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Immigrants can boost innovation in Canada
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According to a new study by the Conference Board of Canada (CBC), immigrants can help boost innovation in Canada, which is currently lagging behind other developed nations.
“Immigrants tend to be motivated individuals willing to take risks in search of greater opportunities, which should predispose them to be innovative,” said Diana MacKay, Director, Education and Health. “At every level we examined—individual, organizational, national and global—immigrants were associated with increased innovation in Canada.”
The CBC says that Canada is consistently ranked 14 out of 17 industrialized nations in its capacity to innovate. In it’s report, Immigrants as Innovators: Boosting Canada’s Global Competitiveness, the CBC used various criteria to show that countries benefit by encouraging immigration.
The report found that at least 35 percent of Canada Research Chairs are foreign-born, even though immigrants only make up one-fifth of the population. In addition, immigrants win proportionally more literary and performing arts awards in Canada than native born Canadians.
Immigration also leads to an increase in trade between Canada and the immigrants’ countries of origin. According to the CBC report, a one percent point increase in the number of immigrants to Canada can increase the value of imports into Canada by as much as 0.21 percent and raise the value of exports by 0.11 percent.
Foreign direct investment in Canada is also greater from countries who are well-represented in Canada’s immigrant population, according to data compiled by the CBC from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.
The study suggests that employers should make hiring, integrating, and retaining immigrant workers part of their overall strategy to increase innovation; Immigrants should be hired at every level of the company, including in leadership positions. Immigrant workers should also be encouraged to come up with new ideas that may help their employer.

Crossing the border with $10,000 or more?

You MUST report yourself to the Canadian boarder officials.

Reporting requirements

How to report

In person at a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) office.

If you are entering or leaving Canada and are carrying $10,000 or more, or its equivalent in a foreign currency including any combination of coins, domestic or foreign bank notes, and securities, such as travellers cheques, stocks and bonds, you MUST report yourself to the boarder official. They will have you complete Form E677, Cross-Border Currency or Monetary Instruments Report – Individual. If the currency or monetary instruments that you are reporting are not your own, you will be required to complete Form E667, Cross-Border Currency or Monetary Instruments Report – General. You must complete the reporting form, sign it, and hand it to a border services officer at the nearest CBSA office that is open at the time you are travelling.

By mail

If you are sending $10,000 or more or its equivalent in a foreign currency into Canada through the mail, you must complete Form E667 and include it with the money. In addition, you must complete a Universal Postal Convention label and attach it to the item being mailed.
If you are sending $10,000 or more or its equivalent in a foreign currency from Canada by mail, you have to complete Form E667 and include it with the item being mailed, and mail or submit a completed copy of Form E667 to the nearest CBSA office at the same time or before you mail the package.
Additional postal requirements may exist when importing or exporting currency or monetary instruments by mail. Please contact Canada Post for further information.

By courier

If you are sending $10,000 or more or its equivalent in a foreign currency to or from Canada by courier, the courier must have the person in charge of the conveyance complete Form E668, Cross-Border Currency or Monetary Instruments Report made by Person in charge of conveyance, and attach it to Form E667, which you, the importer or exporter, will have completed. Both forms must be submitted to a CBSA office.

If you need help completing the forms, see the instructions on the back of the forms, or contact the nearest CBSA office.

Failure to report

Currency and monetary instruments of a value equal to or greater than $10,000, or its equivalent in a foreign currency which are not reported, may be subject to seizure and the assessment of penalties or forfeiture. Penalties range from $250 to $5,000.

What happens with the information you give the Boarder Officials?

The completed forms are sent to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) in Ottawa for assessment and analysis. The information provided on the currency reporting forms is subject to the general provisions of the Privacy Act and is collected under the authority of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act.

Immigration to Canada
BUSINESS VISITORS
WHO CAN APPLY
You may qualify as a business visitor if you are a foreign national who plans to visit Canada temporarily to look for new business opportunities, to invest or to advance existing business relationships.
If you are from a country that requires a visa to visit Canada, you must apply for a temporary resident visa just like any other temporary visitor to Canada. There is no separate application for business visitors. The temporary resident visa covers all visitors, including those in Canada on business.
Business visitors usually stay in Canada for a few days or a few weeks. To be considered a business visitor you must show that:

• you intend to stay for less than six months and do not plan to enter the Canadian labour market

• your main place of business and source of income is located outside Canada

• profits from your business will accrue outside Canada

• you can provide documents that support your application and

• you meet Canada’s basic entry requirements. You:

• have a valid travel document, such as a passport

• have enough money for your stay and to return home

• plan to leave Canada at the end of your visit and

• do not pose criminal, security or health risks to Canadians.

Cross-border business can include activities like:

• buying Canadian goods or services for a foreign business or government

• taking orders for goods or services

• attending meetings, conferences, conventions or trade fairs

• providing after-sales service (mainly supervision, not hands-on labour)

• being trained by a Canadian parent company you work for outside Canada

• training employees of a Canadian subsidiary of a foreign company or

• being trained by a Canadian company that has sold you equipment or services.

Under the North American Free Trade Agreement, a U.S. or Mexican national may also take part in other activities, such as research, marketing and general service.
If you plan to stay longer than six months or intend to work in Canada, you may be considered a temporary worker and have to apply for a work permit.
If you need a temporary resident visa, as a business visitor, you must submit certain documents when applying:

• a letter of invitation from your potential business partner in Canada

• 24-hour contact details for that person, and

• You may also need identification cards or proof of employment.

DO YOU NEED A MEDICAL EXAMINATION

If the duration of your visit is six months or less:

Generally, no medical examination is required.
However, a medical examination is required if you intend to work in an occupation in which the protection of public health is essential.

If the duration of your visit is more than six months:
You will need a medical examination if:
• you have resided or stayed temporarily for six or more consecutive months in a designated country or territory in the one year immediately preceding the date you sought entry into Canada. This applies even if you are a citizen of a country where you do not require a visa to enter Canada.

• you are coming to Canada to work in an occupation in which the protection of public health is essential.

ARRIVING AT THE CANADIAN BORDER

When you arrive in Canada, you will be greeted by an officer of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The CBSA is responsible for protecting the borders and points of entry to Canada. The CBSA officer will ask you the purpose of your visit and confirm that you meet the requirements for admission to Canada. This is standard for anyone entering Canada, whether you have a temporary resident visa or not.
You should have all relevant documents on hand to present to the officer when you arrive. These documents include, but are not limited to:

• a valid passport or travel document that will be valid until the end of your stay

• if applicable, a temporary resident visa

• letters of support from your parent company and a letter of invitation from the Canadian host business

• a copy of any contracts or bills to support your visit

• 24-hour contact details of your business host in Canada and

• proof that you have enough money for both your stay in Canada and your return home.

You will not be allowed into Canada if you give false or incomplete information, or if you do not satisfy the officer that you are eligible for entry into Canada. You will also have to satisfy the officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your authorized stay in Canada.

Estate Planning in BC
What is a power of attorney?

A power of attorney is a document that appoints another person, called an “attorney,” to make financial and legal decisions for you.

A power of attorney can be very specific. For example, you may give your daughter a power of attorney just to cash your old age security pension cheques for you. In fact, you can get power of attorney forms for cashing these cheques at your local federal Service Canada office. Your bank can also give you a form if you need a power of attorney for a specific bank account.

A power of attorney can also be very general. If you wish, you can give your attorney very wide powers to deal with all of your assets.

There are specific rules for powers of attorney dealing with real estate
The Land Title Act requires the attorney to do certain things and follow certain procedures, and there are certain rules that apply. For example, a power of attorney dealing with real estate is only valid for three years from the date of signing, unless otherwise specified or unless it is an enduring power of attorney as described in the Power of Attorney Act. You can get a copy of the Land Title Act at your local library or find it on the government’s legislation website at www.legis.gov.bc.ca. But because real estate involves large amounts of money, you should consult a lawyer for real estate transactions rather than trying to do it yourself.

