Well after a substantial delay, I’m now re-launching my new and improved Canadian Immigration Podcast. It’s seemingly that I’ll proceed to keep up my second Canadian Immigration “Solutions” podcast for a short time longer; however will finally merge that one with this Podcast.
Together with this Podcast and to raised set up a Platform that I can construct on, I’ve additionally launched a model new interactive web site to host all the content material I might be producing by way of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, and constant blogs designed to share my information about Canadian immigration with you.
Now earlier than I get into extra particulars relating to my Canadian Immigration Podcast and what I hope to perform with it, I felt it was fairly vital that I share a bit of little bit of details about me first.
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Hearken to Mark Holthe’s Canadian Immigration Podcast
On this episode, you’ll uncover:
- Who I actually am!
- Why I created the Canadian Immigration Podcast.
- Why I’m within the strategy of releasing a sequence of Canadian Immigration DIY guides.
- Clarify how I intend to use this website to supply a ton of free sensible assets associated to the Canadian immigration course of.
Discover Extra Assets
On this episode we talked about the next assets:
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Learn the Transcript
You may learn a whole, word-for-word transcript of this episode, [spoiler]Effectively after a substantial delay, I’m now re-launching my new and improved Canadian Immigration Podcast. It’s seemingly that I’ll proceed to keep up my second Canadian Immigration “Solutions” podcast for a short time longer; however will finally merge that one with this Podcast. Together with this Podcast and to raised set up a Platform that I can construct on, I’ve additionally launched a model new interactive web site to host all the content material I might be producing by way of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, and constant blogs designed to share my information about Canadian immigration with you.
Now earlier than I get into extra particulars relating to my Canadian Immigration Podcast and what I hope to perform with it, I felt it was fairly vital that I share a bit of little bit of details about me first.
Who I actually am!
One promise I made to myself is that I wished the listeners to my podcast, to know who I actually am. There may be nothing extra irritating to me than these anonymous, faceless, web sites providing Canadian immigration companies with out disclosing who will truly be getting ready the functions. It’s fairly onerous to construct a relationship of belief with an organization. Individuals construct relationships of belief and confidence with folks. In our world of hyper privateness, it has develop into nearly a sin to share something private about your self on a “skilled web site.. Effectively, I don’t subscribe to this philosophy. As such, I wish to share a bit of bit about myself. Presumably a bit of bit greater than my spouse would need me to share; nevertheless, that’s simply how I’m wired.
I’m a farm boy. I grew up using horses, chasing cows, and shifting irrigation pipe throughout our alfalfa fields in lovely southern Alberta. I had three brothers and no sisters. We have been the wild Holthe Boys to all who knew us. We lived a totally carefree life swimming and fishing within the river that flowed by our home, using horses and mainly doing what farm boys do. I liked enjoying sports activities as a child. In reality, I wished to be a highschool Bodily Schooling instructor greater than something due to my love for sports activities. I performed nearly each sport I may. The one time I had to decide on was when the seasons conflicted. I liked Monitor and Subject and Volleyball essentially the most.
I performed collegiate volleyball on the Males’s crew on the School in Lethbridge, Alberta in 1991 after which once more in 1994-1996, once I served as Captain of the crew in my last 12 months.
I had the privilege of competing within the 1992 Canadian Olympic Trials for Excessive Soar in Montreal simply previous to the Barcelona, Spain Olympic video games. I used to be fully out of my league at these trials; nevertheless, Athletics Canada gave me a B Carding because of my performances the earlier 12 months (I jumped 2.05m which was the Olympic Normal that 12 months). That carding paid for my flight and gave that farm boy his first style of flight and travelling exterior of our little neighborhood. Coming from a wholly English talking rural farming neighborhood, Montreal was like being in a unique nation. It was one of the prized experiences from my youth.
That summer season following the Olympic Trials, I made the most effective choices of my life. I made a decision to serve a full time mission for my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). On October 14, 1992 I left my house and had the wonderful expertise of serving in Portugal for 2 years. A lot of who I’m right this moment is because of that fantastic expertise. I grew to essentially love the folks and in return they gave me a beautiful second language that has helped me to understand the challenges folks expertise as they try and be taught English as a second language when immigrating to Canada.
