Immigration Canada

Will changes to immigration policy help employers fill vacant jobs and be of net benefit to Canada?

TORONTO, March 1, 2012 /CNW/ - The federal government is proposing sweeping changes to the immigration system, including elevating the role of employers in selecting new Canadians. Citizenship and Immigration MinisterJason Kenney is advocating for a system that would emphasize language skills, youth and a new economic stream for trades people, who are frequently overlooked. Some of the proposed changes to the Canadian system are based on an Australian model that includes pre-assessment of skills, which determines if candidates match available jobs.

Rowan O'Grady, President of Hays Canada, a national recruitment consultancy, is available to comment on how these changes will affect employment in Canada. He can speak to a number of related issues including:

How giving more priority to employers in determining who qualifies for entry into Canada, and the proposed "expression of interest" program will help fill vacant roles. The current system creates an imbalance between whoCanada approves and realistic job prospects -meaningful change can help address this.
Why including trades people can help, but not if Canada devalues the role of educated, high-income skilled candidates who play a significant role in spurring economic activity. Canada is experiencing a high-income skills labour shortage, and must do more to ensure we are successful in competing for the global war for talent.
How the Australian model works, and why implementing some of their policies can help improve access to skilled candidates.

About Hays Canada:
Hays Specialist Recruitment Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hays plc, which has been at the forefront of the global recruitment industry for over 35 years. Hays is a leader in specialist recruitment in Canada and Australia. With annual revenues of over £2.1 billion, Hays Specialist Recruitment is the largest specialist recruitment consultancy in the world.

For further information:

To arrange an interview please contact:
Kieran Lawler
Media Profile
Direct: 416-342-1823
Mobile: 416-303-0799
kieran.lawler@mediaprofile.com

Employers could bump up prospects in immigration overhaul Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20120301/immigration-overhaul-120201/#ixzz1o0ZAIySV

CTVNews.ca Staff

Date: Thu. Mar. 1 2012 4:25 PM ET

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney outlined his vision Thursday for a faster immigration system that would allow employers a greater say in selecting new Canadians.

"Immigration is playing an increasingly important role in our economy and we need a system that does a better job of attracting the people who have the skills that are in demand and getting them here quickly," Kenney said in the keynote address to the National Metropolis Conference in Toronto. "We have made some great strides towards an immigration system that is fast and flexible, but know that there is more work to do."

Kenney's plan would see employers have the ability hand-pick potential immigrants and bring them to the front of the line.

Kenney says he plans to redesign the immigration point system to be more flexible and place greater emphasis on language ability and youth.

For example, Kenney said, the language requirement for a foreign doctor would be different than that of a welder.

Kenney said Canada has to do a better job of attracting entrepreneurs, noting that in the U.S., half of the top 50 venture-capital backed companies were founded by immigrants.

He also promised to relieve pressure on the backlog in the system, as there are wait times of up to seven years in some categories.

"It makes no sense to tell people 'apply now, but put your life on hold for a few years before we'll even let you know if you qualify,'" Kenney said. "I will continue to make changes to create a faster, more flexible immigration system. Canadians need and deserve a system that boldly puts Canada's best interests first."

By Tobi Cohen

OTTAWA — The federal government is introducing a five-year sponsorship bar to crack down on bogus marriages of convenience.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced Friday that starting immediately, spouses will have to wait five years from the day they are granted permanent residence status in Canada before they can sponsor a new spouse.

The move is meant to prevent people from fraudulently marrying Canadians for the purposes of immigration only to leave them and then sponsor a new partner while their Canadian spouse is still financially responsible for them for three years.

“I held town hall meetings across the country to hear from victims of marriage fraud,” said Kenney, who made the announcement in Brampton, Ont., just west of Toronto.

“In addition to the heartbreak and pain that came from being lied to and deceived, these people were angry. They felt they had been used as a way to get to Canada. We’re taking action because immigration to Canada should not be built upon deceit.”

The move comes less than two years after the Conservatives promised to tackle marriage fraud. In the fall of 2010, the government held online consultations to gather public opinion and ideas on how to address the issue.

The idea of a five-year sponsorship bar was proposed in the Canada Gazette last April and was followed by a 30-day public comment period.

It also comes just weeks after outspoken Ottawa victim Lainie Towell’s ex-husband was, after a three-year fight, finally deported to his native Guinea after walking out on her just three weeks after they exchanged vows.

