Immigration Canada

Province-wide Employer Consultations Kick-off in Fort St. John

EC-BC | January 12, 2012

Employer consultations have started across the province, driven by an Immigrant Employment Council of BC (IEC-BC) initiative to obtain the views and advice of BC employers on their needs and requirements in attracting, hiring and retaining skilled immigrant talent. The first of 14 regional and sector-specific focus groups was held today in Fort St. John, inviting businesses in the district to discuss what's working for them and where improvements can be made.

Today's focus group was hosted by the Fort St. John Chamber of Commerce, and facilitated by Human Capital Strategies (HCS).

Similar focus groups will be held until February in regions across BC, including Metro Vancouver, Fort Nelson, Prince George, Kelowna, Comox Valley and Cranbrook, where internationally trained immigrants have migrated to, seeking employment.

A global skills shortage is expected to hit BC employers by as soon as 2015. Residents are getting older, the birth rate is declining and BC's economy is becoming increasingly reliant on skilled immigrants in order to remain globally competitive. Skilled immigrants in BC are being under-utilized in the labour market and are statistically underemployed, relative to their labour market potential. As a result, the BC government has made immigrant workforce integration a top economic priority.

The consultations are expected to yield recommendations on effective programs and policies in support of provincial and federal labour market development. Additional outcomes include concrete tools, resources and effective practices for employers, especially SMEs, that will benefit their bottom line.

IEC-BC is leading a collaborative effort involving government, employers and community organizations providers to develop effective solutions that address the under utilization of skilled immigrants in BC's labour market.

Upcoming Consultations

Jan 13, 2012 - Fort Nelson, BC
Jan 18, 2012 - Langley, BC
Jan 19, 2012 - Prince George, BC
Jan 24, 2012 - Cranbrook, BC
Jan 25, 2012 - Vancouver, BC
Jan 27, 2012 - Vancouver, BC
Jan 27, 2012 - New Westminster, BC
Feb 2, 2012 - Burnaby, BC
Feb 3, 2012 - Vancouver BC
Feb 7, 2012 - Comox Valley, BC
Feb 8, 2012 - Kelowna, BC
Feb 9, 2012 - Vancouver, BC
Feb 10, 2012 - Surrey, BC

For more information, email info@iecbc.ca

Twitter: @IEC_BC

Super visa only for those who can afford it

Nicholas KeungImmigration Reporter

Felix Zhang was thrilled when Ottawa launched a “super visa” last month to allow parents and grandparents of newcomers to visit Canada and stay here for up to two years.

But the pricetag for the mandatory health insurance required under the program is a huge obstacle for the Zhangs and many other immigrant families.

The private insurance typically costs $2,000 to $4,000 depending on which company is writing the policy and the age and medical history of the insured.

For Zhang, a Toronto IT manager, said those premiums are beyond the reach of even middle-class immigrants like him.

“My parents are in good health and don’t need that. I am more than willing to pay for their health insurance in Canada, but not for something unnecessary,” said Zhang, co-founder of Sponsor Our Parents, a self-advocacy group. “This is so expensive that only the rich need to apply.”

At the same time, Ottawa has stopped accepting new sponsorships for permanent residence until 2014, hoping to cut the current backlog of 165,000 parents and grandparents by half.

And the department is trying to whittle down the list in other ways. Just this month, all sponsors in the backlog were told they had only 90 days to provide personal information and documentation of the sponsored applicants – materials not usually required until later in the process.

“They have asked for a lot of information and materials such as birth certificates. Some parents were born long time ago and don’t have birth certificates. They may not be able to get it on time,” said Zhang.

“And the (immigration) letter says if they don’t receive the information in 90 days, they will consider the applicant is no longer interested in coming here and reject the application.”

In announcing the first super visa issued at the Canadian mission in Manila this month, Kenney said he was pleased with the “positive response” to the program.

“With the super visa, we have taken a common sense approach that allows parents and grandparents to spend extended periods of time with their loved ones in Canada, while at the same time acting responsibly in protecting Canadian taxpayers,” he said.

