The question of sponsorship

CIC maintains that the priority in sponsorships under the family reunification program is to reunite spouses and children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, while parents can visit the country on multiple-entry visas.

Source: Canadianimmigrant.ca

Gloria Elayadathusseril

If we do decide to sponsor, it’s going to take a very long time. I hear at least seven years. 

Kailash Kaur has been visiting Canada every summer since 2004. Each trip from India costs her son and daughter-in-law several thousand dollars. The couple is willing to bear this large, recurring expense so they can see her regularly, rather than spend a one-time expenditure of a few grand to sponsor her to live permanently with the family here — and wait perhaps years.

“She is in her mid-70s and if we do decide to sponsor, it’s going to take a very long time. I hear at least seven years,” says her daughter-in-law Gurdeep Kaur. “It will be a tough task for her to come and integrate into this new society and contribute to this country’s economy.”

However, Kaur concedes that even if her mother-in-law didn’t contribute economically to the country, she would definitely play a positive role in the society by helping raise her grandchildren.

Of course, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) maintains that the priority in sponsorships under the family reunification program is to reunite spouses and children of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, while parents can visit the country on multiple-entry visas, just like the elder Kaur.

But not every senior is as lucky as her in obtaining a visa, let alone multiple-entry ones. Max M. Chaudhary, a Toronto-based immigration lawyer notes that issuance of visitor visas are “notoriously arbitrary” in places like New Delhi, India; Islamabad, Pakistan; Manila, Philippines and Beijing, China. “I have seen cases where elderly applicants are rejected for visitor visas four times and be granted a visitor visa the fifth time. New immigrants who have established themselves in Canada are very frustrated at the difficulty in getting their parents here [even] as visitors.”

Of course, immigration officers can get strict about visits if they think there is a possibility the elder will not return to their homeland after the visit.

Cuts to quotas

So what’s really going on here? According to a 2009 study by CIC entitled Elderly Immigrants in Canada: Income Sources and Self-Sufficiency, parents and grandparents are continually at the bottom of the income-earning scale even after 10 years — the maximum number of years sponsors pledge to support immigrant relatives — depending on their relative’s age and relationship.

Perhaps partly in reaction to this data, the federal government recently issued a plan to cut the number of family reunification visas for parents and grandparents of immigrants from 15,300 to 11,000 a year.

However, in response to an earlier appeal by the Chinese Canadian community, Ottawa has decided to increase the quota for sponsorship of parents and grandparents in the Beijing visa office from 1,000 in 2010 to 2,650 in 2011. While, on the other hand, in New Delhi visa office, the numbers are being reduced to 2,500 this year, from 4,500 in 2010.

New Democrat immigration critic Olivia Chow said at a recent press conference that the information obtained under an Access to Information request shows the reduced quotas will primarily affect applicants from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. She also noted more than 148,000 parents and grandparents overseas are already waiting as long as five years to be reunited with their Canadian children and grandchildren. “In the five, eight, 10 years these Canadians are waiting, most likely, these parents cannot travel to Canada,” Chow said.

The long wait ahead

According to Chaudhary, worse still is the stress of waiting endlessly. “Canadian-based relatives are frustrated when their elderly parents have lost most of their relatives in their home country … and no longer have their own community in their home country for support,” he says.

“The Liberals started the trend of reducing family class immigration, but this reduction has been accelerated by the Conservative Party with regard to parents and grandparents.”
Chaudhary says the immigrants he interacts with on a regular basis in his law practice are dismayed by the current waiting period for sponsoring parents. “Not to mention the excessive medical scrutiny that the immigration department metes out on elderly sponsored parents.”

The other side

So what’s the argument being made to reduce sponsorships? According to a 2005 report by conservative think tank the Fraser Institute, “Given their age, many of them put high costs on the health care systems if their sponsoring children are unwilling or unable to meet their obligation and pay for these cost privately.”

The Vancouver-headquartered institute’s study also reveals that most parents of economic class immigrants are unlikely to become active participants in the labour force because of their “advanced age” and “poor ability to speak and learn English.” The study indicates that these parents and grandparents are able to pay few if any income taxes, yet are entitled to all of Canada’s social programs.

“Admittedly, there is an increased health burden in bringing elderly immigrants to Canada, but this is slight, given the few additional elderly immigrants that have been admitted under Canada’s immigration program,” Chaudhary points out. “Further, why should native-born Canadians’ parents be a burden and not immigrant parents, given that both pay taxes to support Canada’s health care system?”

Contribution of sponsors

Mississauga-based software engineer Vivek Bibra who sponsored his parents says, “Yes, my parents do take advantage of OHIP [Ontario Health Insurance Program] and they don’t work here. But both my wife and I are productive, tax-paying immigrants.”

