Archives for 2008

On March 14, 2008, the Conservative government announced their intention to introduce significant amendments to Canada’s immigration system.  Many heated debates, numerous stakeholder consultations, a federal election, and a new Immigration Minister later, the amendments were finally announced on November 28.  Immigration remains a key priority for Canada, but now has a slightly stronger focus on economic immigration.

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) Minister Jason Kenney recently announced the details of the Canadian Government’s new Action Plan for Faster Immigration, which sets new regulations for the Federal Skilled Worker program of Canadian immigration.

“We expect new federal skilled worker applicants, including those with arranged employment, to receive a decision within six to twelve months compared with up to six years under the old system,” said Minister Kenney. 

Under the new regulations, Federal Skilled Worker applicants will need to satisfy one of the following criteria in addition to the current points system in order to qualify:

• They must have at least one year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the last 10 years in one of 38 qualifying occupations that are in high demand in Canada; OR

• They must have an offer of Arranged Employment in Canada; OR

• They must have been legally residing in Canada for at least one year as a temporary foreign worker or an international student.

Federal Skilled Worker applicants who do not meet these requirements will have their applications returned with a full refund of government processing fees.  The new regulations are retroactive to applications that were received on or after February 27, 2008.

 

It is important to note that a returned application has not been refused or rejected by CIMC.  It can presumably be resubmitted at a later date, when the processing queues become shorter and/or when other occupations are included in the list of qualifying occupations.  For those who do not want to wait until that time, there are other options for Canadian immigration, such as the Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP), through which applications receive priority processing.

 

These measures were put in place to reduce the backlog of applications in the system and to speed up the processing times of immigration applications.

 

Minister Kenney assured that, “The eligibility criteria apply only to new [submitted on or after February 27, 2008] federal skilled worker applicants and will not affect Canada’s family reunification or refugee protection goals.”

 

In addition to changing the selection criteria, the application submission process has also been retooled, to ensure that new applications will be processed in the targeted 6-12 month period.

 

With the new regulations finally in place, Minister Kenney was able to get on with tabling the Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration.

 

A central focus of the report, which is in line with the new regulations, is the realigning of immigration with labour market needs.  The report states that “Efforts to meet economic needs must go hand in hand with the goal of building Canada as a nation and integrating newcomers into the social and cultural life of the country.” 
Between 240,000 and 265,000 new Permanent Residents will be welcomed to Canada in 2009.  Up to 156,600 of them will be in the economic category – a slightly larger proportion than last year’s targets.  The plan also aims to admit a record number of Provincial Nominees (up to 26,000) to meet the increasing regional demand.

With the goal of processing new Federal Skilled Worker applications within 6-12 months, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) has implemented new submission procedures to make the process more efficient.

> > Read full article on Canadavisa.com

Many Canadian employers have been feeling the pinch of chronic labour shortages over the past few years and Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) and Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) have been responding with various measures to alleviate them.  The most recent good news is the expansion of the NAFTA temporary foreign worker program, now granting three year work permits to American and Mexican professionals to work in Canada.  In addition, provincial and federal trade ministers recently announced a plan for full labour mobility across the country as of April 2009.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has repeatedly stated that the country’s shortage of skilled labour is one of the most significant long-term challenges for Canadian policy-makers.  His Conservative government’s goal is to align immigration policy more closely with current labour market shortages, says CIMC Minister Jason Kenney.

In response to this, CIMC recently announced the expansion of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) temporary work permit program, making it easier for Canadian employers to hire and retain American and Mexican professionals.  Under the NAFTA program, workers will now be granted temporary work permits of three years in duration.  Previously, these work permits had to be renewed every year.

“NAFTA work permits are an excellent option for North American professionals seeking to work in Canada including lawyers, doctors, dentists and teachers.  In addition, this will also help Canadian employers remain competitive by ensuring they have access to necessary skilled labour,” stated Minister Kenney.  He also highlighted that the duration extension will provide greater continuity and stability for both Canadian employers and foreign workers.

NAFTA was created in 1993 to facilitate trade between Canada, the United States, and Mexico – including the trade of skilled labour. Given Canada’s workforce shortages and its consequent heavy reliance on immigration and foreign workers to maintain its economic growth, there are many career opportunities North of the border for American and Mexican citizens.  The three countries have agreed on labour mobility standards for 63 professional occupations, for which professionals can work in another member country without having to re-qualify under the host country’s certification standards.

Canada grants around 5,150 of these temporary work permits every year, most of them to Americans.  Americans and Mexicans must have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer to obtain a NAFTA work permit.

Another announcement this month makes it easier for newcomers and established Canadians alike to live and work in different regions across Canada.

By April 2009, Canada will have a truly national labour market, whereby workers in regulated occupations, such as architects, accountants, plumbers, and doctors, will be able to freely move across provincial and territorial borders, without having to be re-certified by the province or territory to which they are relocating before they can start working.

The Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) was signed in Ottawa this month by provincial, territorial, and federal trade ministers as part of Canada’s Agreement on Internal Trade.

“This is an important step forward, and we need to continue to work on removing similar barriers to trade and investment, so we have full trade and labour mobility across the country,” stated British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell, who has been advocating for greater labour mobility in Canada for some time.

This is good news for Canadian immigrants, some of whom need to re-certify themselves for work in Canada upon arrival.  If they later wish to move to another province or territory, they will no longer have to repeat this process.

Immigration is an important solution to Canada’s current labour shortages.  CIMC has been working to align the immigration system more closely with labour market needs to ensure both the strength of the Canadian economy and the success of new immigrants in Canada.

Immigrant and temporary migrants have become increasingly important to population growth and to Canada’s economy.  Canadians are grateful for the contributions of workers from abroad, and have established a vast network of settlement services to help them feel at home.  A recent HSBC survey has given Canada the top spot in terms of how friendly and welcoming locals are to newcomers.

According to the HSBC Bank International’s Expat Explorer Survey, people who relocate to Canada have “a relatively easy time befriending locals, joining a local community group and learning the language.”  In fact, 95 per cent of those surveyed said that they have made friends with Canadian locals.  Germany was ranked a close second at 92 per cent, followed by Australia at 91 per cent.

The study surveyed 2,155 expats in 48 countries and measured the countries’ relative friendliness based on four categories: number of respondents who joined a community group, number who learned the local language, percentage who bought property, and respondents’ ability to befriend locals.

Canada has a strong settlement services network, with immigrant and temporary resident-serving organizations spread throughout the country in both large metropolitan areas and small communities alike.  Many of these organizations tailor their services to newcomers from specific nations or regions, adding a note of cultural understanding to the settlement process.

Thanks to immigration, the Canadian population continues to grow steadily, now comprising 33,441,300 people.  According to Statistics Canada, the population grew more in the past three months than it has in any third quarter since 1990, adding 129,900 people since July.  71,300 of these people are newcomers to the country.

Just recently, the Philippines became Canada’s largest source country for immigrants and temporary workers combined, overtaking China which had been the top source country for years.  19,064 Permanent Residents and 15,254 temporary workers from the Philippines arrived in Canada in 2007.  Aside from Americans, more Filipinos arrived in Canada as temporary foreign workers than any other nationality.

Jack Jedwab, executive director of the Association for Canadian Studies, says that the increase is partly explained by Canada’s focus on temporary workers, and the fact that many Filipinos fill caregiver and service-sector jobs in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.

In terms of the number of Permanent Residents in Canada, Chinese-Canadians and Indian-Canadians make up the two largest groups, although their numbers have dropped in recent years.  The Filipino population makes up the third largest group.  Its size has more than doubled in the past five years.

In 2007, Canada admitted 236,758 Permanent Residents and 115,470 temporary workers.  Annual temporary foreign worker numbers have nearly doubled since 1998.

Without a doubt, the Canadian immigration story of the past year has to do with the changes made to the Federal Skilled Worker category of immigration.  Not only is qualifying now different than it was a year ago, but the application process itself has also changed significantly.

>> Read full article on Canadavisa.com

If you are a business person looking to make an investment in Canada, the Business Immigration Program may be an important fast-track Canadian immigration option for you.  Business Immigration seeks to attract foreign nationals with business and managerial experience who will contribute to the development of the Canadian economy.  Through this priority processing program, you could be immigrating to Canada in a matter of months.

>> Read full article on Canadavisa.com

Following Prime Minister Harper’s re-election last month, he appointed a new cabinet and a new Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.  Jason Kenney, former Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity and a well-known figure in Canadian ethnic communities, has been appointed to this position.

Jason Kenney was first elected to the House of Commons in 1997 and has served as Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity since the beginning of 2007.  Since that time, he has been instrumental in building a connection between Canadian immigrants and the Conservative Party; having attended over 400 cultural events and having held consultations with immigrant groups to hear their goals and concerns first-hand.

In delivering his first address as the Immigration Minister, Kenney stated that the Government of Canada remains committed to a dynamic immigration program and to the successful integration of newcomers.

“Just as immigration has played a strong role in our past, it will continue to be important to our future,” said Minister Kenney. “Canada is respected around the world for the way we’ve managed to bring in people from all over the globe. We have done this with a spirit of openness and tolerance, embracing diversity and becoming stronger for it.”

“I look forward to the privilege of serving as Canada’s Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism as we continue our commitment to reuniting families, to maintaining our humanitarian obligations to refugees, and to supporting Canada’s economy,” he added.

In his new role as Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Minister Kenney will be taking over the task of rolling out the amendments to Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, introduced by his predecessor, Diane Finley.

