Ottawa clamps down on immigrants found cheating

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Nicholas Keung Immigration Reporter
Ottawa is stepping up its effort in combatting cheating immigrants who are selected under one province’s entrepreneur program but end up breaking the terms and moving to another. Cheaters will be issued a warning letter and may lose their permanent resident status, according to a new Citizenship and Immigration Canada operational guideline. Legal experts say this is just the beginning of Ottawa’s attempt to stamp out what they call “trampolining” by immigrants — being accepted by one province but settling in another. The enhanced enforcement begins in Quebec but is expected to expand to other provincially administered immigration programs. Provinces are increasingly taking charge of the selection of economic immigrants to serve the needs of their local labour market and economy, though the federal government is still responsible in issuing permanent resident visas. “These immigrants are selected on the strength of that province. They commit themselves to a province in exchange for an immigrant visa,” said Quebec immigration lawyer Richard Kurland. “It is not right if an entrepreneur or investor says they are going to go work and live in a province and then go to another.” According to Canada’s immigrant database, 11 per cent of the one million new immigrants who came to the country within five years and filed tax returns in 2006 had moved from their declared province of destination. More than 24,000, or 14 per cent, of immigrants originally destined for Quebec ended up filing taxes in other provinces. In recent months, immigration lawyers are seeing a surge of cases where newcomers landing in Canada are turned away at port of entry because they fail to show plane tickets or proof of arranged accommodation for their declared destined city, according to Kurland. The courts, so far, have sided with border officials, Kurland said. In the new department guideline, front-line immigration officers are ordered to “monitor” the entrepreneurs selected by Quebec who now live or have a mailing address outside of the province. It applies to all those admitted under the program after Oct. 16, 2006. A report “should be prepared detailing the allegation of non-compliance . . . (and) be referred to the Immigration Division for an admissibility hearing,” it said. To gain permanent resident status under the Quebec entrepreneur program, an applicant must own at least 25 per cent of a company in the province, with an investment no less than $100,000. Not only do they have to manage the enterprises’ day-to-day operations, they must also stay and live in the province for at least 12 months in the initial three years of residence. Kurland said other provinces will benefit from the new directive, especially if it is going to be expanded to other provincial immigration classes, such as investors and skilled workers programs. The federal government provides funding to newcomers’ language training and integration programs in each province based on the number of immigrants who declare it as their destinations in their immigration applications. The funding doesn’t take “secondary migrants” into account.
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Canadian immigration experts to visit ČR in late January ČTK

General map of the Czech RepublicImage via WikipediaPrague, Dec 30 (CTK) - Canadian migration experts will arrive in the Czech Republic in late January to check how Czech authorities protect minorities and help them integrate into society, Petra Sedinova, spokeswoman for Canada's embassy in Prague, has told CTK.
The Czech Republic has called on Canada to lift the visas that were reintroduced for Czechs in July 2009 in reaction to high numbers of Czechs applying for asylum in Canada. Most of the asylum applicants were Romanies.
Czech diplomats have been unsuccessful in their effort to bring Canada to abolish the visas so far.
Prague sharply criticised the reintroduction of visas and it imposed visas on Canadian diplomats as a retaliatory step. Czechs asked the European Union to exert pressure on Canada in this respect. Ottawa has not met calls from the European Commission to lift the visas either, however.
Canadian representatives have set no deadline for the visa lifting.
Canada is to introduce a new asylum system in a year to prevent foreigners from misusing Canadian welfare benefits, speeding up the proceedings with unwarranted or fraudulent applications for asylum.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas said last month it was hardly acceptable for Czechs to only wait for Canada to fully introduce its new asylum system.
Further negotiations are to be held next year.
Canadian ambassador to the Czech Republic, Valerie Raymond, told daily Lidove noviny earlier that Canada's migration experts will deal with the possible reasons that contributed to the exceptionally high influx of immigrants from the Czech Republic. The experts will also be interested in the Czech government's plans and strategies that are to help stop the immigration, Raymond said.
Canada reintroduced visas for Czech citizens already once before for the same reason as in 2009: in 1997 after lifting them for a short period in 1996. The visa duty was finally abolished in November 2007, three years after the Czech Republic's EU entry.
However, since Canada became a target country for a number of Czech Romanies who were claiming refugee status there, it decided to reimpose the visas last year.
Copyright 2009 by the Czech News Agency (ČTK). All rights reserved.
Copying, dissemination or other publication of this article or parts thereof without the prior written consent of ČTK is expressly forbidden. The Prague Daily Monitor and Monitor CE are not responsible for its content.
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Top 10 Countries Has Best Education System in The World - Top Ten

