Quebec has renewed its push to lure immigrants from Montreal to regions with lower unemployment, and that is bringing more newcomers to the Outaouais.
"We face a big challenge in Quebec," said Robert Mayrand, head of Service intégration travail Outaouais (SITO), noting that the province is trying to boost the population in its regions.
He estimates his group, which offers employment and training services to immigrants, helps 200 people find jobs in the Outaouais every year.
"It means we are contributing in terms of personal revenue to the economy of Outaouais — See, it's $6 million a year that we push in the system."
In 2008, 87 per cent of immigrants settled in Montreal, and just 2.7 per cent in Gatineau, Immigration Québec reports. About 1,200 immigrants make their home in Gatineau each year, the province reports.
However, Montreal's unemployment rate was 9.2 per cent in February 2010 — significantly higher than the 6.1 per cent rate in Gatineau, the most recent Statistics Canada labour force survey shows. Statistics like that have led the Quebec government to work harder to redistribute its immigrants around the province.
Immigrants on the bus trip heard from politicians about the region's advantages, took a tour of the city, and attended a job fair.Immigrants on the bus trip heard from politicians about the region's advantages, took a tour of the city, and attended a job fair. (CBC)One of the province's initiatives is to fund bus trips that take immigrants to different regions of Quebec to learn about the area and meet local employers. Mayrand said the tour to the Outaouais restarted this year after a short hiatus in the program, which launched in 2002.
Eric Rakotomena, who is originally from Madagascar, was among the 50 immigrants who boarded a bus from Montreal last week to check out the Outaouais and the job opportunities there.
He has already visited Quebec City, Mont Tremblant and Tadoussac, but admits he didn't know much about Gatineau before his visit. He was impressed by what he learned.
"I want to stay here now," he said. "It's quiet and for life, there are fairly a lot of opportunities to do what you want to do and they're very helpful here in Gatineau."
Rakotomena and his tour-mates heard from city councillor Joseph De Sylva, who spoke of his own experience coming from an immigrant family. De Sylva, who represents Versant ward, said Gatineau is warm and open, and everyone finds his or her place there. Another city councillor and a Quebec immigration official were also on hand to pitch the community's advantages.
Afterward, the visitors took part in pre-arranged job interviews before heading to a job fair at Robert-Guertin arena organized by Emploi-Québec and the Gatineau chamber of commerce. They also received a tour of the city.
Rakotomena hoped to find a job as a maitre d'.
"I have my resume, I have everything — even my suitcase," he said. "As I said, I am ready to remain here today."
Rakotomena worked as a maitre d' in Madagascar and Israel before arriving in Montreal four years ago. In Canada, he has been unable to get a job in his field, despite the fact that he speaks five languages, including French and English.
He blamed the fierce competition and high unemployment in Montreal.
'The need is there'
Mayrand said employers in the Outaouais, meanwhile, are eager to hire, in part due to the stability in the job market provided by the federal government.
Robert Mayrand of SITO acknowledged that while the need for workers benefit immigrants who want to work in areas such as finance, things are more difficult for professionals such as doctors.Robert Mayrand of SITO acknowledged that while the need for workers benefit immigrants who want to work in areas such as finance, things are more difficult for professionals such as doctors. (CBC)"The need is there," he said.
He added that the community is multilingual and multicultural due to its proximity to Ottawa. "This helps to develop a good sense to be open to other people."
He acknowledged that while the demand for workers may help immigrants in the finance and service industries, things are more difficult for professionals such as doctors, who require accreditation by a regulatory association.
"That's another ball-game," he said. "It's a big big challenge. For us it's like a wall that we hit every time."
Hicham Alaoi, who is originally from Morocco, was another hopeful job seeker on the bus tour. Alaoi earned degrees in civil engineering and urban planning in France. He arrived in Montreal in January, and said he is attracted to the Outaouais by the opportunities for skating, cycling and the cultural scene in neighbouring Ottawa. However, Alaoi, who doesn't speak English, believes there are more job opportunities for him in Gatineau.
"The level of work in Gatineau, the culture in Ottawa — you need both," he added in French. "One complements the other, in my opinion."
Alaoi said he will need to pass some exams in order for his skills to be recognized in Canada, and acknowledges that he may have to take a job that is less interesting to him.
Meanwhile, job-ready Rakotomena didn't manage to land a job on his first visit to Gatineau and had to join the others on the bus back to Montreal.
He said he'd be back soon.
"I'm sure," he said. "Yes, [that's] why I come here."
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/03/17/gatineau-outaouais-quebec-immigrants.html#ixzz0iZykEL59
Gatineau works hard to welcome immigrants
Immigration is now driving population growth in the Outaouais, and the City of Gatineau says it is working hard to welcome the flood of newcomers with open arms.
"What we want [is] that the people feel...like any citizen in the city — that they have the same opportunities to work, to develop themselves, to be involved in the development of this city," said Annie-Claude Scholtès, the cultural community coordinator for the City of Gatineau.
Last year, more than 1,200 immigrants moved to the region. In fact, between 1,000 and 1,200 immigrants have arrived in the Outaouais every year since 2001-2000.
Proportion of foreign-born residents and visible minorities in Gatineau
2006 2031 (projected)
Foreign-born 8% 15%
Visible minorities 6% 14 %
Source: Statistics Canada
Migration is already outstripping births as the major force behind population growth in the Outaouais, and its relative influence will grow significantly between 2010 and 2031, the Institut de la statistique du Québec forecasts. The proportion of immigrants and visible minorities within the population of Gatineau are expected to double between 2006 and 2031, Statistics Canada predicts.
Scholtès said the City of Gatineau has been working hard to make all newcomers feel at home. A staff of three, working with about 80 community groups, implements the city's cultural diversity policy with a budget of $400,000. It offers a variety of programs for newcomers including two welcome sessions:
* One is an orientation that provides information about services that connect residents with the history, geography and regulations in the city. It is delivered in conjunction with the city's police force and its recreational services department.
* The other is a bus tour of the region in collaboration with the Societé de Transport de L'Outaouais, with visits to a police station and other centres that offer city services from Aylmer to Buckingham.
Scholtès said it is important for immigrants to have the chance to step inside a police station.
"'Cause some of them are afraid or insecure," she said, adding that the trip provides an opportunity to develop links with the police.
About 50 people a month take part in the tour, she estimated.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/03/16/gatineau-immigrants.html#ixzz0iUXlnwYE
"What we want [is] that the people feel...like any citizen in the city — that they have the same opportunities to work, to develop themselves, to be involved in the development of this city," said Annie-Claude Scholtès, the cultural community coordinator for the City of Gatineau.
Last year, more than 1,200 immigrants moved to the region. In fact, between 1,000 and 1,200 immigrants have arrived in the Outaouais every year since 2001-2000.
Proportion of foreign-born residents and visible minorities in Gatineau
2006 2031 (projected)
Foreign-born 8% 15%
Visible minorities 6% 14 %
Source: Statistics Canada
Migration is already outstripping births as the major force behind population growth in the Outaouais, and its relative influence will grow significantly between 2010 and 2031, the Institut de la statistique du Québec forecasts. The proportion of immigrants and visible minorities within the population of Gatineau are expected to double between 2006 and 2031, Statistics Canada predicts.
Scholtès said the City of Gatineau has been working hard to make all newcomers feel at home. A staff of three, working with about 80 community groups, implements the city's cultural diversity policy with a budget of $400,000. It offers a variety of programs for newcomers including two welcome sessions:
* One is an orientation that provides information about services that connect residents with the history, geography and regulations in the city. It is delivered in conjunction with the city's police force and its recreational services department.
* The other is a bus tour of the region in collaboration with the Societé de Transport de L'Outaouais, with visits to a police station and other centres that offer city services from Aylmer to Buckingham.
Scholtès said it is important for immigrants to have the chance to step inside a police station.
"'Cause some of them are afraid or insecure," she said, adding that the trip provides an opportunity to develop links with the police.
About 50 people a month take part in the tour, she estimated.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/03/16/gatineau-immigrants.html#ixzz0iUXlnwYE
McGuinty focuses on China and India
China and India were not mentioned in the Speech from the Throne at Queen's Park Monday. But China and India are what Dalton McGuinty is banking on for two of his key initiatives to turn the provincial economy around. He wants to sell more natural resources overseas and attract more overseas students to Ontario. The market for both is in China and India.
The two emerging economic giants – China is projecting 10 per cent growth this year and India 7.6 per cent – are the ones expected to lead the economic recovery worldwide, according to the Conference Board of Canada.
Both are scouring the world for natural resources, thereby driving up commodity prices as well as exploration, including in northern Ontario, particularly for chromite, a key ingredient in stainless steel.
China and India are already the top sources of immigration to Canada, mainly Ontario. China is also the single biggest source of foreign students to Canada – 42,000 out of 178,000.
Across Canada, those foreign students spend $6.5 billion a year in high tuition fees and living expenses. Ontario's 38,000 post-secondary education foreign students spend $1 billion a year. McGuinty wants a 50 per cent increase to 56,000 foreign students by 2015. Most will come from China and India.
Many will end up staying here, encouraged by a new federal program that allows Canadian-educated foreign students to apply for landed immigrant status. This is good for Ontario.
Educating foreign students is a growth industry. There are 2 million students (1.4 million of them Chinese) pursuing studies in countries where they were not born. That number will grow to 8 million by 2025.
Australia has cashed in on the trend. It has nearly 90,000 students from India and 70,000 from China. It is raking in $13 billion a year from foreign students, its third largest source of foreign revenues after coal and iron ore.
