Syrian refugee report shows challenges and successes after one year in B.C. Syrian refugees, one year later I feel like Canada is my country Royal visit Prince William and Kate meet Syrian refugee families The children uncle is a Burnaby resident and has been trying in vain to bring his family to Canada since the Syrian civil war began five years ago. They live in dire circumstances. But when the federal government announced it would welcome 25,000 Syrian refugees, he hoped his family would be one of the lucky ones. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

waterloo region: Mahdi al-Halel, his wife and their three children didn t get here until this past March but that hasn t stopped them from forming opinions about their new home, according to CTV. It like a dream, he said in an interview. Thousands of government-sponsored refugees arrived in Canada in December 2015, with hundreds of them settling in Waterloo Region that month alone. We feel safe, and we feel happy for the kids. People who have been working closely with refugees say the language barrier has been one of the biggest challenges for many to overcome. They are now safe. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

show credits: He also worked at the CBC, where his list of show credits included producing roles on The Rene Simard Show, several Anne Murray specials and a variety special in the mid-80s called The First Annual Hockey Shtick, according to Brandon Sun. He also had a radio show with Alex Trebek, a writing gig for The Tommy Hunter Show and behind-the-scenes work on That Show Biz, an early variety show conceived by future Saturday Night Live mastermind Lorne Michaels. Here are a few of Thicke ties to his homeland Thicke got his start on the small screen here, hosting the game show First Impressions in Montreal in the 1970s and his own talk show, The Alan Thicke Show, in the early 80s. The CBC was the best thing that ever happened to me, he said in a 2011 interview with The Canadian Press to promote his appearance on a special episode of 22 Minutes. Thicke said the homegrown entertainment industry at the time was under-developed and he consistently championed Canadian talent. After a few years at the CBC, when I finally decided that maybe I would try my luck in the L.A. market, I was able to go down there with a portfolio of experience in a lot of different areas. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.