He also points out that since the couple came here as skilled immigrants, they did not take any social assistance for 30 years of their lives before arriving in Canada. “One of the things that was attractive to us when applying for our immigration was that we could sponsor our parents.”

Felix Zhang, a founder of Sponsor Our Parents, a grassroots advocacy group, has a similar view. “It raises a big question why we are all Canadians and yet we are treated unequally. This is unacceptable.” He also wonders whether economic migrants, who are sought after because they bring needed workforce skills, will continue to choose Canada if they can’t bring their parents here.

The Chinese-born immigrant sponsored his parents to Canada in 2007. His application is still at the in-Canada prescreening stage. “My parents would like to live with their only grandchild,” says Zhang. “And my parents are not getting any younger.”

Chaudhary — a Canadian born to immigrant parents from Kenya — feels privileged in this aspect. “I have had the benefit of my parents’ assistance with regard to my two small sons, which, as a busy professional is invaluable; it allows me to focus more on my work. Further, I have seen my parents’ joy triggered by my kids’ presence; such joy can’t be replicated through long-distance phone calls.”

Bibra, whose parents have lived with him since 2006 says it was a great relief when his parents accepted his request to come to Canada, despite having to leave behind their familiar social life and a successful interior design business. “They made a great sacrifice. [Today] we are able to be at work in peace because we know my parents will take care of our children after they come back from school.”

There are thousands of Zhangs and Bibras out there  waiting helplessly for their parents to arrive and reap the familial benefits of their elders’ presence.

But it looks like what many immigrants want and what many of them can expect is at a standstill. “We can’t satisfy 100 per cent of our immigrant stakeholders,” said CIC Minister Jason Kenney in a recent phone interview to the Toronto Star. “We have to make choices to balance our objectives.”

So for now, many sponsors who’ve applied for their parents’ and grandparents’ immigration will have to be contented with the fact that we are able to reach our dear ones in our home countries almost instantly — thanks to modern technology — unlike our predecessors from even just a few decades ago who in most cases left their families behind for good.

Related articles

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Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants sues Federal government to protect consumers of immigration consulting services

TORONTO, April 5 /CNW/ - The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) stood up for consumers today by taking legal action to halt the Federal government's proposal to replace CSIC with a new immigration consultant regulatory organization that has no experience in consumer protection and will require more than 3.6 million taxpayer dollars to get off the ground.

"It is astonishing that the Federal government has turned its back on consumers by choosing a new and inexperienced group, the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC), to regulate immigration consultants. This group has no plans and no ability to resolve the 99 outstanding complaints and 155 open investigations that CSIC is currently seized with," said CSIC Chair Nigel Thomson. "CSIC also has serious concerns about the 21 ongoing disciplinary hearings. For all intents and purposes, the government has given the people who are the subject of CSIC's disciplinary process a free pass and this is unacceptable."

In June 2010 the Federal government established criteria for the review of the national regulator of immigration consultants. In December CSIC made a detailed submission that demonstrated that it met all of the government's criteria for confirmation as the regulator, most notably due to its significant experience in protecting consumers by holding its members accountable to strict standards.

"Consumers have effective protection and only CSIC has the policies, rules, expertise and disciplinary processes to provide that protection. The council will take years and millions of dollars to reach the same level of sophistication that CSIC currently possesses and in the meantime consumers will be put at risk," said Thomson. "CSIC believes that the process followed by the Federal government is biased, unreasonable and unfair. This decision defies logic and CSIC is standing up for consumers by challenging the fairness and practicality of the selection process."

The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants is the professional regulatory body for Certified Canadian Immigration Consultants. Established in 2004 it currently has 1,900 fully accredited members located throughout Canada and the world. CSIC's mandate is to protect consumers of immigration consulting services. Consequently, it is responsible for ensuring the education, competency testing and the discipline of its members. CSIC also requires its members to carry errors and omissions insurance and to contribute to a compensation fund in order to protect consumers. The best way to find a Certified Canadian Immigration Consultant (CCIC) is via CSIC's toll free referral line, 1-877-311-7926.

