JULY 2004

Liberal Minority Government

The Liberal party led by the Prime Minister – Paul Martin won a minority Canadian government.  The Liberal party won 135 seats, the Conservatives 99, The Bloc 54 and the NDP 19. 

"Canadians expected and expect more from us, and as a party and as a government we must do better, and we will," the Prime Minister said in his victory speech.

The Prime Minister will be forming a new cabinet within the next few weeks.  It is unclear if the current Minister of Citizenship & Immigration will be replaced. 

Temporary Resident Visas now Required for Citizens of Costa Rica

Citizens of Costa Rica will now require a Canadian temporary resident visa to travel to Canada.  Citizens of Costa Rica can apply for a temporary resident visa at any Canadian visa office abroad. 

Since December 2001, visa exemptions have been lifted fro the following countries:   Dominica, Grenada, Hungary, Kiribati, Nauru, Zimbabwe, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

Canada – Ontario Immigration Agreement 

The Ontario Provincial Government and the Federal Government have a signed a letter of intent that paves the way for the development and signing of a Canada-Ontario immigration agreement.

Ontario receives almost 60% of Canada’s immigrants but is the only province without an immigration agreement. 

If you have any questions about Canadian Immigration laws please contact Leonard Pearl at our Canadian office (lpearlvisalaw@sprint.ca or 905-764-8767).