Startup Visa Canada movement launched

A new movement has been launched to focus on making the Canadian immigration process easier for prospective entrepreneurs looking to enter the country.

The new Startup Visa Canada movement has been launched.

Startup Visa Canada is a new Canadian immigration movement which is looking to make it easier for international entrepreneurs toemigrate to Canada and work with Canadian investors to launch new science and technology companies.

The movement is comprised of three founding principles: Boris Wertz, Danny Robinson and the Canadian Venture Capital Association (CVCA). Both Wertz and Robinson have history as entrepreneurs and investors, and the CVCA is comprised of over 1,800 members who have a combined capital of over CA$75 billion under management.

The reasoning behind Startup Visa Canada being formed was summarised by Wertz: "We are already falling behind countries like Chile, Singapore and Britain, who have already upgraded their programs....but I believe we can learn from their programs and make ours better."

CVCA's director also commented on the need for the Canada visa process for entrepreneurs to be overhauled: “Our belief is that we must promote a culture of entrepreneurship in order to successfully compete in the new global economy.

"Canada can become a beacon, attracting the best and the brightest from across the globe.” 

The Pathway Clear to Canada

By: Hanna Eliasson

Canada has become an increasingly attractive study destination for international students. In the last 10 years, the number of foreign students has doubled, making Canada one of the most popular destinations among international students in the world. Education institutions and the different levels of government are now working closely to help international students with Canadian credentials apply for permanent residency in Canada, if they wish to do so. Typically, half of the international post-secondary students studying in Canadasubmit requests for permanent residency after graduation. Through the help of programmes like the ‘Canadian Experience Class’ and the "Provincial Nominee Programmes", about 86 percent of these applications are approved. The "Canadian Experience Class" is a federal programme directly targeting international students’ transition to permanent residency. Introduced in 2008, the Canadian Experience Class allows international students to make an easier transition to permanent residency. As a result, post-secondary institutions are now key factors in Canada’s immigration system.  The federal government projects granting permanent residency to up to 25,000 immigrants a year (for both international students and temporary foreign workers) by 2014. Attracting international students to Canada is a priority at all levels of the government and educational institutions. International students contribute approximately C$6.5 billion (US$6.4 billion) to the Canadian economy not to mention intangibles to which a price tag cannot be placed such as skills, innovation and diversification. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), students are currently an immigration priority and there has been a shift in thinking from "temporary residents, to a pool of highly-qualified permanent residents." In Canada, where immigration will soon account for all net population growth, and where a majority of new jobs will require a post-secondary education, new immigration strategies that attempt to leverage and harness the skills of international students are being implemented. Naomi Alboim, Maytree Senior Fellow and Adjunct Professor at the School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University, has noted that immigration policy shifts in Canada have been made with student migration in mind, based on the assumption that international students will be able to avoid those barriers regularly encountered highly-skilled immigrants, by virtue of their Canadian education, language skills and work experience. Preliminary research suggests that immigrants with former international student status can also lead to better economic outcomes. Immigrants with previous Canadian education and work experience earn approximately C$12,000 more per year than skilled workers without work or educational experience in Canada. For international students, there are a number of important factors behind the decision to remain in Canada. In a recent Canadian Bureau of International Education (CBIE) survey of international students in Canada, half of surveyed university students and three-quarters of college students chose Canada as a study destination because of post-graduate work opportunities, and 51 percent of university students and 57 percent of college students planned to pursue permanent residency. If you are interested in furthering your studies in Canada by becoming a foreign graduate from a Canadian post-secondary institution and gaining at least one year of full-time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada under the proper work or study authorisation, you are on the right path toward becoming a Canadian.

Study: Canadian skilled migrants highest earners

A new study on Canadian immigration policy has found that immigrants who come to Canada as independent skilled migrants had "consistently and substantially" the highest earnings of four categories of immigrants. 

The researchers concluded that Canada should continue to focus on skilled migration. The researchers also hope that their study will influence future Canadian immigration policy.

The Queen's University study, Immigrant Earnings Differences Across Admission Categories and Landing Cohorts in Canada examined the first ten years after immigrants landed in three different time periods: 1982, 1988, and 1994.

The four categories include independent primary skilled migrant applicants, accompanying economic immigrants, family class immigrants, and refugees.

"The ten-year average of median earnings levels of skill-assessed economic immigrants exceeded the average median earnings levels for all immigrants by 30-37 percent across the [three periods studied] for men and by 39-56 percent for women," the study noted.

Family class immigrants and refugees had the lowest earnings out of the four categories.

"Refugees, both male and female, also experienced declines in their real earnings levels across the three successive [study periods]", the study said.

However, refugees had the highest earnings growth rates for both male and female immigrants during the first decade after coming to Canada.

Independent skilled migrants despite having the highest overall salary rates had the lowest growth rate over the first decade after coming to Canada.

The study also found that the economic downturns had a negative effect on immigrant earning levels and growth rates and that this effect was more pronounced for male immigrants than for female immigrants.

Immigrants who landed in Canada during the 1988 study period generally had the lowest median earnings growth rate for the three study periods due to the economic downturn in the early 1990s. The highest growth rate was in the 1994 study period, which experienced no economic downturn during the ten years.

The study noted that "since skill-assessed independent economic immigrants had substantially higher earnings levels throughout their first ten post-landing years, Canada should continue to place heavy weight on skill-assessed immigrants and not reduce the proportion of new immigrants admitted in the skilled worker category."

Service Improvements make it easier for Latin American travellers to come to Canada

Santiago, Chile, September 3, 2011 — The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs), today announced improvements to make Canada an even more attractive destination for Latin American travellers. 

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is expanding its visa application centre (VAC) network around the world to make the application process more efficient. In August, nineVACs were opened in various countries in Latin America, including one in Santiago, Chile, with eight more set to open in September. With these openings, there will now be VACs in 35 countries.

“Service improvements are key to making the system for processing visas more effective and responsive to the needs of travellers,” said Minister Ablonczy, speaking on behalf of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “The outcome is a better use of resources, which will benefit both travellers to Canada and Canadians alike.”

VACs provide valuable administrative support by phone, by email or in person to individuals submitting applications. In particular, client service agents at VACs are available to verify that visa applications are complete, thereby helping applicants avoid unnecessary delays or refusals due to incomplete applications.

“VACs are an example of our government’s commitment to improving service to applicants and processing efficiency,” added Minister Ablonczy. “By facilitating the process and making it easier to travel, we make Canada a preferred destination for visitors and business travellers alike.”

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For further information (media only), please contact:

Candice Malcolm
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Extension of measures for Haitians applying for work permits

If you are a Haitian national who arrived in Canada prior to January 13, 2011, and are applying for a work permit or extending a work permit, your exemption from the requirement to provide a labour market opinion (LMO) as part of your application is now being extended. The requirement for an LMO will remain in place for all those who arrived in Canada after that date.

Eligible individuals will now have until September 1, 2012, to apply. Work permits are normally valid for one year.

For further information on these measures please visit our news release.

For further information on work permits:
www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/index.asp