For further information:

Nancy Tibbo, 416-572-2800, Toll Free: 1-866-308-CSIC (2252), 416-294-0030 or ntibbo@csic-scci.ca

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Immigration limits force aching questions

MONTREAL - Tatyana Skorobogatko could well be the poster child for Canadian immigration.
Having landed in Montreal from Ukraine at 13, she is now an engineer for whom French and English have become more natural than her native Russian, sirloin steak or tacos more likely to appear on her dinner table than borscht or perogies.
But like many immigrants who have created new stories and good lives for themselves here, she now wants to share the wealth and remember the old stories – and for that she needs her babushka.
Tatyana, 27, applied to sponsor her grandmother for permanent residence in 2009, but with the federal government’s drastically reduced targets for bringing in this class of immigrants – from 16,000 in 2010 to 11,200 in 2011 – and more than 147,000 others already on the wait-list around the world, she could easily wait another six years, until her grandmother turns 95.
“I’m afraid she will die before she ever gets in, before she ever sees my daughter,” says Tatyana, whose baby girl is now five months old. “It’s just inhumane to make someone wait like this. If you accept immigrants to come over, you have to allow them to see their families – if not don’t let them come in.”
The federal government says it is decreasing the number of parents and grandparents admitted as permanent residents in order to increase the number of spouses, children and skilled workers – who pay taxes.
Last year saw a record number of so-called “economic immigrants” – 186,881 compared to 138,251 in 2006, when the Harper government took power – while family-class immigrants, spouses and parents included, were down 15 per cent to 60, 207, from 70,517 in 2006.
But critics say the new targets are symptomatic of the Harper government’s overemphasis on immigrants as economic units, to the detriment of new Canadian families and ultimately the country’s ability to attract “the best and the brightest” if it means leaving their families at home.
Leading up to a federal election the Harper government is preaching family values, they say, but not necessarily the value of family.
So how much is a grandmother worth?
When the 2011 internal visa targets for parents and grandparents were revealed in February through an access to information request, federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney told the House of Commons it was a choice that had to be made.
“There are trade-offs, and this government is focused on the priorities of Canadians which are economic growth and prosperity,” he said during Question Period. “We need more newcomers working and paying taxes and contributing to our health-care system. That is the focus of our immigration system.”
To be sure, any cost-benefit analysis of grandparents would have to include the increased demands they put on a health-care system that is already gasping for air.
According to a report released in October by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, Canadians over the age of 65 account for less than 14 per cent of the Canadian population, but consume nearly 44 per cent of all health-care dollars spent by provincial and territorial governments.
Brought down to the level of the individual, in 2008, the latest available year for data broken down by age group, provincial and territorial governments spent an average of $10,742 per Canadian age 65 and older, compared to $2,097 on those between age one and 64. Those 80 years and older, like Tatyana’s grandmother, required the most spending, at $18,160 each – more than three times what was spent on seniors younger than age 70 ($5, 828.)
The government can’t ignore this reality, especially as the proportion of seniors in the Canadian population is expected to reach 20 per cent by 2026.
And as Kelli Fraser, a spokesperson for Citizenship and Immigration Canada points out, even with the reduced visa targets, the government “will maintain what is probably the most generous family reunification program for parents and grandparents in the world.”
Indeed, Canada ranks third in the world after Sweden and Portugal on the 2010 Migrant Integration Policy Index released in February. A benchmark European study, the MIPEX measures a range of indicators, from paths to citizenship to public education.
And when it comes to family reunification policies in particular, Canada ranks second after Portugal.
Jack Jedwab, the executive director of the Association for Canadian Studies, who was presenting the MIPEX findings in Vancouver last week, said the reduced visa targets would not likely affect Canada’s rank, because it is based on policies, not numbers.
Sweden, for example, lets in fewer immigrants per capita than Canada, but its policies are less restrictive.
The reduced visa targets do run counter to important Canadian values, however, says Jedwab, whose think tank conducts annual surveys on Canadian identity issues. And the targets seem to ignore the important benefits, economic and non-economic, that come from reuniting families.
Survey upon survey suggests that Canadians stand out for the importance they attribute to family and for having a larger, more generous definition of family; that they value the contribution of immigration to the country; that immigrants value family; and that they don’t like the idea of cutting off children from parents and grandparents, Jedwab says.
Economically speaking, the costs and benefits associated with bringing in more parents and grandparents are not always clear, Jedwab adds.
Most would not pay income taxes, but nor are they entitled to old age security for 10 years after they enter the country. And they are nevertheless consumers – the transfer of funds outside the country to relatives unable to immigrate may be substantial.
“But there are also indirect benefits associated with having a strong family unit here that are difficult to value in economic terms … but may have an important impact nevertheless, especially if we want to continue to be a kindler, gentler nation.”
For Tatyana, having her grandmother here would mean free childcare in a province where subsidized daycare is a huge advantage over other provinces, but is still difficult to come by.
And it would mean a link to her culture, language, and history, all but lost to her now.
She arrived in Canada as a teenager during what is known in Ukraine as the “Dark ’90s” – a time when the end of Soviet-era price controls and the fire-sale privatization of the nation’s assets led to a decline in living standards akin to the Great Depression 60 years earlier.
At the time Quebec was the cheapest destination in Canada – requiring only $10,000 to immigrate – so her parents sold their apartment for $7,000 and added it to their $3,000 in savings. It helped that both she and her parents spoke French as a second language, as many Russian-speakers do.