However, MP Kevin Lamoureux, immigration critic for the Liberals, said the super visa is simply a political maneuver by the Conservative government “to avoid a backlash.”

“It irks me that they launched the super visa when they announced to put the freeze on the sponsorship of parents and grandparents,” said Lamoureux. “The health insurance is (out of) good intent, but it is so unaffordable that it is impossible for people to get the visa.”

Task Force Set Up In British Columbia To Attract Immigrants

written by John.Weir

The newly installed Premier of Canadian province British Columbia, Christy Clark, has announced the creation of the BC Immigration Task Force – with the aim of increasing the number of skilled immigrants and investors in BC.

The task force will review the effectiveness of all of B.C.’s current immigration programs and make recommendations on how to improve the federal government’s responsiveness to immigration needs for skilled workers throughout Western Canada. John Yap, head of the task force, said skilled people all over the world want to come to B.C. The aim of the task force is to make it easier for skilled workers to emigrate.

The nine-member group will consist of community and business leaders and will review the Provincial Nominee Program, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class, and the Federal Immigrant Investor Program. The group will begin its work immediately and submit a final report by the end of March 2012.

“We’ve laid out an ambitious plan to create jobs in the B.C. Jobs Plan and we will need skilled immigrants to help fill more than one million job openings expected over the next decade,” Clark said. “We don’t know yet, how we’re going to fill those jobs.”

Selling to Canada's new immigrants

By Kim Hart MacNeill | December 05, 2011

The face of Canada is changing so fast that business is struggling to keep up. In 2010, Canada accepted 281,000 immigrants—the most in one year in almost a century. These new arrivals accounted for 65% of total population growth, a proportion that’s headed even higher. With our low birth rate and aging population, immigrant customers are a market far too big to ignore.

There’s a huge opening for any company that is among the few to do well at courting Canadians born abroad. Sharifa Khan, a specialist in multi-ethnic marketing, says one of the biggest mistakes she sees is companies simply translating their ads and placing them in media that speak to their target immigrant customers in their own languages. Khan, president and CEO of Toronto-based Balmoral Marketing, says just because newcomers must prove fluency in English or French to be admitted into Canada doesn’t mean they’ll understand idiomatic language in your marketing messages or connect with images that work in traditional North American advertising. To ensure that your message resonates in a given community, work with a multicultural marketing agency or people in your own company who are part of that community.

As well, urges Khan, “You literally need to talk to people in the communities you want to reach. I ask my clients, ‘When was the last time you picked up the phone and called someone from China?’”

Building trust is essential to connecting with immigrant groups. By sponsoring events within the community you’re targeting, you’ll position your brand as a supporter of that community and gain a chance to talk to people first-hand about their needs and how you can meet them.

As well as the vast potential to sell “mainstream” products to newcomers, opportunities abound to meet needs specific to immigrants. For instance, demand for culturally appropriate elder care exceeds supply across Canada, especially in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto, says Thomas Tam, CEO of Vancouver-based SUCCESS, a settlement-assistance service for immigrants.

Elderly immigrants often lack proficiency in English or French, leaving them isolated if they move to a long-term care facility. Tam says offering them caregivers who speak their mother tongue, foods from their native country and respect for their customs is good for their mental and physical health, and will earn goodwill (and positive word of mouth) from families and patients alike. Language education is another sector that Khan identifies as having major potential. Although new immigrants are eligible for government-funded language training, classes fill up quickly, especially higher-level courses in major urban areas. Private education providers can target economic immigrants—such as entrepreneurs, skilled workers and professionals—by including the vocabulary they’ll need in the workplace and by catering to their work schedules.

Local Service Canada office to expand

By JENNIFER HAMILTON-McCHARLES The Nugget

Posted 14 hours ago

Service Canada in North Bay is preparing to expand its workforce.

Human Resources Development Canada will close 100 offices across Canada over the next three years. The remaining 20 offices, including North Bay, will expand to become Employment Insurance processing centres.

Scott Mannering, constituency manager at Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Jay Aspin's office, said the city will see a significant number of jobs added to the local office because of this consolidation.

