Expenses in Canada

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When you move to Canada, your expenses may be different from those you are used to. Canada is a very large country, and costs can vary significantly depending on where you live. When you move to Canada, it's helpful to know a little about the money that you'll be using when you get there.

Coins come in six denominations. Each is a distinct size, shape and color for easy identification.

• penny = 1¢
• nickel = 5¢
• dime = 10¢
• quarter = 25¢
• dollar = $1.00 (known as the "loonie")
• two dollar = $2.00 (known as the "toonie")

Paper money is all the same size, but each bill is different in color.

• $5 - blue
• $10 - purple
• $20 - green
• $50 - red
• $100 - brown

It's a good idea to exchange some of your money into Canadian currency before you leave your home country, so that you have cash on hand for small purchases as soon as you arrive. Once you're here, there are several ways to exchange your money for Canadian currency.

Financial institutions - Scotiabank offers competitive exchange rates. By visiting a branch, you can exchange money from just about anywhere in the world.

Foreign exchange outlets - you can find foreign exchange outlets in select locations across Canada, including airports and tourist attractions.

Housing

You've arrived in Canada. One of the most important tasks ahead of you is finding a place to live. This is likely to be one of your biggest expenses.

Many people rent their home for their first few years in Canada, which usually costs less than buying a home.

Did you know that you can own your first home with a hassle-free mortgage designed specifically for Newcomers to Canada? Find out more

Generally speaking, housing is less expensive outside of cities, whether you rent or buy.

Housing Resources:
• Glossary: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
• Housing for Newcomers
• Home Ownership

Renting Resources:
• Provincial and Territorial Fact Sheet

Average Cost of a house in Canada and Renting in Canada
	Avg. Cost of House*	Avg. Monthly Rent for 2 Bedroom**
British Columbia	$ 461,931	$ 1,045
Alberta	$ 346,955	$ 884
Saskatchewan	$ 234,655	$ 613
Manitoba	$ 204,465	$ 709
Ontario	$ 325,364	$ 931
Quebec	$ 228,184	$ 738
New Brunswick	$ 160,400	$ 637
Prince Edward Island	$ 148,885	$ 642
Nova Scotia	$ 203,725	$ 799
Newfoundland and Labrador	$ 211,844	$ 651
Yukon	$ 281,420	$ 556
Northwest Territories	$ 331,696	$ 1,365
* Source: June 2009 The Canadian Real Estate Association ** Source: Study in Canada

Utilities

You will need to set aside money in your budget to cover these essential services.

• Heat - most homes in Canada are heated by natural gas, oil or electricity.
• Electricity - your home will also require electricity to power lights, electronic equipment, appliances and air conditioning units.
• Water - if you live in or near a city, the municipality will charge a fee for providing water and sewage services.

Average Cost of Living in Canada
Utilities (Monthly)	$20 - $100
Phone (Monthly)	$20 - $40
Cell Phone (Monthly)	$40
Cable (Monthly)	$25 - $50
Internet (Monthly)	$40
Groceries(1-2 Person Monthly)	$200-$300
Transportation (One way)	$2.75
Fast Food Meal (1 Person)	$4 - $6
Average Restaurant Meal (1 Person)	$10 - $25
Gas	$1.15 - $1.50 / Liter
Entertainment (Movie)	$11.50 - $13
*** Source: Study in Canada

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New Immigrants and taxes in Canada.

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The following information applies only for the first tax year that you are a new resident of Canada for tax purposes. After your first tax year in Canada, you are no longer considered a newcomer for tax purposes.

If you immigrate to Canada, we consider you to have acquired (deemed acquisition) almost all your properties at fair market value on the day you immigrated. If you are re-establishing Canadian residency and you had a deemed disposition when you left Canada, see Dispositions of property.

Residency status

You become a resident of Canada for income tax purposes when you establish significant residential ties in Canada, usually on the date you arrive in Canada.

Newcomers to Canada who have established residential ties with Canada may be:

• persons in need of protection;
• people who have applied for or received permanent resident status from Citizenship and Immigration Canada; or
• people who have received approval-in-principle from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, to stay in Canada.