The measure officially came into force on Friday and is just one of several actions the government is considering.

Public consultations will begin in the coming weeks on a proposed conditional permanent-residence provision that would deter people in newer relationships from attempting to gain quick entry to Canada when they have no plans to remain with their sponsoring partner.

According to the proposal first published in the Canada Gazette last spring, the sponsored partner in a marriage or common-law relationship of fewer than two years would be subject to a conditional two-year period of permanent residence.

The measure would bring Canada in line with other countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, which have similar policies.

Minister Kenney Introduces Sponsorship Restriction to Address Marriage Fraud

TORONTO, ONTARIO, Mar 02, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The Government of Canada has put in place a bar on sponsorship in an ongoing effort to deter people from using a marriage of convenience to come to Canada, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

Regulatory changes now in force mean sponsored spouses or partners will have to wait five years from the day they are granted permanent residence status in Canada to sponsor a new spouse or partner. Until now, a sponsored spouse or partner arriving in Canada as a permanent resident could leave their sponsor and sponsor another spouse or partner themselves, while their original sponsor was still financially responsible for them for up to three years.

"I held town hall meetings across the country to hear from victims of marriage fraud," said Minister Kenney. "In addition to the heartbreak and pain that came from being lied to and deceived, these people were angry. They felt they had been used as a way to get to Canada. We're taking action because immigration to Canada should not be built upon deceit."

Minister Kenney was joined by representatives of Canadians Against Immigration Fraud (CAIF) at today's announcement.

"We welcome the steps taken by the Honourable Jason Kenney to stop marriage fraud," said Sam S. Benet, President of CAIF. "These measures will definitely protect the integrity of our immigration system."

Spousal sponsorship is open to abuse when a person enters into a relationship - such as a marriage or a common law partnership - in order to circumvent Canada's immigration law. Concerned with the problem, the Minister held online consultations in the fall of 2010 to gather public opinion and ideas on how to best address marriage fraud.

"Many of the people who took part in the consultations made it abundantly clear that marriage fraud poses a significant threat to our immigration system," added Minister Kenney. "Our government has listened to the victims of marriage fraud and all Canadians, and acted to crack down on those who engage in fraud and abuse Canadians' generosity and our immigration system."

Barring such sponsorships is consistent with similar restrictions imposed by Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

The proposal for a five-year sponsorship bar was prepublished in the Canada Gazette on April 2, 2011, and was open for a 30-day public comment period. The changes coming into force today, March 2, are posted on Citizenship and Immigration Canada's website and will be published in Part II of the Canada Gazette on March 14, 2012.

To show it is serious about cracking down on marriage fraud, CIC is taking a number of steps to deter it. For example, in addition to the sponsorship bar, further public consultations are also expected to begin in the coming weeks on a proposed conditional permanent residence measure. A Notice of Intent proposing the development of this conditional measure was published in the Canada Gazette on March 26, 2011. The measure aims to deter people in newer relationships from using their relationship to gain quick entry to Canada as permanent residents when they have no intention of staying with their sponsor.

In addition, legislation to crack down on crooked consultants came into force in June 2011 and last spring, CIC launched an anti-fraud campaign, which will be relaunched this month. This includes a short video warning people not to be duped into committing marriage fraud. The video directs people to a special link on the CIC website ( www.cic.gc.ca/antifraud ) to find out how to immigrate to Canada the right way.

A photograph of Minister Kenney will be available later today at www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/photos/high-res/index.asp .

Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada's economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.

        
        Contacts:
        Citizenship and Immigration Canada
        Minister's Office
        Candice Malcolm
        613-954-1064
        
        Citizenship and Immigration Canada
        Communications Branch
        Media Relations
        613-952-1650
        CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

SOURCE: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Ontario Developing 'First-ever' Immigration Strategy

To help build a stronger economy, Ontario will develop its first-ever immigration strategy.

A new expert roundtable, led by Julia Deans, will help develop the strategy and examine ways that immigration can best support Ontario's economic development and help new Ontarians find jobs.

Ontario remains the number one destination for newcomers to Canada yet it is the only province currently without an immigration agreement with the federal government. The new provincial immigration strategy will help to inform and shape discussions with the federal government towards an agreement.

Skilled new Ontarians are fundamental to our economic future. That's why the McGuinty government is calling on the federal government to share responsibility for immigration so that Ontario and Canada can continue to grow stronger together.

