Kanset Services Inc.

Kanset Services Inc. For over 15 years, we've been helping individuals, families, and employers navigate the Canadian immigration system with confidence. Welcome to Kanset!

This page is your source for immigration news, practical tips, answers to FAQs and insights. Kanset Services is a Toronto-based immigration consulting firm employing professionals with over 20 years hands-on experience assisting families immigrate and settle in Canada. If your dream is to live in Canada, our dedicated team will guide you and your family every step of the way to ensure that your goals are achieved.

09/04/2026

Your work permit is about to expire. What can you do while IRCC is processing your application?

If IRCC receives your application to extend your work permit before the current permit expires, you may have maintained status after expiry and may be authorized to keep working while IRCC is processing the application.

For an employer-specific work permit, the original conditions still apply.

The other documents DO NOT follow automatically:
* You may continue authorized work with an expired SIN, but you cannot update the SIN record until the new work permit is issued.
* Ontario says someone on maintained status may still be eligible for OHIP, but Service Ontario must assess the documents and eligibility.
* Your counterfoil may expire with your previous work permit and a new one needs to be applied for after the new work permit is issued.

If the extension was filed while the LMIA was still pending, there is another deadline to track. The official requirement is to add a final LMIA decision to an application for a work permit within 90 days of filing. IRCC may give you more time, at their discretion.

Not sure what to track or how? Book a consultation through our profile.


How can an Olympic hopeful receive Canadian citizenship before meeting the regular physical-presence requirement?For a s...
09/04/2026

How can an Olympic hopeful receive Canadian citizenship before meeting the regular physical-presence requirement?

For a standard adult citizenship grant, the applicant must be a Permanent Resident when applying and normally needs 1,095 days of physical presence in Canada during the previous five years. Eligible time in Canada before permanent residence can count as half-days, up to 365 days. For athletes, frequent international travel and training may make the standard physical-presence requirement harder to meet.

With that in mind, Canadian law contains a special provision: Subsection 5(4) of the Citizenship Act.

This section gives the Minister discretion to grant citizenship to reward services of exceptional value to Canada. In 2009, Olympic hopeful Kaitlyn Weaver received a special grant so she could be eligible to represent Canada at the 2010 Winter Games.
It is not an athlete stream or a checklist that guarantees approval. IRCC assesses each request on its own merits. Criminality and security prohibitions still apply, and a person aged 14 or older must take the Oath of Citizenship.

Subsection 5(4) is a rare, high-threshold legal mechanism for exceptional contributions to Canada.

Planning your own pathway to Canadian citizenship? Link in bio to connect with our team.

09/04/2026

Your Immigration Consultation: What To Expect

As of now, Kanset provides free consultations on H&C cases. This offer is valid at the time of this posting and is not a standing guarantee. Please confirm when scheduling your consultation.

Maria describes her approach to consultations, specifically in the context of H&C cases. No clock watching, no fixed number of minutes, and a proper comparison against the other programs you might qualify for.

Because the real job is explaining how everything else has to be ruled out before H&C is considered.
That is also why a consultation is a sensible first step rather than a “fit-for-all” solution.

Watch the full episode of Kanset Talks. If it sounds like your situation, a consultation is a good place to begin.

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Five hundred Google reviews. 🎉Over the last 14 years, we have had the privilege of helping thousands of individuals, fam...
09/03/2026

Five hundred Google reviews. 🎉

Over the last 14 years, we have had the privilege of helping thousands of individuals, families, and businesses find their way through Canada's immigration system. Today, we are celebrating a big milestone: 500 amazing reviews and a 4.7-star rating on Google.

Every one of those reviews is a real person's journey: a family reunited, a worker who got to start their job in Canada, an employer who kept the talent they needed, or a businessperson who had the opportunity to build a business in Canada.

Thank you to every client who trusted us with their journey!

09/02/2026

Are you holding an employer-specific (closed) work permit in Canada and considering a career move?