He said he couldn't give an exact number, but estimated it could mean 50 jobs.

"It's a good kick for us," Mannering said Monday.

He said job vacancies will be offered first to those employees working in offices slated for closure and are willing to relocate.

The North Bay office will handle employment insurance inquires from people living across Northeastern and Eastern Ontario from Timmins to Kingston.

Service Canada will remain at its Shirreff Avenue location for now, Mannering said.

"We probably have space for another 20 people in the existing facility," he said. "But long-term we will have to take another look."

The official announcement was made last summer.

Valerie Fargey, national vice-president for the Ontario Region of Canada Employment and Immigration Union, said the 20 processing centres will need additional property to handle the added work.

"The backlog is already so huge," she said, adding claims are supposed to be processed in three weeks, but people looking for work are waiting as long as five to eight weeks.

Fargey said she fears there will be a ripple effect.

"I just hope those communities don't lose their front-end services at Service Canada."

The Sturgeon Falls office was among the first to fall on the chopping block. Its doors closed Jan. 1.

Employees were offered employment at the North Bay office, while the district will be served by a mobile office two days a week.

The union was told the move is a result of a lack of rental space in the community. The lease on the property at 186 Main St. ran out and there wasn't suitable space available.

jhamilton-mcharles@nugget.ca

New Changes suggested for Canada Immigration Regulations

by Grace - January 15, 2012

Some new changes have been suggested by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada for improving various procedures that waves the path for hereby leading immigrants to stay and work in the country.

Areas of Change:

The authorities are mostly looking for a change in rules and regulations dealing with Temporary Foreign Workers, Skilled or Professional Workers and also will look into the matters concerning permanent immigration under the Family class category. The change in these rules is expected to bring in more efficacies in the immigration system of the country.

Suggested Changes for Foreign Temporary Workers:

Lately some cases have been reported bringing out the exploitations faced by the overseas temporary workers. Hence to check such incidents have been introduced to protect and maintain the rights these immigrants. This will also ensure they are paid proper remuneration and incase some employers do not comply with rules strict action could be taken against him.

Some changes proposed and implemented during early months of the year 2011 have complied with government objective of fair and exploitation free rules towards the temporary workers in the country. According to it the government took some following strict steps, as per that before higher a temporary worker the employer has to comply with the rules proving that the employment option is for temporary employee only and one should not be exploited. From now on the employers will also be required to maintain and when asked should all their records concerning the overseas employees hired by the business. The business employer is expected to provide all single detail of their organization, their hiring process for foreign workers etc, to the authorities of Citizenship and Immigration department of the country.

If in any of the case employer is not found complying with the rules and regulations or found exploiting the foreign workers in such case employer may have to face a ban of two years and consequently would not be able employ any overseas temporary worker.

Changes Suggested for Skilled or Professional Workers:

Under this category the government has also suggested some changes that were focused to maintain the respect and dignity of the immigration system as well as the professionals coming to work in the country. According to these new rules the Citizenship and Immigration Canada authorities have suggested firstly to raise the minimum standards knowledge of a particular language required to know by the aspirant. The raise suggested aspirant should now obtain 20 points rather than previously required 16 points. They have also proposed to raise the level of education and work experience required for any particular kind of trade or business.

Such changes have been proposed for effective immigration system as well as to achieve economic development of the country.

CICA Granted Federal Funding to Help Immigrant Accountants Become CAs

WRITTEN BY HEATHER WILLIAMS

The Canadian Institute for Chartered Accountants (CICA) now has a helping hand from the federal government to help accountants immigrating to Canada become CAs. According to the January/February 2012 issue of CA Magazine, the federal government granted the CICA $1.4 million to create a uniform and easy to follow process for internationally educated professionals (IEPs) to join the profession.

This is CICA’s second grant, following their first in September 2009 through their Foreign Credential Recognition Program.

“Skilled professionals are vital for Canada’s future,” said Kevin Dancey, CICA president and CEO. “We welcome the federal government’s commitment to helping internationally trained accountants contribute to their full potential as quickly as possible.”

