Improvements to Proof of Language Rules Will Increase Fairness, Reduce Delays, Says Immigration Minister

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 10, 2010) - The Government of Canada is streamlining the process for assessing the language skills of applicants to the Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience classes, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

"The language requirements themselves have not changed," said Minister Kenney. "But beginning April 10, 2010, prospective immigrants will be required to prove their English and French language abilities at the time they apply. This requirement supports our commitment to fast, fair and efficient application processing."

Previously, to prove language ability in French or English, applicants could either submit an independent, third-party test or a written submission to a visa officer. The written submission was intended for people whose first language is either English or French. However, many applicants whose first language was not English or French were taking advantage of the written submission. The submission wouldn't adequately prove their ability and they would have to provide further evidence, leading to processing delays that could take months.

"We expect that applicants will have the language skills they claim on their application. Now, applicants in these categories will have only one opportunity to prove their language ability," said Minister Kenney. "They can still make a written submission to a visa officer if they wish, but only once."

For faster, fairer processing, all applicants are encouraged to submit independent, third-party language test results. The language test gives applicants a clear indication of their ability before they apply. When submitting written proof, applicants don't know what their results will be until their application is assessed by the visa officer, after a formal application and fees are lodged with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

"We strongly encourage applicants whose first language isn't English or French to take a language test," said Minister Kenney. "We don't want immigrants to be surprised if their written submission doesn't match their reported ability, and they don't get the desired assessment."

An immigrant's English or French language ability is one of the strongest predictors of their success in the job market. Canadian Experience Class applicants must meet minimum language requirements based on the job they do. On a selection grid worth 100 points in total, Federal Skilled Workers can be awarded up to 24 points for their official language ability.

Further information about language requirements for applicants is available at www.cic.gc.ca.

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Source: immig-canada.blogspot.com

TD Bank says 7 million baby boomers set to retire, disrupt economy

OTTAWA — TD Bank has joined a growing chorus warning about economic disruptions if Canada does not move to deal with its aging workforce.

The bank says seven million baby boomers are set to retire in the next two decades, more than one-third Canada's labour force.

The report written by economists Don Drummond and Francis Fong says pension reform is needed to prevent many retirees from falling into poverty.

And it says Canadian employers will be hard-pressed to find skilled workers as the labour force shrinks.

Immigration alone won't solve the problem, the economists say.

The report notes the C.D. Howe Institute recently calculated immigration levels would need to rise 2.5 times to meet the country's historic labour force growth.

But the bank says there are ways to mitigate the apparent labour crunch many are forecasting.

Those include making better use of underrepresented groups, such as women, Aboriginals and immigrants.

As well, the report says firms must increase incentives to keep older workers in the workforce.

Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Guelph fast becoming part of the global village

Joanne Shuttleworth
jshuttleworth@guelphmercury.com

GUELPH — Businesses should embrace the wave of immigrants coming to Guelph since they add richness to the community and profitability — both as employees and as consumers — to their bottom lines.

And if they build a sense of community within their organizations, businesses can help immigrants settle into their new surroundings as well.

That was the gist of Roya Rabbani’s presentation Wednesday to business leaders at a lunch and learn event hosted by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce.

Rabbani, executive director of Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington, said Guelph is becoming a destination for new immigrants to Canada. She said according to 2008/2009 data, approximately 477 new immigrants come to Guelph each year to the point where immigrants make up 14 per cent of the population.

“So we have to look at work environments and agencies to see how well (immigrants) are represented in the workplace,” she said. “Many workplaces don’t have that diversity in managerial positions.”

Rabbani said most immigrants come to Canada with post-secondary education, are in good health, and have money.

“What they don’t necessarily have is the language and the accreditation they need to work,” she said in an interview after her presentation.

She agreed it’s important for professionals from other countries to meet Canadian standards, but there are ways local business leaders can help while immigrants work through that process — like mentorship programs, internships and peer partnering in the workplace.

“Sometimes training managers and current staff around these issues is helpful too,” she said. “Studies have shown that when business is involved with social entrepreneurship, they see more profit margins.”

Lloyd Longfield, president of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, said there are three initiatives businesses are taking part in to ease the transition for new Canadians: The Guelph Inclusiveness Alliance, a group of 27 organizations; the Local Immigration Partnership, which strives to make it easier for immigrants to settle here; and the Leadership Intercultural Council, which oversees these projects.