If you were a resident of Canada in an earlier year, and you are now a non-resident, you will be considered a Canadian resident when you move back to Canada and re-establish your residential ties.

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What are residential ties?

Residential ties include:

• a home in Canada;
• a spouse or common-law partner (see the definition in the General Income Tax and Benefit Guide) and dependants who move to Canada to live with you;
• personal property, such as a car or furniture; and
• social ties in Canada.

Other ties that may be relevant include:

• a Canadian driver's licence;
• Canadian bank accounts or credit cards;
• health insurance with a Canadian province or territory.

For more information, please see IT-221, Determination of an Individual's Residence Status.

If you want an opinion about your residency status, complete and submit Form NR74, Determination of Residency Status (Entering Canada).

Your tax obligations

As a resident of Canada, you:

• must report "world income" (income from all sources both inside and outside Canada) on your Canadian income tax return;
• must ensure that you pay the correct amount of taxes according to the law;
• have the right and responsibility to verify your income tax status each year;
• can claim all deductions, non-refundable tax credits, and refundable federal, provincial, or territorial credits that apply to you.

As a newcomer to Canada, you should be aware that most individuals who reside in Canada file only one income tax return for the tax year, because the Canadian government collects taxes on behalf of all provinces and territories except the Province of Quebec.

Note
If you live in the province of Quebec, you may need to file a separate provincial income tax return. For information about your provincial tax liability, contact theRevenu Québec.

Do you have to file?

As a resident of Canada for part or all of a tax year (January 1 to December 31), you must file a tax return if you:

• owe tax; or
• want to receive a refund.

Even if you have no income to report or tax to pay, you may be eligible for certain payments or credits. In order to receive the following payments or credits, you must file an income tax return.

• the GST/HST credit (goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax);
• Canada Child Tax Benefit payments;
• provincial or territorial tax credits.

For more information, please see "Do you have to file a return?" in the General Income Tax and Benefit Guide.

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Which tax package?

For the tax year that you are a newcomer to Canada and for each tax year that you continue to be a resident of Canada for tax purposes, use the General Income Tax and Benefit Guide and the forms book for the province or territory where you live on December 31 of the tax year.

• It is important to use the forms book for your province or territory because tax rates and tax credits are different in each province and territory.
• If you live in the province of Quebec, you may need to file a separate provincial income tax return. For information about your provincial tax liability, contactRevenu Québec.

Filing due date

Your income tax return has to be filed on or before:

• April 30 of the year after the tax year; or
• if you or your spouse or common-law partner carried on a business in Canada (other than a business whose expenditures are mainly in connection with a tax shelter), the return has to be filed on or before June 15 of the year after the tax year.

NoteA balance of tax owing has to be paid on or before April 30 of the year after the tax year, regardless of the due date of the tax return.

Entitlement to benefits and credits

As a newcomer to Canada, you may be eligible for the goods and services/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit, the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB), and/or the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) payments in the year you became a resident of Canada.

• To apply for the GST/HST credit, complete Form RC151, GST/HST Credit Application for Individuals Who Become Residents of Canada.
• To apply for the CCTB and/or the UCCB payments, complete Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application. Depending upon your immigration and residency status, you may also have to complete the schedule Status in Canada/Statement of Income.

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Building your credit history in Canada.

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What is a credit history?

Your credit history or credit rating starts from day one - the first time you get a credit card in your name, a loan or line of credit from a bank.

A credit history is a collective report about how you have handled and managed debt historically.

Your credit file is like a financial report card. It tracks how much money you borrow, and how quickly you pay it back. Every month when you borrow money, use your credit card or pay bills, information about your financial transactions is sent to a credit-reporting agency. The agency uses this information to come up with your credit rating and your credit score.

Your credit rating contains a number and a letter. The number - between 0 and 9 - shows how fast you pay your bills. "1" means you pay your bills within 30 days of billing date and you've had no more than one late payment, while "9" means a bad debt, a debt been placed with a collection agency, having moved without providing a new address, or Bankruptcy.