Your permit carries conditions that may prevent you from accepting a promotion, or a position with a different employer.

If you receive a new job offer, you cannot simply give two weeks notice and start working for a new company on Monday. Doing so constitutes unauthorized work, which can compromise your legal status and future permanent residence application.

Before you can legally begin with a new employer:
* make sure a new LMIA or LMIA-exempt offer process is completed, as applicable.
* submit a new work permit application.
* wait for your new permit or interim authorization from IRCC before implementing any changes.

Are you or your team preparing for an upcoming role or employer transition? 

Plan your timeline with our RCICs: kanset.com/contact


09/01/2026

Can you travel while your humanitarian and compassionate application is still being processed?

It depends on three things, and they have to work together.

Where are you travelling? Why? How long you will be away.

More often than not, an H&C application rests on the argument that you cannot be somewhere else, and your home country in particular. So spending three months in your home country works against the case you are making. A holiday in Florida on a US visitor visa is a different question entirely.

Everything has to make sense in the context of the reasons you applied under.

Thinking about travel while your application is still being processed? Book a consultation before you book the flight.

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08/31/2026

One rule that is widely misunderstood by study permit applicants.

If you are applying for a study permit on or after September 1, the amount of required funds calculation must be based on updated requirement. Specifically, the minimum required amount has just been increased to $23,448.

It is also very important to understand that the amount is for one applicant, and it excludes tuition and transportation expenses.
The amount that applies to you is the one in force on the day you apply, not the day your program starts.

Another important update is for parents and grandparents, and hosts applying for super visas for Canada.

On Aug 25 IRCC published updated instructions for calculating the super visa income requirement, and there are now two ways for the host(s) in Canada to meet it. One, they can use their higher income year out of the last two, instead of only the most recent one. Two, they can now meet part of the requirement themselves and have the visiting parent’s or grandparent’s own income supplement the rest (up to 25% of total).

Families who already qualified and applied under the old rules, still qualify.

Also this week: no new Express Entry draws since Aug 19, and IRCC’s consultation on 2027 Express Entry categories closes Sep 1.
These figures come from IRCC’s published examples and change with the cost of living.

Which numbers apply to your family depends on your family size and your situation.

Not sure which one is yours? Book a consultation.

08/28/2026

Bay Street, 28th floor. Maria was there for a job interview and the address alone was intimidating. Then Mary walked out in a red suit.
Nineteen years later they are still working together, and Kanset exists because of a two-minute conversation.

Maria and Mary tell that part themselves in episode 1 of Kanset Talks. Full episode in bio.

Video production by Studio for podcasts, reels, courses, events | Toronto (Vaughan)


08/27/2026

Can a minor have both a study permit and a work permit in Canada?

For many families of temporary foreign workers, the answer changed on January 21, 2025. Dependent children are no longer eligible for an open work permit under the family measure that applies to many high-skilled workers who are not on an eligible permanent residence pathway.

That does not mean every possible work-permit route is closed. Limited exceptions, extensions and other eligibility categories can still apply. The child must also meet the minimum working-age rules in the province or territory.

This is one of those questions where the family’s exact immigration pathway matters.

Questions about your family’s permits? Book a consultation through the link in bio.

Video production by Studio for podcasts, reels, courses, events | Toronto (Vaughan)


08/26/2026

Should you apply for spousal sponsorship as a common-law couple, or get married first?

On paper, the definitions look simple. In practice, the real difference comes down to the evidence:

Common-Law: Requires proving evidence of having at least 12 continuous months of cohabitation, with joint leases, shared bills, financial responsibilities, etc.

Married: Confirmed by a legal marriage certificate, though you must still prove the genuine nature of your relationship.

The second major decision? Choosing between an inland application (living together in Canada, with open work permit options) vs an outside Canada application (which retains appeal rights and offers travel flexibility).

Hear Maria Guerts break down spousal sponsorship strategies in Episode 2 of Kanset Talks on YouTube.

Questions about your sponsorship timeline? Link in bio to connect with our team.

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