But after her mother committed suicide in 2008, Tatyana needed her grandmother by her side, a need that became more urgent when she had a baby girl in November.
“My grandmother cries on the phone when she hears the baby,” Tatyana says, adding her grandmother was like a second mother to her until her departure. “She feels she’ll never see her and I can’t travel with a baby so young. There’s the plane ride, then seven hours from Kiev to Kharkiv.”
Unfortunately, her application to sponsor her grandmother, Yevdokiya (Eva) Chernova, now 89, is still years away.
All sponsors of family-class immigrants are processed at the Centralized Process Region in Mississauga, Ont. But while it takes only 37 days to assess an applicant wishing to sponsor a spouse or child, it takes 42 months to assess someone wanting to bring over a parent or grandparent, a delay that has more than doubled over the past decade. CIC is currently processing applications received in Sept. 2007.
Only once the sponsor has been approved, however, do they move on to Step 2 of the process, assessing the sponsoree. According to CIC, it will take 27 months to assess an applicant from Ukraine, the final test being the medical exam. (Applications for permanent residence will not be accepted if the person’s health would cause excessive demand on health or social services in Canada.) But at the Kiev office of CIC, where Chernova travelled overnight to make her application, visa targets for parents and grandparents have been slashed from 440 in 2010 to 25 in 2011.
Fraser said parents and grandparents waiting abroad can apply for visitor’s visas in the meantime.
Chernova’s application for a visitor’s visa has been denied, however, on the basis that she might choose to stay in Canada illegally after the visa expires to be with her family. There is no way to prove that, of course, or to disprove it, CIC told her.
Up in Park Extension, one of the most ethnically diverse neighbourhoods in the country, and a traditional landing pad for newcomers, Justin Trudeau is vigorously campaigning for a second term.
The “new-Canadian voter” centralized in urban Canada, is the group most affected by the immigrant parents issue, and it could have a big impact on the outcome of the election.
It’s no surprise that both Liberals and Conservatives are pledging their allegiance to this core block.
Federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, who parachuted into Vancouver on Thursday to watch the World Cup Cricket match with about 100 Indo-Canadians, has been unavailable to comment on the issue of visas.
But in Little India, Trudeau, as Liberal Immigration critic, says he hears the same complaints from his constituents all the time: People are discouraged and despondent about not being able to bring their parents or grandparents over, as permanent residents or visitors.
There are no official figures available for the number of parents or grandparents refused visitor’s visas. But Trudeau says that anecdotal evidence suggests the Conservative government has consistently reduced the number of multiple-entry visas given out abroad – or is for some reason targeting his riding.
These parents and grandparents are unlikely to either claim refugee status, or work under the table, and they will live with their children, not at Shady Acres down the street, he said.
The cuts to visas awarded at the New Delhi mission in particular, from 4,500 in 2010 to 2,500 in 2011, have hit hard in Little India, where many a campaign event is held.
“Right now the wait times are at eight or nine years (for New Delhi),” Trudeau says. “With these cuts you’re pushing delays to 12 to 15 years. Most of the people will end up seeing a coffin before they see their grandchildren, to be blunt.”
The Liberal government had increased the visa targets to 18,000 in 2005, and increased the budget for CIC to process them, and were making it easier to get multiple-entry visas for people waiting in line. But the Harper government has reversed that trend.
“The central question is what kind of Canada are we trying to build? Obviously one that is prosperous and creates jobs, but also one that is more compassionate and generous and more respectful of the things we value in life more than money – like health and family,” Trudeau said.
He suggested most sponsors would be open to paying into a private health-care fund for their parents or grandparents, to avoid the drain on the health-care system.
“How we treat our elders and our new Canadians is so important for the long-term growth of this country.”
Richard Kurland, an immigration lawyer who has been watching the backlog of applicants expand over the last decade, says both the Liberals and the Conservatives are to blame for the bottleneck.
“The (Liberals’) 18,000 was a drop in the bucket,” said Kurland, the editor of Lexbase which first published the 2011 visa targets. “The Liberals knew how many people were already waiting and the target, and at that rate, the inventory would continue to grow and processing times would continue to lengthen. And they lured more people into the system by reporting “historic” waiting times, instead of telling people up front how long it would take if they applied today for their visa. Why? They wanted to avoid political criticism for lengthening processing periods, because they did not want to say no to their core support groups.”
Back at home in the Mercier district of Montreal, Tatyana is spending what is left of her maternity leave trying to find a way to get her grandmother to Canada. A lawyer she consulted told her that for $2,000 he could probably do for her what he’s done for four other clients in the same situation – secure a visitor’s visa for her grandmother on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Eva Chernova survived three years of a Nazi labour camp until she was liberated in 1945. She just can’t get a foot in the door in Canada.
But Tatyana doesn’t want to go that route. “I guess you can solve anything with money but that’s not fair either. Something is wrong with a system that if you bring in a lawyer you win, and if you don’t you don’t get anywhere.”
Her grandmother will continue to travel on the overnight train to Kiev to re-apply for a visitor’s visa. And Tatyana will keep trying to get an answer from CIC on when the sponsorship process will be finished, and on what she can do to prove her grandmother won’t stay illegally if given a visitor’s visa while she’s waiting.
A CIC customer service representative told her she couldn’t give her any information over the phone, and they don’t receive letters. Tatyana could write a letter to the government, she was told, but the government won’t necessarily open it.
csolyom@montrealgazette.com
2011 global immigration targets