Establishing Credit History

As a newcomer you will have to build a new credit history in Canada. Credit cards are one of the most effective ways to build a Canadian credit history. Credit cards can be used as a form of identification when renting an apartment or a car or signing up for a new cell phone. A good credit history and score will also help you when you’re making a significant purchase, such as a car, home or setting up/purchasing a new business.

Build a Strong Credit History

Using and making regular payments on time will help you establish a good credit history. Some helpful tips include:

• Pay your bills in full and on time. Or at least pay the minimum amount shown on your statement.
• Don't go over the limit on your credit card. The higher your balance, the more it affects your credit score.
• Don't apply for credit too often.
• Use a credit card wisely.
• Pay off your debts as quickly as possible.

Credit Reporting Agencies

There are two main credit reporting agencies, also known as Credit Bureaus, in Canada:

• Equifax Canada Inc. (For all provinces except Quebec)

• TransUnion of Canada (For Quebec residents)

These private agencies collect information about borrowers from other credit grantors.

International Credit Reports

Canadian credit-reporting agencies such as Equifax or TransUnion, only collect information from creditors about consumers' financial experiences in Canada. Despite this, financial institutions may be willing to recognize your earlier credit history outside of Canada. This may involve, for example, requesting a copy of your credit report from the credit-reporting agency in the other country. You may want to consider bringing in a copy of your credit report form your home country (if available) and present it with your credit and loan application.

Source: Scotiabank.com

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Quebec Immigrant Investor warming after the New Deal

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Immigration Canada news, federal investment project will be 201,171 migrants from the date of implementation of the New Deal, from 1 to clear the next 630 days will only receive 700 applications. Canadian Immigration Minister Jason · Kenney said that despite the immigration department to improve the investment threshold of immigrants, but still received an excessive amount of applications; to limit the application of the new measures will reduce the backlog process, while ensuring that the amount of the trial department of the trial. For this phenomenon, the general manager Liu Jianjie Shenzhen and made the following analysis:

Has been documented for the applicant is a good news

Taking into account the Canadian Immigration processing of approximately 3000 to 4000 investment immigration applications (some of this capacity has been maintained), the “brakes” for the client application has been submitted is actually a good thing to avoid more crowded, which makes the documented relative to the processing cycle is no longer the customer is more extended.

For the preparation of immigration applicants should be objective and rational

1. The launch of the Canadian Federal Department of Immigration limit 700 applicants for the world, if the Chinese market can be assigned to 400 places, while China’s hundreds of legal immigration agency, shows that “these 700 places into the queue “with considerable difficulty, only the level of policy research and strong professional experience in handling cases have greater ability to help companies more successful delivery of the applicants case. In other words, each of which will test the strength of a company’s overall immigration, work efficiency, the case of sectoral coordination and delivery speed.

2. The applicant in this process should be sufficient to maintain an objective and rational. Applicants should make every effort to prepare the relevant information with immigration company, pre-prepared as possible to save time.

3. Federal and Quebec Immigrant Investor immigrant investment conditions in the application of great similarity, coupled with the end of Quebec to improve the application from the standards, the volume of applications received far less than the amount of the federal application, so if the applicant’s their conditions in line with Canada Quebec Immigrant Investor, you should focus on preparing the application documents submitted to consider Quebec Immigrant Investor program, instead of blindly to competition for limited federal quota. Based on past experience and current situation to determine the federal Reform immigration policy to 71 days after the Quebec Department of Immigration may be adjusted in the near future, so the Quebec investments that meet the conditions of immigration applications to customers, it is recommended to be fully use the current opportunity to plan ahead. (Li)

Source: Finance Online

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Capital region keeps adding jobs

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Published on July 8, 2011

OBJ Staff  
Ottawa Business Journal

The National Capital Region continued its run of strong employment growth last month, adding 2,600 new jobs and pushing the unemployment rate down to its lowest level in more than a year and a half, according to Statistics Canada.

