Hi everyone,
I'm seeking help and opinions on my attempt to get an intra-company transfer through the LMIA-exempt work permit (specialized knowledge stream) to Canada. For some background, I'm a software engineer currently working for a US company, and my employer is willing to relocate me to their office in Canada. The company is working with a renowned law firm in Canada to handle my case.
Initially, we prepared the materials and submitted them in May. However, I received an email from the agency 3 weeks later, stating that my work permit was refused because we didn't provide enough evidence to prove my 'specialized knowledge'. Unfortunately, the agency did not show me the refusal letter. They advised that we needed to create a more robust application for the second attempt.
So, we worked with the lawyers and HR at my company to provide a detailed explanation of my unique skills, the prospective project in Canada that only I can perform, and why no one in the Canada office could do my job. We re-applied in June, but I did not see much of what the agency did on their end to prove the specialized knowledge aspect. Within 1.5 weeks of the second application, I met with HR, who informed me that my work permit was refused AGAIN... HR said the lawyer notified her but did not provide any reasons for the refusal. The lawyer later confirmed that they have filed a reconsideration request based on an 'ERROR' by the visa officer. Additionally, they have started the process for judicial review, which could take months.
I feel there's been a lack of communication among all parties involved, and I don't have visibility into what the supposed error was. The agency did not respond to my email requesting an explanation of the error that they believed the visa officer made. I feel very helpless and am unsure of the best course of action, especially with the lack of communication from the agency. I would like to re-apply, but not knowing the exact "error" or reason for my second application's rejection is very frustrating and makes it hard to gather the necessary information to apply again.
I would appreciate any advice or insights on how to proceed from here. Thank you in advance...
I'm seeking help and opinions on my attempt to get an intra-company transfer through the LMIA-exempt work permit (specialized knowledge stream) to Canada. For some background, I'm a software engineer currently working for a US company, and my employer is willing to relocate me to their office in Canada. The company is working with a renowned law firm in Canada to handle my case.
Initially, we prepared the materials and submitted them in May. However, I received an email from the agency 3 weeks later, stating that my work permit was refused because we didn't provide enough evidence to prove my 'specialized knowledge'. Unfortunately, the agency did not show me the refusal letter. They advised that we needed to create a more robust application for the second attempt.
So, we worked with the lawyers and HR at my company to provide a detailed explanation of my unique skills, the prospective project in Canada that only I can perform, and why no one in the Canada office could do my job. We re-applied in June, but I did not see much of what the agency did on their end to prove the specialized knowledge aspect. Within 1.5 weeks of the second application, I met with HR, who informed me that my work permit was refused AGAIN... HR said the lawyer notified her but did not provide any reasons for the refusal. The lawyer later confirmed that they have filed a reconsideration request based on an 'ERROR' by the visa officer. Additionally, they have started the process for judicial review, which could take months.
I feel there's been a lack of communication among all parties involved, and I don't have visibility into what the supposed error was. The agency did not respond to my email requesting an explanation of the error that they believed the visa officer made. I feel very helpless and am unsure of the best course of action, especially with the lack of communication from the agency. I would like to re-apply, but not knowing the exact "error" or reason for my second application's rejection is very frustrating and makes it hard to gather the necessary information to apply again.
I would appreciate any advice or insights on how to proceed from here. Thank you in advance...