Following my mission I returned house the place I married my lovely spouse Dianna. We’ve 4 kids, two ladies and two boys. Making a greater life for them was one of many most important causes I made a decision to develop into a lawyer. Nevertheless, legislation was not my first profession. I spent my undergraduate diploma getting ready to be a highschool bodily training instructor. I labored for one 12 months as a instructor in a small rural highschool close to the Alberta/Montana border earlier than deciding to fully shift gears and go to legislation faculty. It was throughout that point working as a instructor that I used to be launched to the Immigration Supervisor of the Alberta ports of entry who instructed I apply to work as an officer on the border in the summertime whereas attending legislation faculty. Its wonderful how issues work out.
After having accomplished the primary 12 months of legislation faculty and having labored through the summer season on the Canada/US border as an immigration officer, I made the choice to limit my legislation observe solely to Canadian immigration. I did this as a result of it gave me a possibility to work with folks in a manner that made an actual distinction of their lives. There is no such thing as a better feeling than that.
Though I began my authorized profession in a big nationwide agency and have frolicked working as an affiliate and accomplice in mid-sized regional companies, I’ve discovered Holthe Tilleman LLP to be the perfect configuration for permitting me the liberty to do what I like with out the substitute constraints of billable hour targets and the calls for of huge agency observe.
I now get the chance to make the most of my instructing background as a lawyer by way of my talking engagements, work retailers, and up to date enterprise into Podcasting. I depend myself blessed on daily basis for the alternatives I’ve been given.
If you wish to see my full skilled biography, it may be discovered on my agency web site: ht-llp.com. Simply click on on “who we’re” and comply with the hyperlinks right down to my title.
Why I created the Canadian Immigration Podcast
So let’s get again to why I’ve created the Canadian Immigration Podcast..
My intention is to make the podcast extraordinarily sensible as has been my observe up to now. I might be making a sequence of “find out how to” blogs for quite a lot of completely different duties we regularly ask our purchasers to do; akin to find out how to get hold of Entry To Info requests when your immigration software will get refused. Directions on acquiring police clearances from sure international locations, in addition to finishing immigration medicals may also be popping out shortly. Nevertheless, due to the background myself and different workers members have had working as officers inside Citizenship and Immigration Canada, we intend to share quite a lot of blogs geared in the direction of turning the curtain again a bit of on CIC and what goes by way of an officers thoughts when they’re processing functions or admitting folks into the nation by way of the varied Canadian ports of entry. So just be sure you subscribe to our mailing record so to be suggested of latest content material when it comes out.
Lastly, over the previous few years I’ve develop into considerably pissed off with the restricted capability I’ve to assist folks. As an immigration lawyer, my capability to supply service to folks has been restricted by the actual fact I solely have so many hours within the day. At any given time, I can solely help one individual at a time by way of formal authorized consultations and even work on just one individual’s software supplies at a time. Additional, I’ve spent the final 9 years serving inside the Canadian Bar Associations immigration part at each the native and nationwide stage. I actually had an incredible time working beside a few of the most devoted, clever, and caring Immigration attorneys throughout the nation. Those that actually wished to present again to our career and to advocate on behalf of these should susceptible in our society. I had the fantastic alternative of serving because the Chapter chair for our native part in Calgary for two years after which most not too long ago on our Nationwide Immigration Legislation part as an Govt Member for an extra 2 years. I had the chance to take part within the drafting of quite a few submissions to the federal government advocating on behalf of each people affected by the flury of immigration program modifications which have rocked the whole Canadian Immigration Panorama.
I liked this expertise working inside the Nationwide management of the CBA and the associations I made with these fantastic attorneys, however felt that though these efforts have been making a distinction at a federal coverage stage, my calling has and can at all times be on the floor stage serving to folks from all walks of dwell navigate the complexities of the Canadian immigration system. I formally dropped off the nationwide govt on September 1st in order that I can commit all my time to this new enterprise.
So what does my legislation observe seem like now? Effectively, I’ve an workplace in Calgary, Alberta which I go to weekly to satisfy with purchasers, however for household causes I dwell in Lethbridge, Alberta positioned about 2 hours south, the place I make my house, increase my household, and spend nearly all of my time. Due to practising in a small city, I do not need the power to succeed in the identical numbers of individuals in contrast with my colleagues dwelling within the massive metropolitan cities throughout Canada.
Thankfully, as our world has develop into extra digital I’ve continued to see my legislation agency develop as phrase of mouth referrals have persistently saved me busy practising immigration legislation solely. However I’m not glad with serving so few folks. I need to have the ability to assist many extra folks than I’m at present in a position to help.
