Websites to help recognize foreign credentials

The Canadian government has announced a new website, available now, that will help in the recognition of foreign credentials for newcomers to Canada. This comes on the back of a similar initiative announced recently from the government of Quebec specifically geared towards engineers.

The federal website, called The International Qualification Network (IQN), is a platform where regulatory bodies and professional organizations will post a variety of tools and information that can be used to accelerate the recognition of international credentials, something which has sometimes proved difficult for newcomers to Canada.

“The Government of Canada is committed to improving the process of recognizing foreign worker qualifications, and the IQN website will help find solutions that will allow immigrants to integrate better into the Canadian labour market,” said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

Early contributors to the service include nursing and midwifery organizations.

The site is not geared for immigrants themselves, but instead as a networking platform for subject matter experts involved in the recognition of foreign credentials, to improve their respective practices, which will reflect in how they serve their constituents: newcomers to Canada that require some form of professional recognition of their credentials to work in their field.

This differs from Quebec’s proposed website for foreign engineers, which will serve immigrants themselves, for exampleaccording to a previous CanadaVisa.com article, allowing them to “self-evaluate the estimated time it will take for them [to have their credentials recognized] and associated costs, and even track the progress of their applications as they progress through the process.”

New tools such as the one offered by Quebec, along with similar provincial initiatives across the country, then, will be able to tap into the IQN website, to further improve and accelerate the recognition of foreign credentials.

Source: http://www.canadavisa.com/news/entry/website-solutions-to-recognizing-foreign-credentials-011212.html

From Temporary Work Permit to Permanent Residency: A Brief Synopsis and Analysis of Options

Permanent Resident Card (2002-2007) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The path to Permanent Residency (PR) in Canada can be daunting in its complexity. However, some individuals find work in Canada before achieving permanent status, first entering on a Temporary Work Permit. This temporary permit can be a stepping stone towards PR. Indeed, in some ways the possession of a temporary work permit will ease a PR candidate’s overall application experience. For an individual who is already in Canada on a work permit, there are four main paths to transforming one’s temporary status to PR status.

Arranged Employment (through Federal Skilled Worker program)

Time Period: Approximately 12-18 months

For an educated, experienced worker in a skilled position, this program often presents the most straightforward path to PR. It consists of two steps

• Step 1: The employer for whom the individual is working for on a temporary basis can offer a position of indefinite length. This is referred to as Arranged Employment.
• Step 2: The worker must pass the FSW points system. This system attributes numerical value to things such as a job offer, adaptability, and education. If one has a job offer, higher education, and some language skills, they often have ample points to qualify.

Canadian Experience Class

Time Period: Approximately 1 year

Workers in skilled positions can apply under this program. This is often a choice option for individuals who are unable to meet the point requirements necessary for the Federal Skilled Worker program. The key difference between the two programs is that this category requires a candidate to garner the following experience in Canada:

• 2 years of work in Canada or
• Post-secondary studies completed in Canada and 1 year of work

If one qualifies for this path they must be prepared to maintain continuous employment for one of the above time periods before applying for PR.

Provincial Nominee Program

Time Period: Varies by province, approximately 12-18 months in total

Many provinces, through agreements with the federal government, have robust provincial programs, which allow them to nominate foreign workers for PR. Pursuing this path from within Canada will vary greatly from province to province. However, in general these applications must be for workers with skilled positions, and will require involvement on the part of the employer. There are some things to note:

• Some provinces have more active programs than others. Some prefer to target specific skill sets. This can dictate how one’s PNP application moves forward.
• Like other programs, PNP seeks skilled laborers. In Alberta only, there are some avenues to be nominated with an unskilled job.

For individuals outside of Canada, it is worth noting that if nominated, a foreign worker can receive a temporary work permit while they wait for PR.

Quebec Experience Class

Time Period: varies greatly, less than 1 year

The province of Quebec has unique agreements with the federal government that allow it to put special immigration systems in place. Generally, candidates on temporary work permits must work in Quebec for a minimum of 1 year in a skilled position. Most importantly, they must speak at least intermediate French under this particular program. After approval, they will receive a Quebec Selection Certificate, which will allow them to reside permanently in the province.

• Unlike other programs, Quebec allows individuals on temporary Working Holiday visas to apply for PR, providing they meet the aforementioned requirements.

It is important to remember that there is no ‘best’ or ‘worst’ road to achieving PR, and that a temporary work permit is not required to secure PR. Each program has been designed to facilitate the entrance of workers who will positively contribute to Canada’s labor market. All those wishing to immigrate permanently to Canada should choose the path which best matches their unique experiences and abilities.

Source: http://www.canadavisa.com/from-temporary-work-permit-to-permanent-residency-a-brief-synopsis-and-analysis-of-options.html

Related articles

• Working Temporarily in Canada
• Shortage of Labour in Alberta
• Hrsdc Replaced 2006 Edition of National Occupations Classifications
• Canada's foreign worker boom

• From Temporary Work Permit to Permanent Residency (immicanada.wordpress.com)
• Employment in Canada (thegrinchwhostoletv.com)

Refusal rate of visitors’ visas at its peak: Liberal

The refusal rate of visitor visas has skyrocketed under the current Conservative government, Liberal MPs charged at a series of community outreach meetings and town halls they held across the GTA last week.

That is what’s really happening behind the smoke-and-mirrors thrown up by Citizenship and Immigration Canada Minister Jason Kenney through the Super Visa, and the temporary, two-year parental sponsorship freeze, they alleged.

They added there would also be cuts to overall immigration levels.
“This year alone, they (the Conservatives) estimate cutting the number of immigrants admitted to 
Canada by 30,000,” said Liberal Citizenship and Immigration critic Kevin Lamoureux.

“With their majority government, the Conservatives are choosing to ignore all the hard-working new Canadians who elected them based on their empty promises,”? Lamoureux added.

He noted the Super Visa was supposed to bring families closer together by allowing parents and grandparents to visit their children in Canada for up to two years at a time over a decade.  

“But the reality is that most families won’t be able to afford the high-costs involved with the visa, including meeting minimum salary levels and paying thousands for private health insurance.

“Worse, the Super Visa controversy is distracting attention from the Conservatives’ decision to freeze parental sponsorship applications for two years — breaking a promise to new Canadians,” Lamoureux added.

He said that for some, having the right to sponsor their parents is the reason they chose to come to Canada. “What the Conservatives have done — no matter what their excuse — is not right,” he said.

Other MPs who formed part of last week’s Liberal offensive included Kirsty Duncan, John McCallum, Frank Valeriote, John McKay and Jim Karygiannis, who is also the party’s multiculturalism critic.

Karygiannis in particular took aim at the Tories’ stand on parental sponsorship.

“The family, which includes grandparents, is the very foundation of many of our multicultural communities,” he noted.

“While the Harper Conservatives say they are the party of family values, Kenney has proved that this is not so,” Karygiannis said.


Source: http://www.southasianfocus.ca/news/article/103763