Canada promises faster immigration, more student visas for India

TORONTO: Just days before Canadian parliamentary elections on May 2, political leaders are wooing Indo-Canadians by promising less waiting time for immigration and more student visas from India.

Speaking at a roundtable organized by the Canada- India Foundation (CIF) here, top leaders of the opposition Liberal Party promised a comprehensive relationship with India. They said their party government will take the bilateral ties beyond trade to increase immigration and tourism from India and foster deeper education and research cooperation.

Top Liberal Party leader and Toronto MP Bob Rae reminded Indo-Canadians the role played by his party leader and former prime minister Paul Martin in ushering in G20 to include India and other developing economies for wider consultation on global economic issues.

He said Canada should focus on its core competencies in engaging with India and leverage its expertise to continue to push for stronger nuclear ties with India.

Suggesting more visas for Indian students to study in Canada, John McCallum, MP from the Toronto suburb of Markham-Unionville, said Australia was "eating Canada's lunch'' in attracting Indian students and the federal government must usher in friendlier policies on visa and work.

Canada currently gets about 3,500 Indian students compared to over 40,000 going to Australia each year.

Rob Oliphant, MP from the Toronto constituency of Don Valley West, said his party had identified Gujarat as a great business destination 20 years ago. He said he was happy that the current Canadian government has recognized the importance of Gujarat by being a partner country at this year's Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

Since Canada still doesn't have any official presence in Gujarat, he favoured a full consular office in the state.

Oliphant promised that his party government would reduce wait times for the family class immigration category from 11-13 years now to five to six years. He also said his party government would be more careful in addresses sensitive issues like the visit of union minister Kamal Nath here last year which led to protests by Sikh groups for his alleged involvement in the 1984 riots.

Bengali-origin Rana Sarkar, who is contesting for parliament for the first time from the Toronto constituency of Scarborough Rouge River, said that based on past history, his Liberal Party has "the DNA for dealing with India and now there is need for India 2.0 engagement strategy.''

Maria Minna, MP from the Toronto constituency of Beaches-East York, emphasized the need for serious engagement of the Indian diaspora for deepening Canada-India relations.

Canada-India Foundation leaders Aditya Jha and Ramesh Chotai, said the Indian diaspora was pleased that the Liberal Party recognizes its role in shaping Canadian policies.

Representatives of the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, IIT Alumni of Canada and the Canadian Museum of Hindu Civilization also quizzed Canadian politicians about India.

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Canada offers affordable education

Image via WikipediaKota Kinabalu: Canada is alternative for Sabah students planning affordable and world-class education, abroad, said State Education Exco Member Datuk Masidi Manjun.

"Normally when we think of studying overseas, it's either UK or AustraliaÉI think it's time for us to emphasise the need to find new places.

"We need to make smart decision and not just a decision where to send our children É Canada is far but education wise, it is a potential country for our students to seek knowledge.

"We need to find new environment and environment shape the way we are and the way we think. It's not just about passing grade É We should look beyond our normal thinking," he said at the Canadian Education fair 2011 in Hyatt Hotel, Tuesday.

The High Commission of Canada in Malaysia hosted the Education Fairs in the State capital in hope of attracting more Sabahans to choose Canada as their first choice of education.

Masidi stressed that students and parents must first think of financial aspect as a whole and secondly the education environmental aspect and last but not least the affordability before choosing to study abroad.

"Studying in UK or even in Australia is much expensiveÉbut Canada offers affordable education compared to other countries.

Also the good thing about studying there is that it is legal to work while you are studying," he added.

Senior Trade Commissioner of Canada High Commission in Malaysia Douglas Bingeman said Canada offers flexibility with respect to employment and immigration.

"For students interested in a job during their study it is possible to work up to 20 hours on or off-campus in most Canadian provinces.

Even for students who do not need to work this provides an excellent opportunity to experience Canada and bring back this valuable experience to Malaysia."

He added that over 600 Malaysian students chose to study in Canada every year.