Topics : 

Statistics Canada , U.S. Labor Department ,Canadian Press , Quebec , Ottawa , Ontario

That brings the number of new jobs created in Ottawa and Gatineau in 2011 to 14,100. By comparison, the region added 6,000 new positions in all of 2010.

In June, most of the local growth came in Gatineau, where 1,900 new jobs were added.

The employment gains, combined with a reduction in the size of the labour force in Ottawa, brought the region’s unemployment rate down from 6.1 per cent to 5.8 per cent. That’s the lowest level since November 2009, when it stood at 5.6 per cent.

Year-over-year, the biggest gains were in the service sector, specifically retail, wholesale, transportation, warehousing, accommodations, food services as well as professional, scientific and technical positions.

The region’s tech sector was flat at 46,000 jobs. Despite reports that the federal government has started eliminating positions within the civil service, the number of public administration positions only declined modestly, to 163,600 jobs in June 2011 compared to 164,100 a year earlier.

Nationally, the Canadian economy created 28,000 jobs last month, helped by a gain the part-time jobs to post its third consecutive month of growth.

The country's unemployment rate held steady in June at 7.4 per cent as the number of people entering the workforce increased, according to Statistics Canada.

The increase in jobs was mainly in the part-time sector, which added 21,000 jobs, compared with 7,000 new full-time jobs.

Economists had expected an overall increase of 10,000 jobs.

The public sector added 51,000 jobs in the month, while there were 22,000 new jobs in the private sector.

However, those gains were offset by a drop of 44,000 in the number of self-employed people in Canada.

The gains were led by the transportation and warehousing industry which saw a gain of 15,000 jobs, while the professional, scientific and technical services sector lost 19,000 jobs.

The construction and manufacturing sectors were little changed for the month.

Ontario, Alberta and Nova Scotia all posted employment gains in June, while Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador saw losses.

Employment was up 40,000 jobs in Ontario following a slight drop in May.

South of the border, hiring slowed to a near-standstill last month. Employers added the fewest jobs in nine months and the unemployment rate rose to 9.2 per cent.

The U.S. Labor Department says the economy generated only 18,000 net jobs in June.

-With reports from the Canadian Press and Associated Press

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Ministers join local oilsands discussion

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CAROL CHRISTIAN

Today staff

A handful of federal cabinet ministers were in town Wednesday getting a glimpse of the oilsands, some for the first time, to better arm them in defence of this area on a national and international front.

Hosted by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and its members, the ministers, including Fort McMurray MP Brian Jean, met key regional leaders for a roundtable discussion at MacDonald Island Park following tours of Syncrude Canada and Suncor Energy.

Following the roundtable, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney along with Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women Rona Ambrose and Minister of State of Foreign Affairs Diane Ablonczy spoke briefly with media while Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Environment Minister Peter Kent slipped out.

Ambrose, minister for Northern Alberta, called it a "great roundtable" because the cabinet ministers heard from a variety of people including environmentalists, industry, and municipal and provincial government.

"We learned a lot about the importance of the oilsands," she added.

Key messages heard were environmental sustainability as well as issues like quality of life, transportation and accommodation, she added.

"All of it is around sustainability. A lot of the conversation was about quality of life and I think responsibility also; responsible stewardship and what we saw was a visible tangible commitment from industry to meet those goals."

Kenney acknowledged a lot of information was heard about the challenges of maintaining services and adequate infrastructure in an area of such explosive population and economic growth.

"We know about that in an abstract sense, but to come here and see the one major through road and to see the one rec centre and that kind of thing, it gives you the concrete sense of the challenges the community leadership are facing."

Reflecting on their tour of the oilsands, Kenney said it's something to walk on what was a tailings pond a few years ago that's now developing into a forest.

"It helps us to go back to parliament and around the world, and defend Canada's oilsands as an environmentally responsible production of energy. That's a really helpful personal experience for us."

CAPP spokesman Travis Davies said the tour was organized because oil and natural gas resources are a vitally important national asset, and it's important federal leaders have a good understanding of the resource and how industry is performing.

