Archives for 2009

Securing employment in Canada is the top priority of most everyone in the process of immigrating to Canada and for those who have recently arrived. And not just any job but a rewarding career is what people want. In addition, some individuals require a Canadian job offer to even qualify for immigration to Canada. With these things in mind, Campbell Cohen is partnering with CareerJoy, Canada’s foremost Career Coaching Company, to give newcomers an advantage in the Canadian job market.

“Searching and finding a new job can be a challenge and especially for those who are new to Canada”, said CareerJoy founder Alan Kearns.

That is why the New Canadian Job Search Program, which includes a Résumé Service as well as several in-depth coaching packages, was designed… to speed up integration into the Canadian work environment.

The New Canadian Job Search Program includes:

• The Young Professionals program for individuals who have five to ten years of work experience and earn up to $70,000.
• The Mid-Professionals program for individuals who have more than ten years of work experience and earn between $70,000 and $150,000.
• The Senior Executives program for individuals who have more than fifteen years of work experience and earn over $150,000.
• The Skilled Trades program for skilled tradespersons such as plumbers or electricians.

Each CareerJoy coaching package incorporates ‘1-on-1’ and group coaching sessions that can be attended remotely, along with help tailoring a professional résumé and cover letter to the Canadian job market.

“From resume writing, interviews, dealing with recruiters and HR professionals through to salary negotiation, we will work one on one with clients to help then land the best position in the least amount of time and stress. In a competitive market, our clients have the advantage!” Kearns said.

All services and packages in the New Canadian Job Search Program are offered to Campbell Cohen clients at a special discounted price.

The Canadian government has committed to making settlement in Canada easier for new immigrants by creating the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. This framework will allow foreign-trained workers in certain professions to have their credentials assessed more quickly than before.

Under this new program, internationally-trained workers in professions such as nursing, engineering and architecture will find out within one year whether their credentials will be recognized in Canada.

Up until now, each province and territory has had different standards and time frames for evaluating foreign credentials, which has often resulted in newcomers to Canada working outside their profession for long periods while waiting for their credentials to be recognized. This new initiative will ensure that international credentials are reviewed quickly and comparably across the country.

“We want newcomers to be able to use their skills and work to their full potential. It’s good for them and good for the Canadian economy,” said Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Jason Kenney.

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) said that federal, provincial and territorial governments across Canada will work together to provide immigrants with improved workforce participation services, better pre-arrival services, and fair, transparent, consistent and timely assessments.

“We want a system that is fair, that’s consistent, that’s efficient, and that’s accessible,” said HRSDC Minister Diane Finley.

She added that these services will help internationally trained workers put their training and knowledge to work in Canada sooner after they arrive.

“We want to encourage newcomers to put their talents to work here and make it happen sooner. This is essential to help people find fulfilling jobs, rewarding work that contributes to Canada’s future,” Finley said.

The framework will initially be put in place for the following occupations by December 31, 2010:

• Architects;
• Engineers;
• Financial Auditors and Accountants;
• Medical Laboratory Technologists;
• Occupational Therapists;
• Pharmacists;
• Physiotherapists; and
• Registered Nurses.

By December 2012, the framework is expected to apply to the following occupations:

• Dentists;
• Engineering Technicians;
• Licensed Practical Nurses;
• Medical Radiation Technologists;
• Physicians; and
• Teachers.

After extensive consultations with caregiver groups across Canada, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) Minster Jason Kenney announced proposed changes to the Live-in Caregiver program earlier this month. The changes will make it easier for foreign workers in Canada employed as live-in caregivers to qualify for Canadian permanent resident visas, as well as ensure that their rights are protected and their working conditions are up to standard.

>> Read full article on Canadavisa.com

While the big immigration news in 2008 centred around the changes that were made to the Federal Skilled Worker program, no single immigration category drew as much attention in 2009. The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program and Quebec’s immigration program came close, however. Our look back at the major changes in these Canadian immigration categories over the past year highlights the fact that regulations, programs and procedures are constantly evolving to fit Canada’s needs, and that anyone who qualifies for a Canadian immigration program today should apply now, while the regulations favour them. Nobody knows what it will take to qualify in a year from now and changes occur without any warning.

Quebec Immigration – Skilled Worker and Quebec Experience Class

The province of Quebec made changes to its Skilled Worker program in October, 2009 which made it easier for many people to qualify. The overall selection pass mark was lowered, and points awarded for an applicants’ age and education were weighted more favourably than before. Quebec expects to welcome a greater number of immigrants to the province as a result of these changes.

Over the summer, the Quebec Immigration Minister announced the creation of the Programme d’expérience québécoise, or Quebec Experience Class, a fast-track immigration category for international students and temporary foreign workers in the province. The program is expected to come into effect in early 2010.

Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) – US Visa Holders Category

In January, 2009 Alberta announced it was streamlining the application process for the popular US Visa Holders Category of its Strategic Recruitment Stream. At that time, the US Visa Holders Category was the only one in that stream, but a month later two other categories were added to better respond to Alberta’s economic needs: the Engineering Occupations Category and the Compulsory Trades Category.

In May, 2009 eight information technology occupations were taken off the list of qualifying occupations for the US Visa Holders Category, and by September there were no more information technology occupations left on the list of qualifying occupations for Alberta. Fortunately, the Federal Skilled Worker program still remains an option for many Computer and Information Systems Managers. It is nonetheless important to keep in mind that the the qualifying occupations for the Federal Skilled Worker program may also change at any time, and eligible candidates would be wise to submit their applications as soon as possible.

I thought I’d close out the year 2009 with a little “feel good” story involving Canadian immigration.