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

 

 

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Immigration+limits+force+aching+questions/4547967/story.html#ixzz1IVA4adhB

Immigration by the numbers

MONTREAL GAZETTE APRIL 2, 2011

37 days

The time it takes Citizenship and Immigration Canada to assess the sponsor of a spouse or child.

42 months

The time it takes CIC to assess the sponsor of a parent or grandparent.

60,207

Number of family-class applicants (spouses, children, parents and grandparents) given permanent residence in 2010, down 15 per cent since 2006.

186,881

Number of economic immigrants admitted to Canada in 2010, up 35 per cent since 2006.

96,147

The number of foreign students allowed into Canada in 2010, up 33 per cent from 2006.

182,322

The number of temporary foreign workers who entered Canada in 2010, up 31 per cent over 2006.

24,693

The number of refugees given permanent residence in Canada in 2010, down 25 per cent since 2006.

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

Read more:http://www.montrealgazette.com/Immigration+numbers/4548832/story.html#ixzz1IPxkhSy6

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Portage sees benefits of Manitoba's immigrant population growth

Image via Wikipedia

By Angela Brown, The Daily Graphic

Updated 13 hours ago

While Statistics Canada recently reported that Manitoba has seen a noticeable increase to its population based on an influx of new immigrants, Portage la Prairie appears to be seeing similar growth.

Daniel Bolton, president with  the Portage and District Chamber of Commerce, agrees Portage has seen a boost in its immigrant population.

"The RHA has had quite a lot  of newcomers and immigrants move into Portage, which is great to see," he said.

He said the Portage International Committee (PIC) is also making strides to attract newcomers.

"In working with the PIC, we have seen the Province take a few steps in the right direction in trying to entice immigration and newcomers to Portage," he said.

The benefits of having more newcomers settle here, said Bolton, mean the local economy also sees a boost.

Statistics Canada reports as of Jan. 1, Canada's population was estimated at 34,278,400, and saw an increase of 40,400 (+0.1%) from Oct. 1, 2010.

Demographic growth was the highest on the Prairies. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta were reported as having high rates of growth that were above the Canadian average.

Manitoba had the greatest demographic growth in Canada in the fourth quarter. It saw an increase of more than 3,600 (+0.3%).

Specifically, the net international migration (+2,600) was the main factor for the demographic growth in Manitoba. As of Jan. 1, Manitoba's population was estimated at about 1,243,700.

Statistics Canada shows 16,900 more people arrived in Manitoba in 2010. That is the most the province has grown in almost 40 years.

The Province reports 15,805 immigrants came to Manitoba in 2010. That is more than the 13,520 who came in 2009; it represents the largest arrival of immigrant s since 1946.

Luis Luna, co-ordinator of Portage Learning and Literacy Centre's immigrant resource program, said Portage has been successful in attracting many newcomers and he credits the immigrants for coming here with valuable skills needed in the marketplace.

"We haven't seen the increase like Morden and Winkler, but we are having a steady number of immigration happening in Portage la Prairie," he added.

"The last big immigration project was with the RHA Central ...," he said. "They have continued bringing more immigrants into the region."

Mayor Earl Porter also concurs immigration has had a positive impact on Portage.

"We do have quite a few immigrants in here now," said Porter.

He said the Portage International Committee is currently working on its own strategic plan.

PIC members are also looking forward to the upcoming Citizenship ceremony in May to be held in Portage.  

The advantages of having more immigrants are that they help to build the population, said the Mayor.

"The nurses who came to Portage they are getting involved in the community," added Porter. "Some of them are buying houses. It's a boost for the economy."

