Emigrate to Ontario under the Provincial Nominee Program

Since February 2009, the Ontario Pilot Provincial Nominee Program (Pilot PNP) has been known as Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program.

As with other Canadian PNPs, Opportunities Ontario is employer driven. You may only apply if your employer is pre-screened, the position is approved and your employer provides you with a nominee application package from Opportunities Ontario.

You will need to submit your application to the province first and then apply for a permanent resident visa through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) as a Provincial Nominee, once Ontario approves your application.
Applicants to the Opportunities Ontario program can apply under one of five categories:

• Foreign Workers (General Category)
• Investors
• Students with a Job Offer
• PhD Graduates
• Masters Graduates

Foreign Workers (General Category)

Skilled workers may be able to apply to Opportunities Ontario under the general category if:

• Their prospective employer has first applied for a pre-screening of a position
• The position has been approved
• Their prospective employer has sent an approval letter, a signed Joint Verification form and a Pre-screen Position form
• However, the three points above are not a guarantee of approval. To be eligible, you also need to:
• Have at least two years of work experience within the previous five years in the intended occupation, or have appropriate registration in Ontario (NB: Unpaid, unathorised or volunteer experience will not be accepted)
• Have an approved, permanent full-time job offer in a skilled occupation (NOC 0, A or B)
• Have been offered a wage that meets the prevailing wage level for the intended occupation
• Have legal status if you are already residing in Canada

Please note that after the issue of your employer pre-screen approved position form, you have 60 days to submit your application to Opportunities Ontario.

For more information on how to apply under the Foreign Worker (General Category) stream, please review the Application Guide for Nominees.

Investors (General Category)

The Investors stream allows companies making an investment in Ontario to recruit or relocate key employees to ensure the long-term success of their investment.

Recruited or relocated employees under the Investors category must meet the same eligibility requirements as those under the Foreign Workers (General Category).

Review the brochure of information for investors for additional information on how to apply.

Students with a Job Offer (International Student Category)

Ontario employers can extend permanent, full-time job offers to international students who have completed their post-secondary education at a publicly-funded Canadian institution. These students can then be eligible to apply for an Ontario Provincial Nomination Certificate.

In order to apply under the International Student Category, you must:

• Have completed at least half of your studies in Canada, and have graduated or will soon be graduating from an eligible publicly funded Canadian college or university (NB: You must send proof of graduation with their application)
• Have completed a minimum of a two-year diploma or degree program, while studying on a full-time basis. One-year post-graduate degree programs and certificate programs, which require a previous degree or diploma (which may have been obtained abroad), are also eligible
• Have a job offer in a managerial, professional or skilled trades occupation (NOC 0, A or B). The job offer does not have to be related to the field of study.
• Have a job offer that is permanent and full-time and meets the entry level wage for the occupation, rather than the prevailing wage required for applicants in the General Category
• Apply within two years of the date on which you received your degree or diploma, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing your degree or diploma
• Have legal status, if you are already residing in Canada
• Have received your employer’s approval letter, signed Joint Verification and Pre-screen Position form

International student applicants do not need to have any previous work experience. You may apply for an approved position from within Canada or from overseas.

PhD Graduates (International Student Category)

Candidates under this part of the International Student Category must have obtained their PhDs from an Ontario publicly-funded university and do not need a job offer to be eligible for the Opportunities Ontario Program.

To apply under the PhD Graduates stream, you will not require a job offer.However, you will need to:

• Have graduated from an existing PhD program at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario, or
• Have successfully completed all degree requirements for the program (i.e completion of course work and successfully defended your thesis and are awaiting the granting of your degree) and have completed at least two years of your PhD studies at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario
• Apply within two years of the date on which your PhD degree was granted
• Have legal status, if you already are residing in Canada

Masters Graduates (International Student Category)

As with applicants under the PhD Graduates Stream, Masters Graduates do not require a job offer from an Ontarian employer.