This is about the Viviers family, who hail from sun-soaked South Africa. Unfortunately for them, three of the four family members suffer from a rare genetic skin disorder that makes exposure to direct sunlight extremely painful. As a result, they set out to find a reliably cloudy environment to move to. This prompted them, eleven years ago, to visit Prince Rupert, British Columbia, a place that holds the Canadian record for the least number of sunny days, pretty much every year.

>> Read full article on Canadavisa.com

Earlier this month, the Ontario Court of Appeal ordered governments to stop automatically charging individuals, who have sponsored relatives to come to Canada as permanent residents, for social assistance debt sustained by those relatives.

>> Read full article on Canadavisa.com

Earlier this month, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) Minister Jason Kenney introduced Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship, a new study guide for permanent residents applying for Canadian citizenship. The new guide is intended to give new Canadians a more comprehensive look at Canadian history and values than its predecessor.

Permanent residents who have lived in Canada for at least three years in the past four can apply to become Canadian citizens, which then gives them the right to vote, run for public office and obtain a Canadian passport. As part of the application process, candidates between the ages of 18 and 55 must take a test, and prepare for it using this study guide.

Discover Canada replaces a guide entitled A Look at Canada that had been in place since 1997. The new booklet contains more information about the Canadian military, Canada’s political history, the Confederation and First Nations than the previous one.

“By strengthening the guide, we are increasing the value of Canadian citizenship,” Kenney said.

Also included in the guide is information on common values in Canada such as freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law and the equality of men and women.

“We want to ensure that newcomers appreciate that citizenship is not just obtaining legal status, that it confers certain privileges and rights. It’s joining the Canadian community and it’s joining Canadian history,” Kenney said.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) consulted with respected Canadian historians, authors and public figures as Discover Canada was being developed, in order to ensure that the guide was as comprehensive and informative as possible.

“People come from all over the world to seek Canadian citizenship. It is highly valued. We expect people who want to become Canadians to have a good understanding of their rights and responsibilities, and the values and institutions that are rooted in Canada’s history,” Kenney said.

Citizenship applicants taking their citizenship tests before the end of February 2010 should study A Look at Canada, while applicants who will be taking their tests in March 2010 or later should study Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship.

Do you qualify for Canadian permanent residency? Find out by completing our new assessment form that evaluates your eligibility across more than 60 different Canadian immigration programs.

Every fall, the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism gives an annual report on immigration to the Canadian Parliament, detailing the state of immigration to Canada over the past year as well as the immigration plan for the coming year. In this year’s report, Minister Jason Kenney announced that Canada expects to maintain the number of permanent residents it welcomes in 2010, but highlighted that a greater proportion of Economic immigrants to Canada will be nominated or selected by the provinces and territories than before.

Kenney prefaced his report by pointing out that Canadians can be proud of Canada’s tradition of openness to newcomers around the world.

“We have maintained the highest relative level of immigration of any major western country, attracting nearly a quarter of a million permanent residents in 2008,” he said.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) stated goal was to welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents each year in both 2008 and 2009. Kenney’s report indicates that that target will be maintained for 2010 as well.

One dramatic difference between the immigration plans for 2009 and those for 2010, however, is the number and proportion of newcomers that are expected to immigrate under a Provincial Nomination or Selection Program.

In his 2008 report to parliament, Kenney had announced that an expected 20,000 to 26,000 Provincial Nominees would be arriving in Canada in 2009. One year on, the expected number of immigrants in those categories has increased to 37,000 to 40,000. This reflects the increasing responsibility provinces are taking on with regard to selecting their own immigrants.

The province of Quebec, which selects all its own immigrants under an agreement with the federal government, is also expected to welcome a greater proportion of the Economic immigrants Canada is expecting in 2010—a ten per cent increase over 2009.

Given that the provinces are progressively playing a larger role in their immigration programs, it is important for candidates to consider all the Canadian immigration options available to them.

Do you qualify for Canadian immigration under any of the Provincial immigration categories? Our new assessment form allows us to assess your eligibility across the more than 60 different Canadian immigration programs that are currently in place. Find out which option is right for you.

Newcomers to Canada have a large number of settlement services available to them once they arrive, most of which are provided to them at no cost. In recent years, the Canadian government has consistently increased funding to provinces and municipalities, to enable them to provide as well as improve settlement services for their immigrants. This month, we look at a few of the wealth of new initiatives that benefit new Canadians and ease their settlement process.

Throughout September and October, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced multiple local immigration partnerships with municipalities in Ontario such as Hamilton and York. The municipalities received funding from the federal government to develop settlement strategies that will help their newcomers integrate.

In Manitoba, immigrants can get ahead on their settlement process with the ENTRY program, a four-week program designed to help newcomers learn about life and work in Manitoba. A new aspect of the settlement process, such as finding employment, is covered each week, and a one-week express program covering all the topics is also offered.

Last month CIC revealed that it would be sending language training vouchers, which would enable individuals to take classes in one of the official languages free of charge, to newcomers chosen at random as part of a pilot project.

WelcomeBC, a settlement resource for new Canadians in British Columbia, recently enhanced their online services portal with the help of funding from the provincial and federal governments. The enhanced website includes task wizards in six languages: English, Punjabi, French, Chinese Traditional, Chinese Simplified, and Korean.

These are just some of the recent developments in settlement services in Canada that immigrants can take advantage of upon their arrival. The federal and provincial governments are constantly working to maximise the benefits these services provide to new Canadians.

Get a head start on your settlement in Canada! You can connect with people who are already in Canada, in the process of immigrating to Canada or who are thinking of immigrating to Canada on LoonLounge. Learn more about the settlement services in your intended destination from people who have experienced them. Make friends with people in your intended community. Prepare for work in Canada before you arrive. Visit www.loonlounge.com and join the community today!