So after a lot consideration I’ve determined to create a sequence of Canadian Immigration Do-It-Your self Guides that may present large sensible steering and step-by-step directions on find out how to full the varied Canadian Immigration functions. I intend to start out with Categorical Entry as a result of that one appears to be giving everybody essentially the most grief currently whether or not lawyer, guide, or particular person looking for to do-it-themselves. The guides will basically comprise each tip, technique and ounce of data I and my workers have gleaned working inside CIC and up to now 11 years of Canadian Immigration observe.
So why select to create these DIY guides along with the free assets we might be sharing by way of the Canadian Immigration Podcast? The reply is fairly easy.
As an immigration lawyer, my authorized charges usually are not low-cost. I act for a lot of massive multinational corporations and excessive internet value people who worth the service I supply and are prepared and in a position to pay these charges. Nevertheless not everybody looking for entry to Canada can afford to rent an immigration lawyer. It’s for these folks that I’ve been most involved. Up to now 12 months, there was a big shift in how CIC processes immigration functions. For a few years, CIC was greater than prepared to simply accept immigration functions that have been principally full, however with some technical deficiencies. In these circumstances, individuals who submitted poor functions obtained a letter from CIC explaining what was lacking. These folks have been usually given 30, 60 or 90 days to offering the lacking info earlier than the appliance was refused.
Sadly there has now occurred a big shift inside CIC in how immigration functions are being processed. In an effort to streamline the adjudication course of, and to economize, CIC has now shifted considerably to a “one contact” coverage. Basically what this implies is that if there’s any deficiency inside the software; no matter how insignificant, they are going to select to return the whole software versus holding it within the queue and asking you for the lacking info. They’re fast to return the processing charge; nevertheless, for people who’re relying desperately for an software to be processed in a set time period, having this happen could be devastating.
As a result of the stakes are so excessive, there have been many individuals which have had functions refused with the consequence of shedding the chance to return to Canada briefly or within the worst case state of affairs see their dream of dwelling in Canada completely shattered. This may increasingly appear overdramatic; nevertheless after having a whole bunch of individuals contact my workplace for help this 12 months alone solely to be instructed it was too late and that they might seemingly should return again to their house county, I do know first hand how unstable this complete course of is and the true impact it could possibly have on people and households which are merely making an attempt to make a greater life for themselves.
So this now units the stage for the circumstances main as much as my determination to create the Canadian Immigration Podcast and my Do-It-Your self Guides. As I simply defined, within the earlier CIC world of “deficiency letters”, a small oversight or omission inside an software was not deadly. CIC would merely ship out the deficiency letter after having accomplished the completeness test.
In reality, many immigration representatives, whether or not dabbling lawyer or immigration guide have been in a position to profit tremendously from this coverage. They might by no means should spend an excessive amount of time turning into an professional within the space as a result of CIC would simply inform them what was lacking from the appliance after it was filed in any case. This normal observe made many attorneys and consultants fairly a bit of cash with out including any worth to the purchasers that paid them. In reality, most of those “mild weight” representatives would merely have the consumer fill within the software kind themselves in any case providing no better worth than being the one to mail the appliance off to CIC. No wonders they’re able to cost $250 for an software that I might cost $2,000.
Nevertheless, in right this moment’s Canadian Immigration world, a fantastic levelling impact has occurred amongst representatives. Dabbling attorneys and incompetent consultants can now not conceal their ineptness behind CIC’s previous coverage of requesting poor info. If one thing is lacking, or incomplete with the appliance package deal, an applicant receives the entire package deal again requiring them to should resubmit all the things as soon as once more. Usually the refused software can take months to return again. Within the case of some international employees reaching the 4 12 months cap on their work permits, this leaves them in a fully deadly place as a result of there’s usually no additional choices obtainable to them to stay in Canada longer as a result of they have been relying upon the everlasting resident software to grant the authority to increase their work permits by way of the bridging work allow program. With out the legitimate work allow, they’re now not eligible to use for PR. CIC affords little or no sympathy to those people and after spending years establishing themselves in Canada, their desires are dashed due to a easy oversight that might have simply been averted.