QUICK FACTS

Ontario receives more immigrants than all the Western provinces, all the Atlantic provinces and the three territories combined.
Newcomers make up 30 per cent of Ontario's labour force.
In 2001, the Federal Skilled Workers Program accounted for 77 per cent of economic landings to Canada. By 2010, that number had fallen to 46 per cent. More than 60 per cent of these newcomers have historically landed in Ontario.
The Federal Skilled Workers Program has a current backlog of over 300,000 applicants - many of whom want to come to Ontario.
The roundtable will consist of business people, employers, academics and other experts within the field of immigration and labour market needs.
The roundtable will provide its recommendations to the government in summer 2012.

Ottawa to tighten spousal immigration sponsorship rules

CTVNews.ca Staff

Date: Friday Mar. 2, 2012 3:23 PM ET

In a move intended to crack down on bogus marriages, Ottawa has increased the length of time that a sponsored immigrant can turn around and sponsor a new partner.

The new rules take effect immediately and are meant to prevent people from fraudulently marrying Canadians to get into the country, only to turn around and leave that sponsor to bring in another spouse.

Canadians who sponsor immigrants are financially responsible for them for three years. Under the new rules, a spouse must wait five years from the day they are granted permanent residence status in Canada before they can sponsor a new spouse.

"I held town hall meetings across the country to hear from victims of marriage fraud," said Citizen and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney in a statement. The minister made the announcement Friday in Brampton, Ont.

"In addition to the heartbreak and pain that came from being lied to and deceived, these people were angry. They felt they had been used as a way to get to Canada. We're taking action because immigration to Canada should not be built upon deceit."

The minister was not immediately available for a comment.

The rule changes are in line with United States, Australia and the United Kingdom which have waiting periods of two to three years before a sponsored spouse could be come a permanent resident of Canada.

Kenney has long promised to tackle marriage fraud. Two years ago, Ottawa held online consultations to solicit public opinion on the issue.

The new measures come just weeks after Ottawa resident Lainie Towell's ex-husband was deported to his native Guinea. Towell's husband left her nearly one year after they exchanged vows in Guinea and four weeks after he arrived in Canada as Towell's sponsored spouse.

A new immigration point system for Canada starts in 2012

A revised points-based selection grid will be introduced to favour young immigrants with strong language skills, says federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

Prospective immigrants in licensed professions will need to be pre-assessed to ensure they are likely to get certification in Canada before their applications are processed, Kenney said in Toronto at the annual gathering of Metropolis, an immigration research network that is about to lose its federal funding.

Currently, immigration applicants can skirt the mandatory language requirement by entering through the Provincial Nominee Program, which allows provinces to select immigrants with job offers from local employers.

Under the new grid, to be introduced by the end of the year, Kenney said provincial nominees will face a higher bar as well, because research has shown that language proficiency enhances social and economic integration in the long run.

“We must make better choices. We must select immigrants who have the skills and traits we know will lead to their success, and qualifications that are already recognized in Canada, or can be recognized in a short time,” he said.

While the federal government does not plan to require spouses of applicants in the federal skilled worker program to undergo language tests, Kenney said they will be awarded more points if their spouses are proficient in English or French.

Calling the revised system “more flexible and intelligent,” Kenney said a welder with a job offer in Prince George would not face the same expectations with regard to language skills as someone expecting to work as a physician.

Plans are also underway to change the federal immigration programs for entrepreneurs and investors, though Kenney gave few details.

“In the United States, half of the top 50 venture-capital backed companies are founded by immigrants. We do not nearly do as well in Canada. We must do a better job attracting entrepreneurs and investors to Canada,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kenney said Canada will continue to offer protection to refugees and the family reunification program.

“I strongly believe that economic integration is the best path to social integration,” he said. If new Canadians can maximize their contribution to the labour market, social integration will quickly follow.”

Torstar News Service

Canadian Experience Class applications to be filed with the central intake office

Henry J Chang
Canada
February 24 2012

On December 30 2011 Citizenship and Immigration Canada published Operational Bulletin 368. According to the bulletin, all Canadian Experience Class applications must now be submitted to the Centralised Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney, Nova Scotia. This change became effective on January 1 2012.

On receipt, the CIO will assess each experience class application for completeness. An application must include all of the forms and documents listed in the generic document checklist for experience class applicants in order to be considered complete by the CIO.