"Obviously, the best way to demonstrate performance is to get leaders on the ground at Canadian oil and gas facilities. The opportunity to learn first hand, and subsequent ability to make experienced-based policy decisions and speak with authority on an issue important to all Canadians is valued by our federal leaders," he added.

To criticism the federal government doesn't enforce its own acts in the oilsands, Kenney argued through its actions, the federal government has announced is intention to establish a federal framework for monitoring air and water quality in the region in cooperation with the province.

"We never do anything in a kind of high-handed unilateral fashion. Environment is a shared federal-provincial constitutional responsibility. We take that responsibility very seriously and we think that we can bring the specific scientific expertise of ... Environment Canada to the table here through a significant improvement, co-operating with industry in water and air quality monitoring."

Kenny pointed out that Kent will be announcing details about that plan in the near future.

With more than 20 Alberta MPs in the federal caucus and a prime minister from Alberta, the federal government is well aware of the Alberta perspective.

While the oilsands are often heralded in driving the Alberta economy, Kenney pointed out the oilsands developments constitute the future engine of the Canadian economy.

"We're talking in 25 years about over $2 trillion in economic growth estimated to be some $700 billion in federal and provincial government revenues. We want to pay for our future heath care and pensions, social programs, that revenue's got to come from somewhere; increasingly it will be coming from the Athabasca region from northern Alberta through the oilsands development."

The government, he added, is committed to explaining that to Canadian across country that the benefits aren't just here, they're right across the country.

Those explanations are also aimed at the opposition parties who don't seem to have the same understanding about how this development is so important to the Canada's future.

He noted that in the last election, all three opposition parties were opposed to the future of this industry in a significant way.

There was a lot of "bad mouthing about this industry and our government has consistently stood up in defence of the Alberta oilsands and we will continue to do that. Yes in an environmentally responsible way, but we will stand up for this incredible growth of our prosperity."

With predicted labour shortages, Kenney said Canada has is trying to fine tune its immigration program to ensure the country is attracting people who are capable of filling the jobs of the future including skilled trades such as welders and pipefitters in areas like Fort McMurray.

"Immigration alone is not the solution. That's one of the things that came up in the roundtable that we need to do a better job of getting Canadians from regions of high unemployment here and we need greater labour market mobility across the country. Part of that is the aboriginal population. So it's a multi-faceted solution to the labour market shortages."

carol.christian@fortmcmurraytoday.com

 

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Canada Student Partners Program SPP Continues to Attract Indian Students

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(OPENPRESS) July 8, 2011 -- Until April 2009, there was a big concern among Canadian colleges and universities of not getting students from India as most of the visas were being rejected by the Canadian High Commission, New Delhi. The Student Partners Program (SPP) commonly termed as Students Partnership Program by the students and study abroad consultants in India was implemented in partnership between the Canadian High Commission and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) and is attracting a good number of students from all over India and is fast emerging as a preferred destination for higher education for overseas students not only from India but from the entire globe.

The number of Indian students enrolled in Canadian universities and educational institutions has steadily grown from 3,000 in 2008 to 18,500 in 2010, according to the Canadian High Commissioner, Stewart G Beck. Primarily, Indian students used to choose places like Vancouver in Canada because of its favourable nature, mild climate and the Indian community stronghold. But, now Indian students are breaking grounds and heading to colleges in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and other cold provinces. Also, Canada’s progressive immigration policies and employment opportunities is turning it into a favourable destination choice for Indian students. Canadian universities offer diverse programmes that range from Commerce to Astronomy, Biology to Fine Art, Media Studies to Theology. Currently, universities and educational institutions in Canada offer more than a 1000 undergraduate and graduate programmes.

The students are cautioned to submit applications on time by 01 August for September intake and by 01 December for January intake while applying under SPP (Student Partners Program). It needs to be noted that SPP students apply to the participating college rather than the program.