Nearing the top of April 2015, when the primary group of international employees have been capping out, I noticed that persevering with to function my legislation agency within the style that I used to be doing, would considerably restrict my capability to really assist people who desperately wanted help. I had already written a sequence of blogs on the finish of 2014 and the start of 2015 to supply normal recommendation and course on a few of the choices that may very well be obtainable to international employees dealing with the 4 12 months cap on their work permits. I knew that many of those people would haven’t any the place to show for recommendation, so tried to make the blogs as sensible as potential. I additionally wrote quite a lot of blogs on the brand new specific entry system to attempt to assist these people who had nowhere else to go. These blogs proceed to obtain excessive site visitors right this moment even after 8 months. I additionally lowered my session charge in an effort to make my authorized companies extra inexpensive. ; Nevertheless, I may by no means present enough worth to those people in a 30 minute session to present them a stable start line for finishing their functions on their very own. I may level them in the proper course to go; nevertheless, there have been so many mine fields and pit falls alongside the best way that even once I gave them particular directions on which functions to make to be able to keep in Canada, inevitably a tiny mistake inside the software package deal would get it rejected and there was nothing I may do.
Regardless of the actual fact I lowered my session charge, people have been nonetheless unable to afford the flat charges I charged for the varied immigration functions. Usually these people would flip to representatives that claimed to supply the identical service however for a lot lower than I charged. Nevertheless, in lots of circumstances, the previous adage “you get what you pay for” turned a actuality extra usually then not. These similar purchasers would come again prepared to make no matter sacrifices have been essential to pay my charge for help; nevertheless, it was usually too late.
Due to this, the one resolution I may consider was to start out the Canadian Immigration Podcast, try and reply questions of normal significance to folks accessing the Canadian immigration system, and create a sequence of DIY Guides that may very well be supplied at a fraction of the value of what I cost in authorized charges. As I said beforehand, my hope is to supply solutions to immigration questions that may very well be broadcast to a a lot better viewers than simply these folks that might afford my authorized charges. I are inclined to get lots of the similar questions on a regular basis, so what higher approach to amplify my information and expertise than to host a weekly podcast present the place I shared my information freely with anybody who cared to hear.
Clearly there’s solely a lot you are able to do by way of a weekly podcast. Nevertheless, if the knowledge I present can provide folks a even a bit of assist in finishing their functions on their very own, then my goal can be completed.
Clearly these guides usually are not meant to interchange the worth of looking for private authorized recommendation from a professional consultant; nevertheless, the information, methods and solutions included within the information will give folks stable info on find out how to keep away from widespread errors and sensible suggestions that they might by no means get with out truly hiring a consultant. Let’s face it, many people who might profit from this DIY information would seemingly by no means rent me in any occasion as a result of my authorized charges are too excessive. Nevertheless, they might be extra prepared to buy a information from somebody they’ll belief to assist them alongside their manner. On this style, I really feel like I’m truly giving again to many individuals who might have nowhere else to show for assist. I gained’t get into the risks of hiring the most cost effective lawyer or guide as your consultant; nevertheless it goes with out saying that if the skilled charge you’re paying looks like a “actual deal”, there’s seemingly an excellent motive why the charge has been set on the fee it’s.
With all of this being mentioned, by charging a small charge for this DIY information, I can then afford to enhance on the standard of the DIY guides and put extra assets into enhancing the Platform of free companies supplied by way of the Canadian Immigration Podcast web site. Which could be discovered on the canadianimmigrationpodcast.com.
I’ll proceed practising immigration legislation within the conventional manner I at all times have, however by way of the cash I’m able to earn from these preliminary guides, I will create others and regularly enhance upon them 12 months upon 12 months. My purpose is to create a beautiful library of DIY guides to supply help to anybody that simply wants a bit of help to assist them alongside their manner.
I hope you discover the assets on the canadianimmigrationpodcast helpful. Nevertheless, one of the vital causes I arrange the web site was to get suggestions from you. Not all the things I do might be excellent. I’m certain I’ll make errors and that’s the place you are available in. On each weblog, podcast and information there might be a remark part so that you can share what you consider this useful resource. I’ll rely closely upon the members of my Canadian Immigration Podcast neighborhood to supply suggestions on what I’m doing nicely and the place I would like to enhance. I’ll by no means faux to have all of the solutions. Clearly there are various fantastic immigration attorneys on the market which are smarter than I’m. I do know as a result of I labored aspect by aspect with them within the trenches of the Canadian Bar Affiliation combating for ideas that the common individual would seemingly by no means have been conscious of.
