First Reference Talks

Discussions on Human Resources, Employment Law and Payroll

By | 2 Minutes Read

Canada implements leniency period for Electronic Travel Authorization until Fall 2016

On April 1, 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada published regulations implementing its Electronic Travel Authorization ("eTA") program. The regulations initially required eTAs to be mandatory as of March 15, 2016. Fortunately, the new Liberal Government has decided to delay the enforcement of the eTA requirement until Fall 2016 (no exact end date has been announced) by implementing a "leniency period." During the leniency period, visa-exempt foreign nationals who do not have an eTA will still be permitted to enter Canada as long as they have appropriate travel documents, such as a valid passport. Nevertheless, visa-exempt foreign nationals are encouraged to obtain an eTA as soon as possible.

By | 7 Minutes Read

How foreign franchisors can expand into the United States using foreign franchisees

Foreign-based franchisors may wonder how difficult it would be to expand their businesses into the United States. One possible solution is for the foreign-based franchisor to initially sell its U.S. franchises to citizens of its home country, or citizens of other countries where it may already have an established presence. Fortunately, in most cases, a foreign franchisee will be eligible to own and operate a franchised business under the E-2 treaty investor category.

By | 5 Minutes Read

Employment termination and maintenance of lawful status in Canada

Foreign nationals who hold work permits in Canada sometimes wonder what will happen to their immigration status if they quit their jobs or are terminated by their Canadian employers. Surprisingly, the termination of a foreign national's employment does not automatically invalidate his or her work permit or underlying temporary resident status. However, foreign nationals who travel abroad after the termination of their employment might not be able to return to Canada even if their work permits technically remain valid.

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Established in 1995, First Reference Inc. (known as La Référence in Quebec) provides Canadian organizations of any size with practical and authoritative resources to help ensure compliance.

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