However, to apply for the Opportunities Ontario PNP as a Masters Graduate, you must:

• Intend to live and work in Ontario
• Have graduated from an existing Masters program at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario
• Have completed a minimum of one academic year degree program, while studying on a full-time basis
• Apply within two years of the date on which your Masters degree was granted, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing your degree
• Currently be residing in Ontario
• Have legal status in Canada (i.e. study permit, work permit, temporary resident visa)
• Demonstrate high official language proficiency (For English language proficiency – IELTS – General test with a minimum score of seven or higher) (For French language proficiency – TEF – with a minimum score of five or higher)
• Demonstrate a minimum level of savings/income to support yourself and your dependants
• Demonstrate at least one year of residence in Ontario in the past two years

If you plan to apply under the International Student Category, via the PhD Graduates stream or Masters Graduates stream, you should review the Application Guide for International Graduates (PhD and Masters.

Source: Muchmore Magazine

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Wal-Mart Canada plans 40 supercentres in next fiscal year

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The retail giant says it will open 40 new Canadian supercentres in its upcoming fiscal year starting Feb. 1 through both renovating and relocating some existing stores and constructing new ones.

While the location of the new stores hasn't been announced yet, the plan will expand the supercentre concept into Manitoba and Quebec, and represents a combined investment of nearly $500 million.

Supercentre locations in the greater Ottawa area include Lincoln Fields, Carleton Place, Rockland and Orleans.

Wal-Mart said the plan could create more than 9,200 jobs in stores and in the construction sector.

The retailer opened its first Canadian supercentres in Ontario in 2006.

At the end of this month it will have 325 stores, of which 124 will be supercentres.

– With files from OBJ Staff

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Canada’s culture of excellence in education

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Andy Hargreaves

Last year, I was driving through Toronto when I spied a bumper sticker ahead. It didn’t proclaim “God Bless Canada” or even “Proud to be Canadian.” It simply said “Content to be Canadian!” That’s Canada in a nutshell. Canada scores quite well (but not spectacularly) on a range of international indicators: 8th in human development, 25th most equal, 14th least corrupt, and characteristically half way on UNICEF’s index of child well-being.

Canada ranks in the middle of lots of things, except perhaps hockey, the Winter Olympics and now, education. Last month, the media had a feeding frenzy over the release by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) of the results of their Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). The big story was the prominence of Asian countries on the top-10 list. What the media elsewhere overlooked was the strong performance of Canada.

Canada ranked 6th overall, and the OECD picked out Canada as one of four “strong performers” and “successful reformers.”

Strictly speaking, though, the OECD concentrated not on the whole of Canada but on just one province: Ontario. In a video promotion of PISA’s policy implications, the OECD’s change guru, Andres Schleicher, praises Canada for its positive approach to immigration that is evident in narrow achievement gaps between students from different social backgrounds. Then, without explanation, he switches to Ontario. It’s as if Ontario stands for all of Canada.

The province is praised for its urgent focus on measurable improvement in literacy and numeracy; its ability to set a clear plan and sign up key stakeholders to commit to it, including teachers; its sophisticated use of achievement data to pinpoint problems in underperformance among certain students or schools; and then its response: to “flood” these schools with resources, technical assistance and support. Bravo, Ontario!

But here’s the puzzle. Ontario isn’t the only high-performing province on PISA. On reading literacy, Alberta leads, followed by Ontario and British Columbia. On math, Quebec leads, followed by Alberta and Ontario. On science, Alberta leads, followed by B.C. and Ontario. Some of these differences are tiny — barely a percentage point or so. Yet the policies and strategies are often quite different.

Take Alberta. There, the Conservative government has supported an $80-million-per-year program spanning more than a decade to support school-designed innovations in more than 90 per cent of the province’s schools. It doesn’t have government targets and it doesn’t concentrate so tightly on literacy and numeracy. In many ways, it’s the opposite of Ontario. So perhaps we should give bigger applause to Alberta for its bottom-up approach? Or to B.C.! Or Quebec! The provinces have different policies, different relationships between government and teachers’ unions, and different parties in power — but the PISA results are pretty much the same. What’s going on?

There’s obviously something about Canada, or at least the more prosperous parts of it. Canada has some striking commonalities with Finland, the only non-Asian performer above it in the OECD ranking. Both countries value teachers and insist on a professional program of university-based training for all public-school teachers. Working conditions are favourable with good facilities, acceptable pay, wide availability of professional development, and discretion for teachers to make their own professional judgments. Both countries have a strong commitment to public schools and only a very modest private sector in education. Both countries have strong social welfare and public health systems with broad safety nets to protect the youngest and most vulnerable members of the population. Last, both nations are characterized by deeper cultures of cooperation and inclusiveness that make them more competitive internationally.