Porter is pleased to see Manitoba's population see an increase and hopes it might also show a rise in Portage's numbers also.

"We have been sitting at 13,000 people  for so long … it's nice to grow the population a little bit, and increase your tax base."

abrown@cpheraldleader.com

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Looming shortage of ICT workers: study

Cynthia VuketsStaff Reporter

Canada is facing an “alarming” shortage of information and communications technology workers due to a gap between the skills employers are looking for and the capabilities of job seekers, says a study released Tuesday.

“We’re looking at a labour market that isn’t working particularly well for employers or job seekers,” said John O’Grady of Prism Economics and Analysis, who authored the study for the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC).

Between 2011 and 2016, Canadian employers will need to hire about 106,000 ICT workers, but with declining enrolment in post-secondary program and increased difficulty bringing temporary skilled workers to Canada, those employees will be difficult to find, the study indicates.

In Ontario alone, about 50,000 ICT jobs will need to be filled in the next five years, said Paul Swinwood, ICTC President and CEO. Immigrants and new graduates will be able to fill 60-70 per cent of those positions, he added.

There will be particular shortages of computer and information systems managers, telecommunications carriers managers, information systems analysts and consultants and broadcast technicians due to increasing need in sectors such as cloud computing and virtualization.

“What we are seeing is the evolution of the ICT sector in Canada,” said Swinwood.

Employers are now looking for technologically proficient workers who also have “soft” business skills and specialized knowledge in areas such as health, finance or digital media.

Enrolment in ICT programs at post-secondary institutions is declining and those who do graduate don’t always have the practical experience needed to gain a foothold in the industry, said O’Grady. Post-secondary institutions should look to developing cross-disciplinary programs that help graduates attain skills in technology as well as business, communications and human resources.

The study, “Outlook for Human Resources in the ICT Labour Market, 2011–2016,” was based on an econometric model of supply and demand trends for ICT occupations developed by Prism Economics and the Centre for Spatial Economics, a review of third-party forecasts of ICT spending and employment, enrolment and graduation trends in relevant post-secondary programs, telephone interviews with 111 industry informants, 11 focus groups with post-secondary and industry representatives, and a web survey of 268 employers.

Spain's lost generation of graduates join wave of migrants in search of jobs

Image via WikipediaRising unemployment has led to an exodus of young Spaniards looking for better opportunities abroad on a scale not seen since the 1960s