To better understand what IEP accountants go through to become a CA, focus groups were conducted to determine what needs have to be met in order to create a national, harmonized online application process. An inter-provincial team was created to develop the process.

Also, a new website has been created; http://www.becomeacaincanada.ca/. This specialized website provides information for employers hiring IEPs as well as information for the IEPs themselves.

For more information on this news item, please visit the original article.

Immigrants struggle to land quality jobs in Canadian cities

BY TAMARA CUNNINGHAM, DAILY NEWS JANUARY 11, 2012

Ping Hui was an established environmental engineer with more than 25 years experience when she came to Canada from her home in China.

She expected a smooth transition into a career in Nanaimo, where her daughter studies criminology, but Hui has been at a loss to find even an entry-level job.

She teaches calligraphy at the Nanaimo Chinese Language and Arts Centre and picks up the occasional seasonal work folding clothes at department stores, but can't seem to find a permanent job. She's been looking for two years.

"They wanted me to pass an ESL test and get training and certification in Canada (for environmental engineering) and for that I have to go back to school," she said. "For me, that isn't an option."

Hui is not the only immigrant struggling to find work.

Canada attracts skilled foreign workers seeking for a lifestyle change or the chance to be closer to family. But when they get here, they face barriers to getting a job in their related fields because foreign education, training and accreditation is often not recognized. Some people remain unemployed while others pick up jobs they're overqualified for or minimum wage "survival" work, said Nanette Leather, director for the Nanaimo Immigration Centre.

"Engineers have to get a new license, become a part of the professional association, complete accreditation assessments and testing - and with all that work some decide it's better to just be a technician," she said.

A job shortage doesn't make the process of settling into a new community any easier. Although unemployment rates improved to 7.5% in December from a high of 16% last spring, experts say the job market is still limited and immigrants are hardest hit.

"It's unfortunate but when there are lots of unfilled positions, employers are willing to overlook or deal with challenges around language or culture," Leather said. "At the moment that's not happening."

The Immigration Centre saw more than 200 people between March 2010 and March 2011 access employment programs and services hoping to find work; with the majority of people coming from China and the Philippines.

Cedrik Ignacio, 35, immigrated to Canada from the Philippines nine months ago where he worked as a physiotherapist and ambulance attendant. It was his "dream to move to North America and establish a career," but was told when he arrived his credentials didn't apply. He would have to re-train.

"It was difficult to hear I'd have to go back to scratch," he said. "That could take a long time."

Ignacio found seasonal work for the holidays and now plans to train as a care attendant.

Helena Eskiltsen of Denmark moved to Nanaimo eight months ago with her Canadian husband to be closer to his family. She can afford to search for the right job because her husband works, but says the search is harder than she expected. She has a master's equivalent to business marketing and tourism.

"It's hard for everyone, but for immigrants you lack a network and your references are not always understood," she said.

"I haven't had any interviews yet, but I am not giving up."

TCunningham@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4230

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Fisher: Canada should target talented, unemployed Europeans

BY MATTHEW FISHER

BARCELONA — Canada must not be shy about taking advantage of Europe's financial distress. The Harper government should target some of the continent's best and brightest as immigrants and prospective future citizens.

Spain is a case in point. According to data from the European Union, it had an unemployment rate of 22.9 per cent last fall, followed by Greece with 18.8 per cent.

Take away the few European countries which are still prospering, such as Germany, Austria, Holland and Finland, and the unemployment rate across the EU was more than double that of Canada, which announced an unemployment rate of 7.5 per cent last week.

The figures in Europe were far worse for those under the age of 25. Spain again led the way with a staggering youth unemployment rate of 49.6 per cent, followed by Greece with 45.6 per cent, compared to a rate of about 15 per cent in Canada.

Given those appalling European numbers and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney's stated goal of taking in 250,000 immigrants this year, it is in Canada's national interest to modify existing programs or create a new program to specifically headhunt tens of thousands of highly educated but unemployed or underemployed Europeans. Of special importance should be the large number of young Europeans who already speak English and/or French well and who possess sophisticated computer skills or have solid mechanical, engineering and scientific backgrounds.