To elaborate, SPP was started as a pilot project with plans to test a model for expediting the student visa process and delivering higher approval rates while maintaining program integrity. All Study Permit application checklists have been revised and improved as a result of the SPP framework to help students make simpler applications and Canadian High Commission informed decisions.

Tejal Laul, Director of Kampus Landing a leading overseas education consultant from Gujarat says, “There is a northward trend on the number of Indian students showing interest in studying in Canada. SPP requires students to have IELTS scores only. TOEFL is not valid for filing student visa under SPP though the students are eligible to file under general category. Strangely, even the Canadian colleges and universities prefer IELTS and students with TOEFL score find very few choices. We have experienced almost 100% success rate with IELTS but somehow students filing under general category with TOEFL scores have been scrutinized closely by Canadian High Commission and even the brightest of the students have faced rejection. You are strongly advised to file under Student Partners Program and avoid filing with TOEFL scores under general category.”

Further, Tejal Laul says, “The quality of education is very good in all community colleges and one should not rush just to Toronto or Vancouver, there’s a lot of advantages studying at provinces in Quebec and Manitoba. The students’ Canada PR application is fast tracked if filed under Provincial Nominee Program. Colleges offer unique “co-operative education programmes” that allow students to work while studying. Apart from regular courses such as a Bachelor’s in Business Administration (Accounting/ Financial services) and Bachelor’s in Sciences, a few even offer new-age courses — Animal Health Technology, Geology, Financial Services Management, Office Administration Certificates, Basic Musicianship, Intercultural and International Studies, Professional Writing, Stagecraft, Performing and Fine Arts, Associate of Arts degree — to name a few. Students studying under government-funded institutions can get up to a three-year work permit, leading to permanent residency. Finance, banking and investment are the emerging fields in Canada and present a promising future in the country. Jobs in Computer Science offer good pay and there is ample job opportunity for talented and skilled professionals. Aerospace, Urban Transport, Microelectronics, Advanced Software, Hydroelectric and Nuclear Power, Lasers and Opto-electronics, Biotechnology, Food and Beverage Processing, Geomatics, Ocean and Environmental Industries are other lucrative courses on offer. Typically, most universities offer four-year undergraduate programmes. The degree awarded is general or specialised. An Honours (bacca-laureate) programme may be harder as more courses have to be completed in the same period of time, compared to a regular Bachelor’s programme in the same discipline. Community colleges and technical institutes in Canada offer programmes that enable students to get a job by meeting the needs of employers or industry.”

Regarding mature students applying under SPP, Tejal Laul says, “Canada welcomes mature students’ applications, one can file at the age of 35 but should have a genuine reason to study at this age in Canada. If the mature student is not able to provide ample of evidence, the application is more likely to be rejected. We have had several applications between 30 and 35 which have successfully received Canada student visas under SPP and are presently studying in Canada.”

On the question on ethics of study abroad consultants in India, Tejal Laul says, “The study abroad consulting industry in India is not regulated like China and UAE where study abroad consultant needs a license by the Ministry of Education to operate. The Indian Government needs to regulate the study abroad consulting industry and save hundreds from being duped by unscrupulous agents.”

She adds, “After successfully experimenting SPP in India, Canadian government has initiated the Student Partners program SPP in China. There are already 50,000 students from China studying in Canada and the number is expected to grow tremendously.”

###
Professional Free Press Release News Wire

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New immigrants Canada needs are already here

Like many developed nations, Canada is counting on immigration to help mitigate the impacts of an aging population. The global competition for skilled workers is intense as each nation markets itself as the ideal destination for immigrants to relocate. But even if Canada wins that contest and persuades candidates with the right qualifications to fill labour shortages to come here, there's no guarantee they will be able to successfully adjust to life in Canada.

But what if they have already shown that they can?

In Tuesday's editorial, we said some of the people we're looking for are already here. There are about 90,000 international students attending Canadian universities, taking advanced courses in the subject areas crucial to Canada's economic growth and prosperity.

They have already adopted the Canadian lifestyle, have mastered English or French, and have become familiar with Canada's cultural norms. In 2009, there were 49,905 students from China on study permits in Canada, as well as 25,871 from South Korea and 9,570 from India.

