Hungary still tops for refugee claims in Canada

BY DANIEL PROUSSALIDIS ,PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU

FIRST POSTED: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2011 03:24 PM EDT | UPDATED: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2011 03:27 PM EDT

OTTAWA - As Canada receives thousands of dubious refugee claims from Hungarian citizens, there's a call for drastic action.

"How much of our money do we want to hemorrhage before setting a visa requirement on Hungarian nationals, just like we did with the Czech Republic?" asked immigration lawyer Richard Kurland.

Between January and August of this year 2,045 people claiming to be refugees came to Canada from Hungary That's 13% of all refugee claims made during that time in Canada, keeping

Hungary as this country's top source of refugee claims.

QMI Agency has acquired a 2010 Canada Border Services Agency report that concluded most of the claimants from Hungary are Roma – a stateless ethnic group that considers the name 'Gypsy' derogatory.

Once those claimants arrive, they're set up to receive medical, dental and eye care at no charge, social assistance benefits, and financial help for housing and furniture while their case is sorted out.

But, claims from Hungary are almost never approved and most cases are usually abandoned or withdrawn during the 12 to 18 months it takes to process them.

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney spoke out about the problem in the House of Commons in April 2010.

"The allegations are that many of these people were coached to come to Canada, make a false asylum claim and then register for provincial welfare benefits which subsequently flowed to a criminal organization. The asylum system was being abused as a tool to access welfare." said Kenney.  Over the last several years, the Mounties have investigated allegations people have

been trafficked from Hungary to Hamilton, Ont., coached into filing refugee claims and collecting social assistance, enslaved in construction work, and locked in basements while organized crime syndicates took every penny from them.

The Conservatives passed reforms to the refugee system last year to get claims

processed in just two or three months -- not long enough for most claimants to

get approval for provincial welfare benefits.

Budget considerations and the process for approving new regulations have bogged down those reforms, so changes aren't expected until late June 2012.

Federal officials say a new visa requirement for Hungarian nationals is not under consideration.

Americans looking for job in Canada.

Next month, consultations regarding Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program will be taking place in Calgary. Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney has noted that one of the primary goals of these consultations is to make the process more efficient so that Temporary Foreign Workers can be brought to Canada quicker.

This announcement comes amidst reports that Alberta will soon be facing a labour shortage of more than 100,000 workers over the next ten years and will need to rely upon Temporary Foreign Workers to fill gaps in the labour supply. Minister Kenney has suggested that Alberta and Canada should focus on hiring more Americans as unemployment rates in the U.S. continue to rise and more American workers become available. Certain Americans may qualify to work temporarily in Canada through the NAFTA program, however the number of work visas issued in that program are currently about 5,000 a year, a problem which Minister Kenney has acknowledged.

It is not only Americans that the Canadian government would like to recruit. Due to the weakening U.S. economy, many Temporary Foreign Workers in the U.S. on temporary work visas (H-1B visas for example) may find that their visas will not be renewed as U.S. companies lay off more workers. This can be good news for Canadian employers and potential immigrants as Canadian employers have long favoured immigrants with North American work experience and training because they are able to easily integrate into the Canadian workforce.

The typical occupations held by H-1B workers include engineers, I.T. personnel, accountants, doctors, nurses, and business managers, which are all occupations that are in high demand in Canada. Foreign workers with experience in these fields have more opportunities available to them, for both temporary work in Canada or for Canadian Permanent Residency.

These occupations are also highly sought after by Canadian immigration programs such as theFederal Skilled Worker Program and Quebec Skilled Worker Program. Applicants may qualify for either program without having a job offer from a Canadian employer and can apply for Canadian Permanent Residency while they are still living in the U.S.

Canada has also made it easier for Temporary Foreign Workers who have gained Canadian work experience to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency. Immigration programs such as theCanadian Experience Class and Provincial Nominee Programs offer applicants with as little as one to two years of Canadian work experience a chance for Permanent Residency. This is one reason why many choose to work temporarily in Canada rather than the U.S. as it is very hard to convert an H-1B visa to a U.S. green card (U.S. permanent resident card).

Whether you’re looking for temporary work in Canada or you want to move to Canada permanently, your American work experience can be the key to getting you into Canada.

Source: http://www.cicnews.com/2011/09/canadian-job-american-work-experience-key-091083.html

Are you currently working in the United States on an H-1B visa? Are you an American citizen or Permanent resident looking for jobs abroad? Complete a free Canadian immigration assessment form to find out if you qualify for Canadian permanent residency.