Being Canadian is not about occupying the middle ground in everything. It’s also about being cooperative and inclusive and about valuing shared community and public life. It’s not this or that province’s policy that makes Canada such a strong educational performer, but a social fabric that values education and teachers, prizes the public good, and doesn’t abandon the weak in its efforts to become economically stronger.

These are the things that make Canada educationally successful, and that it should cherish and protect compared to poorer PISA performers, like the U.S. (17th) and U.K. (24th). Let’s be content to be Canadian in most things if we must, but Canadians in general — Ontarians, Albertans, British Columbians and Québécois alike — should feel proud to be among the world’s very best in education.

Andy Hargreaves is the Brennan Chair in Education at Boston College. Although he lives in the U.S., he is content to be Canadian.

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You’re leaving already?

Image via WikipediaSix out of 10 business-class immigrants who land in Quebec quickly take their money elsewhere

When your province’s birth rate is hovering at replacement level, and when nearly a quarter of the population is nearing retirement, language politics tend to take a back seat to more pressing matters—like how to sustain the economy. No surprise, then, that Quebec has assumed a prominent spot on the immigration bandwagon, treating newcomers as a key to its economic future rather than a threat to its identity. By any measure, its efforts have paid off: in the last decade, the province has jacked up its intake of immigrants by more than 50 per cent, welcoming almost 49,500 last year.
The question now is how to keep the most wealthy and productive newcomers from flying the coop. A recent internal report by the federal immigration department suggests more than six out of 10 of the coveted business-class immigrants who declared Quebec as their destination during the early 2000s quickly fled to other provinces, taking their investment dollars and entrepreneurship potential with them. The big winners? Ontario and the two westernmost provinces. B.C. saw a 22 per cent net gain in the number of business-class immigrants who called it home, due to migration from other provinces. Ontario enjoyed a 14.5 per cent bump while Alberta saw a 9.5 per cent increase.
The report, which was obtained under Access to Information by Vancouver immigration lawyer Richard Kurland, calls into question the widespread belief in Quebec that newcomers will provide much of the province’s future economic momentum. The theory, promoted in policy circles and at all levels of government, assumes a heavy influx of business immigrants—an umbrella term for investors, entrepreneurs and the self-employed who are admitted to Canada on the basis of the wealth they will generate (investor-class immigrants to Canada must be willing to spend more than $800,000 in this country, and their net worth must exceed $1.6 million; entrepreneurs must have a $300,000 net worth and two years of business experience).

Immigration drives construction and the B.C. economy

Image by bfraz via Flickr

by Philip Hochstein, President, Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of B.C

In Alberta, the price of oil is the economic sign of the times. In Saskatchewan, it’s a mix of key agricultural and mining commodity prices. In Ontario, manufacturing and financial services dominate.

These indicators provide a snapshot of their economies and signposts of the health of what is driving provincial economies.

A recent report by the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) of B.C. shows something different drives B.C. – immigration.

Though forestry, mining, and tourism remain important, it’s the in-flow of individuals and families from the rest of Canada and from other countries that’s at the heart of our economy.

With construction adding more than $9 billion a year to GDP, and driving nearly 10 per cent of the jobs in the province, the health of the industry matters to everyone.

View from the Board

Philip Hochstein

Residential construction is more important in British Columbia than any other province.

More than nine per cent of our GDP comes from the sector. Quebec’s residential construction sector has the second largest impact in Canada – and its share of GDP is 25 per cent less than in B.C.

What drives residential construction? Population growth.

What drives population growth? Here in B.C., it’s international immigration.

B.C., like the rest of the Western world, has declining birth rates. British Columbians are doing little to bump up our population.

In-migration from other provinces has been strong for the past few years – a recovery from the 1997 to 2004 period, when more people moved away than moved here. International immigration now drives B.C.’s population increases.

There is a direct link between population growth and residential construction. There was solid growth and high housing starts up until the mid-1990s.