“With the imminent retirement of baby boomers, the workplace will need more workers,” Longfield said. “Immigration is often the source of growth.”

“Guelph is proactive in this regard,” Rabbani agreed. “That’s the beauty of our region.”

Throne speech to tackle lack of skilled workers

The speech from the throne on Wednesday will not just promise more jobs, it will address a lack of skilled workers that has left some Canadian jobs going begging, government sources say.

Sources told CBC News that the speech, to be delivered by Gov. Gen. Michaƫlle Jean at 2:30 p.m. ET in Ottawa, will include a greater emphasis on attracting and retaining immigrant skilled workers, by giving more weight to work experience.
Workforce report


A recent report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce found that a low Canadian birth rate combined with an inefficient immigration system has created a perfect storm. The report, released Feb. 22, predicts that in the next decade, 100 per cent of net workforce growth will come from new immigrants to Canada.

Michael Atkinson, president of the Canadian Construction Association, said the government simply can't afford to ignore tradespeople and craftspeople in its new productivity agenda.

"Sometimes the construction industry, like other industries, is painted as being yesterday's economy, as an old world economy. And that's just not true," he said.

"It's the construction industry that builds our laboratories, builds the clean rooms, builds our fibre networks, builds the research centres. So, from our perspective, the construction industry builds Canada."
Post-secondary education valued, not trades

Atkinson said his industry will need to replace 317,000 workers by 2017, including on-site workers, managers and supervisors. That's going to be difficult, he said, because of current barriers within the immigration system.

"Our point system is really geared towards people with post-secondary education and with proficiency in both of our official languages, with very little points or merit given for experience or qualifications in a trade," he said.

"It's easier to get into Canada as a permanent resident with a couple of degrees in Greek pottery or Greek mythology rather than 25 years experience as a welder."

Tina Kremmidas, the chief economist for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the author of its latest report, said Canada risks losing out in the global competition for workers.

She cited the Australian example, where skilled immigrants are brought into the workforce more quickly to fill needed trades, along with students who are encouraged to stay on.

"Those are the things that Canada's immigration policy needs to look at," she said. "We're certainly competing with Australia, we're competing with the U.K. and other European countries, not to mention the U.S., for skilled immigrants and highly educated immigrants. Not only in the skilled professions but what we call unskilled labour."
Focus on family reunification

For some trade representatives, the change will require a shift in government philosophy away from the social aspects of immigration in favour of economic variables.

"They really have to look at changing the nature of immigration from a social policy to an economic policy," said Philip Hochstein, president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of British Columbia.

"For too long we were involved in not bringing in enough skilled people and were focused on family reunification. And that's fine. But the economy in order to recover will need skilled people to do that."

All eyes will be on Ottawa this week as it lays out a broader agenda, beginning with the throne speech on Wednesday, and culminating in the tabling of the federal budget on Thursday.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/03/02/throne-speech-jobs-skills.html#ixzz0h7rD4mpC

Canada Visa and Work Permits

A work permit for Canada can only be obtained if you have an offer of employment before applying for your Canadian work visa. Canada seeks to attract temporary skilled workers to fill positions that Canadian employers are currently having difficulty to fill by a Canadian Permanent Resident or Citizen.

A Canadian work permit is issued on a temporary basis only and on the condition that you work for the specific employer sponsoring you. You can apply to change your Canada immigration status once in Canada, however the Canada work visa is not transferable and you will not be able to stay and work in Canada on your Canadian Visa upon termination of your employment.

Your employer must take the following steps before applying for a Canadian Work Visa:

* Your employer must first confirm your position is suitable to apply for a Canadian Work Permit by making an application to Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
* Your employer must then offer you the confirmed position
* You must then make an application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for a Work Permit for Canada.

Please be aware that not all employment offers will be considered and HRDC’s role is to confirm that your position will be of benefit to the Canadian Labour Market and of no threat to Canadian citizens employment opportunities before an application for a Canada Work Permit can be considered.

In summary, employers that need to address skill shortages in Canada may seek to employ a foreign national by sponsoring a Canadian Visa.

If you have an offer of employment from a Canadian employer, you may be eligible to apply for a Canadian work visa. Please feel free to contact us for further information.

As you may be aware, some employers find themselves in a catch 22 situation with the work permit process in which case you may like to consider the Federal Canada Skilled Worker Visa. This visa enables you to gain Permanent Resident status, in which you are entitled to live and work in Canada without the need of an employment offer.