China is buying some 300 million tonnes of Aussie iron ore a year. Mount Whaleback, once 450 metres high, is now a hole, having been cut up and shipped out, raising alarm over environmental degradation, according to a detailed report in the British newspaper, The Guardian.
Similar concerns are already emerging about the McGuinty plan for opening up what the throne speech called "the most promising mining opportunity in Canada in a century," the exploration of chromite in the James Bay lowlands, the only deposit of its kind in North America.
McGuinty has promised to develop it in "a responsible way, with aboriginal partners," who have land claims and have already set up blockades.
China is now Australia's Number 1 trading partner. It has already invested $40 billion there. An estimated 500,000 Chinese tourists go to Australia every year.
Not bad for the Aussies, who have had a history of phobia about the Yellow Peril and the Asian hordes. Still, old habits die hard. There has been a spate of attacks against Indian students, prompting a protest march by 4,000 of them in Melbourne in June and complaints of police indifference to the menace of "curry bashing."
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and others tried to downplay the racism angle. But the attacks have continued and a student was stabbed to death early this year, prompting New Delhi to warn that bilateral relations may be imperiled. There's already a study projecting a drop in Indian students this year.
This presents an opportunity for Canada – Ontario, in particular – to emphasize our peaceful multicultural reality. But Australia spends $50 million a year drumming up overseas student business. Canada spends less than $1 million. This needs to change.
McGuinty – far more than Stephen Harper – has been focusing on trade with India, having been there twice. As a result of his trip last fall, an Indian company, Solar Semi Conductor, a maker of solar modules, is investing $60 million to establish a manufacturing plant in Oakville this year.
His reorienting of Ontario toward China and India is a welcome economic, political and social development.
Source: The Start.com
Haroon Siddiqui is the Star's editorial page editor emeritus. His column appears Thursday and Sunday.
The two emerging economic giants – China is projecting 10 per cent growth this year and India 7.6 per cent – are the ones expected to lead the economic recovery worldwide, according to the Conference Board of Canada.
Both are scouring the world for natural resources, thereby driving up commodity prices as well as exploration, including in northern Ontario, particularly for chromite, a key ingredient in stainless steel.
China and India are already the top sources of immigration to Canada, mainly Ontario. China is also the single biggest source of foreign students to Canada – 42,000 out of 178,000.
Across Canada, those foreign students spend $6.5 billion a year in high tuition fees and living expenses. Ontario's 38,000 post-secondary education foreign students spend $1 billion a year. McGuinty wants a 50 per cent increase to 56,000 foreign students by 2015. Most will come from China and India.
Many will end up staying here, encouraged by a new federal program that allows Canadian-educated foreign students to apply for landed immigrant status. This is good for Ontario.
Educating foreign students is a growth industry. There are 2 million students (1.4 million of them Chinese) pursuing studies in countries where they were not born. That number will grow to 8 million by 2025.
Australia has cashed in on the trend. It has nearly 90,000 students from India and 70,000 from China. It is raking in $13 billion a year from foreign students, its third largest source of foreign revenues after coal and iron ore.
China is buying some 300 million tonnes of Aussie iron ore a year. Mount Whaleback, once 450 metres high, is now a hole, having been cut up and shipped out, raising alarm over environmental degradation, according to a detailed report in the British newspaper, The Guardian.
Similar concerns are already emerging about the McGuinty plan for opening up what the throne speech called "the most promising mining opportunity in Canada in a century," the exploration of chromite in the James Bay lowlands, the only deposit of its kind in North America.
McGuinty has promised to develop it in "a responsible way, with aboriginal partners," who have land claims and have already set up blockades.
China is now Australia's Number 1 trading partner. It has already invested $40 billion there. An estimated 500,000 Chinese tourists go to Australia every year.
Not bad for the Aussies, who have had a history of phobia about the Yellow Peril and the Asian hordes. Still, old habits die hard. There has been a spate of attacks against Indian students, prompting a protest march by 4,000 of them in Melbourne in June and complaints of police indifference to the menace of "curry bashing."
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and others tried to downplay the racism angle. But the attacks have continued and a student was stabbed to death early this year, prompting New Delhi to warn that bilateral relations may be imperiled. There's already a study projecting a drop in Indian students this year.
This presents an opportunity for Canada – Ontario, in particular – to emphasize our peaceful multicultural reality. But Australia spends $50 million a year drumming up overseas student business. Canada spends less than $1 million. This needs to change.
McGuinty – far more than Stephen Harper – has been focusing on trade with India, having been there twice. As a result of his trip last fall, an Indian company, Solar Semi Conductor, a maker of solar modules, is investing $60 million to establish a manufacturing plant in Oakville this year.
His reorienting of Ontario toward China and India is a welcome economic, political and social development.
Source: The Start.com
Haroon Siddiqui is the Star's editorial page editor emeritus. His column appears Thursday and Sunday.
Improvements to Proof of Language Rules Will Increase Fairness, Reduce Delays, Says Immigration Minister
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 10, 2010) - The Government of Canada is streamlining the process for assessing the language skills of applicants to the Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience classes, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.
"The language requirements themselves have not changed," said Minister Kenney. "But beginning April 10, 2010, prospective immigrants will be required to prove their English and French language abilities at the time they apply. This requirement supports our commitment to fast, fair and efficient application processing."
Previously, to prove language ability in French or English, applicants could either submit an independent, third-party test or a written submission to a visa officer. The written submission was intended for people whose first language is either English or French. However, many applicants whose first language was not English or French were taking advantage of the written submission. The submission wouldn't adequately prove their ability and they would have to provide further evidence, leading to processing delays that could take months.
"We expect that applicants will have the language skills they claim on their application. Now, applicants in these categories will have only one opportunity to prove their language ability," said Minister Kenney. "They can still make a written submission to a visa officer if they wish, but only once."
For faster, fairer processing, all applicants are encouraged to submit independent, third-party language test results. The language test gives applicants a clear indication of their ability before they apply. When submitting written proof, applicants don't know what their results will be until their application is assessed by the visa officer, after a formal application and fees are lodged with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
"We strongly encourage applicants whose first language isn't English or French to take a language test," said Minister Kenney. "We don't want immigrants to be surprised if their written submission doesn't match their reported ability, and they don't get the desired assessment."
An immigrant's English or French language ability is one of the strongest predictors of their success in the job market. Canadian Experience Class applicants must meet minimum language requirements based on the job they do. On a selection grid worth 100 points in total, Federal Skilled Workers can be awarded up to 24 points for their official language ability.
Further information about language requirements for applicants is available at www.cic.gc.ca.
"The language requirements themselves have not changed," said Minister Kenney. "But beginning April 10, 2010, prospective immigrants will be required to prove their English and French language abilities at the time they apply. This requirement supports our commitment to fast, fair and efficient application processing."
Previously, to prove language ability in French or English, applicants could either submit an independent, third-party test or a written submission to a visa officer. The written submission was intended for people whose first language is either English or French. However, many applicants whose first language was not English or French were taking advantage of the written submission. The submission wouldn't adequately prove their ability and they would have to provide further evidence, leading to processing delays that could take months.
"We expect that applicants will have the language skills they claim on their application. Now, applicants in these categories will have only one opportunity to prove their language ability," said Minister Kenney. "They can still make a written submission to a visa officer if they wish, but only once."
For faster, fairer processing, all applicants are encouraged to submit independent, third-party language test results. The language test gives applicants a clear indication of their ability before they apply. When submitting written proof, applicants don't know what their results will be until their application is assessed by the visa officer, after a formal application and fees are lodged with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
"We strongly encourage applicants whose first language isn't English or French to take a language test," said Minister Kenney. "We don't want immigrants to be surprised if their written submission doesn't match their reported ability, and they don't get the desired assessment."
An immigrant's English or French language ability is one of the strongest predictors of their success in the job market. Canadian Experience Class applicants must meet minimum language requirements based on the job they do. On a selection grid worth 100 points in total, Federal Skilled Workers can be awarded up to 24 points for their official language ability.
Further information about language requirements for applicants is available at www.cic.gc.ca.
Study In Canada | Better Place To Make Your Profession Energetic
These days people can find various alternatives from which they can obtain best value education. If you are seeking the best study abroad purpose, Canada can be one of the countries with so much beneficial features. Canada is ranking foremost to be tilted as a most excellent place to live. Study in Canada is cost effective and furthermore brings excellence education services.
Canadian universities are quite reasonably priced in terms of fees as compared to other English speaking countries. It is the country that provides safe and nonviolent surroundings with contented population density, low occurrence of aggressive crime and a good health care system. You can find this country with vary culture and always friendly. It gives confidence new students from a variety of countries and after graduation students can obtain a chance to work devoid of a work permit for one year.
There are a lot of universities that help you to pursue a specialized degree in your choice such as law, medicine, pharmacy, nursing, and dentistry. The continued development and progress of the country can be fit the world class higher education in Canada.
If you want to Study Abroad, then deciding the Canada is the correct destination. There are countless short term and full degree programs obtainable. By means of getting to know concerning countless new things, it can be the life changing knowledge for one while studying in Canada.
If you are paying attention to study in Canada, you just require gathering the information and facts about all the universities located in this country. Canada is not only well-known for academic but is also a value living place for business and pleasure.
When you ever imagine studying abroad making your profession thoughtful, study in Canada can be the ideal preference. This country promises you to bring best education. In addition, your days spend in Canada will be the most bright days in your life.