Population growth slowed from 1997 to 2000 – mirrored by a decline in housing starts.

When the population started increasing again in 2001, housing starts began rising to levels surpassing the mid-1990s.

It’s not just numbers that are important.

It’s the attitude the immigrants bring – a strong attachment to home ownership. In an assessment released last year, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation looked at immigrants six, 24 and 48 months after arrival.

While less than one-in-five owned their home at the end of six months, (an already impressive proportion, CMHC noted) more than half did by the 48-month mark.

B.C. booms when more people decide to call this province home. Far from taking away jobs, immigrants, and Canadians heeding the call to head west, generate them. In particular, new British Columbians drive the construction sector – in homebuilding, in multi-family construction and in expanding the commercial and institutional infrastructure that a growing population requires.

Think of it this way – in Alberta, they’re building homes for oil workers, in Ontario for folks working in manufacturing plants.

In B.C. we’re building new homes for the people who are building homes for the people moving to B.C.

In addition to all immigration does to make this a more vibrant and interesting place to live, it’s also key to the economic well-being of all British Columbians.

Philip Hochstein is the president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) of B.C. Philip is also a member of the Journal of Commerce Editorial Advisory Board. Send comments or questions to editor@journalofcommerce.com.

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New arrivals push up immigration levels in Canada to their highest since 1971

Image via WikipediaMost of parts of Canada have recorded their highest immigration levels since figures began in their present form in 1971.
Data from Statistics Canada for the third quarter of 2010 put Canada’s population at 34,238,000, an increase of 129,300, some 0.4%, since July. During the third quarter, 84,200 immigrants arrived in Canada, 8,800 more than in the same quarter of 2009.
Despite the increase in immigration though, Canada’s third quarter population growth was only slightly higher than what was observed for the same quarter in 2009. The increase in immigration was partly offset by a decline in the net inflow of non-permanent residents.
The population of Newfoundland and Labrador was estimated at 509,200 on October 1, 2010. Despite a net gain ininternational migration, it was the only province to post a population decline in the third quarter.
Prince Edward Island had the nation’s highest third quarter growth rate. Its population increased by nearly 1,000, 0.7%, to 143,200. The increase was largely due to immigration, as the province received 1,200 immigrants, the highest number since 1971.
Nova Scotia’s population grew by 1,400, 0.1%, to 943,900. The increase was in part attributable to a net inflow of non-permanent residents, up 1,400.
New Brunswick’s population totalled 752,800 as of October 1, up by 1,100, 0.1%. The increase was primarily attributable to immigration, as the province received around 700 immigrants, the highest level observed since the second quarter of 1976.
Quebec’s population grew by 24,800, 0.3%, to 7,932,100 during the third quarter. The province received 16,800 immigrants, the highest level since 1971.
During the third quarter, Quebec’s net interprovincial migration was close to zero, meaning that its number of migrants coming from other parts of the country equalled the number of people leaving the province for another location in Canada. With only a few exceptions, Quebec usually experiences losses in its migration exchanges with the other provinces and territories.
Ontario’s population totalled 13,268,600 on October 1, 2010, an increase of 57,900, 0.4%. Net international migration, the most important factor in the province’s population growth, accounted for nearly 70% of Ontario’s third quarter population increase.
Manitoba’s population as of October 1, 2010 was estimated at 1,240,000, up by 4,600, 0.4%, and the growth was primarily attributable to net international migration, estimated at 4,100. Manitoba received nearly 4,700 immigrants in the third quarter, the highest level since 1971.
Saskatchewan’s population increased by 4,100, up by 0.4%, to reach 1,049,700 as of October 1. More than 60% of this growth was due to net international migration. Saskatchewan’s net interprovincial migration during the third quarter, which was slightly above zero, was much lower than in the same period in 2009.
Alberta’s population rose by 14,100. 0.4%, to 3,735,100 in the third quarter. Unlike the situation in other provinces where migration is the key factor of population growth, nearly 60% of Alberta’s growth was due to natural increase, a much higher proportion than in any other province.
British Columbia posted an increase of 20,900, 0.5%, in the third quarter as its population reached 4,551,900. The province received more than 13,200 immigrants in the third quarter, its highest level of immigration since the first quarter of 1997.
via http://www.expatforum.com/canada/new-arrivals-push-up
-immigration-levels-in-canada-to-their-highest-since-1971.html

