Recognition of immigrants’ foreign-acquired education and training (credentials) has become a hot topic of late. Recent studies highlight the increasing importance of immigration to the Canadian labour market. Over the past ten years, newcomers to Canada have accounted for 70 percent of Canada’s labour force growth, and by the middle of the next decade, immigration will fuel nearly all of this growth.

In Canada, both the federal government and the provinces have a say in the selection of immigrants. The federal government is fully responsible for health and security issues and exclusively administers some immigration programs such as Family Class Sponsorship and the Federal Skilled Worker category of immigration. Many of the provinces administer their own immigration programs and do in fact select candidates who express an interest in settling within their territory under what is known as the Provincial Nomination Program (PNP).

The Canadian economy is enjoying a very good 2007 so far, and the proof is in the jobs. In the first quarter of 2007, job creation hit a five year high, displaying a dynamism that far exceeded economists’ predictions.

The number of options is on the rise for Canadian immigration applicants who do not want to wait out the lengthy application processing times associated with a Federal Skilled Worker Application. Applicants who have relatives or can become part of a community group in Canada may be able to benefit from provincially-sponsored programs, aimed at increasing province-specific immigration.

Should people in Canada have to ask politely to wear what they want? Canadians define our nation with pride as a cultural mosaic, a vibrant and colourful collection made up of people who immigrated to Canada from every corner of the world. Multiculturalism is the rule in Canada, and it carries the force of the constitution.