Source: immig-canada.blogspot.com
Canadian universities are quite reasonably priced in terms of fees as compared to other English speaking countries. It is the country that provides safe and nonviolent surroundings with contented population density, low occurrence of aggressive crime and a good health care system. You can find this country with vary culture and always friendly. It gives confidence new students from a variety of countries and after graduation students can obtain a chance to work devoid of a work permit for one year.
There are a lot of universities that help you to pursue a specialized degree in your choice such as law, medicine, pharmacy, nursing, and dentistry. The continued development and progress of the country can be fit the world class higher education in Canada.
If you want to Study Abroad, then deciding the Canada is the correct destination. There are countless short term and full degree programs obtainable. By means of getting to know concerning countless new things, it can be the life changing knowledge for one while studying in Canada.
If you are paying attention to study in Canada, you just require gathering the information and facts about all the universities located in this country. Canada is not only well-known for academic but is also a value living place for business and pleasure.
When you ever imagine studying abroad making your profession thoughtful, study in Canada can be the ideal preference. This country promises you to bring best education. In addition, your days spend in Canada will be the most bright days in your life.
Source: immig-canada.blogspot.com
TD Bank says 7 million baby boomers set to retire, disrupt economy
OTTAWA — TD Bank has joined a growing chorus warning about economic disruptions if Canada does not move to deal with its aging workforce.
The bank says seven million baby boomers are set to retire in the next two decades, more than one-third Canada's labour force.
The report written by economists Don Drummond and Francis Fong says pension reform is needed to prevent many retirees from falling into poverty.
And it says Canadian employers will be hard-pressed to find skilled workers as the labour force shrinks.
Immigration alone won't solve the problem, the economists say.
The report notes the C.D. Howe Institute recently calculated immigration levels would need to rise 2.5 times to meet the country's historic labour force growth.
But the bank says there are ways to mitigate the apparent labour crunch many are forecasting.
Those include making better use of underrepresented groups, such as women, Aboriginals and immigrants.
As well, the report says firms must increase incentives to keep older workers in the workforce.
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
The bank says seven million baby boomers are set to retire in the next two decades, more than one-third Canada's labour force.
The report written by economists Don Drummond and Francis Fong says pension reform is needed to prevent many retirees from falling into poverty.
And it says Canadian employers will be hard-pressed to find skilled workers as the labour force shrinks.
Immigration alone won't solve the problem, the economists say.
The report notes the C.D. Howe Institute recently calculated immigration levels would need to rise 2.5 times to meet the country's historic labour force growth.
But the bank says there are ways to mitigate the apparent labour crunch many are forecasting.
Those include making better use of underrepresented groups, such as women, Aboriginals and immigrants.
As well, the report says firms must increase incentives to keep older workers in the workforce.
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Guelph fast becoming part of the global village
Joanne Shuttleworth
jshuttleworth@guelphmercury.com
GUELPH — Businesses should embrace the wave of immigrants coming to Guelph since they add richness to the community and profitability — both as employees and as consumers — to their bottom lines.
And if they build a sense of community within their organizations, businesses can help immigrants settle into their new surroundings as well.
That was the gist of Roya Rabbani’s presentation Wednesday to business leaders at a lunch and learn event hosted by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce.
Rabbani, executive director of Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington, said Guelph is becoming a destination for new immigrants to Canada. She said according to 2008/2009 data, approximately 477 new immigrants come to Guelph each year to the point where immigrants make up 14 per cent of the population.
“So we have to look at work environments and agencies to see how well (immigrants) are represented in the workplace,” she said. “Many workplaces don’t have that diversity in managerial positions.”
Rabbani said most immigrants come to Canada with post-secondary education, are in good health, and have money.
“What they don’t necessarily have is the language and the accreditation they need to work,” she said in an interview after her presentation.
She agreed it’s important for professionals from other countries to meet Canadian standards, but there are ways local business leaders can help while immigrants work through that process — like mentorship programs, internships and peer partnering in the workplace.
“Sometimes training managers and current staff around these issues is helpful too,” she said. “Studies have shown that when business is involved with social entrepreneurship, they see more profit margins.”
Lloyd Longfield, president of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, said there are three initiatives businesses are taking part in to ease the transition for new Canadians: The Guelph Inclusiveness Alliance, a group of 27 organizations; the Local Immigration Partnership, which strives to make it easier for immigrants to settle here; and the Leadership Intercultural Council, which oversees these projects.
“With the imminent retirement of baby boomers, the workplace will need more workers,” Longfield said. “Immigration is often the source of growth.”
“Guelph is proactive in this regard,” Rabbani agreed. “That’s the beauty of our region.”
jshuttleworth@guelphmercury.com
GUELPH — Businesses should embrace the wave of immigrants coming to Guelph since they add richness to the community and profitability — both as employees and as consumers — to their bottom lines.
And if they build a sense of community within their organizations, businesses can help immigrants settle into their new surroundings as well.
That was the gist of Roya Rabbani’s presentation Wednesday to business leaders at a lunch and learn event hosted by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce.
Rabbani, executive director of Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington, said Guelph is becoming a destination for new immigrants to Canada. She said according to 2008/2009 data, approximately 477 new immigrants come to Guelph each year to the point where immigrants make up 14 per cent of the population.
“So we have to look at work environments and agencies to see how well (immigrants) are represented in the workplace,” she said. “Many workplaces don’t have that diversity in managerial positions.”
Rabbani said most immigrants come to Canada with post-secondary education, are in good health, and have money.
“What they don’t necessarily have is the language and the accreditation they need to work,” she said in an interview after her presentation.
She agreed it’s important for professionals from other countries to meet Canadian standards, but there are ways local business leaders can help while immigrants work through that process — like mentorship programs, internships and peer partnering in the workplace.
“Sometimes training managers and current staff around these issues is helpful too,” she said. “Studies have shown that when business is involved with social entrepreneurship, they see more profit margins.”
Lloyd Longfield, president of the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, said there are three initiatives businesses are taking part in to ease the transition for new Canadians: The Guelph Inclusiveness Alliance, a group of 27 organizations; the Local Immigration Partnership, which strives to make it easier for immigrants to settle here; and the Leadership Intercultural Council, which oversees these projects.
“With the imminent retirement of baby boomers, the workplace will need more workers,” Longfield said. “Immigration is often the source of growth.”
“Guelph is proactive in this regard,” Rabbani agreed. “That’s the beauty of our region.”
Throne speech to tackle lack of skilled workers
The speech from the throne on Wednesday will not just promise more jobs, it will address a lack of skilled workers that has left some Canadian jobs going begging, government sources say.
Sources told CBC News that the speech, to be delivered by Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean at 2:30 p.m. ET in Ottawa, will include a greater emphasis on attracting and retaining immigrant skilled workers, by giving more weight to work experience.
Workforce report
A recent report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce found that a low Canadian birth rate combined with an inefficient immigration system has created a perfect storm. The report, released Feb. 22, predicts that in the next decade, 100 per cent of net workforce growth will come from new immigrants to Canada.
Michael Atkinson, president of the Canadian Construction Association, said the government simply can't afford to ignore tradespeople and craftspeople in its new productivity agenda.
"Sometimes the construction industry, like other industries, is painted as being yesterday's economy, as an old world economy. And that's just not true," he said.
"It's the construction industry that builds our laboratories, builds the clean rooms, builds our fibre networks, builds the research centres. So, from our perspective, the construction industry builds Canada."
Post-secondary education valued, not trades
Atkinson said his industry will need to replace 317,000 workers by 2017, including on-site workers, managers and supervisors. That's going to be difficult, he said, because of current barriers within the immigration system.
"Our point system is really geared towards people with post-secondary education and with proficiency in both of our official languages, with very little points or merit given for experience or qualifications in a trade," he said.
"It's easier to get into Canada as a permanent resident with a couple of degrees in Greek pottery or Greek mythology rather than 25 years experience as a welder."
Tina Kremmidas, the chief economist for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the author of its latest report, said Canada risks losing out in the global competition for workers.
She cited the Australian example, where skilled immigrants are brought into the workforce more quickly to fill needed trades, along with students who are encouraged to stay on.
"Those are the things that Canada's immigration policy needs to look at," she said. "We're certainly competing with Australia, we're competing with the U.K. and other European countries, not to mention the U.S., for skilled immigrants and highly educated immigrants. Not only in the skilled professions but what we call unskilled labour."
Focus on family reunification
For some trade representatives, the change will require a shift in government philosophy away from the social aspects of immigration in favour of economic variables.
"They really have to look at changing the nature of immigration from a social policy to an economic policy," said Philip Hochstein, president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of British Columbia.
"For too long we were involved in not bringing in enough skilled people and were focused on family reunification. And that's fine. But the economy in order to recover will need skilled people to do that."
All eyes will be on Ottawa this week as it lays out a broader agenda, beginning with the throne speech on Wednesday, and culminating in the tabling of the federal budget on Thursday.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/03/02/throne-speech-jobs-skills.html#ixzz0h7rD4mpC
Sources told CBC News that the speech, to be delivered by Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean at 2:30 p.m. ET in Ottawa, will include a greater emphasis on attracting and retaining immigrant skilled workers, by giving more weight to work experience.
Workforce report
A recent report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce found that a low Canadian birth rate combined with an inefficient immigration system has created a perfect storm. The report, released Feb. 22, predicts that in the next decade, 100 per cent of net workforce growth will come from new immigrants to Canada.
Michael Atkinson, president of the Canadian Construction Association, said the government simply can't afford to ignore tradespeople and craftspeople in its new productivity agenda.
"Sometimes the construction industry, like other industries, is painted as being yesterday's economy, as an old world economy. And that's just not true," he said.
"It's the construction industry that builds our laboratories, builds the clean rooms, builds our fibre networks, builds the research centres. So, from our perspective, the construction industry builds Canada."
Post-secondary education valued, not trades
Atkinson said his industry will need to replace 317,000 workers by 2017, including on-site workers, managers and supervisors. That's going to be difficult, he said, because of current barriers within the immigration system.
"Our point system is really geared towards people with post-secondary education and with proficiency in both of our official languages, with very little points or merit given for experience or qualifications in a trade," he said.
"It's easier to get into Canada as a permanent resident with a couple of degrees in Greek pottery or Greek mythology rather than 25 years experience as a welder."
Tina Kremmidas, the chief economist for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the author of its latest report, said Canada risks losing out in the global competition for workers.
She cited the Australian example, where skilled immigrants are brought into the workforce more quickly to fill needed trades, along with students who are encouraged to stay on.
"Those are the things that Canada's immigration policy needs to look at," she said. "We're certainly competing with Australia, we're competing with the U.K. and other European countries, not to mention the U.S., for skilled immigrants and highly educated immigrants. Not only in the skilled professions but what we call unskilled labour."
Focus on family reunification
For some trade representatives, the change will require a shift in government philosophy away from the social aspects of immigration in favour of economic variables.
"They really have to look at changing the nature of immigration from a social policy to an economic policy," said Philip Hochstein, president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of British Columbia.
"For too long we were involved in not bringing in enough skilled people and were focused on family reunification. And that's fine. But the economy in order to recover will need skilled people to do that."
All eyes will be on Ottawa this week as it lays out a broader agenda, beginning with the throne speech on Wednesday, and culminating in the tabling of the federal budget on Thursday.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/03/02/throne-speech-jobs-skills.html#ixzz0h7rD4mpC
Canada Visa and Work Permits
A work permit for Canada can only be obtained if you have an offer of employment before applying for your Canadian work visa. Canada seeks to attract temporary skilled workers to fill positions that Canadian employers are currently having difficulty to fill by a Canadian Permanent Resident or Citizen.
A Canadian work permit is issued on a temporary basis only and on the condition that you work for the specific employer sponsoring you. You can apply to change your Canada immigration status once in Canada, however the Canada work visa is not transferable and you will not be able to stay and work in Canada on your Canadian Visa upon termination of your employment.
Your employer must take the following steps before applying for a Canadian Work Visa:
* Your employer must first confirm your position is suitable to apply for a Canadian Work Permit by making an application to Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
* Your employer must then offer you the confirmed position
* You must then make an application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for a Work Permit for Canada.
Please be aware that not all employment offers will be considered and HRDC’s role is to confirm that your position will be of benefit to the Canadian Labour Market and of no threat to Canadian citizens employment opportunities before an application for a Canada Work Permit can be considered.
In summary, employers that need to address skill shortages in Canada may seek to employ a foreign national by sponsoring a Canadian Visa.
If you have an offer of employment from a Canadian employer, you may be eligible to apply for a Canadian work visa. Please feel free to contact us for further information.
As you may be aware, some employers find themselves in a catch 22 situation with the work permit process in which case you may like to consider the Federal Canada Skilled Worker Visa. This visa enables you to gain Permanent Resident status, in which you are entitled to live and work in Canada without the need of an employment offer.
Employers can still sponsor this application if they wish to increase your points total and speed up processing, however it will be issued to you and is not a temporary visa.
Some employers may also be able to sponsor your application under the Province Nominee Program, depending on where they are situated and the nature of the position. This visa is also a Permanent Resident Visa, but does restrict you to work in the Province that sponsored your application until you become a Canadian citizen.
We can ensure that your permit is obtained without delay and have you living and working in Canada in a matter of weeks depending on your quick response to our efficient Work Permit process.
If potential employers ask you to get your own work permit before applying for their jobs, they either do not understand the processes or would rather you looked at some of the above options.
If they do not understand the processes, just explain to them that they need to be involved in this sponsored process and point out the above options.
Better still… ask them to get in touch with us.
We are more than happy to help.
Source:http://canadaimmigrationexpert.wordpress.com/2009/05/
A Canadian work permit is issued on a temporary basis only and on the condition that you work for the specific employer sponsoring you. You can apply to change your Canada immigration status once in Canada, however the Canada work visa is not transferable and you will not be able to stay and work in Canada on your Canadian Visa upon termination of your employment.
Your employer must take the following steps before applying for a Canadian Work Visa:
* Your employer must first confirm your position is suitable to apply for a Canadian Work Permit by making an application to Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
* Your employer must then offer you the confirmed position
* You must then make an application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for a Work Permit for Canada.
Please be aware that not all employment offers will be considered and HRDC’s role is to confirm that your position will be of benefit to the Canadian Labour Market and of no threat to Canadian citizens employment opportunities before an application for a Canada Work Permit can be considered.
In summary, employers that need to address skill shortages in Canada may seek to employ a foreign national by sponsoring a Canadian Visa.
If you have an offer of employment from a Canadian employer, you may be eligible to apply for a Canadian work visa. Please feel free to contact us for further information.
As you may be aware, some employers find themselves in a catch 22 situation with the work permit process in which case you may like to consider the Federal Canada Skilled Worker Visa. This visa enables you to gain Permanent Resident status, in which you are entitled to live and work in Canada without the need of an employment offer.
Employers can still sponsor this application if they wish to increase your points total and speed up processing, however it will be issued to you and is not a temporary visa.
Some employers may also be able to sponsor your application under the Province Nominee Program, depending on where they are situated and the nature of the position. This visa is also a Permanent Resident Visa, but does restrict you to work in the Province that sponsored your application until you become a Canadian citizen.
We can ensure that your permit is obtained without delay and have you living and working in Canada in a matter of weeks depending on your quick response to our efficient Work Permit process.
If potential employers ask you to get your own work permit before applying for their jobs, they either do not understand the processes or would rather you looked at some of the above options.
If they do not understand the processes, just explain to them that they need to be involved in this sponsored process and point out the above options.
Better still… ask them to get in touch with us.
We are more than happy to help.
Source:http://canadaimmigrationexpert.wordpress.com/2009/05/
How to get a Job offer to work in Canada
The market is ripe for hiring and Canadian employers are realizing just how important immigrants are as a source of skilled labour. But it’s up to you to get that first Canadian job offer. That accomplished, your Canadian immigration application process and your settlement in Canada will be much smoother.
Work Permit – The quickest way to begin working in Canada is via a temporary Work Permit. We’re talking weeks, maybe even days, between the time you get the job offer and the time you can be living and working in Canada. As the name implies, these permits are issued for a specific period, but they are often renewable from inside Canada.
You have to apply for work in some of the job sites in Canada or register in a job reporting site then if an employer got interested in you, you may have a job offer right a way. Tell Canadian employers who you are and what you can do for them. Let them know that you’re keen to be a part of their organization. It’s not easy to get a job anywhere without being there in person but it depends on how much in demand your occupation is.
There are different ways of working in Canada such as
Permanent Employment:
In this type of position, the employee usually gets a package that involves base salary, health benefits and perhaps some other perks such as bonuses, company stock option plans, personal incentives, etc
Contract/Freelance Employment:
Usually entails being paid a fixed amount of money for a particular project with no additional benefits.This type of worker can be hired to address a particular problem that exists for a limited time, say several months and that contract worker must leave the company once the contract expires unless a new, longer-term contract is negotiated.
Part-time Employment:
In Canada, many jobs exist that offer occasional, weekend, evening, partial day or daily part-time employment.
Arranged Employment – This is a permanent job offer of indeterminate length made by a Canadian employer to a foreign national who intends to become a Canadian Permanent Resident. With this type of job offer, you will not be able to begin work until you receive your Canadian Permanent Resident Visa. However, your applications will receive priority processing in order to get you to Canada, and to your place of work, as soon as possible – in most cases in less than one year. What’s great about Arranged Employment is that the employer is not required to demonstrate that efforts were first made to hire Canadian workers.
Volunteering in Canada:
If you are studying or have the financial resources to dedicate a few weeks full-time or a few hours per week to volunteer with a not-for profit organization in Canada, that could pay enormously when you look for a job because of the following two reasons:
You will have proof of “Canadian Experience”
You will have demonstrated your concern for others and your willingness to help without expecting anything in return. Many employers in Canada will consider those who volunteer before those who do not.
Besides Work Permits and Arranged Employment, most Canadian provinces and territories have created immigration programs, specific to their needs, to recruit workers from abroad who intend to settle as Permanent Residents in a given province or territory. These Provincial Nomination Programs are also worthy of consideration as they offer expedited processing of foreign workers’ applications.
If you notice a delay or there is a drawback to Work Permits, it is that in some instances, the Canadian employer must first demonstrate that unsuccessful efforts were made to hire Canadian residents for the position being offered to the foreign worker. This can add some time to the Work Permit process. There are, however, many exemptions to this “Canadians first” requirement.
Source:http://hinenicommunications.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/how-to-get-a-job-offer-to-work-in-canada/
Work Permit – The quickest way to begin working in Canada is via a temporary Work Permit. We’re talking weeks, maybe even days, between the time you get the job offer and the time you can be living and working in Canada. As the name implies, these permits are issued for a specific period, but they are often renewable from inside Canada.
You have to apply for work in some of the job sites in Canada or register in a job reporting site then if an employer got interested in you, you may have a job offer right a way. Tell Canadian employers who you are and what you can do for them. Let them know that you’re keen to be a part of their organization. It’s not easy to get a job anywhere without being there in person but it depends on how much in demand your occupation is.
There are different ways of working in Canada such as
Permanent Employment:
In this type of position, the employee usually gets a package that involves base salary, health benefits and perhaps some other perks such as bonuses, company stock option plans, personal incentives, etc
Contract/Freelance Employment:
Usually entails being paid a fixed amount of money for a particular project with no additional benefits.This type of worker can be hired to address a particular problem that exists for a limited time, say several months and that contract worker must leave the company once the contract expires unless a new, longer-term contract is negotiated.
Part-time Employment:
In Canada, many jobs exist that offer occasional, weekend, evening, partial day or daily part-time employment.
Arranged Employment – This is a permanent job offer of indeterminate length made by a Canadian employer to a foreign national who intends to become a Canadian Permanent Resident. With this type of job offer, you will not be able to begin work until you receive your Canadian Permanent Resident Visa. However, your applications will receive priority processing in order to get you to Canada, and to your place of work, as soon as possible – in most cases in less than one year. What’s great about Arranged Employment is that the employer is not required to demonstrate that efforts were first made to hire Canadian workers.
Volunteering in Canada:
If you are studying or have the financial resources to dedicate a few weeks full-time or a few hours per week to volunteer with a not-for profit organization in Canada, that could pay enormously when you look for a job because of the following two reasons:
You will have proof of “Canadian Experience”
You will have demonstrated your concern for others and your willingness to help without expecting anything in return. Many employers in Canada will consider those who volunteer before those who do not.
Besides Work Permits and Arranged Employment, most Canadian provinces and territories have created immigration programs, specific to their needs, to recruit workers from abroad who intend to settle as Permanent Residents in a given province or territory. These Provincial Nomination Programs are also worthy of consideration as they offer expedited processing of foreign workers’ applications.
If you notice a delay or there is a drawback to Work Permits, it is that in some instances, the Canadian employer must first demonstrate that unsuccessful efforts were made to hire Canadian residents for the position being offered to the foreign worker. This can add some time to the Work Permit process. There are, however, many exemptions to this “Canadians first” requirement.
Source:http://hinenicommunications.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/how-to-get-a-job-offer-to-work-in-canada/
What is IELTS?
IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. It measures ability to communicate in English across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking.
Since 1989, IELTS has been proven and trusted worldwide to provide a secure, global, authentic and customer-focused test which measures true to life ability to communicate in English. More than 6,000 education institutions, faculties, government agencies and professional organisations around the world recognise IELTS scores as a trusted and valid indicator of ability to communicate in English.
Over 1,000,000 people a year are now using IELTS to open doors throughout the English-speaking world and beyond. The test is taken every year across 120 countries, and is one of the fastest growing English language tests in the world, and sets the standard in integrity, research and innovation.
When the question is English language ability – IELTS is the answer.
IELTS (pronounced /ˈaı.ɛlts/), or 'International English Language Testing System', is an international standardised test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of CambridgeESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Australia, and was established in 1989.
There are two versions of the IELTS: the Academic Version and the General Training Version:
* The Academic Version is intended for those who want to enroll in universities and other institutions of higher education and for professionals such as medical doctors and nurses who want to study or practice in an English-speaking country.
* The General Training Version is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.
It is generally acknowledged that the reading and writing tests for the Academic Version are more difficult than those for the General Training Version, due to the differences in the level of intellectual and academic rigour between the two versions.
IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand and South African academic institutions, over 2,000 academic institutions in the United States, and various professional organisations. It is also a requirement for immigration to Australia and Canada. This has been criticised in Canada, because the English accents employed in the Listening section of the IELTS are far removed from typical Canadian accents.
An IELTS result or Test Report Form (TRF - see below) is valid for two years.
In 2007, IELTS tested over a million candidates in a single 12-month period for the first time ever, making it the world's most popular English language test for higher education and immigration
IELTS characteristics
The IELTS incorporates the following features:
* A variety of accents and writing styles presented in text materials in order to minimise linguistic bias.
* IELTS tests the ability to listen, read, write and speak in English.
* Band scores used for each language sub-skill (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). The Band Scale ranges from 0 ("Did not attempt the test") to 9 ("Expert User").
* The speaking module - a key component of IELTS. This is conducted in the form of a one-to-one interview with an examiner. The examiner assesses the candidate as he or she is speaking, but the speaking session is also recorded for monitoring as well as re-marking in case of an appeal against the banding given.
* IELTS is developed with input from item writers from around the world. Teams are located in the USA, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other English speaking nations.
IELTS Test Structure
All candidates must complete four Modules - Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking - to obtain a Band, which is shown on an IELTS Test Report Form (TRF). All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules, while the Reading and Writing Modules differ depending on whether the candidate is taking the Academic or General Training Versions of the Test.
Total Test Duration 2 hours 45 minutes
The first three modules - Listening, Reading and Writing (always in that order) - are completed in one day, and in fact are taken with no break in between. The Speaking Module may be taken, at the discretion of the test centre, in the period seven days before or after the other Modules.
The tests are designed to cover the full range of ability from non-user to expert user.
Source: http://www.bignews.biz/?id=846284&pg=2&keys=ielts-writing-speaking-grammar
Since 1989, IELTS has been proven and trusted worldwide to provide a secure, global, authentic and customer-focused test which measures true to life ability to communicate in English. More than 6,000 education institutions, faculties, government agencies and professional organisations around the world recognise IELTS scores as a trusted and valid indicator of ability to communicate in English.
Over 1,000,000 people a year are now using IELTS to open doors throughout the English-speaking world and beyond. The test is taken every year across 120 countries, and is one of the fastest growing English language tests in the world, and sets the standard in integrity, research and innovation.
When the question is English language ability – IELTS is the answer.
IELTS (pronounced /ˈaı.ɛlts/), or 'International English Language Testing System', is an international standardised test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of CambridgeESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Australia, and was established in 1989.
There are two versions of the IELTS: the Academic Version and the General Training Version:
* The Academic Version is intended for those who want to enroll in universities and other institutions of higher education and for professionals such as medical doctors and nurses who want to study or practice in an English-speaking country.
* The General Training Version is intended for those planning to undertake non-academic training or to gain work experience, or for immigration purposes.
It is generally acknowledged that the reading and writing tests for the Academic Version are more difficult than those for the General Training Version, due to the differences in the level of intellectual and academic rigour between the two versions.
IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand and South African academic institutions, over 2,000 academic institutions in the United States, and various professional organisations. It is also a requirement for immigration to Australia and Canada. This has been criticised in Canada, because the English accents employed in the Listening section of the IELTS are far removed from typical Canadian accents.
An IELTS result or Test Report Form (TRF - see below) is valid for two years.
In 2007, IELTS tested over a million candidates in a single 12-month period for the first time ever, making it the world's most popular English language test for higher education and immigration
IELTS characteristics
The IELTS incorporates the following features:
* A variety of accents and writing styles presented in text materials in order to minimise linguistic bias.
* IELTS tests the ability to listen, read, write and speak in English.
* Band scores used for each language sub-skill (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). The Band Scale ranges from 0 ("Did not attempt the test") to 9 ("Expert User").
* The speaking module - a key component of IELTS. This is conducted in the form of a one-to-one interview with an examiner. The examiner assesses the candidate as he or she is speaking, but the speaking session is also recorded for monitoring as well as re-marking in case of an appeal against the banding given.
* IELTS is developed with input from item writers from around the world. Teams are located in the USA, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other English speaking nations.
IELTS Test Structure
All candidates must complete four Modules - Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking - to obtain a Band, which is shown on an IELTS Test Report Form (TRF). All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules, while the Reading and Writing Modules differ depending on whether the candidate is taking the Academic or General Training Versions of the Test.
Total Test Duration 2 hours 45 minutes
The first three modules - Listening, Reading and Writing (always in that order) - are completed in one day, and in fact are taken with no break in between. The Speaking Module may be taken, at the discretion of the test centre, in the period seven days before or after the other Modules.
The tests are designed to cover the full range of ability from non-user to expert user.
Source: http://www.bignews.biz/?id=846284&pg=2&keys=ielts-writing-speaking-grammar
Québec introduces new immigration program based on experience gained in Québec (Programme de l'expérience québécoise)
Canada
February 11 2010
By introducing its new "Québec Experience Class" Program ("Programme de l'expérience québécoise", or "PEQ") based on experience gained in Québec, the province will meet an objective it had set for itself in a document released in March 2008 entitled "To enrich Québec - Better Integration". Basically, the PEQ aims to promote the transition from a Temporary Resident status to that of Permanent Resident for Foreign Students and Temporary Workers. The program is expected to enter in force on February 14, 2010, the date on which the amendments to Québec's Regulation Respecting the Selection of Foreign Nationals become effective.
PEQ's intent is to facilitate the application process for a Québec Selection Certificate for Foreign Students having graduated in Québec and Temporary Workers having worked in Québec as a first step prior to obtaining Permanent Resident status from the federal government. By introducing the program, Québec follows the federal example and makes experience gained in Québec and knowledge of the French language key selection factors when applying for immigration in Québec. For such applicants under PEQ, the traditional selection grid will not apply and there will be fewer documents to include with an application. In addition, applications may be sent electronically and will be processed on a documents-only basis.
Specific requirements applicable to Foreign Students are the following: (1) the applicant must have stayed in Québec for at least half of the duration of the educational program's duration and have conformed to the student visa conditions; (2) the applicant must have obtained from an education institution in Québec subsequent to February 13, 2008, either of: i) a diploma of professional education or a certificate of professional education, which alone or combined with an attestation of professional specialization (obtained consecutively) attests to over 1,800 hours of continuous education; ii) a diploma of technical college education; iii) a University degree, whether a bachelor's, masters or doctoral. However, the following international students are excluded from the program: i) students having received a scholarship requiring return to the student's country of origin; and b) students having applied for a new acceptance certificate for studies.
The specific requirements applicable to Temporary Workers are the following: (1) the foreign worker (including the holder of a work permit under a youth exchange program pursuant to an international agreement signed between a foreign country and either of Québec or Canada) must have conformed with the conditions of his/her work permit and be legally in Québec at the time of the application; (2) the foreign worker must have employment in Québec at the time of submission of the application which is classified at level A or B pursuant to the National Occupational Classification and must have been so employed for at least 12 months during the 24 months preceding the application.
Application requirements common to both Foreign Students and Temporary Workers are that applicants must: (1) undertake to financially support themselves and their family members for a period of 3 months; and (2) demonstrate their verbal French language skills at an intermediary level.
By introducing PEQ, the province intends to promote and facilitate the immigration process for individuals who are likely to remain and contribute to the economy as a result of already living and working in Québec.
Source: Lexology
Author:Davis LLP
February 11 2010
By introducing its new "Québec Experience Class" Program ("Programme de l'expérience québécoise", or "PEQ") based on experience gained in Québec, the province will meet an objective it had set for itself in a document released in March 2008 entitled "To enrich Québec - Better Integration". Basically, the PEQ aims to promote the transition from a Temporary Resident status to that of Permanent Resident for Foreign Students and Temporary Workers. The program is expected to enter in force on February 14, 2010, the date on which the amendments to Québec's Regulation Respecting the Selection of Foreign Nationals become effective.
PEQ's intent is to facilitate the application process for a Québec Selection Certificate for Foreign Students having graduated in Québec and Temporary Workers having worked in Québec as a first step prior to obtaining Permanent Resident status from the federal government. By introducing the program, Québec follows the federal example and makes experience gained in Québec and knowledge of the French language key selection factors when applying for immigration in Québec. For such applicants under PEQ, the traditional selection grid will not apply and there will be fewer documents to include with an application. In addition, applications may be sent electronically and will be processed on a documents-only basis.
Specific requirements applicable to Foreign Students are the following: (1) the applicant must have stayed in Québec for at least half of the duration of the educational program's duration and have conformed to the student visa conditions; (2) the applicant must have obtained from an education institution in Québec subsequent to February 13, 2008, either of: i) a diploma of professional education or a certificate of professional education, which alone or combined with an attestation of professional specialization (obtained consecutively) attests to over 1,800 hours of continuous education; ii) a diploma of technical college education; iii) a University degree, whether a bachelor's, masters or doctoral. However, the following international students are excluded from the program: i) students having received a scholarship requiring return to the student's country of origin; and b) students having applied for a new acceptance certificate for studies.
The specific requirements applicable to Temporary Workers are the following: (1) the foreign worker (including the holder of a work permit under a youth exchange program pursuant to an international agreement signed between a foreign country and either of Québec or Canada) must have conformed with the conditions of his/her work permit and be legally in Québec at the time of the application; (2) the foreign worker must have employment in Québec at the time of submission of the application which is classified at level A or B pursuant to the National Occupational Classification and must have been so employed for at least 12 months during the 24 months preceding the application.
Application requirements common to both Foreign Students and Temporary Workers are that applicants must: (1) undertake to financially support themselves and their family members for a period of 3 months; and (2) demonstrate their verbal French language skills at an intermediary level.
By introducing PEQ, the province intends to promote and facilitate the immigration process for individuals who are likely to remain and contribute to the economy as a result of already living and working in Québec.
Source: Lexology
Author:Davis LLP
Canada’s top problem is filling labour shortage
OTTAWA — When Prime Minister Stephen Harper gathered the country’s premiers at 24 Sussex Drive last fall, he wanted them to focus on what he saw as the country’s No. 1 economic problem: within a decade or two, there simply will not be enough workers in the country.
Although recent headlines about thousands of layoffs in Canada’s struggling manufacturing sector may suggest otherwise, Harper and his cabinet are struggling to find ways to boost training programs and increase immigration to find more workers to avoid what some Conservative strategists say is an “economic time bomb.”
That Canada is heading for a problem seems unavoidable. In the last 50 years, Canada’s workforce grew by 200 per cent. That growth was responsible for raising standards of living and creating the public and private wealth the country now enjoys. But government forecasters say that, without some radical changes, the workforce will only grow by 11 per cent in the next 50 years — and that figure includes the effects of current levels of immigration.
“Our demographics are working against us,” Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg said in a speech Monday to the Canadian Building and Construction Trades’ Legislative Conference. “Baby boomers are set to retire and our low birth rate means demand for workers will soon outstrip supply.”
Already, more than 80 per cent of working-age Canadians have a job — an all-time high.
Solberg marshalled the following data to back up his claim:
• British Columbia will be short 350,000 workers over the next 12 years.
• Alberta will require 100,000 workers over the next 10 years.
• Ontario will need 560,000 more workers by 2030.
• Quebec will have 1.3 million job openings by 2016.
“We have a significant shortfall of workers in every region across Canada,” said Solberg. “Even in areas of high unemployment, we have too few skilled workers.”
Canada’s labour market has consistently defied market forecasters for the last three years. Despite a high dollar, which makes Canadian workers relatively more expensive than workers in other countries, there were 325,000 new jobs created in Canada in the last 12 months. That job gain comes despite the loss of more than 113,000 jobs in manufacturing. In other words, the economy not only replaced those 113,000 lost manufacturing jobs, it also created an additional 325,000 jobs. The construction sector alone has grown by more than 103,000 workers.
And, as the Bank of Canada noted in its monetary policy report last week, year-over-year wage growth has been strong as well, suggesting that good-paying manufacturing jobs are being replaced with equally well-paying jobs elsewhere.
Statistics Canada will release the latest monthly job data Friday.
Finding more skilled workers is one of the goals behind Ottawa’s controversial proposal to change immigration rules to fast-track certain groups of immigrants although political opponents say that rationale has not been appropriately clarified.
“What we think is that the immigration policies of this country should be designed to help workers come here with their families, use their training and skills and help build the country,” said NDP Leader Jack Layton.
Layton also said that tax rules ought to be changed to help workers who have to travel to other provinces or regions.
“Right now it’s very expensive to travel to use your skills. It really should be considered part of your expenses under the tax law and the NDP has proposed measures to change the taxes to make it easier for workers to travel, particularly construction workers,” Layton said.
In his speech, Solberg said his government is spending more money on training programs than any federal government in history.
But political opponents say the Conservatives could be doing more.
“The government is not doing enough at all about that” said Liberal Leader Stephane Dion. “We need to increase our productivity. We need to adapt to an aging population. We need to do more to help the people that are over 65, if they want to, to stay in the workforce.”
© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.
Although recent headlines about thousands of layoffs in Canada’s struggling manufacturing sector may suggest otherwise, Harper and his cabinet are struggling to find ways to boost training programs and increase immigration to find more workers to avoid what some Conservative strategists say is an “economic time bomb.”
That Canada is heading for a problem seems unavoidable. In the last 50 years, Canada’s workforce grew by 200 per cent. That growth was responsible for raising standards of living and creating the public and private wealth the country now enjoys. But government forecasters say that, without some radical changes, the workforce will only grow by 11 per cent in the next 50 years — and that figure includes the effects of current levels of immigration.
“Our demographics are working against us,” Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg said in a speech Monday to the Canadian Building and Construction Trades’ Legislative Conference. “Baby boomers are set to retire and our low birth rate means demand for workers will soon outstrip supply.”
Already, more than 80 per cent of working-age Canadians have a job — an all-time high.
Solberg marshalled the following data to back up his claim:
• British Columbia will be short 350,000 workers over the next 12 years.
• Alberta will require 100,000 workers over the next 10 years.
• Ontario will need 560,000 more workers by 2030.
• Quebec will have 1.3 million job openings by 2016.
“We have a significant shortfall of workers in every region across Canada,” said Solberg. “Even in areas of high unemployment, we have too few skilled workers.”
Canada’s labour market has consistently defied market forecasters for the last three years. Despite a high dollar, which makes Canadian workers relatively more expensive than workers in other countries, there were 325,000 new jobs created in Canada in the last 12 months. That job gain comes despite the loss of more than 113,000 jobs in manufacturing. In other words, the economy not only replaced those 113,000 lost manufacturing jobs, it also created an additional 325,000 jobs. The construction sector alone has grown by more than 103,000 workers.
And, as the Bank of Canada noted in its monetary policy report last week, year-over-year wage growth has been strong as well, suggesting that good-paying manufacturing jobs are being replaced with equally well-paying jobs elsewhere.
Statistics Canada will release the latest monthly job data Friday.
Finding more skilled workers is one of the goals behind Ottawa’s controversial proposal to change immigration rules to fast-track certain groups of immigrants although political opponents say that rationale has not been appropriately clarified.
“What we think is that the immigration policies of this country should be designed to help workers come here with their families, use their training and skills and help build the country,” said NDP Leader Jack Layton.
Layton also said that tax rules ought to be changed to help workers who have to travel to other provinces or regions.
“Right now it’s very expensive to travel to use your skills. It really should be considered part of your expenses under the tax law and the NDP has proposed measures to change the taxes to make it easier for workers to travel, particularly construction workers,” Layton said.
In his speech, Solberg said his government is spending more money on training programs than any federal government in history.
But political opponents say the Conservatives could be doing more.
“The government is not doing enough at all about that” said Liberal Leader Stephane Dion. “We need to increase our productivity. We need to adapt to an aging population. We need to do more to help the people that are over 65, if they want to, to stay in the workforce.”
© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.
Canada's Temporary Migration Program: A Model Despite Flaws
By Tanya Basok
University of Windsor
Interest in temporary migration programs has been rising across the globe. Economist Manolo Abella conservatively estimates that, since 2000, the temporary migration of foreign workers into high-income countries has grown at about 4 to 5 percent a year.
Compared with permanent forms of migration, policymakers consider temporary migration more attractive for a number of reasons. In particular, temporary migration permits greater flexibility in the labor market and can seem more acceptable to electorates that find permanent immigration "threatening."
Also, a legal channel for labor migration can reduce flows of unauthorized immigrants. A less considered reason among destination countries is the development impact of migrants remitting income.
The Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP), which began over 40 years ago, is Canada's flagship temporary migration program (the newer Low Skilled Workers Pilot Program operates on a much smaller scale).
Widely recognized as one of the better administered temporary migration programs, SAWP involves multilateral cooperation between governments of origin countries and the Canadian government, and has stable and predictable levels of workers.
SAWP Background
In the years preceding the program, farmers in the province of Ontario experienced serious labor shortages. Farm labor supplied by the National Employment Service was unreliable since many workers did not stay long enough to harvest the crop. For several years, Ontario growers petitioned the Canadian government to allow them to import foreign agricultural labor.
Countries and Provinces Participating in SAWP
Countries and Year They Joined SAWP
Jamaica (1966), Mexico (1974), Trinidad and Tobago (1967), Barbados (1967), and the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines) (1976), and Guatemala (2003).
Provinces in Canada
Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.
Under constant pressure from Canadian growers, one of whom, Eugene Whelan, was a Liberal member of parliament and a future minister of agriculture, the Department of Labor consented to importing Caribbean farm workers. SAWP began in 1966 by bringing Jamaican workers to harvest field crops in Essex County, Ontario.
Despite the pool of Caribbean farm workers, Canadian growers continued to experience labor shortages and consequently contracted unauthorized migrants from Mexico and Portugal. To dry up the pool of unauthorized workers and insure respect for labor standards, the government extended the program in 1974 to include Mexican workers. A number of Caribbean nations joined later.
Today, migrants can work in nine Canadian provinces, further testimony to the program's success. However, Ontario receives 90 percent of the workers.
Under SAWP, approximately 16,000 migrant farm workers are recruited in the Caribbean and Mexico to work in Canadian agriculture. Approximately one-half of these workers are from Mexico. In 2006, 7,806 Mexican and 7,770 Caribbean workers came to work in Canada. Most workers are men, but about 3 percent are women, mostly single mothers.
Migrant workers provide labor for such activities as apple and other fruit harvesting; canning/food processing; bee and flower production; and ginseng, sod, tobacco, and greenhouse and field vegetable harvesting. The hourly wage is generally CAN$8.58 though workers harvesting tobacco earn CAN$9.63.
How SAWP Works
Within Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) manages SAWP and sets general policies for the program. HRSDC works closely with private agencies, including Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS) in Ontario and Nova Scotia, and its French-language equivalent, the Fondation des entreprises pour le recrutement de la main-d'œuvre étrangère (The Foundation of Enteprises for the Recruitment of Foreign Labor, or FERME), in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.
Employers submit requests for foreign agricultural workers to FARMS or FERME. These requests, once HRSDC approves them, are forwarded to recruitment agencies in Mexico or the participating Caribbean countries. It is then the responsibility of migrant-origin countries to recruit workers to match the requests.
Growers bear most of the program's costs, including airfare and ground transportation, visa fees, and administrative costs paid to FARMS or FERME. Some of the airfare costs are consequently deducted from the workers' paychecks. Growers also provide housing to the workers and contribute to the provincial health insurance and workers' compensation insurance programs.
Migrant selection criteria and procedures are different in each participating country. In Mexico, for instance, ideal candidates have worked in agriculture, are responsible for the economic well-being of their households (such as male heads of the family or single mothers), and have experienced difficulties in finding other viable sources of subsistence in Mexico (due to low educational levels and/or occupational backgrounds).
Workers and employers sign a contract that outlines respective rights and obligations and length of employment, which is not to exceed eight months.
Workers are covered under provincial Employment Standard Acts. In Ontario, harvesters are entitled to vacation pay and public holiday pay if they have been employed for at least 13 weeks. Vacation pay is calculated at the rate of 4 percent of total gross earning.
Canadian law requires employers to carry workers' compensation, and workers make contributions to unemployment insurance and the Canada Pension Plan through regular deductions from their salaries.
Workers receive weekly wages calculated as the greatest of the following:
* the minimum wage of workers as stipulated in provincial legislation
* the rate HRSDC determines annually to be the prevailing wage rate for the type of agricultural work being carried out
* the rate the employer pays his Canadian workers performing the same type of agricultural work.
Workers who earn the approval of employers are "named" and requested to return to the same employer. New participants are sent to the same farm for the first few years and then, if not "named," are relocated to another farm.
At the end of the contract, growers arrange for their workers to be transported to a nearby airport. Upon arrival in their home country, workers report to the recruitment agencies with evaluation forms from their employers. A negative report can result in suspension from the program.
Since 2003, the province of Quebec and the government of Guatemala have engaged in a program with the same objective and principles of SAWP, but one that is managed in a slightly different manner. The federal employment ministry approves the offers of employment on an individual basis. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) provides technical assistance, selects qualified Guatemalan workers, and transports the workers to Canada. In conjunction with FERME, IOM returns the workers to Guatemala once their contracts have ended.
Economic Benefits of SAWP
Up-to-date statistics on the economic benefits of SAWP are not available. However, some conclusions can be drawn from a 1995 FARMS report, which argued that new jobs are created and old ones sustained in fields related to agriculture because of the employment of seasonal foreign workers.
The report presented the following calculations. In 1995, the Ontario horticulture industry required a labor force of 99,876 workers per year. Canadians filled only 90 percent of these jobs, generating a shortage of 9,876 jobs.
Ontario farmers invested CAN$626 million in seed stocks, chemicals, equipment, and other goods and services, and thus supported approximately 2,500 jobs in the supply side of the industry. At the same time, they also contributed to the creation of 49,938 jobs in the food processing industry, which employs predominantly Canadian workers.
Thus, each farmworker in horticulture supported 2.6 jobs in the supply and processing sectors in 1995. If the 9,876 jobs in the Ontario industry were not filled, 25,678 jobs in other sectors would have been lost.
SAWP as a Model
Many policymakers and scholars who study labor migration view SAWP as a best-practice model.
At a 2000 workshop (organized by IOM in cooperation with the UN Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean), David Greenhill, a Canadian government official responsible for the program, argued that a program like SAWP, which recognizes and responds to legitimate labor shortages in the economy, is in the national interest.
Greenhill contended that SAWP's key strength is its formal structure. This structure ensures that all the key players are engaged and that the workers' rights are clearly understood, outlined, and enforced through agreements, memoranda of understanding, and operations guidelines.
A 2006 World Bank report identifies numerous benefits of the Canadian program. Growers receive reliable and experienced agricultural workers. Local communities benefit from expanded employment opportunities for native workers (linked to the growth of agricultural industries staffed by reliable and skilled foreign workers). Foreign workers stimulate demand for local services and goods.
For foreign workers, the program provides an opportunity to gain secure employment and to support family needs, especially improved housing, children's education, better nutrition, and medical services. Since they do not need to pay recruitment or smugglers' fees, even the poorest of Mexican and Caribbean workers can gain employment through this program.
For instance, among the 465 Mexican workers I surveyed between 1997 and 2000, about 80 percent (and higher in some villages) used their earning to improve their homes in Mexico. Some had to buy land to build a house. Those who already owned land bought material and paid wages to construction workers.
About 60 percent of the workers I surveyed used their Canadian-earned income to improve the education of their children. For most workers, Canadian jobs provided an opportunity to improve their households' diet and respond to medical emergencies. Anthropologist Leigh Binford and sociologist Gustavo Verduzco report similar findings.
Among Jamaican participants of the program, 35 percent of remittances was spent on children's education, according to Roy Russell, a researcher affiliated with the Agro-Socio Economic Research Center in Jamaica.
The overstay rate among SAWP workers is negligible. The previously mentioned World Bank report estimates it to be 1.5 percent.
University of Windsor
Interest in temporary migration programs has been rising across the globe. Economist Manolo Abella conservatively estimates that, since 2000, the temporary migration of foreign workers into high-income countries has grown at about 4 to 5 percent a year.
Compared with permanent forms of migration, policymakers consider temporary migration more attractive for a number of reasons. In particular, temporary migration permits greater flexibility in the labor market and can seem more acceptable to electorates that find permanent immigration "threatening."
Also, a legal channel for labor migration can reduce flows of unauthorized immigrants. A less considered reason among destination countries is the development impact of migrants remitting income.
The Canadian Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP), which began over 40 years ago, is Canada's flagship temporary migration program (the newer Low Skilled Workers Pilot Program operates on a much smaller scale).
Widely recognized as one of the better administered temporary migration programs, SAWP involves multilateral cooperation between governments of origin countries and the Canadian government, and has stable and predictable levels of workers.
SAWP Background
In the years preceding the program, farmers in the province of Ontario experienced serious labor shortages. Farm labor supplied by the National Employment Service was unreliable since many workers did not stay long enough to harvest the crop. For several years, Ontario growers petitioned the Canadian government to allow them to import foreign agricultural labor.