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Ottawa clamps down on immigrants found cheating

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Nicholas Keung Immigration Reporter

Ottawa is stepping up its effort in combatting cheating immigrants who are selected under one province’s entrepreneur program but end up breaking the terms and moving to another. Cheaters will be issued a warning letter and may lose their permanent resident status, according to a new Citizenship and Immigration Canada operational guideline. Legal experts say this is just the beginning of Ottawa’s attempt to stamp out what they call “trampolining” by immigrants — being accepted by one province but settling in another. The enhanced enforcement begins in Quebec but is expected to expand to other provincially administered immigration programs. Provinces are increasingly taking charge of the selection of economic immigrants to serve the needs of their local labour market and economy, though the federal government is still responsible in issuing permanent resident visas. “These immigrants are selected on the strength of that province. They commit themselves to a province in exchange for an immigrant visa,” said Quebec immigration lawyer Richard Kurland. “It is not right if an entrepreneur or investor says they are going to go work and live in a province and then go to another.” According to Canada’s immigrant database, 11 per cent of the one million new immigrants who came to the country within five years and filed tax returns in 2006 had moved from their declared province of destination. More than 24,000, or 14 per cent, of immigrants originally destined for Quebec ended up filing taxes in other provinces. In recent months, immigration lawyers are seeing a surge of cases where newcomers landing in Canada are turned away at port of entry because they fail to show plane tickets or proof of arranged accommodation for their declared destined city, according to Kurland. The courts, so far, have sided with border officials, Kurland said. In the new department guideline, front-line immigration officers are ordered to “monitor” the entrepreneurs selected by Quebec who now live or have a mailing address outside of the province. It applies to all those admitted under the program after Oct. 16, 2006. A report “should be prepared detailing the allegation of non-compliance . . . (and) be referred to the Immigration Division for an admissibility hearing,” it said. To gain permanent resident status under the Quebec entrepreneur program, an applicant must own at least 25 per cent of a company in the province, with an investment no less than $100,000. Not only do they have to manage the enterprises’ day-to-day operations, they must also stay and live in the province for at least 12 months in the initial three years of residence. Kurland said other provinces will benefit from the new directive, especially if it is going to be expanded to other provincial immigration classes, such as investors and skilled workers programs. The federal government provides funding to newcomers’ language training and integration programs in each province based on the number of immigrants who declare it as their destinations in their immigration applications. The funding doesn’t take “secondary migrants” into account.

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Only Immigration Fuelling Canada’s Population Growth

Image by SEDACMaps via FlickrOTTAWA — Canada’s population in the third quarter of 2010 was driven forward by the highest immigration rates seen in four decades, Statistics Canada reported.
Canada’s population was estimated at 34,238,000 as of Oct. 1 — an increase of 129,300 since July. The federal agency said 65 per cent of that growth came from new Canadians during the three-month period, as 84,200 immigrants arrived in the country, reported Postmedia news service.
The influx reached most provinces and territories, some of which had their highest quarterly immigration levels since 1971.
Prince Edward Island recorded the highest growth rate, with its population increasing by 0.7 per cent. The increase was largely driven by the 1,200 immigrants who arrived in the province, Statistics Canada said, the highest number since 1971.
Quebec, too, welcomed its highest number of immigrants in the last four decades, with 16,800 people arriving from other countries during the quarter. Manitoba also surpassed records set in 1971, with 4,700 new Canadians arriving in that province.
While not breaking a record, immigrants made up 70 per cent of Ontario’s new arrivals during the period.
Alberta was the only province that had third-quarter growth driven by a “natural increase,” which made up 60 per cent of the growth.
Newfoundland and Labrador, on the other hand, actually faced a population decline in the third quarter, losing about 500 residents.
Growth driven by immigration is a trend the federal government said it expects to continue — at least through the end of 2010.
“In 2010, we should be landing the largest number of permanent residents in 50 years,” said Kelli Fraser, a spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Canada expects to welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 newcomers by the end of this year.
Fraser said that number is driven largely by a June announcement that Canada would open its doors to more immigrants, especially those in the economic category.
“The reason the announcement was made was because the post-recession economy is now demanding a high level of legal immigration to keep the workforce strong,” she said, adding that there also has been a high number of family reunification immigrants and refugees.
To date, the department said it has already made more decisions, issued more visas and admitted more people to Canada over last year.
It expects the numbers to stabilize at 2010 levels in 2011.