Employers can still sponsor this application if they wish to increase your points total and speed up processing, however it will be issued to you and is not a temporary visa.

Some employers may also be able to sponsor your application under the Province Nominee Program, depending on where they are situated and the nature of the position. This visa is also a Permanent Resident Visa, but does restrict you to work in the Province that sponsored your application until you become a Canadian citizen.

We can ensure that your permit is obtained without delay and have you living and working in Canada in a matter of weeks depending on your quick response to our efficient Work Permit process.

If potential employers ask you to get your own work permit before applying for their jobs, they either do not understand the processes or would rather you looked at some of the above options.

If they do not understand the processes, just explain to them that they need to be involved in this sponsored process and point out the above options.

Better still… ask them to get in touch with us.

We are more than happy to help.

Source:http://canadaimmigrationexpert.wordpress.com/2009/05/

How to get a Job offer to work in Canada

The market is ripe for hiring and Canadian employers are realizing just how important immigrants are as a source of skilled labour. But it’s up to you to get that first Canadian job offer. That accomplished, your Canadian immigration application process and your settlement in Canada will be much smoother.

Work Permit – The quickest way to begin working in Canada is via a temporary Work Permit. We’re talking weeks, maybe even days, between the time you get the job offer and the time you can be living and working in Canada. As the name implies, these permits are issued for a specific period, but they are often renewable from inside Canada.

You have to apply for work in some of the job sites in Canada or register in a job reporting site then if an employer got interested in you, you may have a job offer right a way. Tell Canadian employers who you are and what you can do for them. Let them know that you’re keen to be a part of their organization. It’s not easy to get a job anywhere without being there in person but it depends on how much in demand your occupation is.

There are different ways of working in Canada such as

Permanent Employment:

In this type of position, the employee usually gets a package that involves base salary, health benefits and perhaps some other perks such as bonuses, company stock option plans, personal incentives, etc

Contract/Freelance Employment:
Usually entails being paid a fixed amount of money for a particular project with no additional benefits.This type of worker can be hired to address a particular problem that exists for a limited time, say several months and that contract worker must leave the company once the contract expires unless a new, longer-term contract is negotiated.

Part-time Employment:
In Canada, many jobs exist that offer occasional, weekend, evening, partial day or daily part-time employment.

Arranged Employment – This is a permanent job offer of indeterminate length made by a Canadian employer to a foreign national who intends to become a Canadian Permanent Resident. With this type of job offer, you will not be able to begin work until you receive your Canadian Permanent Resident Visa. However, your applications will receive priority processing in order to get you to Canada, and to your place of work, as soon as possible – in most cases in less than one year. What’s great about Arranged Employment is that the employer is not required to demonstrate that efforts were first made to hire Canadian workers.

Volunteering in Canada:
If you are studying or have the financial resources to dedicate a few weeks full-time or a few hours per week to volunteer with a not-for profit organization in Canada, that could pay enormously when you look for a job because of the following two reasons:

You will have proof of “Canadian Experience”
You will have demonstrated your concern for others and your willingness to help without expecting anything in return. Many employers in Canada will consider those who volunteer before those who do not.

Besides Work Permits and Arranged Employment, most Canadian provinces and territories have created immigration programs, specific to their needs, to recruit workers from abroad who intend to settle as Permanent Residents in a given province or territory. These Provincial Nomination Programs are also worthy of consideration as they offer expedited processing of foreign workers’ applications.
If you notice a delay or there is a drawback to Work Permits, it is that in some instances, the Canadian employer must first demonstrate that unsuccessful efforts were made to hire Canadian residents for the position being offered to the foreign worker. This can add some time to the Work Permit process. There are, however, many exemptions to this “Canadians first” requirement.

Source:http://hinenicommunications.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/how-to-get-a-job-offer-to-work-in-canada/

What is IELTS?

IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. It measures ability to communicate in English across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking.

Since 1989, IELTS has been proven and trusted worldwide to provide a secure, global, authentic and customer-focused test which measures true to life ability to communicate in English. More than 6,000 education institutions, faculties, government agencies and professional organisations around the world recognise IELTS scores as a trusted and valid indicator of ability to communicate in English.