In British Columbia alone, there are 25,000 international students attending public post-secondary institutions, accounting for about six per cent of total enrolment. Add those attending private institutions and those studying English as a second language and the number rises to 140,000.

Not only do these students represent a potential pool of human capital, but they contribute to the economy as they learn. In B.C., international education provides an estimated $1.6 billion to gross domestic product and sustains 21,000 jobs.

Unlike Canadian students, international students receive no subsidies and pay the full retail price for their education.

In fact, many foreign governments pay their students to study here. Indeed, international students are helping Canadian universities balance their budgets.

Dalhousie University in Halifax, for example, recently announced that it would sell 10 vacant first-year places at its medical school to students from Saudi Arabia for $75,000 annually. The Saudi students are expected to return home; however, Canada could make a compelling case for them to stay by offering hospital residencies and a fast track to citizenship.

The benefit to Canada of keeping the foreign doctors, engineers, lawyers, scientists, economists and entrepreneurs emerging from Canadian universities can hardly be overstated. Gone are the issues of recognizing foreign credentials, language barriers and cultural differences. Moreover, either the students or the governments of their countries of origin, rather than Canadian taxpayers, have financed their training.

The federal government has taken some baby steps in the right direction by making it easier for international graduates to obtain a threeyear work permit on completion of their program, allowing them to work for any Canadian employer in any industry, without a requirement that they have a job at the time of their application.

The government could take it one step further and invite applications for permanent residence, leading to citizenship. The federal and provincial governments should also ensure that universities have sufficient capacity to accept as many international students as are willing to come, while ensuring domestic enrolment is not compromised.

Studies have shown that younger, educated immigrants will not face the impediments that have prevented older skilled immigrants from achieving success in Canada, but will be able to integrate well into Canadian society and go on to make a comfortable living.

Canada must continue to recruit students from around the world, as other nations do, and market our educational institutions just as aggressively as our traditional exports.

But recruitment is expensive and the return on investment will be greater if we can convince international students already studying here that Canada could be, and should be, their permanent home.

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/immigrants+Canada+needs+already+here/5056666/story.html#ixzz1RUSn5kME

Immigration consultants, lawyers, and other representatives: Who can represent you

Authorized immigration consultants, lawyers, Québec notaries, and paralegals regulated by a law society are people who can offer immigration advice to applicants. Some applicants may choose to use such a representative to act on their behalf with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), the Immigration and Refugee Board or the Canada Border Services Agency.

There are two types of immigration representatives: paid and unpaid.

Paid immigration representatives

Only the following people may charge a fee or receive any other type of consideration, to represent or advise you in connection with a Canadian immigration proceeding or application:

• lawyers and paralegals who are members in good standing of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society
• Notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec, and
• Immigration consultants who are members in good standing of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council

The Government of Canada will not deal with non-authorized immigration representatives who charge for their services.

NEW: Other people who offer paid immigration advice

With the coming into force of Bill C-35, anyone who provides paid advice prior to the filing of an application or the commencement of a proceeding will need to be an authorized representative. This means that some third parties who were not formerly required to be recognized to provide paid advice will now have to refer people to an authorized representative or become authorized themselves. Some examples of paid advice or representation that will now be captured through the implementation of Bill C-35 include:

• representing the applicant during an immigration proceeding by speaking on their behalf.
• providing guidance to a client on how to select the best immigration stream and complete the appropriate forms.

Unpaid immigration third parties

Unpaid third parties, such as family members, friends, non-governmental or religious organizations will still be allowed to act on your behalf.

To protect your privacy, CIC will not share any of your personal information with your consultant, lawyer, and other representative unless you provide your written consent using the Use of a Representative (IMM 5476)form.

Other people who offer immigration advice or assistance

People who provide immigration-related advice or assistance for a fee before the application is filed are not obliged to be authorized consultants. However, be aware that non-authorized consultants, lawyers, and other representatives or advisors are not regulated. This means that they may not have adequate knowledge or training. It also means that you cannot seek help from the professional bodies (that is, the law societies, ICCRC, etc.) if that person provides you with the wrong advice or behaves in an unprofessional way.