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Canadian education among best in the world: OECD

Image via WikipediaCTV.ca News Staff Canada is a world leader when it comes to education, according to a new study from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The report, released Tuesday, says Canada is especially unique because its immigrant students perform well and socio-economic background seems to have little effect on performance.
The study was based on scores from testing in 2009 through the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment.
"Canada stands out not just because of its high overall performance but also because the impact of socio-economic background on educational outcomes is much less pronounced than in most Western nations," said Andreas Schleicher, of the OECD, in a video posted on the organization's website.
"An example is the extraordinary performance of Canada's immigrant children."
When studying Canada's education system and the results from each province, Schleicher said he was struck by the high expectations that immigrant families have for their children "and even more by the fact those expectations are by and large held by educators as well."
On reading, science and mathematics, Canada finished in fifth place behind Shanghai-China, Korea, Finland, Hong Kong-China and Singapore.
Scores in all three categories were well above the OECD average.
The U.S., by contrast, was 17th overall.
When broken down by region, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia tied with four other jurisdictions for second place in reading, following Shanghai-China.
The report said Canada proved to be an exception to at least one rule.
Canada is the only country in the developed world with no federal office or education department, the report states. Instead, education is a provincial and territorial responsibility. But surprisingly, the report said, the system seems to be working just fine.
"Canada demonstrates, rather surprisingly, that success can be achieved without a national strategy," the report states.
"This observation runs counter to the instincts of many of those who sit in policy seats and seek to effect change, but the fact is that Canada has achieved success on PISA across its provinces despite a limited to non-existent federal role."
However, the study also points out that some Canadian leaders, including Liberal MP and former Ontario education minister Gerard Kennedy, "are now trying to mount a more national strategy, arguing that education is too important to be left entirely to the provinces."
The study is compiled from results of tests administered to 15-year-old students in about 70 countries, every three years in math, science and reading.
About 22,000 Canadian students took the test, and about 470,000 worldwide.

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Government of Ontario to organize Business Immigration Seminar

India Infoline News Service / 09:49 , Oct 17, 2010

The seminar series is being organized to showcase Ontario as part of the MEDT’s strategy to encourage greater participation by Indian businesses and to encourage Indian companies and entrepreneurs to set up global offices in the state.

The Government of Ontario, Canada, in association with FIEO is organizing business immigration seminars in Mumbai and New Delhi, Oct 18 and 21st October 2010 respectively. The Business Immigration Section of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT), Government of Ontario, Canada, provides a variety of services and support to business immigrants during the planning stages of immigration and after arriving in Ontario. The seminar series is being organized to showcase Ontario as part of the MEDT’s strategy to encourage greater participation by Indian businesses and to encourage Indian companies and entrepreneurs to set up global offices in the state.  Ontario has been ranked as the no. 1 province in Canada by Site Selection Magazine in their annual Canadian Competitiveness Rankings. By way of background, Site Selection is a U.S. based bi-monthly print magazine which provides CEOs, development planners and corporate executives’ news and information on all aspects of the business location/relocation process. There are about half a million people of Indian descent living in Ontario which makes the province an attractive destination for Indian Companies and entrepreneurs. Many Indian Companies like Essar, Piramal, ICICI Bank, Bombay Chamber of Commerce have operations in Ontario. Similarly, Ontario companies Sun Life, Bank of Nova Scotia, and Celestica have operations in India. The seminars aim to educate and help businesses understand the conducive policies and effective programs adopted by the government of Ontario to encourage business immigration. To be addressed by Immigration Specialist from the Business Immigration Unit at Ontario’s Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and by Royal Bank of Canada, which is a facilitator for the Federal Investor Program, the seminars will provide the attendees a complete picture of the advantages that are available to people seeking to immigrate under Ontario’s immigrations programs. Ontario has a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), an immigration program through which Ontario nominates individuals and their families for permanent resident status based on a pre-approved job offer in the province. Employers can attract individuals from abroad; individuals in Canada on a work permit or international student graduates from a publicly-funded Canadian college or university. It also has an Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) which allows prospective immigrants to make a passive investment in a government fund and become a landed immigrant.