Canadian School Train. Pupils of Indian, Finni...Image via Wikipedia
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide evaluation of 15-year-old school pupils' scholastic performance, performed first in 2000 and repeated every three years. It is coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with a view to improving educational policies and outcomes.
PISA stands in a tradition of international school studies, undertaken since the late 1950s by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Much of PISA's methodology follows the example of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS, started in 1995), which in turn was much influenced by the U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The reading component of PISA is inspired by the IEA's Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS).
Shanghai (China): 599 pts (out of town for classification)
  1. Finland: 543 pts
  2. Singapore: 543 pts
  3. Korea: 541 pts
  4. Japan: 529 pts
  5. Canada: 526 pts
  6. New Zealand: 524 pts
  7. Australia: 518 pts
  8. Netherlands: 518 pts
  9. Switzerland: 517 pts
  10. Germany: 510 pts
... 20.France: 497 pts
.... 21USA: 496 pts


Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/413497_top-10-countries-has-best-education-system-in-the-world-top-ten#ixzz19fOn3ynn
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Canada and Manitoba to Provide More Housing for Newcomers in Winnipeg With $9 Million Investment

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WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwire - Dec. 21, 2010) - The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing more affordable housing for people in need, with the announcement of $9 million in funding to renovate and reconfigure existing Manitoba Housing properties into family accommodation for newcomers to Canada. The buildings will be managed by the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba Inc. (IRCOM).
The Honourable Greg Selinger, Premier of Manitoba and the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) made the announcement today in Winnipeg.
"Housing is a fundamental requirement for immigrants beginning a new and successful life in Manitoba," said Premier Selinger. "The Manitoba government is pleased to work closely with IRCOM to increase access to affordable housing for newcomers to our province."
"Through Canada's Economic Action Plan, our government is helping to support people with their specific housing needs," said Minister Toews. "When completed, these new apartments will ensure that newcomers to Canada can access safe affordable housing as they begin a new chapter in their lives."
"Safe and affordable housing is the cornerstone for successful integration of all new Canadians. We are pleased to receive the trust and support of the provincial and federal governments and look forward to growing IRCOM's relationships with new and existing partners and friends," said Dorota Blumczynska, Executive Director, Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba. "In the spirit of rejuvenation and new beginnings we extend a warm invitation to all of IRCOM's supporters to take this journey with us as we work to transform this vibrant community."
The funding for IRCOM Phase 2 includes a provincial investment of $6.3 million and an additional $2.7 million, shared equally by the governments of Canada and Manitoba through Canada's Economic Action Plan.
The funding will be used to convert existing units at 470 Pacific Avenue and 477 Ross Avenue into a new configuration of flexible suites that allow IRCOM to house family sizes from two (single parent and child) up to 10 members. The key in the design is the flexibility of connecting adjacent suites to form larger and safer homes that meet the needs of many newcomers.
IRCOM is a non-profit organization that offers secure, affordable transitional apartments to newcomers for up to three years after their arrival. In addition, IRCOM provides on-site supports and services, including an After-School Program that runs five nights a week and a Community Resource Program that connects residents with employment, education, and various health resources throughout Winnipeg.
IRCOM is home to families from diverse cultural, educational, linguistic and professional backgrounds. Current residents of IRCOM House come from Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Haiti, Iraq, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Rwanda, Bhutan, Somalia and Sudan.
The federal and provincial governments are contributing equally to an overall investment of $158 million under the amended Canada-Manitoba Affordable Housing Initiative. The federal funding was made available through Canada's Economic Action Plan, the federal government's plan to stimulate the economy and create jobs during the global recession. Overall, the Economic Action Plan includes $2 billion for the construction of new and the renovation of existing social housing, plus up to $2 billion in low-cost loans to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure.
The Government of Canada wants to improve the quality of existing social housing for low-income seniors, single parent families, recent immigrants and Aboriginal households. Canada's Economic Action Plan provides $850 million under the Affordable Housing Initiative to provinces and territories for the renovation and retrofit of existing social housing over two years.
Through Manitoba's Long-Term Housing Strategy, HOMEWorks!, the Province of Manitoba with the financial support of the Government of Canada is contributing $378 million over two years for housing initiatives in Winnipeg and across the province. HOMEWorks! supports ALLAboard, Manitoba's Poverty Reduction strategy by increasing the supply of quality, affordable housing for low-income Manitobans. More information about HOMEWorks! is available at www.gov.mb.ca/housing.
Under HOMEWorks! the province is working to sustain and improve existing social and affordable housing and increase the supply of affordable housing. Creating safe and affordable housing for new Canadians is a priority of the province's long-term investment plan.
Canada's Economic Action Plan builds on the Government of Canada's commitment in 2008 of more than $1.9 billion, over five years, to improve and build new affordable housing and help the homeless.
More information on this and other measures in Canada's Economic Action Plan, the federal government's plan to stimulate the economy and protect those hit hardest by the global recession, can be found at: www.actionplan.gc.ca.
To find out more about how the Government of Canada and CMHC are working to build stronger homes and communities for all Canadians, call CMHC at 1-800-668-2642 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-668-2642      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit www.cmhc.ca/housingactionplan.
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Only Immigration Fuelling Canada’s Population Growth