THE SEVEN TOP TIPS FOR GETTING HIRED LONG DISTANCE

Source: MuchmorCanada

By now you’ve read every bit of advice that explains how to make yourself more attractive to employers. You know to clean up your online profiles, update your résumé, practice your interview answers, and network. But what if you’re looking for a job in a different time zone?

Long-distance job hunts bring with them a special set of requirements that can seem daunting at first, but aren’t all that much worse than a regular job search. With a little planning, you can conduct a long-distance job search that will land you a job in any city you want.

Choose locations

Hunting for a job in a single city is difficult. Hunting for one in all 50 states is virtually impossible. Rather than approach your job search as a nationwide Easter egg hunt, decide what cities you want to focus on. Although you might be open to any location that will offer you a job, you should make a list of five or 10 cities where you can see yourself working. For example if you hate to drive and love cold winters, then you should probably cross Los Angeles off of your list.

Know the job market

When you’re looking at potential locations for your job search, do some research on the local economy. Not all cities offer the same opportunities. Although you know that local unemployment rates differ from city to city, remember that industry vitality is just as diverse. One city might have a low unemployment rate, but your industry isn’t necessarily enjoying the same boom. Look at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and peruse newspapers for localized information.

Use your network

The glory of social media is that networks aren’t confined by geography anymore. Look at your Facebook friends and you probably know people in dozens of states, if not countries. Use your contacts from all of your social media profiles to publicize your job search and ask for any information that could guide you toward the right opportunity. When it comes to job hunting, you can’t ever have too many people looking for jobs on your behalf.

Brush up on your phone skills

Phone interviews typically come before any in-person interview, but the likelihood of them increases greatly when you’re searching long distance. In most cases, employers won’t expect you to fly out for a first-round interview, so a phone interview is most common, and you shouldn’t take it lightly. Practice speaking at a calm pace, be certain your phone signal is strong and do a few dry runs with a friend.

Perhaps most importantly, job seekers are often afraid to appear impolite when interviewers call and say, “Sure, I can talk right now.” If you are caught off guard or if you are in the middle of feeding your children and doing laundry, you can be honest. Even if you ask for 15 minutes to go to a quieter room, you want to create the best setting for your interview.

Decide if you’ll travel for an interview

Sometimes you’ll get to a second or third round of interviews when the employer wants to meet you in person. Sometimes the company pays for travel, but other times they don’t. Set a few ground rules for yourself in order to determine what opportunities you consider worth your time and money. Also, if asked to travel, find out as much information as possible about so that you can make the arrangements that work best for you. See what dates are available (so you can book the most affordable flight) and how long the process takes (so you know if you can fly home that day and save hotel fare). You want to know as much as possible beforehand so you can make the most informed decision possible.

Travel

Relocating for a job is a big move that can pay off for your career, but it can also require sacrifices. Leaving behind your friends, paying for the move, and spending the time on the move itself all require a lot of energy. You want to be certain the city you’re moving to is worth it, so if you haven’t visited in a while or ever, find a way to visit before you move. Not only will you find out if the culture is right for you, but you will also get a better idea of the layout. You could realize that you should extend your job search to nearby suburbs or towns, which can open up a new set of possibilities.

Know your own relocation plan

The most important part of your long-distance job search is having a flexible game plan. Without a job offer, you might not have a definitive move date, but you should have an idea of what is possible in case you get an offer. Employers know you’re not a local candidate, so they will want to know how soon you can start and when you plan to be in the city.

If you get an offer and then say you need time to put your house on the market, find a good school for your children, and decide where you want to live, you’ll probably lose out on the opportunity. Most employers understand the complexity of a long-distance job search, but they don’t have six months to wait for you, either. A flexible plan allows you and the employer to negotiate a mutually agreeable start date while also showing that you’re serious about relocating.

Writers Bio: Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

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