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British Wanted in Canada

Image via WikipediaOne of Canada's Largest Regions Wants to Attract British Immigrants

Northwestern Ontario, one of Canada's largest yet most sparsely populated regions, wants to attract British immigrants. The 32 diverse communities that make up this relatively unknown region along Lake Superior, have come together to launch a new immigration recruitment strategy that promises British newcomers the best of all worlds.

Northwestern Ontario's communities are actively inviting the British to find a new home, job or business opportunity in the region. With only one out of its 32 communities having a population greater than 10,000, the focus of this new strategy is to promote community renewal through population growth, knowledge and investment attraction, and other economic development opportunities.

In particular, new graduates and skilled workers are wanted because there are currently more positions to be filled in certain sectors than there are qualified candidates. The regional labour market has a very urgent need for professionals in the health care, science and technology sectors. Furthermore, an aging population has resulted in a surplus of businesses for sale.

Northwestern Ontario is located in the centre of Canada and while the region may not be easily recognizable by name, its assets are recognized worldwide. They include the nature of Lake Superior; the world's largest freshwater lake, and the City of Thunder Bay; recently voted the most affordable urban centre to live in the world. A small but steadily growing population of British newcomers has started to discover Northwestern Ontario as an immigration destination in Canada.

Stephanie Suarez immigrated to Thunder Bay at age 26. Disillusioned by the escalating cost of living and poor quality of life in England, Stephanie opened her own business in Northwestern Ontario. Within 3 years, she had won several business awards including Influential Young Woman of the Year, Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and one of Canada's Top10 One's to Watch by Canadian Marketing Magazine.

Says Stephanie; "I would have to be a multi-millionaire in London, England to live the type of lifestyle I enjoy in Northwestern Ontario. I am the envy of my British friends who face long commutes and work days just to pay for a shared apartment, let alone start a family or their own business. I am certain that the opportunities in Northwestern Ontario are unmatched anywhere else in the world."

Fifty-something's, Stephen and Rita Ash, recently sold their 3-bedroom semi in West Yorkshire to retire to Northwestern Ontario. "We are enjoying a retirement lifestyle here that would never have been within our reach in England. We can golf, sail, travel and eat in the best restaurants on a pension that would have only covered basic living costs back home. Add the low crime rate, cleanliness and friendly people, and it reminds us of what England used to be like years ago," says Stephen Ash.

Northwestern Ontario's communities have launched a new website portal http://www.immigrationnorthwesternontario.ca to help prospective newcomers learn more about living, working, learning and doing business in the region. In addition, a marketing campaign is running across major cities in Britain over the next few months. The initiative has been funded by the Ontario and federal governments through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement.

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Canada seeks British immigrants

Image via Wikipedia

Northwestern Ontario, one of Canada’s largest but least populated regions, has launched an initiative to recruit British immigrants. 

The 32 states which comprise the area, only one of which has a population of more than 10,000 people, have joined together to attract graduates and skilled workers.

A website which gives advice about living and working in the region has been set up, and a marketing campaign is planned to run across major cities in Britain over the next few months.

 

The region, which is located to the north of Lake Superior, has an urgent need for professionals, particularly in the health care, science and technology sectors, as well as graduates and entrepreneurs.
Rebecca Johnson, vice-president of the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce and a councillor for the region's most populous city, Thunder Bay, said: “Though Northwestern Ontario once had a large migrant population, most British people who move to Canada now go to the more populated centres like Toronto and Quebec. Our population is ageing, and there are many businesses in the area which need new owners.”
Stephanie Ash, a British expatriate who is on the initiative’s organising committee, added: “What we hope we can offer to British immigrants is a combination of good work opportunities combined with good quality of life. And in return, we hope they’ll help us renew our region.”
The initiative has been funded by the Ontario and federal governments.