Countries and Provinces Participating in SAWP
Countries and Year They Joined SAWP
Jamaica (1966), Mexico (1974), Trinidad and Tobago (1967), Barbados (1967), and the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines) (1976), and Guatemala (2003).
Provinces in Canada
Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.
Under constant pressure from Canadian growers, one of whom, Eugene Whelan, was a Liberal member of parliament and a future minister of agriculture, the Department of Labor consented to importing Caribbean farm workers. SAWP began in 1966 by bringing Jamaican workers to harvest field crops in Essex County, Ontario.
Despite the pool of Caribbean farm workers, Canadian growers continued to experience labor shortages and consequently contracted unauthorized migrants from Mexico and Portugal. To dry up the pool of unauthorized workers and insure respect for labor standards, the government extended the program in 1974 to include Mexican workers. A number of Caribbean nations joined later.
Today, migrants can work in nine Canadian provinces, further testimony to the program's success. However, Ontario receives 90 percent of the workers.
Under SAWP, approximately 16,000 migrant farm workers are recruited in the Caribbean and Mexico to work in Canadian agriculture. Approximately one-half of these workers are from Mexico. In 2006, 7,806 Mexican and 7,770 Caribbean workers came to work in Canada. Most workers are men, but about 3 percent are women, mostly single mothers.
Migrant workers provide labor for such activities as apple and other fruit harvesting; canning/food processing; bee and flower production; and ginseng, sod, tobacco, and greenhouse and field vegetable harvesting. The hourly wage is generally CAN$8.58 though workers harvesting tobacco earn CAN$9.63.
How SAWP Works
Within Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) manages SAWP and sets general policies for the program. HRSDC works closely with private agencies, including Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS) in Ontario and Nova Scotia, and its French-language equivalent, the Fondation des entreprises pour le recrutement de la main-d'œuvre étrangère (The Foundation of Enteprises for the Recruitment of Foreign Labor, or FERME), in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.
Employers submit requests for foreign agricultural workers to FARMS or FERME. These requests, once HRSDC approves them, are forwarded to recruitment agencies in Mexico or the participating Caribbean countries. It is then the responsibility of migrant-origin countries to recruit workers to match the requests.
Growers bear most of the program's costs, including airfare and ground transportation, visa fees, and administrative costs paid to FARMS or FERME. Some of the airfare costs are consequently deducted from the workers' paychecks. Growers also provide housing to the workers and contribute to the provincial health insurance and workers' compensation insurance programs.
Migrant selection criteria and procedures are different in each participating country. In Mexico, for instance, ideal candidates have worked in agriculture, are responsible for the economic well-being of their households (such as male heads of the family or single mothers), and have experienced difficulties in finding other viable sources of subsistence in Mexico (due to low educational levels and/or occupational backgrounds).
Workers and employers sign a contract that outlines respective rights and obligations and length of employment, which is not to exceed eight months.
Workers are covered under provincial Employment Standard Acts. In Ontario, harvesters are entitled to vacation pay and public holiday pay if they have been employed for at least 13 weeks. Vacation pay is calculated at the rate of 4 percent of total gross earning.
Canadian law requires employers to carry workers' compensation, and workers make contributions to unemployment insurance and the Canada Pension Plan through regular deductions from their salaries.
Workers receive weekly wages calculated as the greatest of the following:
* the minimum wage of workers as stipulated in provincial legislation
* the rate HRSDC determines annually to be the prevailing wage rate for the type of agricultural work being carried out
* the rate the employer pays his Canadian workers performing the same type of agricultural work.
Workers who earn the approval of employers are "named" and requested to return to the same employer. New participants are sent to the same farm for the first few years and then, if not "named," are relocated to another farm.
At the end of the contract, growers arrange for their workers to be transported to a nearby airport. Upon arrival in their home country, workers report to the recruitment agencies with evaluation forms from their employers. A negative report can result in suspension from the program.
Since 2003, the province of Quebec and the government of Guatemala have engaged in a program with the same objective and principles of SAWP, but one that is managed in a slightly different manner. The federal employment ministry approves the offers of employment on an individual basis. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) provides technical assistance, selects qualified Guatemalan workers, and transports the workers to Canada. In conjunction with FERME, IOM returns the workers to Guatemala once their contracts have ended.
Economic Benefits of SAWP
Up-to-date statistics on the economic benefits of SAWP are not available. However, some conclusions can be drawn from a 1995 FARMS report, which argued that new jobs are created and old ones sustained in fields related to agriculture because of the employment of seasonal foreign workers.
The report presented the following calculations. In 1995, the Ontario horticulture industry required a labor force of 99,876 workers per year. Canadians filled only 90 percent of these jobs, generating a shortage of 9,876 jobs.
Ontario farmers invested CAN$626 million in seed stocks, chemicals, equipment, and other goods and services, and thus supported approximately 2,500 jobs in the supply side of the industry. At the same time, they also contributed to the creation of 49,938 jobs in the food processing industry, which employs predominantly Canadian workers.
Thus, each farmworker in horticulture supported 2.6 jobs in the supply and processing sectors in 1995. If the 9,876 jobs in the Ontario industry were not filled, 25,678 jobs in other sectors would have been lost.
SAWP as a Model
Many policymakers and scholars who study labor migration view SAWP as a best-practice model.
At a 2000 workshop (organized by IOM in cooperation with the UN Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean), David Greenhill, a Canadian government official responsible for the program, argued that a program like SAWP, which recognizes and responds to legitimate labor shortages in the economy, is in the national interest.
Greenhill contended that SAWP's key strength is its formal structure. This structure ensures that all the key players are engaged and that the workers' rights are clearly understood, outlined, and enforced through agreements, memoranda of understanding, and operations guidelines.
A 2006 World Bank report identifies numerous benefits of the Canadian program. Growers receive reliable and experienced agricultural workers. Local communities benefit from expanded employment opportunities for native workers (linked to the growth of agricultural industries staffed by reliable and skilled foreign workers). Foreign workers stimulate demand for local services and goods.
For foreign workers, the program provides an opportunity to gain secure employment and to support family needs, especially improved housing, children's education, better nutrition, and medical services. Since they do not need to pay recruitment or smugglers' fees, even the poorest of Mexican and Caribbean workers can gain employment through this program.
For instance, among the 465 Mexican workers I surveyed between 1997 and 2000, about 80 percent (and higher in some villages) used their earning to improve their homes in Mexico. Some had to buy land to build a house. Those who already owned land bought material and paid wages to construction workers.
About 60 percent of the workers I surveyed used their Canadian-earned income to improve the education of their children. For most workers, Canadian jobs provided an opportunity to improve their households' diet and respond to medical emergencies. Anthropologist Leigh Binford and sociologist Gustavo Verduzco report similar findings.
Among Jamaican participants of the program, 35 percent of remittances was spent on children's education, according to Roy Russell, a researcher affiliated with the Agro-Socio Economic Research Center in Jamaica.
The overstay rate among SAWP workers is negligible. The previously mentioned World Bank report estimates it to be 1.5 percent.
Ghost Consultants
The world has seen several effects following the earthquake in Haiti, the saddest and perhaps most worrying are the emergence of fraudulent Canadian immigration lawyers. This is the story that in the province of Quebec numbers of these supposed lawyers has sky-rocketed since the disaster happened, aiming to capitalise on the thousands of desperate people that are now hoping to start a new life in Canada or bring relatives over to Canada to live.
The numbers on the surface are slightly shocking; Canada government officials estimate that there are now over 3000 illegal Canada immigration lawyers operating in Quebec, the number of registered lawyers is 150!
This has seen a hastily arranged ad campaign by the Canadian Government to warn people of the risks involved with using such agents.
New Canada immigration ad campaign depicts a seal being eaten by a shark
One source has told us that victims are being charged between $6,000 and $15,000 for the bogus Canada immigration service.
“They are being offered false hope and false promises, people think that because they are paying these astronomical prices they are somehow assured of getting a Canadian visa, when in fact the sad truth is that most of these people do not qualify for immigration into Canada at all.”
“If you are paying nearly $15,000 in some cases you would think that this would be a guarantee of a visa, the fake lawyers however have no intention of honouring whatever lies they have told and are not regulated so just disappear.”
Of course this is worrying to everyone involved in immigration circles, and it is hoped that the measures now being taken by the Canadian Government to counteract this will be effective.
As well as the ad campaign Canada immigration have announced that they are relaxing the rules for relatives of those Haitians affected by the earthquake. For full details of the new rules please contact us.
Source: Global Visas
The numbers on the surface are slightly shocking; Canada government officials estimate that there are now over 3000 illegal Canada immigration lawyers operating in Quebec, the number of registered lawyers is 150!
This has seen a hastily arranged ad campaign by the Canadian Government to warn people of the risks involved with using such agents.
New Canada immigration ad campaign depicts a seal being eaten by a shark
One source has told us that victims are being charged between $6,000 and $15,000 for the bogus Canada immigration service.
“They are being offered false hope and false promises, people think that because they are paying these astronomical prices they are somehow assured of getting a Canadian visa, when in fact the sad truth is that most of these people do not qualify for immigration into Canada at all.”
“If you are paying nearly $15,000 in some cases you would think that this would be a guarantee of a visa, the fake lawyers however have no intention of honouring whatever lies they have told and are not regulated so just disappear.”
Of course this is worrying to everyone involved in immigration circles, and it is hoped that the measures now being taken by the Canadian Government to counteract this will be effective.
As well as the ad campaign Canada immigration have announced that they are relaxing the rules for relatives of those Haitians affected by the earthquake. For full details of the new rules please contact us.
Source: Global Visas
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