Who should you appoint as your attorney?

Consider carefully who to appoint as your attorney and the powers you want to give. It’s important that you trust that person’s honesty and judgment. If you have no family member or friend that you can or want to appoint, you can appoint a respected professional such as your lawyer, accountant or trust company. As a power of attorney gives your attorney very broad power, it can cause you a lot of harm if misused.

Does the person you appoint have to act as your attorney?

No. Merely granting a power of attorney to someone (and even delivering the written document to them) doesn’t mean that this person has to act as your attorney if they don’t want to. The attorney doesn’t have to take any specific steps to say “no,” or to later decline to act if they no longer wish to be the attorney.

How do you end a power of attorney?
The most effective way to terminate a power of attorney is to give your attorney a written notice saying that their power has ended AND GET THE ORIGINAL BACK, and preferably also to destroy all originals or duplicates of the document (to prevent misuse by the terminated attorney). To cancel or revoke a power of attorney dealing with land, you must file a document called a “Notice of Revocation” in the Land Title Office where the land is registered. The court can also terminate a power of attorney – this might happen if your attorney abuses their power. It’s also possible to put an end-date in the document itself.

A power of attorney automatically ends in certain circumstances
It automatically ends when you die or if you become bankrupt. It also ends if you become mentally incompetent, unless you say that the power should continue, and then you’ve made an “enduring power of attorney.”

What is an enduring power of attorney?

An enduring power of attorney allows your attorney to make the necessary financial and legal decisions for you in case you become mentally incapable because of age, accident or illness. To make an enduring power of attorney, the document must say that the agreement will continue to be in effect if you’re no longer able to make decisions for yourself.

When is an enduring power of attorney useful?

An enduring power of attorney may help avoid having the court appoint a “committee” of one or more people to look after your legal and financial affairs in the event that you become mentally incompetent. A committee appointment is much more expensive than making an enduring power of attorney.

What decisions can be delegated with a power of attorney?

A power of attorney is used to delegate financial and most legal decisions. This is true for both a power of attorney and an enduring power of attorney. But your attorney cannot make medical or health care decisions for you, such as consenting to surgery or dental work for you. For these decisions, you need to make what’s called a “representation agreement.”

What is a representation agreement?

The Representation Agreement Act allows you to appoint someone as your legal representative to handle your financial, legal, personal care and health care decisions, if you’re unable to make them on your own. The document is called a representation agreement, and it creates a contract between you and your representative.

Your representative has certain duties they must follow. For example, your representative must consult with you, as much as is reasonable, to determine your wishes. Generally speaking, unless your representative is your spouse, the representation agreement must name another person as a “monitor” to help ensure that the representative lives up to their duties, or the agreement must state that a monitor isn’t required.

Are there different types of representation agreements?

There are two types:

Section 7 limited agreement – to cover straightforward, everyday decisions
Section 9 general agreement – to deal with complex legal, personal care and health care matters

A Section 9 agreement is needed for your representative to make such decisions as refusing life support if you become terminally ill.

Do you need a lawyer to make a representation agreement?

The law says you must consult a lawyer to make a Section 9 agreement, but you should actually see a lawyer for both agreements. A lawyer can help you to understand the wide range of issues that arise with a representation agreement.

Can you register these documents somewhere?

At the Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre & Registry, you can register both enduring powers of attorney and representation agreements. Hospitals, banks and government services can search there to find out who your attorney or representative is if they need to. See www.nidus.ca.

Summary

A power of attorney is a document that allows you to give another person, called the attorney, the authority to act for you in financial and legal matters. The power can be as specific or as general as you wish. But unless you use an enduring power of attorney, it will automatically end if you become mentally incompetent. A representation agreement, on the other hand, can cover personal care and health care decisions, as well as certain financial and legal decisions, if you’re unable to make them on your own.