Federal Court Decisions

Decision Information

Dahyalal v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration)

Court (s) Database Federal Court Decisions
Date 2007-06-21
Neutral citation 2007 FC 666
File numbers IMM-4303-06

Decision Content

 

Date: 20070621

Docket: IMM-4303-06

Citation: 2007 FC 666

Ottawa, Ontario, June 21, 2007

PRESENT:     The Honourable Mr. Justice O'Reilly

 

 

BETWEEN:

PATEL DEVENDRAKUMAR DAHYALAL

 

Applicant

and

 

THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP

AND IMMIGRATION

Respondent

 

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT AND JUDGMENT

 

[1]               Mr. Patel Dahyalal applied to become a permanent resident of Canada as a skilled worker, in particular, as a veterinarian. A visa officer at the Canadian Embassy in New Delhi evaluated Mr. Dahyalal’s application and, after interviewing him, found his experience to be inadequate. Mr. Dahyalal argues that the officer erred in her assessment and asks me to order a re-assessment by a different officer. I agree that the officer erred and must, therefore, grant this application for judicial review.

I.  Issue

[2]               Did the officer apply the wrong test?

II.  Analysis

[3]               According to her notes, the officer concluded that Mr. Dahyalal had not demonstrated that he had performed “most of the main duties” described in the National Occupation Classification for a veterinarian (NOC 3114). However, under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, SOR/2002-227, an applicant need only show that he or she performed a “substantial number of the main duties” (s. 75(2)(c)) (relevant enactments are set out in an Annex). A similar test was set out in the Immigration Regulations, 1978, SOR/78-172, Schedule I, item  4(1)(b) under which Mr. Dahyalal’s application was also evaluated.

[4]               Further, the actual NOC description states that veterinarians perform “some or all” of the main duties. It is an error for a visa officer to require an applicant to have performed a majority of the main duties when the relevant NOC description merely demands that they have experience in “some or all” of them: A’bed v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2002 FCT 1027; Noman v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2002 FCT 1169.

[5]               In my view, the officer imposed too high a standard. Therefore, I must allow this application for judicial review and order a re-assessment of Mr. Dahyalal’s application by a different officer. Neither party proposed a question of general importance for me to certify, and none is stated.

 

 

JUDGMENT

 

THIS COURT’S JUDGMENT IS THAT:

 

1.         The application for judicial review is allowed. The matter is referred back to a different officer for reconsideration;

 

2.         No questions of general importance are stated.

 

 

“James W. O’Reilly”

Judge

 

Annex

Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, SOR/2002-227

 

 

Skilled workers

75. (2) A foreign national is a skilled worker if

…

(c) during that period of employment they performed a substantial number of the main duties of the occupation as set out in the occupational descriptions of the National Occupational Classification, including all of the essential duties.

 

Immigration Regulations, 1978, SOR/78-172, Schedule I

Occupational factor

  4. (1) Units of assessment shall be awarded on the basis of employment opportunities in Canada in the occupation

…

(b)  in which the applicant has performed a substantial number of the main duties as set out in the National Occupational Classification, including the essential ones; and

 

Règlement sur l’immigration et la protection des réfugiés, DORS/2002-227

 

Qualité

 

75. (2) Est un travailleur qualifié l’étranger qui satisfait aux exigences suivantes :

[…]

c) pendant cette période d’emploi, il a exercé une partie appréciable des fonctions principales de la profession figurant dans les descriptions des professions de cette classification, notamment toutes les fonctions essentielles

 

Règlement sur l'immigration de 1978, DORS/78-172, Annexe I

 

Facteur professionnel

  4. (1) Des points d'appréciation sont attribués en fonction des possibilités d'emploi au Canada dans la profession :

[…]

b)  pour laquelle le requérant a exercé un nombre substantiel des fonctions principales établies dans la Classification nationale des professions, don't les fonctions essentielles;

 

 

 

 

FEDERAL COURT

 

SOLICITORS OF RECORD

 

 

 

DOCKET:                                          IMM-4303-06

 

STYLE OF CAUSE:                          PATEL DEVENDRAKUMAR DAHYALAL v. THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION

 

 

PLACE OF HEARING:                    TORONTO, ONTARIO

 

DATE OF HEARING:                      June 14, 2007

 

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

AND JUDGMENT:                          O’REILLY J.

 

DATED:                                             June 21, 2007

 

 

 

APPEARANCES:

 

Max Chaudhary

 

 

FOR THE APPLICANT

 

 

Anshumala Juyal

 

FOR THE RESPONDENT

 

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

 

M. MAX CHAUDHARY

North York, On.

FOR THE APPLICANT

 

JOHN H. SIMS, Q.C.

Deputy Attorney General of Canada

Toronto, ON

 

 

FOR THE RESPONDENT

 

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