Canada increases application fees for temporary resident categories

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced an increase in application fees for several temporary resident categories, affecting individuals seeking to restore their status or apply for various permits.

The fee hikes, which range from 2.80% to 4.69%, will apply to applicants in categories such as restoring temporary resident status, re-entering Canada after inadmissibility, and applying for Temporary Resident Permits (TRPs).

The updated fee structure impacts eight application categories, with varying increases for each. For instance, the fee for restoring Visitor Status has risen to $239.75 from $229.00.

Similarly, restoring Student Status now costs $389.75, up from $379.00, while restoring Worker Status has increased to $394.75 from $384.00. Other notable fee hikes include the cost for authorization to return to Canada, which has increased to $479.75 from $459.55, and criminal rehabilitation applications, which now range from $239.75 to $1,199.00, depending on the severity of the criminality.

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Additionally, the fee for the International Experience Canada (IEC) program, which targets young professionals and working holiday participants, has risen to $179.75, up from $172.00.

The fee for Temporary Resident Permits (TRP) has also gone up by 4.34%, while criminal rehabilitation applications for serious criminality have seen an increase of over 4%.

IRCC has emphasized that applicants must ensure they pay the correct fees at the time of application submission. For applications submitted online, the new fees should be included.

If submitting by mail before December 1st, 2024, applicants can still use the old fees, but will be required to pay the difference. Applicants are encouraged to use IRCC’s online payment tool to make any necessary additional payments.

These fee adjustments are part of IRCC’s periodic updates to account for inflation and to maintain the quality of services offered to applicants.

US Mayor Yemi Mobolade under investigation for plotting racist attack to win election

Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade is under pressure from local officials to clarify his ties to Derrick Bernard, who was indicted for staging a hate crime during Mobolade’s mayoral campaign.

Bernard, who is black, scrawled a racial slur on a campaign sign and set a cross on fire in an incident described as a hoax to boost Mobolade’s candidacy.

Florida woman gets life jail for suffocating boyfriend in suitcase

A Florida woman, Sarah Boone, 47, has been sentenced to life in prison for the second-degree murder of her boyfriend, Jorge Torres Jr., 42, after zipping him inside a suitcase and leaving him to suffocate.

The verdict was delivered on Monday, Dec. 2, in an Orlando courtroom, following Boone’s conviction over a month ago.

The chilling incident occurred on Feb. 24, 2020, in the couple’s Winter Park apartment. Boone claimed the tragic event stemmed from a drunken game of hide-and-seek, during which she found it amusing that Torres could fit inside a suitcase. However, evidence presented during the trial painted a darker picture.

Videos recovered from Boone’s phone played a pivotal role in the case. In the recordings, Torres can be heard pleading for his life, repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe,” as Boone ignored his cries.

Instead of helping him, she mocked and berated him. “For everything you’ve done to me,” Boone is heard saying, comparing his suffocation to her feelings of betrayal over his alleged infidelity and abuse.

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The court also heard that when Torres managed to get one hand outside the suitcase, Boone used a baseball bat to hit his hand, forcing him to retract it. She testified that she feared he might “break out of the suitcase,” though her laughter in the videos contradicted any claims of self-defense.

During her trial, Boone took the stand to argue that the situation spiraled out of control. She claimed she initially viewed Torres being in the suitcase as an opportunity to discuss their relationship, alleging past abuse. Despite these assertions, the jury found her actions intentional and cruel, leading to her conviction.

This tragic case underscores the devastating consequences of domestic conflicts escalating into violence. Jorge Torres Jr.’s death has left his family and community mourning, while Boone’s life sentence serves as a stark warning about the seriousness of such actions.

Florida woman gets life jail for suffocating boyfriend in suitcase