Over 1,000,000 people a year are now using IELTS to open doors throughout the English-speaking world and beyond. The test is taken every year across 120 countries, and is one of the fastest growing English language tests in the world, and sets the standard in integrity, research and innovation.

When the question is English language ability – IELTS is the answer.

IELTS (pronounced /Ėˆaı.ɛlts/), or 'International English Language Testing System', is an international standardised test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of CambridgeESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Australia, and was established in 1989.

There are two versions of the IELTS: the Academic Version and the General Training Version:

* The Academic Version is intended for those who want to enroll in universities and other institutions of higher education and for professionals such as medical doctors and nurses who want to study or practice in an English-speaking country.
* The General Training Version is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.

It is generally acknowledged that the reading and writing tests for the Academic Version are more difficult than those for the General Training Version, due to the differences in the level of intellectual and academic rigour between the two versions.

IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand and South African academic institutions, over 2,000 academic institutions in the United States, and various professional organisations. It is also a requirement for immigration to Australia and Canada. This has been criticised in Canada, because the English accents employed in the Listening section of the IELTS are far removed from typical Canadian accents.

An IELTS result or Test Report Form (TRF - see below) is valid for two years.



In 2007, IELTS tested over a million candidates in a single 12-month period for the first time ever, making it the world's most popular English language test for higher education and immigration
IELTS characteristics

The IELTS incorporates the following features:

* A variety of accents and writing styles presented in text materials in order to minimise linguistic bias.

* IELTS tests the ability to listen, read, write and speak in English.

* Band scores used for each language sub-skill (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). The Band Scale ranges from 0 ("Did not attempt the test") to 9 ("Expert User").

* The speaking module - a key component of IELTS. This is conducted in the form of a one-to-one interview with an examiner. The examiner assesses the candidate as he or she is speaking, but the speaking session is also recorded for monitoring as well as re-marking in case of an appeal against the banding given.

* IELTS is developed with input from item writers from around the world. Teams are located in the USA, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other English speaking nations.


IELTS Test Structure

All candidates must complete four Modules - Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking - to obtain a Band, which is shown on an IELTS Test Report Form (TRF). All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules, while the Reading and Writing Modules differ depending on whether the candidate is taking the Academic or General Training Versions of the Test.

Total Test Duration 2 hours 45 minutes

The first three modules - Listening, Reading and Writing (always in that order) - are completed in one day, and in fact are taken with no break in between. The Speaking Module may be taken, at the discretion of the test centre, in the period seven days before or after the other Modules.

The tests are designed to cover the full range of ability from non-user to expert user.

Source: http://www.bignews.biz/?id=846284&pg=2&keys=ielts-writing-speaking-grammar

QuƩbec introduces new immigration program based on experience gained in QuƩbec (Programme de l'expƩrience quƩbƩcoise)

Canada
February 11 2010

By introducing its new "QuƩbec Experience Class" Program ("Programme de l'expƩrience quƩbƩcoise", or "PEQ") based on experience gained in QuƩbec, the province will meet an objective it had set for itself in a document released in March 2008 entitled "To enrich QuƩbec - Better Integration". Basically, the PEQ aims to promote the transition from a Temporary Resident status to that of Permanent Resident for Foreign Students and Temporary Workers. The program is expected to enter in force on February 14, 2010, the date on which the amendments to QuƩbec's Regulation Respecting the Selection of Foreign Nationals become effective.

PEQ's intent is to facilitate the application process for a QuƩbec Selection Certificate for Foreign Students having graduated in QuƩbec and Temporary Workers having worked in QuƩbec as a first step prior to obtaining Permanent Resident status from the federal government. By introducing the program, QuƩbec follows the federal example and makes experience gained in QuƩbec and knowledge of the French language key selection factors when applying for immigration in QuƩbec. For such applicants under PEQ, the traditional selection grid will not apply and there will be fewer documents to include with an application. In addition, applications may be sent electronically and will be processed on a documents-only basis.

Specific requirements applicable to Foreign Students are the following: (1) the applicant must have stayed in QuƩbec for at least half of the duration of the educational program's duration and have conformed to the student visa conditions; (2) the applicant must have obtained from an education institution in QuƩbec subsequent to February 13, 2008, either of: i) a diploma of professional education or a certificate of professional education, which alone or combined with an attestation of professional specialization (obtained consecutively) attests to over 1,800 hours of continuous education; ii) a diploma of technical college education; iii) a University degree, whether a bachelor's, masters or doctoral. However, the following international students are excluded from the program: i) students having received a scholarship requiring return to the student's country of origin; and b) students having applied for a new acceptance certificate for studies.

