As posted earlier, the Conservative government proposed to eliminate 280,000 applications filed before February 27th 2008 for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Here are some questions that you may have:
Will I be affected by the proposed changes?
Under the proposed changes, CIC would close Federal Skilled Worker applicants’ files if they:
- applied before February 27, 2008, and
- have not had a decision made by an immigration officer based on selection criteria by March 29, 2012.
It is expect this would affect around 280,000 people including dependents.
Who will not be affected by the proposed changes?
Any application that has received a file number after February 27, 2008 so you will not be affected if your file number was received after this date.
What is being done to respond to this decision by the Canadian government?
Immigration consultants are looking into a joint effort to stop the finalization of the proposal. It is expected that the changes will happen as the Conservative party holds a majority and it will receive enough votes to pass through.
There is a good chance that this issue will drag on and head to the Supreme Court. However, once or if it gets to that, it will not be for another few years as complaints against the government must go through many legal hurdles.
What options do I have if my application is removed from the backlog?
This depends on the individual applicant. Unfortunately, some applicants will not have any options under the new rules and regulations. There are currently over 60 immigration programs under both federal and provincial governments.
Will I receive a refund?
Your government application fees will be refunded. The professional fees will be treated as per the particular agreement each client has with their consulting firm.