In a few weeks' time Nacho Luna will pack his bags and head for London. The 25-year-old graduate from a Madrid journalism school sees no future for himself in Spain and has decided to emigrate.
"I am just one of the many young people who are forced to make this kind of decision," he said. "It's a hard thing to do, but I don't want to form part of what some are already calling the lost generation."
Luna, pictured below, is not sure how he will earn a living, but anything is better than beating uselessly on the door of Spanish companies. The one job he has had since graduating lasted a year before the company went bust.
With 20% unemployment at home, he thinks he can do better in Britain. During the last 10 years booming Spain was a magnet for immigrants, attracting 5 million foreigners. Now Spaniards are talking of a return to the mass emigration of 1960s, when 2 million left looking for jobs in northern Europe. "I only see jobs for exploited interns who earn €300 (£263) a month. That's barely enough to cover the costs of getting to work and back every day," said Luna. "Opportunities are scarce in a country with youth unemployment over 40%."
Luna is not alone. The number of Spaniards living outside the country has increased by 20% over three years as unemployment among Luna's "lost generation" of young workers has climbed to 43%.
When Der Spiegel reported that a Madrid visit by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, last month would produce an offer of jobs for Spaniards, language schools saw a leap in applicants for German courses. "There was a sudden flood," said Matilde Ferrolasa of Madrid's Tandem school.
Exact numbers of those who have already left are hard to work out. An extra 100,000 Spaniards signed on at consulates abroad in 2010, but many more will have travelled without bothering to register.
Geologist Ignacio Zafra packed his bags in January after finding himself, aged 34, living at home with his parents in Madrid again. He lost his job in 2009 and, after just five job interviews in a year, decided to leave. His only offer had been a job as a door-to-door salesman, with no contract or guaranteed income.
"My unemployment benefits were stopped a few months ago, so I started thinking that emigrating was the best way to find a job that my own country won't give me," he said from his new base in Aberdeen. "I am a realist. I know that things are bad in the UK as well, but they will never be as bad as in Spain. The labour market here is much more active."
The new Spanish emigrants are travelling further than in the 1960s. The US, for example, has received more of them than France and Germany together.
María Elena Manzanares, a 29-year-old teacher and broadcaster, will be going to Canada in a few months' time. "It's going to take a couple of years for things to pick up here," she said. "I want to work and improve my skills."
Emerging economies such as Brazil and other Latin American countries are also seeing more Spaniards arriving.
The crucial difference between those leaving now and the manual labourers who sought work in German factories and Swiss restaurants in the 1960s is that today's emigrants are mostly young graduates with years of studying behind them. It is no longer clear that a degree is useful in Spain's paralysed job market. Unemployment among graduates aged 29 or under is running at 19% – almost the same as the national average for all age groups, regardless of education.
Many graduates lie about their education when applying for work, worried that they will be rejected for being overqualified. And 44% of those who find work do so at below their skills level, twice the European average, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The contrast with booming Germany, which is short of 48,000 engineers, could not be greater.
Those graduates who have left say that, for those prepared to chase them, opportunities are far more plentiful abroad.
"Salaries, working hours, conditions and opportunities to advance in your career are far greater here," said 28-year-old Paula Mestre, who left her native Valencia five years ago and is now an IT consultant in Edinburgh.
It took her four months, with relatively poor English, to find a job – but six months later her salary had almost doubled and her company was offering her training. "They kept putting my salary up and giving me more responsibilities," she said. "Spanish companies simply don't invest in their workforce and people tend to work their whole life in one company."
Both she and her Spanish husband, a dentist, are doing far better than they would in Spain. "We're not thinking of going back. Why would I go? To join the dole queue?" she said.
Those who are not leaving, however, are the 5 million immigrants who flocked into Spain during the booming noughties, even though many have lost jobs. Spain's foreign population has, in fact, increased slightly over the past three years. "Virtually no one is going, mostly because their families are already here," confirmed Juan López Jiménez of the Cáritas charity.
Even the promise of free air tickets and financial help (in return for a pledge not to return for several years) cannot persuade them to leave.
"We only had a few hundred people come to us last year," says Xavier Bosch, head of immigration for the Catalan regional government, which runs a scheme to help some of the region's 1.2 million immigrants return home.
Immigrants are harder hit by unemployment than native Spaniards, though many may now be working in a black economy that accounts for 17% of GDP, according to the savings bank foundation Funcas. Figures show unemployment is worst among African immigrants, where it is running at 31%.
The new wave of emigration is not confined to Spain. Similar trends have been spotted in other EU countries blighted by the economic crisis, most notably Ireland and Greece.
But José García-Montalvo, an economist at the Pompeu Fabra university, says Spain is a special case "because we use our human resources so inefficiently". "People spend a lot of time working below their skills level and then, through a simple and pernicious psychological process, start lowering their expectations."
Emigrating, he admits, is a sensible option. For Luna it is the only one. "My desperation obliges me to attempt even the most unlikely things," he says.

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BMO Named One of Canada's Best Employers for New Canadians for Third Consecutive Year

Image via Wikipedia

Partnership with ACCES Employment to roll out a national Speed Mentoring program: Example of important initiatives that enhance employment and career opportunities for immigrants.

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 28, 2011) - BMO Financial Group has been named one of Canada's Best Employers for New Canadians by Mediacorp Inc.
"This award is a reflection of BMO's longstanding commitment to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in our workforce, and to creating a work environment in which all employees can truly reach their full career potential," said Sonya Kunkel, Director, Diversity and Inclusion, BMO Financial Group.
"Skilled newcomers bring vast knowledge, experience, creativity, and innovation to the Canadian workforce and it is incumbent upon every employer to do everything they can to open their doors to this talented pool of skilled professionals," she added.
Judges took particular note of the seminal work BMO has undertaken with ACCES Employment to introduce a nationwide Speed Mentoring program. The program gives newcomers opportunities to network with established professionals in their fields of expertise. BMO is the exclusive industry sponsor.
Already, more than 1,900 immigrants have benefitted from contacts established through Speed Mentoring sessions. Overall, ACCES has an 80 per cent success rate in helping new Canadians enter the workforce.
"Our first year of Speed Mentoring in partnership with BMO Financial Group has been extremely successful," said Allison Pond, Executive Director, ACCES Employment. "Together, we are helping new Canadians meet professionals and expand their networks. These connections are vital in helping newcomers successfully integrate into their fields. The tremendous response from both mentors and mentees provides us with the opportunity to share Speed Mentoring, with organizations doing similar work across the country, so that more new Canadians can benefit from Speed Mentoring and accelerate their success."
"We do this not just because it is the right thing to do for the bank and for our customers, but because it is also the right thing to do for our communities," said Ms Kunkel.
NOTE: UPCOMING SPEED MENTORING EVENT
BMO is holding its next Speed Mentoring event at the bank's new Customer Contact Centre in Mississauga, Ontario on April 15, 2011, between 2:00-4:00 pm. The event will pair mentees interested in call centre careers with BMO mentors working at the bank's new contact centre. Media are welcome to attend:

	Meadowvale CCC
	2465 Argentia Road,
	Mississauga, L5N 0B4

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Canada could lead developed world in growth: RBC head

Image via WikipediaMONTREAL — Canada could enjoy a "breakaway decade" of economic growth if businesses invest more to improve productivity, the head of the Royal Bank of Canada said Monday. Gordon Nixon told a Canadian Club audience in Montreal that Canada has the potential to significantly outperform the developed world in terms of economic growth and social leadership.
"Our economy has been resilient, the housing market is up, past federal surpluses have provided flexibility, the banking system is stable and corporate tax rates are low," he said.
But Nixon said the country's promise can only be realized by tackling several key shortcomings.
They include reducing provincial and federal deficits, increasing immigration and tackling Canada's Achilles heel of low productivity.
In particular, he challenged businesses to spend more on innovation, noting that over the last 30 years the productivity gap between Canada and the United States has more than tripled.
"Innovation-fuelled productivity is the lever we can pull to increase the economic pie we all share and, in doing so, improve our standard of living and gain competitive clout in the global marketplace."
Governments have helped by cutting regulatory and tax burdens, but Nixon says they must now work aggressively to balance their budgets.
Meanwhile, Canada should gain a competitive advantage as other countries are forced to boost taxes and cut spending.
"Canada today is an attractive place to live, work and build successful businesses. And, with continued fiscal responsibility, we should be able to avoid the current plight of many countries that will be forced to undergo painful restructurings to address their systemic failures," he said.
"It's our turn as business leaders to say thanks to the government for the tax reform and now we are going to use it to invest and (make) innovation part of our agenda."
Meanwhile, he said Canadian governments at both the federal and provincial levels must continue to put their financial houses in order after the recent recession.
"We cannot let the advantage gained through 15 years of fiscal responsibility slip away," he said.
"Notwithstanding the political challenges of fiscal restraint, it is essential that the provinces and the federal governments aggressively work their way back to fiscal balance."

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New rules of engagement proposed for marriages involving immigrants

Image by mostlyconservative via Flickr
By: Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - The Harper government has quietly proposed that people coming to Canada to join their partner must stay in the relationship for two years or more before being formally granted permanent residence.
The planned regulatory move — which follows a series of town halls and online consultations — represents a federal bid to stamp out fraudulent marriages that are used to dodge immigration laws.
Under the proposal, a spouse or partner from abroad who has been in a relationship with the Canadian sponsor for two years or less would be granted only "conditional permanent residence."
The newcomer would then have to remain in a bona fide relationship with their sponsor for two years or more following arrival — or risk having their permanent residence status revoked. In turn, this could lead to their removal from Canada.
A federal notice published just before the election writ was issued Saturday says the measure would "send a message that Canada is taking a strong stance against marriage fraud, and immigration fraud in general."
It would also bring Canada's policies in line with those of other countries, such as the United States, Britain and Australia, all of which already have a form of two-year conditional status for those in new relationships, the notice says.
The director of a legal clinic that serves the Asian community says the move will hurt women in violent relationships.
"It's going to be disastrous for women who are abused," said Avvy Go of the Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic.
The federal notice says that given concerns about violent relationships, "a process for allowing bona fide spouses and partners in such situations to come forward without facing enforcement action" would be developed should the new measure be put in place.
But Go says many vulnerable women simply won't report abuse by their partners.
In addition, she doesn't trust immigration officers "who are not trained to deal with domestic violence situations" to decide whether or not a woman has actually fled an abusive relationship.
The public has 30 days to comment on the federal proposal.
The government says while most relationships are believed to be legitimate, the spousal sponsorship process is open to fraud.
In some case, both parties may be using the system for immigration purposes. In others, the sponsor thinks the relationship is genuine while the sponsored partner intends on breaking up shortly after gaining permanent residence status.
The government says "firm figures" on the extent of marriage fraud are not available. However, about 16 per cent of the 46,300 immigration applications processed last year were refused for various reasons.
Many were rejected because the relationship was considered a sham, while others were refused for reasons including criminal history, security and medical issues, the government says.
Last fall, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney held town hall meetings in Vancouver, Brampton, Ont., and Montreal to discuss marriages of convenience. His department also consulted the provinces and territories.
An online consultation drew 2,342 responses from the general public and 89 from interested groups.
The federal notice says respondents "expressed considerable concern" about marriages of convenience. "Most considered the issue to be a threat to the integrity of Canada's immigration system."
As an additional measure, the government proposes to introduce a "sponsorship bar" that would prevent sponsored partners and spouses from sponsoring a new partner for five years.

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