The specific requirements applicable to Temporary Workers are the following: (1) the foreign worker (including the holder of a work permit under a youth exchange program pursuant to an international agreement signed between a foreign country and either of QuƩbec or Canada) must have conformed with the conditions of his/her work permit and be legally in QuƩbec at the time of the application; (2) the foreign worker must have employment in QuƩbec at the time of submission of the application which is classified at level A or B pursuant to the National Occupational Classification and must have been so employed for at least 12 months during the 24 months preceding the application.

Application requirements common to both Foreign Students and Temporary Workers are that applicants must: (1) undertake to financially support themselves and their family members for a period of 3 months; and (2) demonstrate their verbal French language skills at an intermediary level.

By introducing PEQ, the province intends to promote and facilitate the immigration process for individuals who are likely to remain and contribute to the economy as a result of already living and working in QuƩbec.

Source: Lexology
Author:Davis LLP

Canada’s top problem is filling labour shortage

OTTAWA — When Prime Minister Stephen Harper gathered the country’s premiers at 24 Sussex Drive last fall, he wanted them to focus on what he saw as the country’s No. 1 economic problem: within a decade or two, there simply will not be enough workers in the country.

Although recent headlines about thousands of layoffs in Canada’s struggling manufacturing sector may suggest otherwise, Harper and his cabinet are struggling to find ways to boost training programs and increase immigration to find more workers to avoid what some Conservative strategists say is an “economic time bomb.”

That Canada is heading for a problem seems unavoidable. In the last 50 years, Canada’s workforce grew by 200 per cent. That growth was responsible for raising standards of living and creating the public and private wealth the country now enjoys. But government forecasters say that, without some radical changes, the workforce will only grow by 11 per cent in the next 50 years — and that figure includes the effects of current levels of immigration.

“Our demographics are working against us,” Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg said in a speech Monday to the Canadian Building and Construction Trades’ Legislative Conference. “Baby boomers are set to retire and our low birth rate means demand for workers will soon outstrip supply.”

Already, more than 80 per cent of working-age Canadians have a job — an all-time high.

Solberg marshalled the following data to back up his claim:

• British Columbia will be short 350,000 workers over the next 12 years.

• Alberta will require 100,000 workers over the next 10 years.

• Ontario will need 560,000 more workers by 2030.

• Quebec will have 1.3 million job openings by 2016.

“We have a significant shortfall of workers in every region across Canada,” said Solberg. “Even in areas of high unemployment, we have too few skilled workers.”

Canada’s labour market has consistently defied market forecasters for the last three years. Despite a high dollar, which makes Canadian workers relatively more expensive than workers in other countries, there were 325,000 new jobs created in Canada in the last 12 months. That job gain comes despite the loss of more than 113,000 jobs in manufacturing. In other words, the economy not only replaced those 113,000 lost manufacturing jobs, it also created an additional 325,000 jobs. The construction sector alone has grown by more than 103,000 workers.

And, as the Bank of Canada noted in its monetary policy report last week, year-over-year wage growth has been strong as well, suggesting that good-paying manufacturing jobs are being replaced with equally well-paying jobs elsewhere.

Statistics Canada will release the latest monthly job data Friday.

Finding more skilled workers is one of the goals behind Ottawa’s controversial proposal to change immigration rules to fast-track certain groups of immigrants although political opponents say that rationale has not been appropriately clarified.

“What we think is that the immigration policies of this country should be designed to help workers come here with their families, use their training and skills and help build the country,” said NDP Leader Jack Layton.

Layton also said that tax rules ought to be changed to help workers who have to travel to other provinces or regions.

“Right now it’s very expensive to travel to use your skills. It really should be considered part of your expenses under the tax law and the NDP has proposed measures to change the taxes to make it easier for workers to travel, particularly construction workers,” Layton said.

In his speech, Solberg said his government is spending more money on training programs than any federal government in history.

But political opponents say the Conservatives could be doing more.

“The government is not doing enough at all about that” said Liberal Leader Stephane Dion. “We need to increase our productivity. We need to adapt to an aging population. We need to do more to help the people that are over 65, if they want to, to stay in the workforce.”
© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.

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