Again and again as I travelled last month by train from Italy through France, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Poland, checking the continent's feeble economic pulse, sometimes desperate and always despairing Europeans complained to me about how, despite top notch schooling, their job prospects were extremely limited or non-existent.

A few of those I spoke with, such as a 21-year-old female apprentice car mechanic from Perpignan, in southern France, had friends who had emigrated to Canada and were encouraging her to join them. A 25-year-old quadrilingual hotel clerk in Belgium with a graduate degree in international relations who aspired to become a teacher complained that Ottawa did not seem to want Europeans. He and others questioned why, from where they sat, Canada seemed to give preferential treatment to Asian and Middle Eastern migrants.

As the result of policies established during by Liberal governments in the 1960s, which greatly diversified the pool of immigrants eligible to settle in Canada and actively sought them from new places, it takes far fewer immigrants from Europe today. In 2010, the most recent year for which Citizenship and Immigration Canada as well as Statistics Canada have published data, the country took in 135,000 Asians and 41,320 Europeans. Another 67,000 Africans and Middle Easterners were also granted landed immigrant status.

It was not always like this, of course. Canada took in 257,141 European immigrants and only 3,371 from Asia in 1957. As late as 1967, Canada welcomed 159,491 newcomers from Europe compared to 21,451 from Asia. However, only 12 years later, the balance had shifted dramatically in Asia's favour, with about 30,000 more immigrants from the Far East and South Asia than from Europe.

Europeans represented 90 per cent of Canada's intake of immigrants in 1957. Half a century later, the percentage of European immigrants to Canada had plummeted to about 15 per cent of the total. Looked at another way, Canada has taken in almost 1.5 million more immigrants from Asia than from Europe since 1991.

Over the past 25 years, the number of immigrants from Africa and the Middle East has also greatly surpassed immigration from Europe, growing nearly sixfold to nearly 67,000 last year. During this same period, the intake of immigrants from Central America and South America grew, although not by as much.

Anecdotal reports from Canadian posts overseas suggest the number of Europeans emigrating to Canada is now growing slightly. But there are no figures yet to support this contention.

Canada did well when it encouraged immigration from Europe, just as it has done well recently by encouraging immigrants from elsewhere. However, factors that propel immigration change over time. It would be a boon to Canada if it were to redirect a few of its heavily Asia-centric immigration resources to Europe and, for the first time in decades, actively seek more immigrants from among the deep pool of highly capable Europeans who are in an economic pickle and are keen to take their talents elsewhere.

fisherrmatthew@hotmail.com

Canada seeks thousands of Irish immigrants urgently

DARA KELLY,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Sunday, November 20, 2011, 7:39 AM

Updated Sunday, November 20, 2011, 9:41 AM

Canada is seeking tens of thousands of Irish worker to fill a wide range of jobs, the Canadian Ambassador to Ireland announced last week.

The country is seeking to fill a labor shortage caused by a strong economy, massive infrastructure projects and booming fisheries, mining, oil and natural gas industries.

"I'm hearing numbers like between 30,000 and 40,000 in construction alone," Ambassador Loyola Hearn told the Irish Independent.

This year, all 5,000 holiday work visas open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 35, were quickly snapped up. Immigration officials have increased the quota to 5,350 for 2012.

The Canadian embassy held a jobs fair at Croke Park in Dublin last weekend focusing on job opportunities in the four Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. There is also a huge demand for workers in the western provinces, including British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Hearn says there will be more job fairs to come.

"We've surpassed the US now with emigration and are second behind Australia," he said.

The level of emigration and business between Canada and Ireland is such that the embassy is spearheading a campaign to establish regular direct flights between the two countries, he added.

The embassy -- along with the Dublin Airport Authority, Failte Ireland, Dublin City Council and Irish-Canadian business and community organizations -- is developing a business plan it hopes will result in one of the major airlines opening up a direct link in the near future.

It is estimated that around 10,000 Irish have already relocated to Canada over the past two years.