If the application is incomplete, the CIO will return the entire application package (including fee payment) to the applicant. For complete applications, the CIO will enter the application information into the Global Case Management System and recover the processing fee. The CIO will then send complete applications to the appropriate visa office for processing; these offices will process the applications according to existing procedures and processing priorities.

Until January 31 2012, all visa offices continued to accept experience class applications filed directly with them; the applications were then forwarded to the CIO. However, as of January 31 2012, all experience class applications filed with visa offices are now returned to the applicant with instructions directing them to submit the application to the CIO.

Preparing for the Quebec Selection Interview

Applicants in the Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) program may be required to attend an interview with a Quebec immigration officer. This month, CIC News offers some advice on how to prepare and interviews Fritzie Selga, a Filipino nurse who succeeded at her interview and received her certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ).

Currently, most applicants in the QSW program are called to a personal interview where their “adaptability” for Quebec is assessed. In some cases, an interview waiver will be granted if the candidate passes the overall point threshold without needing these adaptability points and the immigration officer is satisfied with the supporting documents. He/she will then receive a CSQ and will be able to directly proceed to the federal portion of the application process.

Interviews generally take place 8-14 months after the submission of an application. The interview takes place at a location that is designated by the appropriate Quebec immigration office. For the current list of locations and dates, seeSchedule of selection missions. The candidate must attend the selection interview unless he/she has a valid reason supported by proof, such as not being able to get a visa for the country where the interview will take place, or a medical reason, such as a pregnancy. The interview may then be rescheduled for a later date.

Adaptability

It is a good idea to understand how adaptability points are allocated since evaluating adaptability is the primary objective of the interview. There are a total of 6 points that can be awarded, apportioned as follows:

The applicant’s general knowledge of Quebec. This includes an understanding of the history, culture, geography, society, values and laws of the Province of Quebec.
Quality of the candidate’s overall project to immigrate to Quebec. This includes components such as knowledge of the Quebec job market and the situation of the applicant’s occupation in the province, familiarity with living expenses in Quebec and having made a budget, and any contingency plans in case things do not work out for the candidate as initially planned. For example, Fritzie plans to initially live with a friend, but also presented an alternative plan which includes a brief stay in a hotel, and then the rental of an apartment.
Language. French and English can both be important, but the emphasis is on French. When an applicant claims a higher level of French and English, more complex questions in these respective languages can be expected. The more that an applicant is able to converse in French, the more the interview will be conducted in French.
It is important to note that after December 5th, 2011 all applications must include the results of standardized tests for French and/or English when claiming points for either language. More information is available from a previous CanadaVisa.com news article: Tests now required for language points under Quebec Skilled Worker program. Applicants should be aware that Quebec Immigration has the right to ask any applicant to submit French and/or English test results even if the application was received prior to December 5th, 2011.

Required Documentation

At the interview, applicants are expected to bring the originals of all documentation submitted in support of the application including: statutory documents and documents in relation to education, work history, proof of research into Quebec and the Quebec job market, and how the applicant will establish him/herself once there.

Supporting documents are required for the applicant and any accompanying dependent. While an accompanying spouse must attend the interview along with the principle applicant, children under 22 are not required to attend.

Useful Tips

If the applicant works in a regulated profession then he/she should know the licensing process in the Province of Quebec. For example engineers are regulated by the l'Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, or as in Fritzie’s case, nurses, by the Ordre des infirmières et des infirmiers du Québec.
The more one knows about their profession in Quebec the better. In some cases it may be possible to start the licensing process before arriving in Quebec. This is the case for engineers. For more information, see Recognizing engineer’s foreign credentials will get easier in Quebec with new online tool.
The more advanced French skills an applicant has acquired by the time of the interview, the better. Remember that French tests can be taken multiple times, and better results can be submitted. Fritzie improved her French with private tutoring, and using a French mobile App from iTunes. Also, the applicant should remember to keep up his/her French ability from the submission of the application to the date of the interview because without practise French skills can deteriorate.
If dependent children are a part of the application, the applicant is similarly expected to be well prepared for their integration into Quebec. This includes knowing that children of immigrants to Quebec must attend school in French, if they intend to attend publically funded schools and should include some research into schools they may attend in the neighbourhood where the applicant plans to settle.