Finley has been moved back to Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), the portfolio that she left in 2006 to take over immigration.  HRSDC and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) work closely together to ensure that Canada’s newcomers can help address the country’s labour force needs.

With Minister Kenney’s appointment, the role of Minister of Citizenship and Immigration was transferred the duties and functions of the Minister of Canadian Heritage regarding multiculturalism and human rights.

In the Government of Canada’s recent Speech from the Throne, Governor General Michaëlle Jean stated that the federal government will “work with the provinces to make the recognition of foreign credentials a priority”.  In addition to the establishment of the Foreign Credential Referral Office last year, provincial governments have been working to develop tailor-made plans to ensure that newcomers can quickly integrate into the workforce.  This month, Alberta introduced a new program.

The Canadian business community, which has been calling for the acceleration of foreign credential recognition to ease skilled worker shortages, applauded the Government of Canada’s recognition of this issue as a priority in its Throne Speech.

Foreign qualification recognition is an important step in the newcomer settlement process.  It verifies that education, skills, and work experience obtained outside Canada are in line with the standards established for Canadian workers.  The process involves many stakeholder groups including professional regulatory organizations, educational institutions, industry councils, non-government organizations, and providers of foreign credential recognition services.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada runs the Foreign Credential Referral Office (FCRO), which provides in-person foreign credential referral services for internationally-trained newcomers at 320 Service Canada centres across the country and has implemented overseas orientation sessions as well.  The FCRO website, which offers information about occupations in various locations in Canada (local labour market, job duties, skill requirements, wage rates, etc.) has seen a lot of traffic in its first year of operations, as has its dedicated phone service.

The provinces have also been proactive in improving the foreign credential recognition process, intent on helping newcomers contribute to the workforce to their full abilities.

This month, Alberta released A Foreign Qualifications Recognition Plan for Alberta.  The plan was developed through consultation with stakeholders and various government ministries.

The key features of the plan are:

• To create a $1-million Innovation Fund to encourage the development of innovative and flexible approaches to foreign qualifications assessment;

• To improve access to information and resources for employers, immigrants and potential newcomers;

• To develop International Education Guides which will include comprehensive information on educational systems and credentials in other countries, along with comparisons to Alberta standards; and

• To develop occupational profiles detailing the certification, licensing, or assessment process.

“Streamlining foreign qualification recognition is a ‘win-win’ scenario for newcomers to our province and for Alberta,” stated Doug Horner, Alberta Minister of Advanced Education and Technology.  “This plan will help expand our labour market, strengthen our economy and provide opportunities for immigrants to make the most of the skills they’ve brought to out province.”

Saskatchewan has just made it easier for international students to become Canadian Permanent Residents.  British Columbia (BC) is now helping its substantial food processing sector to retain foreign skilled workers by nominating them for fast-track Canadian immigration.  These students and workers have now been added to a growing list of foreign nationals who can qualify for fast-track Canadian Permanent Residency under the various Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP).

Provincial Nomination Programs remain an important fast-track option for Canadian immigration.  At the root of their success is the fact that they select newcomers who are most likely to integrate into the regional workforce and society efficiently and effectively.  Though all PNP’s differ, the various programs have categories for skilled workers, semi-skilled workers, family members, business investors, international students, and farmers among others.  To continue to attract and retain these valuable newcomers, the provincial governments are frequently refining their immigration systems, adding and tweaking PNP categories to accurately reflect the current needs of the province.

This month, British Columbia has introduced a new pilot project for workers in the food processing sector, and Saskatchewan has altered its international student category to make it easier for them to settle in the province:

Food processing is BC’s second largest manufacturing sector, generating $6.7 billion annually.  Canadian employers in this sector have been suffering from chronic labour shortages and welcome the new addition to the British Columbia Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) as a means to maintain a stable workforce.  Under this category, the BC employer sponsors the foreign worker for fast-track Canadian immigration.

To qualify, individuals must have been working in a qualifying occupation (such as beverage and fish processing, process control, industrial butchering, testing and grading in food, and machine operations) in BC on a Temporary Work Permit for at least nine months and must be currently working for their employer at the time of application.

Additionally, the Saskatchewan Government made changes to the Student Category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), making it easier for international students to qualify for this fast-track Permanent Residency option.

To be eligible for this category, international graduates of Canadian post-secondary academic institutions must have worked for a Saskatchewan employer on a Post-Graduation Work Permit for a period of at least six months.  Previously the occupation had to be in the international graduate’s field of study.  This requirement has now been removed to make qualification easier.

Since the Student Category of the SINP was established, 158 international graduates have been nominated by the province to become Permanent Residents.  On an annual basis, approximately 3,500 foreign students study in Saskatchewan.

These PNP changes reflect the provincial and federal resolve to help temporary residents more easily transition into Canadian Permanent Residents and eventually Canadian citizens.