Nevertheless, it will likely be your feedback, solutions, and private experiences coping with CIC that may actually carry life to the Canadian Immigration Podcast. In the event you discover a mistake, or have any solutions for enhancing the DIY guides or any content material on the location or inside my Podcast, or produce other solutions which have labored nicely for you, I might be pleased to present you credit score if the suggestion lands within the subsequent model of the DIY information. In any case, within the new world of CIC which is missing of clear and clear coverage and pointers, typically the one manner you may actually know what to do is to be taught from the current successes and failures of colleagues and mates. With this being mentioned, I wish to emphasize that these DIY guides are meant for use along side CIC’s current software guides, coverage and directions. I don’t intend to easily recreate or repackage the great assets that CIC has made obtainable to the general public. These assets are created as a complement to what CIC has produced in an try and fill within the quite a few gaps that exist inside the present publicly obtainable supplies. You’ll observe that I intend to incessantly refer again to the CIC web site and supply hyperlinks to different helpful info in a manner that makes it simpler so that you can discover.
Lastly, if you happen to discover this info useful, the perfect thanks I may obtain is so that you can suggest it to a good friend. There are quite a few locations to share this Podcast in addition to the blogs and different guides by way of your varied social media channels. Twitter, Fb, and LinkedIn are typically those I frequent most. Nevertheless, I might additionally ask you to go away a overview on iTunes which is able to assist the Podcast to rank increased within the rankings and hopefully develop into extra seen to others who may benefit from this info. I at all times really feel a way of urgency with immigration as a result of it modifications so incessantly. As such, the content material I present goes to have a reasonably brief shelf life. So share this useful resource with anybody you already know and keep tuned to the discharge of my very first DIY information on Categorical Entry which might be popping out on November 1, 2015.
You may go to my web site: canadianimmigrationpodcast.com for additional info and to subscribe now to be notified when it’s prepared for distribution. You can too keep tuned to future Podcasts the place I might be discussing the content material of the DIY information in a bit of additional element main as much as its launch.
In my subsequent Podcast, I’ll present my record of the primary 5 important steps you will need to take earlier than trying to submit your Categorical Entry profile. As a result of I need this to be an interactive course of the place we are able to all be taught collectively, I would love you to submit your thought on what you assume are crucial steps to take earlier than submitting your Categorical Entry profile and you’ll evaluate your solutions with mine through the Podcast.
I additionally intend to take just a few listeners questions on the finish of the Podcast, so please go to my web site, at canadianimmigrationpodcast.com and depart your query. You are able to do so by clicking on my contact web page and leaving a written query by way of the fillable kind. You can too join with me on fb, twitter, or LinkedIn and depart your message there. Lastly, my desire is that you just click on on the “Ask an Immigration Query” widget on the proper aspect panel of the web site and depart a voice message. On this method, I can embody your query immediately inside the Podcast itself.
I’ll attempt to deal with questions associated to the Categorical Entry program; nevertheless, if I get some actually good questions that take care of different areas of immigration, I could embody them as nicely.
In future Podcasts, I might be addressing a few of the widespread errors folks make when submitting their Categorical Entry Profile. Typically we’re seeing Categorical Entry functions getting returned by mistake when the applicant did nothing improper. It’s in these infuriating circumstances the place I actually wish to hear from you. In the event you, or somebody you already know had their Categorical Entry software returned or outright refused unfairly, I wish to hear about it. Share your worst horror tales with me and I’ll share a few of mine with you on the finish of the Podcast.
If any of you HR Managers on the market who’re answerable for managing the international employee program inside your organization, or anybody occupied with studying extra in regards to the current modifications to the Short-term Overseas Employee Program, are going to be in Lethbridge on September 23, 2015, please come right here me converse on the Human Useful resource Institute of Alberta’s Canadian Immigration Legislation Occasion. I might be giving a 2 hour presentation on the Lethbridge Lodge. You do not need to be a member of the HRIA to attend. You may go to my legislation agency web site: www.ht-llp.com and click on on Seminars & Occasions to seek out info on find out how to register.
I may also be talking on the Canadian Institute’s Immigration and Worldwide Employees Discussion board West on the Marriott Resort in downtown Calgary, Alberta on October 27-Twenty ninth . I might be conducting a pre-conference fingers on workshop on Oct twenty seventh entitled “Working by way of Labour Market Impression Assessments after which presenting a particular session on Making certain Employer Compliance the very subsequent day on the twenty eighth. You could find info on find out how to register on my agency web site ht-llp.com as nicely.
Effectively that’s all for this inaugural episode of the canadianimmigrationpodcast. As a last log out, I’ll depart you with a beautiful little tune (at the least I actually prefer it) that just about sums up why I created the Canadian Immigration Podcast and the way I really feel about this expensive nation of Canada, my house and place of birth. Till subsequent time once I supply extra sensible suggestions and knowledge on Canadian Immigration legislation, coverage, and observe, that can assist you alongside your manner!
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