Fritzie’s Advice

Fritzie explained that there is more need for nurses like her in Quebec than in her native Philippines, where many nurses end up switching professions due to lack of demand. She offers the following advice for others who will go through the interview process for Quebec immigration to succeed like she did:

“Start early. As soon as you [submit] your application, begin studying about Quebec and the job market. Do it with dedication and commitment. Begin your French studies and continuously improve on it. Don't wait until you receive your interview date because cramming is not good. There are many things that you need to learn about Quebec, the job market and the language and you cannot squeeze it all in a matter of 1 month or 2. Claim that you will be a Quebecer someday. In this way, you will be fully motivated. I made sure that I had a file of the important details about Quebec, job market, applications, communication letters, etc, that I scanned several times before the interview.”

Conclusion

The above is just an overview of the preparation process candidates should undertake for the Quebec immigration selection interview. The more time put in, as Fritzie explained, especially towards learning French, about the province of Quebec, your job prospects, and financial and living arrangements once in Quebec, the better. Details such as learning about how to get a driver’s license and insurance, and proof of all of this research, can go a long way with the Quebec immigration officer towards proving applicants are serious about succeeding in a new life in Quebec.

Campbell Cohen provides a much more detailed and comprehensive interview preparation for its clients, as there are many more steps you can take to receive maximum points for each component of the adaptability evaluation. Also, a comprehensive documentation check list is provided for our clients as these will be verified by the Quebec immigration officer at the interview.

Source: canadavisa.com

Canadian Census Sheds Light on Immigration Success

he most recent Canadian census, published in May 2011, has revealed new information about emerging population trends throughout the country, and how immigration has responded to and shaped these trends.

In the past 5 years Canada has welcomed 1,863,791 new permanent and temporary residents. Between 2006 and 2011, the country saw a 5.6% population increase – the highest of all G8 countries. Statistics Canada has issued the first of a series of census analyses, which examines population counts and growth. It has attributed Canada’s continued dominance in terms of planned population growth mostly to an increase in temporary foreign workers, and to a lesser extent on permanent residents.

The most striking population increases took place in the Western provinces. Yukon Territory experienced the highest growth, which at 11.6% was almost twice the national average. This was largely due to an influx in temporary residents, who have been entering into the province to fill jobs in key sectors such as mining and logging.

The second-highest growth was seen by Saskatchewan, which after years of steady decrease suddenly saw its population exceed 1 million for the second time in history. This has been largely attributed to the roughly 28,000 immigrants welcomed to the province in the past five years, as opposed to only 9,500 in the previous time period.

Increases in city populations were also largely concentrated in the West. For example, though its overall population did not rise dramatically, Alberta’s cities were responsible for 10 of the 15 highest conglomerations of population growth in the country.

In contrast to other provinces, Quebec experienced the majority of its growth through permanent immigration and higher rates of fertility. However, high amounts of inter-provincial migration (people moving between provinces) resulted in lower overall growth.

Provinces and cities, as well as their residents, have generally reacted positively to the new flux of immigrants helping to drive their growth. Several have begun establishing or expanding preexisting immigration centers to better integrate new arrivals both socially and economically. For instance, Manitoba already has an extensive system of welcome centers to support newcomers, many of whom have arrived thanks to the province’s robust Provincial Nominee Program. In Alberta, government programs are complemented by civil groups such as the Alberta Network of Immigrant Women. In Quebec, language classes continue to be heavily subsidized in order to help residents (whether Canadian or international) learn French and better integrate into their communities.

The information in the census will be one of the pillars upon which the current administration plans to build its new immigration policy. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently iterated a new, economically-driven plan for future immigration, and underscored that it will be based on quantitative data as well as interactions with key business stakeholders. This will have a direct impact for many provinces which, despite many new workers, still face severe labor shortages.

In an effort to continue the drive for positive, sustainable growth, some provinces have taken to active recruitment of qualified workers abroad. In early March, delegations from Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia will be traveling to Ireland with the intent of filling approximately 300 job openings with qualified workers. It is expected that, should the visit be deemed successful, that similar recruitment trips will happen in targeted countries.

The figures presented in the census, which will not be revisited until 2016, demonstrate decisively that Canada continues to be a leader in welcoming immigrants to live and work within its borders. As the country and the world face new economic challenges, this information will be critical in planning Canada’s measures to ensure continued economic and population growth in the upcoming years.
Source: Canadavisa.com