Canada: Population Density, 2000Image by SEDACMaps via FlickrOTTAWA — Canada’s population in the third quarter of 2010 was driven forward by the highest immigration rates seen in four decades, Statistics Canada reported.
Canada’s population was estimated at 34,238,000 as of Oct. 1 — an increase of 129,300 since July. The federal agency said 65 per cent of that growth came from new Canadians during the three-month period, as 84,200 immigrants arrived in the country, reported Postmedia news service.
The influx reached most provinces and territories, some of which had their highest quarterly immigration levels since 1971.
Prince Edward Island recorded the highest growth rate, with its population increasing by 0.7 per cent. The increase was largely driven by the 1,200 immigrants who arrived in the province, Statistics Canada said, the highest number since 1971.
Quebec, too, welcomed its highest number of immigrants in the last four decades, with 16,800 people arriving from other countries during the quarter. Manitoba also surpassed records set in 1971, with 4,700 new Canadians arriving in that province.
While not breaking a record, immigrants made up 70 per cent of Ontario’s new arrivals during the period.
Alberta was the only province that had third-quarter growth driven by a “natural increase,” which made up 60 per cent of the growth.
Newfoundland and Labrador, on the other hand, actually faced a population decline in the third quarter, losing about 500 residents.
Growth driven by immigration is a trend the federal government said it expects to continue — at least through the end of 2010.
“In 2010, we should be landing the largest number of permanent residents in 50 years,” said Kelli Fraser, a spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Canada expects to welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 newcomers by the end of this year.
Fraser said that number is driven largely by a June announcement that Canada would open its doors to more immigrants, especially those in the economic category.
“The reason the announcement was made was because the post-recession economy is now demanding a high level of legal immigration to keep the workforce strong,” she said, adding that there also has been a high number of family reunification immigrants and refugees.
To date, the department said it has already made more decisions, issued more visas and admitted more people to Canada over last year.
It expects the numbers to stabilize at 2010 levels in 2011.
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