 

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Opportunities Ontario: Applying as an International Student (Pilot International Masters Graduate Stream)

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If you are a graduate or will soon be graduating from a Masters program from one of Ontario’s publicly funded universities, you may be able to apply to Opportunities Ontario for nomination as a permanent resident, under the International Student Category’s Masters Graduate Stream.
Ontario’s Masters Graduate students do not require a job offer.
Here is some information that will help you complete the application process:

Who can apply as an international Masters graduate in Ontario?

In order to apply to Opportunities Ontario as an international Masters graduate in Ontario, students must:

• Intend to live and work in Ontario.
• Have graduated from an existing Masters program at an eligible publicly funded university in Ontario.
• Have completed a minimum of one academic year degree program, while studying on a full-time basis.
• Apply within two years of the date on which their Masters degree was granted, or in the alternative, during the last semester of completing their degree.
• Currently be residing in Ontario.
• Have legal status in Canada (i.e. study permit, work permit, temporary resident visa)
• Demonstrate high official language proficiency (For English language proficiency – IELTS – General test with a minimum score of 7 or higher) (For French language proficiency – TEF – with a minimum score of 5 or higher).
• Demonstrate a minimum level of savings/income to support themselves and their dependants.
• Demonstrate at least one year of residence in Ontario in the past two years.

You will need to submit the following documents to demonstrate that you meet Opportunities Ontario eligibility criteria and to confirm your identity, family situation and education:

• A copy of your birth certificate.
• A copy of all the pages of your passport. All prospective nominees should ensure that their passports will be valid for at least two years from the time that they submit their nominee application.
• A copy of your work permit, study permit, temporary resident visa, and/or any other Canadian immigration document or entry stamp you have received. If these documents are inside your copied passport, you do not need to make additional copies.
• Copy of each dependant’s passport page which shows his/her photo and personal information.
• A certified true copy of relevant university degree(s) if the degree has been granted. If the degree has not been granted, you will need to submit:
  
  • Official letter (on institution letterhead) from the university which will be granting the Masters degree confirming:
    1. all degree requirements have been successfully completed;
    2. there are no outstanding fees to be paid; and
    3. the scheduled date when your degree will be granted.
  • Official transcripts in sealed envelope sent directly from the academic institution which will be granting the degree.
• If you are in your last semester of Masters studies, you will need to submit:
  
  • Official letter (on institution letterhead) from the academic institution which will be granting the degree confirming full-time registration and the current academic standing of the applicant
  • Official transcripts in a sealed envelope sent directly from the academic institution which will be granting the degree
• A copy of your current resumé.
• The original score of your IELTS – General test with a minimum score of 7 or higher or TEF – with a minimum score of 5 or higher (obtained within the last year).
• Personal bank account monthly statements for the past 6 months, or (if overseas) an original letter and monthly statements from a recognized financial institution indicating personal account standing/balance in accordance with the following schedule:
• 
  

• Number of family members	Funds required
  1	$11,086
  2	$13,801
  3	$16,967
  4	$20,599
  5	$23,364
  6	$26,350
  7 or more	$29,337

• A copy of ONE of the following to show proof of 1 year of residency in Ontario:
  
  • Monthly credit card statement, phone, hydro or energy bill in any accumulative 12 months in the past 2 years showing your full name and Ontario address
  • Leasing document or rent receipts demonstrating residence in any accumulative 12 months in the past 2 years showing your full name and Ontario address
  
  
  

  How quickly will my application be processed?

  Complete nominee application packages will be processed within 90 days, on a first-come-first-served basis.
  Opportunities Ontario will target 1,000 nominations for 2010. Priority assessment will be given to those applicants who can demonstrate the strongest potential to settle successfully and permanently in Ontario.
  

  What are the fees?

  Opportunities Ontario will charge a non-refundable nominee application processing fee of $1,500 for all international students.
  

  What happens after I am approved?

  A Provincial Nomination Certificate will be issued for all successful nominees. Successful nominees must then apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for permanent residence. A successful provincial nomination replaces the selection component under other immigration classes (such as the Federal Skilled Worker Class, and the Family Class). Provincial nominees will receive priority processing from CIC.

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