In 2008, a new stream of Canadian immigration will be available to certain temporary foreign workers and international students with Canadian degrees and Canadian work experience. First announced in the 2007 budget, the Canadian Experience Class will help address the country’s labour force needs by better focusing on these candidates for Canadian Permanent Residency. Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s goal for 2008 is to admit between 10,000 and 12,000 under the new Canadian Experience category of immigration.
Canada’s current international student talent pool has the potential to add up to 30,000 skilled immigrants every year. The thousands of Temporary Foreign Workers currently in Canada are also first-rate immigration candidates, having already settled into Canadian society and the Canadian labour force. Under this new category of immigration, individuals in these two groups can apply for Permanent Residency from within Canada. Details are expected early in the new year.
In 2008, the Canadian Experience Class will add to other initiatives aimed at easing Canada’s labour force shortages. The Provincial Nominee Programs, in which Canadian immigration applicants are nominated for priority processing by the province in which they plan to live, have been expanded for next year. Additionally, Foreign Credential Referral Office (FCRO) services have been increased and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program has been enhanced.