About Together | Side by Side
Learn why Together | Side by Side exists, who maintains it, and the standards used to build transparent, evidence-based policy analysis.
Mission Statement
Together | side by side exists to make a clear, evidence-based case for earned, checklist-based permanent residence pathways for people who are already contributing inside Canada. The platform focuses on in-Canada contributors who work, pay taxes, and build community ties, but remain stuck in temporary status because current selection systems are competitive, unpredictable, and often misaligned with real-world contribution.
Our goal is not to replace existing programs. It is to document a specific governance gap: Canada benefits from trained, verified, in-country workers, yet many of them cannot transition to permanence through a straightforward, measurable pathway. Together | side by side argues for an earned approach that is transparent, binary, and auditable: if you meet a published checklist, you qualify.
This is a platform for policy clarity. We separate facts from proposals, label confidence, and show our work. When we propose criteria, we do so openly, with safeguards, and with explicit boundaries. The outcome we want is a public, predictable path that rewards demonstrated contribution in Canada, without turning permanent residence into a race against a points cutoff.
Who We Are
Together | side by side is maintained by Payman Khortalab.
Payman's role is practical and accountable: researcher, developer, and policy analyst. The platform is built and maintained as a living reference, with documented sources, revision history, and a clear distinction between descriptive analysis (what the data shows) and prescriptive proposals (what Together | side by side recommends).
All factual claims on Together | side by side are independently sourced and verified. We do not accept "trust us" arguments. Where evidence is incomplete or evolving, we label the confidence level and explain why.
Our Methodology
Together | side by side follows a simple method: gather evidence, vet it, then present it transparently.
Evidence gathering
We gather evidence from:
- Government data releases and official program documentation
- Parliamentary records and committee proceedings
- Academic research and peer-reviewed studies
- International comparisons from credible official sources
- Supplementary context from credible NGOs and reputable media, when useful
Vetting and source hierarchy
Not all sources are weighted equally. We use a structured hierarchy that prioritizes primary, official sources first, then strong secondary research, and only then supplementary reporting. When sources disagree, we document the disagreement and adjust confidence labels accordingly. You can read the full rules in the editorial policy.
Presentation and transparency
We present evidence with:
- Inline citations at the claim level
- A source registry so readers can see exactly what was used
- Confidence labels to signal how strong the evidence is
- Changelogs and revision history so updates are visible and auditable
Together | side by side is designed to be inspectable. If you disagree, you should be able to point to a specific claim, a specific citation, and a specific method step. That is the standard we aim for.
Contact
For questions, feedback, or corrections, email:
contact@together.sbs
Editorial Standards
Together | side by side follows a documented editorial method: source hierarchy, confidence labels, and a transparent correction process. Please review the full policy here: