Canada grants Taiwan visa-waiver privilege

      Taipei, Nov. 22 (CNA) Taiwanese citizens will be granted non-immigrant visa-free entry to Canada with immediate effect, the Canada Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT) announced Monday.

Holders of ordinary Taiwan passports that contain a personal identification number and are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan will no longer be required to obtain a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to visit Canada for vacation or study periods of up to six months, the CTOT said.

However, the office said, visa-free access does not imply automatic entry to Canada. Visitors will still need to meet the admission requirements that apply to all travelers seeking entry to Canada, with or without a visa, it said.

Permission to enter Canada will be granted only at the ports of entry and at the sole discretion of Canadian border officials, the office said.

It is therefore strongly recommended that visitors answer border officials' questions truthfully at all times, the office said.

Upon arrival at a Canadian port of entry, the period of stay will be determined by an immigration officer, the CTOT explained.

Unless otherwise indicated, the period of stay will be for six months, it said.

The visa-waiver privilege does not extend to Taiwanese seeking entry for work purposes, with limited exceptions, said the CTOT.

In July this year, Canada and Taiwan signed a working holiday program for youth. (By Jenny W. Hsu) enditem /pc 
   

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New Study Finds Immigrants Vital for Canada

The Royal Bank Plaza building in Toronto, OntarioImage via WikipediaTORONTO (IDN) - Immigration and innovation are closely linked, and because innovation is the sine qua non of competitiveness in the twenty-first century world, immigrants as innovators play a critical role in boosting Canada's global competitiveness.

This is the main thrust of a new research report by the Conference Board of Canada released in October 2010. The 60-page study by Michelle Downie is intended to help government and business recognize the potential value of immigration to innovation performance, which would make Canada a more innovative country. Underlying the report is a comprehensive approach to understanding and quantifying the relationship between immigration and innovation.

In an attempt to find a convincing reply to whether immigrants are making Canada more innovative, Downie argues, "immigrants are by definition seekers of a better way -- the very embodiment of innovation". The purpose of the research report, he adds, is to test this presumption.

Therefore,it examines different dimensions of innovation across areas such as research, the culture sector, business, and global commerce, as well as at the level of the individual immigrant, the firm, and the national and international economy. "At every level of analysis, immigrants are shown to have an impact on innovation performance that is benefiting Canada," concludes Downie.

The report titled 'Immigrants as Innovators: Boosting Canada’s Global Competitiveness' also highlights actions that Canada can take to develop the innovative capacities of immigrants and harness the benefits of immigrant-driven innovation.

The report comes at the right point in time. According to the latest Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011, released by the World Economic Forum, Canada has slipped from ninth to tenth place. The United States is fourth behind Switzerland, Sweden and Singapore.

Until recently, Canada topped for having minimum procedures for starting a new business and held a respectable ninth position for the time required to start a business.

Canada has indeed the potential to be higher than its present position with the second largest territorial mass in the world, rich with natural resources, including the increasingly scarce resource of clean water and a low population density at 34 million people.

More immigrants per capita than any other country in the world move to Canada every year. In 2006, Canada welcomed 251,511 immigrants, most of them highly skilled, through its doors. Yet there is a pressing need for more immigration, the Conference Board estimates that 375,000 new immigrants are required every year in order to stabilize the workforce and ensure economic growth.

At present, however, Canada is a consistent below-average performer in its capacity to innovate: ranks 14th out of 17 industrialized countries in the Board's report card.

The Conference Board is an independent, not-for-profit applied research organization in Canada, affiliated with, The Conference Board, Inc. of New York, which serves nearly 2,000 companies in 60 nations and has offices in Brussels and Hong Kong.

The conclusions of the Conference Board's report are indirectly backed by Steven Johnson's latest book 'Where good ideas come from: The natural history of innovation'. The renowned author takes a look at how some of the world's greatest thinkers came to the conclusions that changed our world. He argues that the lone genius is the exception rather than the rule, and that innovation is usually a far slower, more collaborative process.

'LIQUID NETWORK'

Johnson defines innovation as occurring when "we take ideas from other people -- from people we've learned from, from people we run into in the coffee shop, and we stitch them together into new forms, and we create something new. This means that we have to change some of our models of what innovation and deep thinking really looks like."

He calls this the "liquid network" -- an environment that enables the coming together of ideas, in sometimes unpredictable but satisfying combinations.

"Job creation, the success of our entrepreneurial class and our economic vitality here in Canada depends on the creation of these liquid networks," said Gordon Nixon, president of the Royal Bank of Canada at a conference on innovation.

"Earlier this month (October 4, 2010) the Globe and Mail announced the findings of a C-Suite survey, which puts the blame for this country's poor track record on innovation squarely on C-Suite executives. According to my peers who were polled for this study, the two top factors important in explaining weak Canadian productivity is business leaders' risk aversion and a culture of complacency... This is a country that to a large degree has been built by newcomers willing to take risks," he added.

He said those attitudes should now help Canada shift to a culture of innovation at a time when many established executives are complacent and risk-averse.

Immigrants face too many "onerous and unnecessary" obstacles which limit their potential to inject life into the country's flailing innovation performance and full participating in the economy.

"Innovation, R&D, Venture Capital -- that is the equation we must solve for and they are all interrelated.

"I say this because Canada's labour productivity level in the business sector has been lower than that of the US for almost 50 years. And a recent report by the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity shows that if the GDP per capita gap between the US and Canada were closed, Canadian families would have $12,200 more in annual personal disposable income," Nixon pointed out.

"Canada cannot continue to ask immigrants to sacrifice their short-term success in the interests of future generations. The impact of this lost productivity on our collective prosperity cannot be overstated. As the country begins to climb out of the recession, the government needs to engage Canadians, both new and old, and begin a discussion on our future and our immigration program," writes Ratna Omidvar, president of the Toronto-based Maytree Foundation, an agency promoting workplace diversity and author of Canada's Immigration Score: Recommendations for a Win-Win, published in the July-August issue of Policy Options.

There is a lack of recognition of international experience and qualifications which leads to discrimination or underutilization of their skills.

According to research by Naomi Alboim, Ross Finnie and Ronald Meng published by the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP), Canada should provide more points for young people and fewer for work experience. As it is, international experience is discounted by a factor of almost 70 per cent by employers in labour market. To continue to allot points for international work experience is disingenuous at best. Younger people, even those with little work experience, have long careers ahead of them to contribute to the Canadian economy.

Business leaders must take a stronger lead in addressing these challenges. Employers can start by conveying a strong message to new Canadians that they value them as creators, innovators and highly skilled workers whose performance improves results. They should also take advantage of the fact that immigrants can open doors to investment opportunities overseas and help attract foreign investment in Canada.

According to an OECD study, diversity has also been associated with an increase in patents. More than a quarter of patents in Canada have foreign co-inventors.

Two prime examples of how integrating immigrant workers can bolster innovation are:

Xerox Canada, with half of its staff who are immigrants from 35 different countries, credits immigrants with boosting its innovation rate, which has reached about 130 patentable ideas a year. It says its staff are also helping the company better compete in a global market.

Toronto-based Steam Whistle Brewing, the beer maker with more than half of the management team as immigrants, says the composition means a stronger work ethic, while foreign-born workers bring new techniques and fresh perspectives to the job. It also helps them understand a diverse marketplace.

"I absolutely believe that ongoing immigration is going to turbo-charge this economy going forward," said Loudon Owen, managing partner of venture capital firm McLean Watson Capital.

Immigrants have a fresh view of Canada, and bring ideas from their country of origin that may be new to Canada, he said. "They are often driven to succeed in ways that Canadians aren't," he added.


Copyright © 2010 IDN-InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters

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Manitoba's immigration record hailed

Manitoba Legislature, meeting place of the Leg...Image via Wikipedia

Nominee plan envy of nation

OTTAWA -- Manitoba's provincial nominee immigration program has been a rousing success thus far but still has room for improvement, a new report concludes.
The Institute for Research on Public Policy will today publicly release the findings of a study looking at the program that has brought more than 38,000 immigrants to Manitoba in the last decade. It comes a year after federal auditor general Sheila Fraser called for Ottawa to review the entire provincial nominee system, suggesting it has little accountability or evidence it is working.
In the 1990s, Ottawa introduced provincial nominee programs to help smaller provinces glean a larger share of immigrants by allowing the provincial governments to specifically target certain immigration classes to meet their own unique economic needs.
Manitoba has by far been the most successful user of the nominee system, with almost half of the total nominees coming to Canada between 1999 and 2008 landing in Manitoba. Nominees also account for more than half of all immigrants to Manitoba, and since the program's inception, the immigration rate in Manitoba soared from 3.3 immigrants per 1,000 people in 1999 to 9.3 in 2008.
The report is part of a three-part study underway by University of Winnipeg professors Tom Carter, Manish Pandey and James Townsend which is looking at provincial nominee programs.
It found immigrants who arrived in Manitoba under the provincial nominee program were more likely to stay in the province long term, earned more money upon first arriving and were more likely to settle somewhere outside Winnipeg. All three are noted goals of provincial immigration.
Pandey said the data, mostly gleaned from the federal Longitudinal Immigration Database, doesn't fully explain why nominee immigrants make more money at first than federal immigrants with similar education levels. But he said he and the other two authors expect it may be because nominee immigrants must have a job offer before they arrive in Manitoba which means they would start working almost right away.
"It gives them an advantage," he said.
The data showed over time, nominee's earnings did not grow as fast as those of economic class immigrants, likely because the latter started to find jobs.
That nominees are more likely to stay in Manitoba may be in part because lower-skilled workers are not as mobile but does suggest Manitoba is correctly targeting people who are likely to stay in the province. Pandey said the Atlantic provinces are not having similar retention rates for its nominee program, suggesting Manitoba is doing something other provinces should learn from.
Between 1999 and 2003,  37.3 per cent of Manitoba provincial nominee immigrants had a university degree compared to 74.3 per cent of federal economic class immigrants. Between 2004 and 2006, those numbers climbed to 48.6 per cent of nominees with a university degree compared to 85 per cent of federal economic class immigrants. 
mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 20, 2010 A6

 

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Canada Re-Opens Immigrant Investor Program

Latest series of Canadian BanknotesImage via Wikipedia
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Nov. 10, 2010) - Effective December 1, 2010, Citizenship and Immigration Canada will once again accept applications under the federal Immigrant Investor Program.
Under the new program criteria, investor applicants will need to have a personal net worth of $1.6 million, up from $800,000 under the old criteria, and make an investment of $800,000, up from the previous requirement of $400,000.
"These changes were necessary," said Minister Kenney. "The requirements had not been increased in more than a decade and we need to keep pace with the changing economy."
Canada's old immigrant investor criteria were the lowest when compared to other countries with similar programs. The new criteria now align it more closely with other immigrant-receiving countries.
The investor program was suspended in June, in part because the high volume of applications was leading to wait times that were too long. Raising the requirements will help reduce the flow of applications while ensuring we attract experienced businesspeople who can make a more substantial contribution to the economy. Higher personal net worth criteria mean the program is now better positioned to attract investors with valuable business links and the resources to make secondary investments in the Canadian economy.
"Higher investment amounts mean provinces and territories will receive more investment capital to put toward job creation and economic development projects," added the Minister.
Canada's Immigrant Investor Program offers several benefits to international investors, including permanent resident status up front and guaranteed repayment of the investment.
Under Canada's old criteria, the volume of applications submitted under the Program had grown exponentially and processing times had increased. By stopping applications between June 26, 2010, and December of this year, the government prevented further delays. Applications received on or after December 1 will be subject to the new criteria and will be processed alongside the old ones. In this way, Canada can begin to realize the benefits of the changes as soon as possible.
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CitImmCanada.
Backgrounder
New federal Immigrant Investor Program will bring to Canada more resources to fund economic development and job creation initiatives
Canada's Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) attracts experienced businesspeople who bring significant economic benefits to Canada. In order to keep pace with the changing global economy and keep Canada's program competitive, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has changed the program so that it makes an even greater contribution to the Canadian economy. The changes were prepublished in the Canada Gazette on June 26, 2010, for a thirty-day public comment period and will take effect December 1, 2010.
Benefits of the IIP
Investments made through the program take the form of a five-year, zero interest loan to the Government of Canada on behalf of participating provinces and territories. These funds are distributed to participating provinces and territories to fund economic development and job creation initiatives in their regions. While investment strategies vary, some examples to date include venture capital investments in clean technology, public sector infrastructure investments (e.g., expansion of broadband Internet access, and construction of post-secondary institutions), and loans to small and medium-sized Canadian businesses. The provinces and territories must guarantee repayment of the investments received.
The provinces and territories are currently managing almost $2 billion of five-year, revolving IIP capital. In 2009 alone, almost $500 million was allocated through the program. British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories participate in the program. Other provinces and territories have expressed interest in joining as well.
Research has shown that the IIP has a positive impact on Canada's economy. While the program is an important source of investment capital that can be used by provinces and territories, immigrant investors also make significant economic contributions by bringing to Canada business acumen, important links to global economies and an understanding of international markets.
Changes to the Program
The Government of Canada has established new eligibility criteria for the IIP. These regulatory changes now require new investors to have a personal net worth of $1.6 million, up from $800,000, and make an investment of $800,000, up from $400,000.
Higher investment amounts mean that provinces and territories will receive a greater amount of capital to put toward economic development within their regions. Higher personal net worth criteria mean that the program is now better positioned to attract investors with valuable global business links and the resources to make secondary investments into the Canadian economy.
How Canada's Program Compares to Other Countries
Canada's old IIP criteria had not changed since 1999 and were the lowest when compared to other countries with similar programs (see the chart below: International Immigrant Investor Programs). The new criteria now align Canada's program more closely with other immigrant-receiving countries, while still offering investors the competitive advantages of up-front permanent resident status and guaranteed repayment of their investment.
International Immigrant Investor Programs
  Minimum Net Worth Minimum Investment
Canada/Quebec* (old) CAD$800,000 CAD$400,000
Canada/Quebec (new) CAD$1,600,000 CAD$800,000
Australia CAD$2,157,525 CAD$1,438,350
(CAD$719,175 regional program)
UK CAD$3,331,400 CAD$1,665,700
New Zealand CAD$765,500 CAD$1,148,250
USA Not specified CAD$1,031,700
(CAD$515,850 regional program)
NOTE: Currency equivalents based on Bank of Canada nominal exchange rates, January 11, 2010.
* Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec is responsible for the selection of immigrants destined to the province, as well as the design and delivery of its own settlement services. The regulatory changes to the eligibility criteria also apply to Quebec-selected investors.
Managing Application Intake
Under the old IIP, the volume of applications grew exponentially in recent years. This surge in applications resulted in a rising inventory and longer processing times. As a result, the Department temporarily stopped accepting new applications when the changes were first proposed for public comment on June 26, 2010. These measures were put in place to prevent a flood of applications before the new criteria took effect, which would have stretched processing times even further. Once the new criteria take effect December 1, new applications will be processed alongside the old ones. In this way, Canada can begin to benefit from the changes as soon as possible.
Quebec announced its own moratorium on investor applications on October 15, and like the federal moratorium, this suspension will be lifted on December 1 when the regulatory changes to personal net worth and investment criteria take effect.
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Landing a job in Calgary

Downtown Calgary seen from Edworthy ParkImage via WikipediaSource: http://www.ffwdweekly.com

Calgarians are changing.
Not so long ago, Calgary was known as a city of Caucasians wearing cowboy hats and shit-kickers. Slowly, gradually, it is developing into a multicultural metropolis.
But for the thousands of immigrants who increasingly call Calgary home, moving to Canada and planting roots is hard work. The hard work starts with the application process to get permission to move to Canada, which can take years; the trials and tribulations continue when immigrants arrive on Canadian soil. Doctors, engineers and other professionals often have an incredibly difficult time obtaining certificates, training and experience recognized by Canadian companies and government. Along with the stresses of adapting to a foreign environment, many immigrants are forced to take minimum-wage jobs, often part-time, to make ends meet. And too often immigrants get frustrated with jumping through bureaucratic hoops and obstacles; of the many immigrants who apply to come to Canada, few truly comprehend the arduous journey ahead.
For Pramod Kumar, it has taken seven years, two cities, hundreds of job applications and plenty of personal struggles to find success in his adoptive city of Calgary.
Born in central India, Kumar studied agriculture and received a master’s degree in plant breeding and genetics. For two years, he worked at the Indian Agriculture Research Institute. Given the opportunity to continue his education in his chosen field, Kumar came to Canada to attend the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
When he left school, he quickly realized that landing an agricultural job wasn’t going to be easy.
“After graduating I was trying to get a good job. I started working for a small consulting firm and then because of a shortage of work I was laid off,” he says. “Then I kept applying for several jobs, but because I didn’t have farm experience here in Canada I couldn’t get a job in my field.”
Two years ago Kumar moved to Calgary, hoping that a bigger city and a more developed business community would help his employment situation.
“I have applied for 300 jobs and got maybe two interview calls,” he says.
Refusing to give up on agriculture, Kumar started his own business, AgriClaim Canada Inc. He enrolled in a self-employment program through Meyers Norris Penny, which provides a wide range of business advisory services, and received startup funding from the Canadian Youth Business Foundation.
“My main business is farm consulting but I also specialize in plant breeding, so I thought of offering some unique services. One of them is intellectual property protection, which is plant breeders’ rights,” says Kumar.
With a handful of clients and a lot of potential, Kumar’s company is slowly growing; he has hired a full-time employee and recently received a grant from the federal government to further develop a portal that allows farmers, plant breeders and consultants to easily communicate and exchange information.
Kumar’s wife, Sonika, moved from India to Canada in 2005, and now, with a daughter, Anya, in kindergarten and a newborn baby girl, Prisha, the future looks brighter for the couple.
“Calgary is a very business-friendly city. I found it much better than Saskatoon because it is a larger business community. There are all kinds of company headquarters here which may help in the future,” he says. “Some of the people have started recognizing my services or my name at least.”
PLENTY HELP FOR IMMIGRANTS
According to Statistics Canada, in 1997 about 4,000 immigrants moved to Calgary. In 2007 that number had jumped to more than 14,000, and last year more than 18,000 immigrants came to Calgary. Fariborz Birjandian, executive director of the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society, points out that Calgary receives almost twice as many immigrants as Edmonton, and there are more temporary workers per capita in Calgary than any other city in Canada. “Calgary has become a city of choice,” he says.
A 2009 report by Calgary Economic Development called The Changing Profile of Calgary’s Workforce says that immigrants represent 25.3 per cent of Calgary’s labour force. “This large segment grew by 41.9 per cent from 2001 to 2006,” the report states. “The group [was] comprised of 178,700 workers in 2006, an increase of over 52,800 workers from 2001.”
There are two main reasons for immigrants to move to Calgary, says Mae Chun, an employment bridging officer with Immigrant Services Calgary (ISC). “One is if they have friends and family here — if they have that, it is usually the deciding factor,” she says. “In absence of that, it will be for economic reasons because a lot of immigrants, in my opinion… whether they come from South America, China or Indonesia, they come here with a lot of oil and gas experience, which makes Calgary the logical place for them to begin.”
Born and raised in India, Vijay Panchmatia moved to Calgary in August 2009, mainly to land a job. With a background in transportation and freight, he had worked in Dubai in the freight industry, shipping goods and equipment for many oil conglomerates.
Realizing similarities between Calgary and Dubai, Panchmatia decided to move here after visiting a few Canadian cities.
After applying for 46 jobs, which produced only two phone interviews, Panchmatia realized he needed help. He was applying for positions he felt he was far more than qualified for, yet he was alarmed that he wasn’t getting work. So, he tapped into services and programs offered by the various governments.
“It’s been very interesting, but the biggest thing I like to say is that the government support for immigrants is massive, it is so huge. There are so many different agencies for support,” he says. “I know of more than 32 agencies in this city alone.”
One simple initiative is liveinecalgary.com, a Calgary Economic Development website that provides basic information for immigrants starting out in Calgary. Another program, Momentum, teaches new Calgarians to use computers, and helps them with financing (borrowing and repaying business loans) and to secure meaningful employment. Other groups help with coping skills, interview skills and pair new immigrants with mentors in their chosen business fields.
Tapping into an ISC program, Panchmatia was partnered with a mentor who regularly coached him and advised him which companies he should send job applications to.
He ended up applying for a position as a shift manager with FedEx — a job he thought he was overqualifed for, but his mentor told him to apply anyway. The advice paid off, as Panchmatia ended up getting a higher, better-paid position — services manager — that was not publicly advertised, but FedEx officials recognized his skills and experience. Now that Panchmatia has settled into a job, he plans to bring his wife from India to Calgary.
NOT ALL MILK AND HONEY
The hardships and challenges faced by so many immigrants coming to Calgary start long before they leave their birth countries.
It often takes years for a foreigner to go through the tedious bureaucratic process to get the proper papers to migrate to Canada. The recent recession and rise in unemployment hasn’t helped much.
“The downturn came very quickly,” says Chun. “It was a sharp drop. It took a lot of people by surprise.”
For many recent immigrants, it has been a shock to arrive in Calgary and discover the economy isn’t as robust as they were originally led to believe.
“The first group that is impacted are the most recent arrivals,” says Birjandian, adding many come with education and job experience, but they end up working for minimum wage in the retail, food and hospitality industries.
One problem that causes major confusion and frustration is misinformation about employment opportunities. Prior to leaving their birth counties, many immigrants are told their job experience and certification will be recognized in Canada.
“When you come here, all your past education and experience is discounted,” says Panchmatia, who learned the hard way. “And for that you’re not prepared. This is where the support system in Canada is trying to bridge that gap. If this information is freely available to the people [immigrants], they can prepare for it.”
This has been a sticking point for years — something Alberta government officials say they are trying to fix.
“We want immigration composed of immigrants who are linked to the workforce,” says Alberta Employment and Immigration Minister Thomas Lukaszuk.
The government recognizes that immigration is necessary for the province, but Alberta wants to attract skilled, experienced workers, says Lukaszuk. Government officials, he says, are working on making it easier for immigrants to have their certifications recognized, particularly in the medical, dental and engineering professions.
“Usually they talk in very general terms,” Chun says of governments, “but in practise they are only fast-tracking certain professions and for the majority, it’s still the same long process. As far as I am concerned, it is not changing fast enough.”
Lukaszuk agrees with Chun. “A great deal of headway has been made, but we have a long way to go,” he says.
So, for now, some of the best and brightest immigrants will continue to hit stumbling blocks in getting their foreign experience and education recognized.
“You need to be above-average in your field of industry,” says Panchmatia. “Every immigrant is above-average in their field in their country or else they do not qualify. The people that come here are the crème de la crème.”
It often takes years for newly landed immigrants to develop the Canadian skills and experience they need to secure jobs in their chosen fields. Until that point, many have to take jobs — any jobs — to survive and pay the bills.
The key to success, says Kumar, is to have an open mind.
“My advice is to make use of all the resources because there are resources available everywhere,” he says. “If you need specific training, there is training available. Focus on what you want to do and get appropriate training and maybe some work experience.”
 


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Saskatchewan sees job growth.

Saskatchewan Province within Canada.Image via Wikipedia
More people in Saskatchewan are working now compared to this time last year, according to Statistics Canada.
Statistics indicate there were 525,800 people working in Saskatchewan in October 2010 — a record for the month of October and an overall increase of 5,200 compared to the same month in 2009.
"Saskatchewan's growth agenda is yielding real benefits for our province's citizens," Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister Rob Norris said.
"We've never seen so many people working in October, and our workers are earning more than they ever have."
Norris also pointed out more than 11,300 full-time positions were created in Saskatchewan's private sector over the past year.
"That speaks to the quality of employment opportunities that we see in the province," he said.
"Obviously, a second number that caught our attention [is] more than 11,000 jobs that have been created by the private sector year-over-year. These are sustainable, quality jobs that are reflective of the robust nature of what's going on in Saskatchewan."
Norris also pointed out that for the sixth consecutive month, First Nations and Métis numbers saw a year-over-year increase with employment up 6.7 per cent.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2010/11/05/sask-job-growth.html#ixzz14VsnXDmu
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Canada holds immigration levels steady

Italian-Immigrants-to-CanadImage via WikipediaThe federal government wants to keep Canada's immigration levels steady next year but change the mix of newcomers, limiting economic immigrants and boosting the number of spouses and children.
In its annual report to Parliament on immigration, the Conservative government says it aims to take in between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents next year. That's the same target as this year and last.


But Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is looking to cut the economic class of immigrants by about 5,000 people – despite highlighting the growing dependence of the Canadian workforce on immigrant labour.
“Canada's post-recession economy demands a high level of legal immigration to keep our workforce strong,” Mr. Kenney said in a news release.
Provinces are taking a growing role in selecting economic immigrants, the report notes. As the number of federally selected newcomers in the economic class drops back, the number of provincially selected workers is climbing.
Mr. Kenney is increasing the target range for spouses and children, to a high of 48,000 – up from 45,000 in 2010, and back to the historical norm.
He is also expecting the number of refugees to rise, partly because the government has committed to doubling the number it resettles from overseas refugee camps.
“These refugees are selected and screened by Canada, and come here legally,” Mr. Kenney said. “We look forward to giving them a safe, new beginning.”
By keeping immigration levels steady, Mr. Kenney is walking a fine line between those who want levels to rise steadily to deal with an expected worker shortage, and those who want to cut back dramatically on newcomers until well after the recession.
Glen Hodgson, chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada, argues that the recession prompted a temporary glut in workers. As the economy recovers, and as retirements soar, he figures Canada will require about 350,000 immigrants a year by 2030 in order to keep its workforce growing.
Plus, Ottawa needs to make sure those immigrants meet the labour market's needs, Mr. Hodgson says.
“A reinvigorated immigration policy, growing toward 350,000 by about 2030, will need to recognize the importance of skills-based immigration to address Canada's labour market needs and to unlock immigrants' potential for making a long-term economic contribution,” he writes in a recent article.
But a new, conservative group of immigration experts wants Mr. Kenney to go the other way.
“It makes no sense to maintain high levels of immigration when large numbers of Canadians are unemployed,” the Centre for Immigration Policy Reform says.
Canadians can confront the coming skills shortage by themselves, by improving their own training and working later in life, the centre's website states.
“There will be no such shortages if more Canadians acquire the needed skills, which can be accomplished if wages, government policies and other conditions encourage them to do so and the jobs are not filled by immigrants.”
For Mr. Kenney, the answer for now is to keep the immigration levels the same, but to focus on integrating newcomers more effectively so that the Canadian workforce can benefit fully from their training and expertise.
“Immigrants arrive in Canada with degrees and experience in skilled occupations such as medicine or engineering. Yet, many are unable to fill the critical positions our labour force desperately needs,” Mr. Kenney said in a speech on Monday.
“It isn't because they are unqualified or that they don't have the skills these positions demand, it's just that they are unable to transfer their international education and experience into Canadian workplaces in a timely manner.”

Source: The Globe and Mail
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Total complete Federal Skilled Worker (SW1) applications received since June 26, 2010

The Centre Block on Parliament Hill, containin...Image via WikipediaOn June 26, 2010, the eligibility criteria for Federal Skilled Worker applicants changed.
Between June 26, 2010, and June 30, 2011, a maximum of 20,000 complete Federal Skilled Worker applications will be considered for processing. Within the 20,000 cap, a maximum of 1,000 Federal Skilled Worker applications per eligible occupation will be considered for processing within this same time frame.
These limits do not apply to applications with an offer of arranged employment (job offer).
Applications received toward the overall cap: 2,988 of 20,000 as of October 29, 2010

Applications received per eligible occupation:

Eligible Occupation
(by National Occupational Classification [NOC] code)
Number of Complete Applications Received*
0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers 116
0811 Primary Production Managers (except Agriculture)  29
1122 Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management 900
1233 Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners 40
2121 Biologists and Related Scientists 141
2151 Architects 165
3111 Specialist Physicians 126
3112 General Practitioners and Family Physicians 157
3113 Dentists 197
3131 Pharmacists 260
3142 Physiotherapists 55
3152 Registered Nurses 405
3215 Medical Radiation Technologists 8
3222 Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists 4
3233 Licensed Practical Nurses 18
4151 Psychologists 37
4152 Social Workers 81
6241 Chefs 17
6242 Cooks 44
7215 Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades 19
7216 Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades 53
7241 Electricians (except Industrial and Power System) 32
7242 Industrial Electricians 36
7251 Plumbers 8
7265 Welders and Related Machine Operators 7
7312 Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics 14
7371 Crane Operators 0
7372 Drillers and Blasters - Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction 2
8222 Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service 17
*The number of complete Federal Skilled Worker applications received as of October 29, 2010, is approximate.
NOTE: Because application intake fluctuates, these figures are meant as a guide only. There is no guarantee that an application sent in now will fall within the cap.
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Atlantic Canada's incredible shrinking population

Map highlighting Atlantic CanadaImage via WikipediaThe Globe & Mail is running a series called "Canada: Our Time to Lead. Eight Discussions We Need to Have" saying "We hope, and intend, for this discussion to strike at the heart of how Canadians define ourselves, and our nation." The eight discussions that will help us define ourselves, according to the Globe, are: multiculturalism, women in power, failing boys, military, work-life, health care, Internet and food.
If we are looking to "strike at the heart of how we define the nation," I suggest we start a ninth discussion. It may not be top of mind in Toronto but I think it has much more potential to shape our collective concept of Canada - for better or worse - over the next few decades.
I am referring to the hollowing out of Atlantic Canada's population and its eventual impacts. We could also add Manitoba and even Quebec to the discussion because some of the challenges are the same but for simplicity I will stick to the Atlantic Canada problem.
There is an unprecedented demographic shift happening in the region. In the early 1970s, the population was growing at a fairly strong rate driven by natural population increases, net in-migration and at least a limited level of immigration.
Then something happened.
First, the limited immigration to Atlantic Canada mostly dried up (particularly as a share of national immigration). From 1990 to 2009, Canada welcomed more than four million new immigrants to the country - the largest swell of immigrant population in history. During that same period, New Brunswick, as an example, attracted an average of just more than 900 new immigrants per year.
Second, net in-migration into Atlantic Canada turned to net out-migration. From 1971 to 1976, the four Atlantic provinces combined had a positive migration from the rest of Canada of nearly 30,000 people. To be clear, that is 30,000 (net) people moving to Atlantic Canada from the rest of Canada. In the most current five year period (2005-2009), there was a net out-migration of 36,000 people from Atlantic Canada. That is a 66,000 swing comparing a five year period in the early 1970s to the late 2000s (or just about the population of the City of Moncton).
When you combine these trends with the declining birth rate you end up with regional population decline. Since 1990, Canada added more than six million people to its population while Atlantic Canada has shed 21,000.
There has been some limited positive activity on the immigration front in the past couple of years but the long term trend is unmistakable.
The regional demographic mix in Canada is diverging. The population of Atlantic Canada is comparatively old, white and declining. The population of the rest of Canada - particularly the large urban centres - is younger, multicultural and growing rapidly.
The implications of this demographic shift are starting to emerge with economic, community and fiscal consequences. We've seen what can happen to a city that suffers from chronic population loss but what about when it happens to an entire region such as Atlantic Canada? How do we continue to pay for public services? How do we support a positive economic development agenda?
People grumble about the balance of power now. At least most of the current political and bureaucratic decision makers in Ottawa have a limited affinity toward or knowledge of Atlantic Canada. By 2030 it is likely most MPs in Ottawa will have never even visited this region.
This issue may not reach the Globe & Mail's threshold for warranting a discussion, compared to the urgent topic of Torontonian work-life balance, but someone needs to start talking about it.
David Campbell is an economic development consultant based in Moncton. He writes a daily blog, It's the Economy Stupid, at www.davidwcampbell.com.

Source: nbbusinessjournal.com
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Canada reports slight increase in permanent residents from Latvia

First Canadian Citizenship ceremony on January...Image via Wikipedia
October 27, 2010
The number of persons from Latvia earning permanent resident status in Canada increased in 2009, but remains significantly lower than the figure recorded a decade ago, according to government statistics.
A total of 86 persons from Latvia became permanent residents of Canada last year, up from 66 in 2008, according to data compiled by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and released in September.
Under Canadian law, permanent residents must live in the country for at least two years within a five-year period. Otherwise, they risk losing their status. While permanent residents share many of the same rights as Canadian citizens, they may not vote in elections.
Ten years ago, 230 persons from Latvia became permanent residents, increasing to 286 in 2001.
The number steadily declined through 2006, when just 73 new permanent residents were recorded. However, the number jumped to 113 in 2007.
In the past decade, a total of 1,491 persons from Latvia have become permanent residents of Canada, according to the data. That is more than from Lithuania, which contributed 1,355 new permanent residents during the same period, or Estonia, with contributed just 403.
Last year, more than 250,000 persons from around the world became new permanent residents of Canada. China, the Philippines and India are the top three source countries, according to the data.
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