"More than 70,000 Malaysians have studied in Canada since the days of the Colombo Plan, many of them from East Malaysia.

He also said that most Malaysians who studied in Canada applied for courses such as engineering, business and actuarial science, among others.

"Average annual tuition fees are approximately $13,000 (about RM40,000). Most universities in Canada are public and partly funded by the various levels of government.

"The quality of education is also very high and importantly, consistent from one institution to another.

Indeed four Canadian universities ranked in the top 100 in he last Webometric world university ranking," he said.

He further stressed that Canada remains "a safe and welcoming multi-ethnic place to live and the lifestyle is second to none", adding quality of life indicators consistently put Canada at or near the top this regard.

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Canada reports slight increase in permanent residents from Latvia

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Latvians Online

October 27, 2010

The number of persons from Latvia earning permanent resident status in Canada increased in 2009, but remains significantly lower than the figure recorded a decade ago, according to government statistics.
A total of 86 persons from Latvia became permanent residents of Canada last year, up from 66 in 2008, according to data compiled by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and released in September.
Under Canadian law, permanent residents must live in the country for at least two years within a five-year period. Otherwise, they risk losing their status. While permanent residents share many of the same rights as Canadian citizens, they may not vote in elections.
Ten years ago, 230 persons from Latvia became permanent residents, increasing to 286 in 2001.
The number steadily declined through 2006, when just 73 new permanent residents were recorded. However, the number jumped to 113 in 2007.
In the past decade, a total of 1,491 persons from Latvia have become permanent residents of Canada, according to the data. That is more than from Lithuania, which contributed 1,355 new permanent residents during the same period, or Estonia, with contributed just 403.
Last year, more than 250,000 persons from around the world became new permanent residents of Canada. China, the Philippines and India are the top three source countries, according to the data.

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Indian doctor makes to the top in Canada

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Source: hindustatimes
With most Indian doctors in Toronto driving taxis because of non-recognition of their degrees, few have established themselves in their medical profession in Canada. But Amritsar-born physician Birinder Ahluwalia has made it to the very top of his trade, with his BSA Diagnostic Medical Imaging Centre in Toronto rated as one of the biggest and best in this country.
"Last year, we treated a record 70,000 patients and the numbers will be even higher this year. I don't know of any other medical centre in Canada treating more patients than us," Ahluwalia, who is equally well known in cultural circles as one of the founders of the city's Spinning Wheel Film Festival, said in an interview.
For his professional and cultural accomplishments, he was chosen among the top 25 immigrant achievers and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper invited him to accompany him to India in 2009.
"It was so kind of the Prime Minister to invite me to India. Since we are one of the largest medical centres in Canada, they thought it fit to invite me. Maybe I was included because Canada and India also to increase medical tourism," said the alumnus of Amritsar Medical College where his illustrious father Balbir Singh Ahluwalia also taught.
Like all immigrants, Ahluwalia too began his life at the bottom after reaching Toronto in 1985.
"Yes I was a qualified doctor from India, but I started here as a courier boy. But that didn't last long as I made quick moves, becoming assistant to the chief of the RDS Diagnostics as well as training as a diagnostic imaging specialist," he recalled.
Luckily for him, diagnostic imaging was just taking off and the young Indian saw a huge opportunity in this field.
"I set up a small facility under the name of BSA Diagnostic Imaging Centre in 1989 and have not looked back since. We have grown many times over to become one of the biggest in Canada. I was lucky to enter this field at the right time and become financially successful very quickly," Ahluwalia said.
With Toronto earning the dubious distinction of having more immigrant doctors turned taxi drivers than any city in the world, Ahluwalia is angry about the the plight of his fellow professionals.
"Canada is making its system inaccessible to foreign trained doctors on the false grounds that their skills may not be up to Canadian standards. It is bigotry. I have hired more foreign trained professionals and we have become one of the best diagnostic centres in Canada. I tell these people: put immigrant doctors through 6-12 months of training, and they will be wonderfully okay," he said.

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