Newsgroups: soc.culture.canada
Subject: HELP!! Immigration Questions/Problems
From: sturgeon_c@eis
Date: 31 Aug 92 07:41:05 GMT
Nntp-Posting-User: sturgeon_c

HELP!!!!

Can anyone out there (quickly) offer some advice and/or answer some
questions about how the Canadian immigration system works???

We have some friends who are German citizens (a husband and his wife about
our ages mid twenties to early thirties). We are Canadians. He has some
kind of degree in wood finishes or something like that to do with cabinet
making and in May of 1991 he was offered a position with a kitchen cabinet
manufacturer here.  They signed a contract stating if he was to be
terminated, he would be given three months notice.  The company also agreed
to pay for their moving costs here--half of the cost up to X value.  I
don't know the exact figures.

They moved here in September 1991 and have done everything by the book.
He's put in all kinds of overtime, etc.  The employer was approached many
times regarding giving them a letter required for applying for landed
immigrant status which the employer procrastinated and failed to come
through with and so even though they've done everything they could to get
their claim started they couldn't proceed without this letter.

Well, you guessed it. He was given his notice on Friday and is finished the
end of November.  The employer blames the poor economy.  Our friends think
that it has something to do with a government grant covering some of his
wages having run out. The biggest problem right now is that there was a
mistake made when they first came over with their immigration papers and
his work permit was only made out for one year instead of two and expires
on September 16, 1992.

They are good people and they want to stay in Canada if there is a legal
way to do so but we need some questions answered fast!

Is it possible to get his work permit extended at least until the end of
November?  What's the procedure?

What other possible ways exist for them to stay here (if any) such as
sponsorship, and how do they work?

They brought over a boat.  I'd guess you'd call it a cabin cruiser which he
built.  The company is not offering and I guess not obliged according to
the contract to help pay for their moving costs back to Germany.
Apparently they cannot sell it because they did not pay duty or taxes or
whatever on it when they came over.  However, it's going to cost them a
small fortune to take it back to Germany if they have to go back.  If they
sold it to a friend for a legal sum of $1 and agreed to pay the taxes would
the taxes be based on the $1 or the true value of the craft.  They're being
properly screwed and at this point we'd like to help. That friend of course,
would sell the boat for as close the true value at a later date and send
them the money if this is possible.

Now the company that brought them over actually paid them more than half of
their moving costs without being asked.  They paid even more than their
maximum as stated in the contract.  On Friday when they gave him his notice
they also informed him that the excessive amount was merely a loan and that
they wanted it back ASAP!  Our friends had never heard of this loan theory
prior to Friday and never signed anything accepting a loan so this is all
new to them.  Could the company legally take back the money from his wages?
It seems ridiculous to me to even consider that they'd try but could they
get away with it??

We need answers, contacts, suggestions from any and all as soon as possible
as they have a lot of decisions to make in the next couple of weeks!!

Thanks.

____________________________________________________________________________

Craig Sturgeon
(sturgeon_c@eis.dofasco.ca)

Dofasco Steel Inc.                                          100 Lyons Ave.,
1330 Burlington St. East                                 Brantford, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario                                           Canada  N3R 4R4
Canada  L8N 3J5
(416) 548-4420
____________________________________________________________________________