Canadian immigration visa processing times have been cut in half since 2005
Image by mars_discovery_district via Flickr From 2005 and 2009, the average overall processing time for Canadian immigration applications decreased to 26 months from 50 months. A recent analysis has found this improvement is linked to legislation introduced in 2008 which fast-tracked applications by skilled-workers such as registered nurses, crane operators, financial auditors, construction managers and 34 other qualifying occupations for the Federal Skilled Worker Category. The approximate processing time now for a skilled worker application is seven months, which represents a drastic reduction since previously the overall processing time could take up to five years.
The Canadian immigration system has been streamlined and improved. According to this recent analysis by immigration consultant Richard Kurland, there is evidence that skilled workers are getting high-quality service from Immigration Canada. A spokesman for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said the findings in this analysis on wait times proves the Canadian government is heading in the right direction in implementing policies that make Canada more attractive to the world’s “best and brightest” people.
In 2009, Canada issued 14,917 visas to foreign workers who met the federal skilled worker criteria and their families. If an applicant does not meet the criteria for the Federal Skilled WorkerCategories, the application enters a different queue where processing times may be longer.
The Canadian immigration system has been streamlined and improved. According to this recent analysis by immigration consultant Richard Kurland, there is evidence that skilled workers are getting high-quality service from Immigration Canada. A spokesman for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said the findings in this analysis on wait times proves the Canadian government is heading in the right direction in implementing policies that make Canada more attractive to the world’s “best and brightest” people.
In 2009, Canada issued 14,917 visas to foreign workers who met the federal skilled worker criteria and their families. If an applicant does not meet the criteria for the Federal Skilled WorkerCategories, the application enters a different queue where processing times may be longer.
Chinese 'investor immigrants' inject big bucks in Canada as numbers keep rising
Image by swisscan via FlickrBillions of yuan may be transferred to Canadian banks every year from China after the media reported that Chinese are now the top seekers of permanent residency in the North American nation.
In 2009 alone, Canada admitted more than 25,000 permanent residents from the Chinese mainland. Around 2,000 applicants moved there after being wooed by Canada's immigration policies for overseas investors, which require a minimum net personal worth of C$800,000 ($771,395) and investment of C$400,000.
Both before and after arrival in Canada, applicants can transfer at least C$500,000 to Canadian banks for living expenses, according to sources familiar with the immigration industry.
Total yuan deposits in Canada may reach 6.7 billion yuan this year if another 2,000 Chinese investor immigrants enter Canada in 2010.
"This is a conservative estimate because when applicants declare they have C$800,000 (5.33 million yuan) in net assets, they may actually have more than 10 million yuan," said Gary Cai, the former China chief representative of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC).
Cai said some Chinese applicants are on the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest individuals, and estimating their net transfers out of China would not be easy.
Five major Canadian banks, including Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Royal Bank of Canada and Bank of Montreal, have established personal banking departments in China since 2000, providing services devoted to investor immigrants.
"It's an open secret that banks always love the rich and despise the poor," Cai said. "In the China-based offices of those Canadian banks, business with investor immigrants is always the most important."
The number of investor immigrants going to Canada is rising every year, from 5 percent of total applicants in 2000 to around 25 percent now, Cai added.
In order to track and contact more potential clients, Canadian banks take part in promotional fairs held by immigration agencies.
Cai, who was involved in Canada's personal banking business between 2005 and 2009, said he spent more than 30 weekends a year attending promotional fairs.
Besides receiving processing fees to transfer assets abroad, Canadian banks often aim to find more profitable long-term businesses.
"Banks pay a lot of attention to the period after investor immigrants have successfully landed in Canada," Charles Qi, chairman of Beijing Entry and Exit Service Association, said.
When Chinese investor immigrants arrive, they may deposit money in local banks, purchase loans to buy new houses and cars, and ask banks to take care of their assets. These services create considerable profits for Canadian banks.
Hu Lin, manager of a Beijing-based rack manufacturer, plans to become an investor immigrant in Canada this year.
"I will choose Canadian banks while my immigration is being processed. Firstly, if you use them to transfer money, they charge lower fees than domestic banks - probably 20 percent lower. Secondly, once you arrive in Canada and have a local bank account, it is a lot more convenient because of their network of branches," Hu said.
Source:China Daily
In 2009 alone, Canada admitted more than 25,000 permanent residents from the Chinese mainland. Around 2,000 applicants moved there after being wooed by Canada's immigration policies for overseas investors, which require a minimum net personal worth of C$800,000 ($771,395) and investment of C$400,000.
Both before and after arrival in Canada, applicants can transfer at least C$500,000 to Canadian banks for living expenses, according to sources familiar with the immigration industry.
Total yuan deposits in Canada may reach 6.7 billion yuan this year if another 2,000 Chinese investor immigrants enter Canada in 2010.
"This is a conservative estimate because when applicants declare they have C$800,000 (5.33 million yuan) in net assets, they may actually have more than 10 million yuan," said Gary Cai, the former China chief representative of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC).
Cai said some Chinese applicants are on the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest individuals, and estimating their net transfers out of China would not be easy.
Five major Canadian banks, including Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Royal Bank of Canada and Bank of Montreal, have established personal banking departments in China since 2000, providing services devoted to investor immigrants.
"It's an open secret that banks always love the rich and despise the poor," Cai said. "In the China-based offices of those Canadian banks, business with investor immigrants is always the most important."
The number of investor immigrants going to Canada is rising every year, from 5 percent of total applicants in 2000 to around 25 percent now, Cai added.
In order to track and contact more potential clients, Canadian banks take part in promotional fairs held by immigration agencies.
Cai, who was involved in Canada's personal banking business between 2005 and 2009, said he spent more than 30 weekends a year attending promotional fairs.
Besides receiving processing fees to transfer assets abroad, Canadian banks often aim to find more profitable long-term businesses.
"Banks pay a lot of attention to the period after investor immigrants have successfully landed in Canada," Charles Qi, chairman of Beijing Entry and Exit Service Association, said.
When Chinese investor immigrants arrive, they may deposit money in local banks, purchase loans to buy new houses and cars, and ask banks to take care of their assets. These services create considerable profits for Canadian banks.
Hu Lin, manager of a Beijing-based rack manufacturer, plans to become an investor immigrant in Canada this year.
"I will choose Canadian banks while my immigration is being processed. Firstly, if you use them to transfer money, they charge lower fees than domestic banks - probably 20 percent lower. Secondly, once you arrive in Canada and have a local bank account, it is a lot more convenient because of their network of branches," Hu said.
Source:China Daily
Nannies, foreign workers face new rules
The federal government is tightening the regulations affecting live-in caregivers and temporary foreign workers, as well as the people who hire them.
The new rules will bring tighter scrutiny to families trying to hire a foreign nanny. Effective April 1, 2011, the government will apply a more rigorous assessment of jobs for foreign workers to ensure that offers are legitimate.
That assessment will consider whether employers have followed the rules in the past before they can hire a nanny or temporary foreign worker. A bad track record could lead to a denial of the necessary permits to hire foreign workers.
Employers who fail to meet their commitments to workers with respect to wages and working conditions will face a two-year prohibition on hiring foreign workers.
That limit does not affect eligibility for permanent residence.
"The government is taking action to protect temporary foreign workers, including live-in caregivers, from potential abuse and exploitation," explained immigration minister Jason Kenney.
"We owe it to them, their employers and all Canadians to ensure that the program is fair and equitable."
Immigration minister Jason Kenney says the changes are intended to protect nannies from exploitation. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)According to the federal government, consultations held over the past two years revealed that employers were exploiting some live-in caregivers because the system made them vulnerable.
That led to a first round of changes that took effect in April 2010 and mandated that employment contracts must spell out wages, benefits, accommodation, duties, hours of work and holiday and sick leave entitlements.
Those changes also added some flexibility to the amount of time given to live-in caregivers or nannies to meet the requirements needed for permanent residence status.
Under the law, caregivers can apply for permanent status after two years of regular full-time employment. With the changes, that time frame can be sped up if the person works a lot of overtime or can be extended if they work less than full-time hours or need time off because of illness or factors.
The new rules will bring tighter scrutiny to families trying to hire a foreign nanny. Effective April 1, 2011, the government will apply a more rigorous assessment of jobs for foreign workers to ensure that offers are legitimate.That assessment will consider whether employers have followed the rules in the past before they can hire a nanny or temporary foreign worker. A bad track record could lead to a denial of the necessary permits to hire foreign workers.
Employers who fail to meet their commitments to workers with respect to wages and working conditions will face a two-year prohibition on hiring foreign workers.
'The government is taking action to protect temporary foreign workers, including live-in caregivers, from potential abuse and exploitation.'— Jason Kenney, immigration ministerThere will also be a four-year limit on the amount of time a foreign worker can be employed in Canada. Once that limit is reached, the workers must return home and wait four years before they can work in Canada again.
That limit does not affect eligibility for permanent residence.
"The government is taking action to protect temporary foreign workers, including live-in caregivers, from potential abuse and exploitation," explained immigration minister Jason Kenney.
"We owe it to them, their employers and all Canadians to ensure that the program is fair and equitable."
Immigration minister Jason Kenney says the changes are intended to protect nannies from exploitation. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)According to the federal government, consultations held over the past two years revealed that employers were exploiting some live-in caregivers because the system made them vulnerable.That led to a first round of changes that took effect in April 2010 and mandated that employment contracts must spell out wages, benefits, accommodation, duties, hours of work and holiday and sick leave entitlements.
Those changes also added some flexibility to the amount of time given to live-in caregivers or nannies to meet the requirements needed for permanent residence status.
Under the law, caregivers can apply for permanent status after two years of regular full-time employment. With the changes, that time frame can be sped up if the person works a lot of overtime or can be extended if they work less than full-time hours or need time off because of illness or factors.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2010/08/19/con-nanny-regulations.html#ixzz0x6riCwKi
Foreign professionals need 'soft skills' to find success .
Image by Alaskan Dude via FlickrBy Shaun Polczer, Calgary HeraldEngineers like to think of mathematics as a universal language.
So the biggest challenge for skilled engineers immigrating to Canada isn't the ability to run calculations, it's often the 'soft skills' that go with finding a job on top of adjusting to a new culture and a new way of life.
Before coming to Canada four years ago, Tony Onyeka was an electrical engineer in Nigeria, designing power grids and electrical systems. Now he's working in IT -- not a bad job, but not his chosen field of expertise.
"This is not what I was qualifi ed for," he says. "I was trained in electrical engineering. Right now I work for an engineering company but I'm trying to get into the same field."
According to Lionel Laroche, skilled immigrants often find themselves doing menial jobs when their skills and experience have far more value for themselves and for society as a whole.
"That's exactly what we're trying to avoid," he says.
The problem is made more acute by the recession, especially for immigrant workers who've found less demand for their skills since the downturn.
"In 2006 and 2007 when Alberta was booming it was much easier at that point to find jobs. What we've seen is a number of immigrants during that period of time found jobs and lost them when the recession came."
Laroche, a private consultant, was in Calgary this week to host a seminar for the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta aimed at helping immigrant engineers transition into the Canadian workplace by developing interviewing and job search skills. The program is a joint effort between the association and Bow Valley College.
The one-day workshop is followed up by a series of personal coaching sessions aimed at helping the participants find work in Alberta.
Laroche is a chemical engineer and an immigrant to Canada who recognized a void, both inside corporations and professional agencies, when he was working for Procter and Gamble and Xerox, large multinational firms that employ people from around the world.
"In both companies I was working with engineers from all around the world. We all spoke English but we were not getting anywhere and I could see that cultural differences were a big factor. I could see that a lot of qualified immigrants -- technically qualified with good education -- were not getting the kind of positions that I thought were in line with their education. I tried to research where the mismatch was coming from."
Laroche says immigrants often have less trouble finding friends and establishing a sense of community in their adopted country than finding jobs in their chosen fields.
"Most immigrants are good at creating a support network relatively quickly, from an emotional and practical perspective," he explains. "The problem is that network does not help you on the professional side."
The federal government makes about 20,000 skilled worker visas available each year. Before skilled applicants such as engineers can work in Canada, they have to be certified by a professional association such as APEGGA and meet several criteria to be eligible for the skilled worker designation.
Applicants need a university degree and an offer of employment or a minimum of one year of professional work experience in addition to the ability to communicate in English or French.
Although Onyeka has seven years' experience as an engineer in Nigeria, he doesn't have the prerequisite Canadian work experience that would allow him to become an APEGGA member and become certified in his country.
After the initial shock of arriving in Canada in the middle of winter, it's one of the last and possibly toughest hurdles before he makes Canada his home and native land. Despite an admission of occasional bouts of homesickness, Onyeka has decided to formalize has commitment to this country by applying for citizenship.
"Having survived a year or two of it, you get used to it, you acclimatize," he says.
spolczer@theherald.canwest.com
So the biggest challenge for skilled engineers immigrating to Canada isn't the ability to run calculations, it's often the 'soft skills' that go with finding a job on top of adjusting to a new culture and a new way of life.
Before coming to Canada four years ago, Tony Onyeka was an electrical engineer in Nigeria, designing power grids and electrical systems. Now he's working in IT -- not a bad job, but not his chosen field of expertise.
"This is not what I was qualifi ed for," he says. "I was trained in electrical engineering. Right now I work for an engineering company but I'm trying to get into the same field."
According to Lionel Laroche, skilled immigrants often find themselves doing menial jobs when their skills and experience have far more value for themselves and for society as a whole.
"That's exactly what we're trying to avoid," he says.
The problem is made more acute by the recession, especially for immigrant workers who've found less demand for their skills since the downturn.
"In 2006 and 2007 when Alberta was booming it was much easier at that point to find jobs. What we've seen is a number of immigrants during that period of time found jobs and lost them when the recession came."
Laroche, a private consultant, was in Calgary this week to host a seminar for the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta aimed at helping immigrant engineers transition into the Canadian workplace by developing interviewing and job search skills. The program is a joint effort between the association and Bow Valley College.
The one-day workshop is followed up by a series of personal coaching sessions aimed at helping the participants find work in Alberta.
Laroche is a chemical engineer and an immigrant to Canada who recognized a void, both inside corporations and professional agencies, when he was working for Procter and Gamble and Xerox, large multinational firms that employ people from around the world.
"In both companies I was working with engineers from all around the world. We all spoke English but we were not getting anywhere and I could see that cultural differences were a big factor. I could see that a lot of qualified immigrants -- technically qualified with good education -- were not getting the kind of positions that I thought were in line with their education. I tried to research where the mismatch was coming from."
Laroche says immigrants often have less trouble finding friends and establishing a sense of community in their adopted country than finding jobs in their chosen fields.
"Most immigrants are good at creating a support network relatively quickly, from an emotional and practical perspective," he explains. "The problem is that network does not help you on the professional side."
The federal government makes about 20,000 skilled worker visas available each year. Before skilled applicants such as engineers can work in Canada, they have to be certified by a professional association such as APEGGA and meet several criteria to be eligible for the skilled worker designation.
Applicants need a university degree and an offer of employment or a minimum of one year of professional work experience in addition to the ability to communicate in English or French.
Although Onyeka has seven years' experience as an engineer in Nigeria, he doesn't have the prerequisite Canadian work experience that would allow him to become an APEGGA member and become certified in his country.
After the initial shock of arriving in Canada in the middle of winter, it's one of the last and possibly toughest hurdles before he makes Canada his home and native land. Despite an admission of occasional bouts of homesickness, Onyeka has decided to formalize has commitment to this country by applying for citizenship.
"Having survived a year or two of it, you get used to it, you acclimatize," he says.
spolczer@theherald.canwest.com
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
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