In the April edition of our newsletter, we had reported that changes were coming to the popular U.S. Visa Holder category of the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP). Earlier this month, those changes were announced and, as suspected, the list of qualifying occupations was reduced. Eight of the information technology (IT) occupations have been removed from the list. Though the program remains open to U.S. H1B holders with experience in 43 management, business, science, and health occupations, some IT professionals no longer qualify for the program. Nevertheless, several other Canadian immigration options remain open to these individuals.

Entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses are an important part of the Canadian economy. If, as a potential Canadian immigrant, you would like to establish and manage your own business in Canada, the Entrepreneur category of Canadian Business immigration could be your ticket to Canadian Permanent Residency. The federal and provincial governments strongly encourage newcomers to invest in new or existing businesses across the country, bringing their international experience to the Canadian economy. The federal Entrepreneur category of Business Class immigration was created to do just that, and many provincial Entrepreneur programs have subsequently emerged as well.

Municipalities across Canada are requesting a greater say in immigration and settlement planning, says a recent report by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Many Canadian city mayors believe that they do not receive enough funding to properly meet the needs of new immigrants and to cope with changing settlement trends. Municipalities are on the front line of helping newcomers settle and integrate, playing a critical role in building a strong and multicultural nation.

In recent years, Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has been opened up to make it easier for Canadian employers to hire foreign workers to fill labour shortages in their growing businesses. As a result, the annual number of foreign workers coming to Canada has skyrocketed over the past few years, and a growing proportion of them are unskilled. Foreign worker advocates are now calling for a review of the program to better protect foreign worker rights and to explore avenues to allow them to transition to Canadian Permanent Residents.

Around this time last year most Canadians were relieved to learn that Ms Brenda Martin, a Canadian Citizen, had been brought back to Canada after having languished for more than two years in a Mexican Prison.