Top Countries of choice for Business Investor Immigration

Image via WikipediaImmigration and residence in a foreign country are most saught by many wealthy investors and business persons including those planning to retire in a foreign country. Unfortunately many are not aware that many Governments abroad encourage and offer a whole lot of significant benefits and incentives to investors and business entrepreneurs, who invest in their country which is why “economic investment programs” are officially adopted by these Governments. This also means that you can legally move, relocate or immigrate to another another country through investment.

The following are quick summary of investment programs available with different countries in Asia, Europe and Carribean.

EUROPE

In Europe, the following are the countries which are widely popular among non-EU and foreign nationals coming from other countries. These countries offer various residence programs for investors against a minimum investment and a residence permit can be obtained.

Austria

The minimum investment needed is EUR 100’000 and it is the cheapest country to gain residence in Europe. No business activity allowed in Austria and confirmation of accomodation such as rental lease and health insurance is the main criteria. Benefits of residence permit include visa free travel to schengen and other 180 countries. Residence permit is issued for one year and then renewed annually.

Switzerland

Switzerland is an attractive destination for wealthy clients who wish to relocate or retire in Europe. Switzerland has a “lump sum” taxation program of a minimum of CHF 150’000 you will given a choice of swiss canton and location to live and granted a swiss residence permit. No employment is allowed. This program is available for retirees, business entrepreneurs and self-employed persons.

Belgium

Belgium is a major international financial center in Europe. To obtain residence in Belgium, you will need to form a new company with office/employees or join an already existing Belgium firm. The minimum investment usually needed about EUR 100’000 along with few additional costs. Belgium is the only country in europe, where it is possible to apply for citizenship after just 3 yrs of residence. Belgium residence permit requires no minimum stay during the year and offers visa free access to borderless schengen countries in europe.

United Kingdom

United Kingdom has an official `Investor Immigration Program` for wealth and high net worth individuals who make a substantial high investment in the economy and development in the United Kingdom. Foreign nationals who are interested to immigrate to UK are required to make a high net worth investment of GBP 1,000,000 (1 million) and getting a UK residence permit is much faster than other countries in about 2 months of time.


Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a EU member country and currently offers a “investor program” for non-EU citizens where upon investing 1 million BGN (approx EUR 530,000), it is possible to get residence permit for 5 yrs. The investment can be placed in a govt guaranteed secure bonds or can be invested in bulgarian business venture.

Bulgaria has low tax rates on corporate and personal income. Bulgaria is likely to join the schengen in the near future.

Latvia

Latvia offers a new residence program for investors and the residence program allows visa free travel in other European and schengen countries. A temporary residence permit can be obtained against a investment of EUR 300,000 in bank term deposit for 5 years of invest appox EUR 100,000 in real estate or by forming a business in Latvia.

Monaco

Monaco is a very popular destination for wealthy millionaires. Getting residence in Monaco is possible against a minimum investment of EUR 1,000,000 (1 million) which has to be invested either with a Monaco bank or in Real estate or with a good mix of both. Monaco is not a EU member country and non-EU persons have to apply through France. There are no income, wealth, gift or capital gains taxes in Monaco and the prices of real estate are very expensive.



ASIA

In Asia, the following countries are widely popular for residence among international foreign investors coming from other countries.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong has low corporate taxes and its a major financial and business centre in Asia. Hong Kong has a “Investor Residence Program” and the minimum investment needed is HK$ 10 million or more (approx US$ 1.2 mill) and this money can be invested in Real Estate or Certificates of Deposit (CD), equities, securities or investment schemes endorsed by HK Immigration Dept.

Singapore

Singapore excels in modern major financial and banking sector in south east Asia. Singapore offers a “Global Investment Program” which encourages overseas investors and business entrepreneurs to make a significant contribution to the economy of the country. The minimum investment needed is SG$ 5 million (approx US$ 4 million) which has to be deposited in a bank or financial institution authorized by Singapore Financial Authority.



CARRIBEAN

The following are the countries in Carribean which are widely popular among non-EU and foreign nationals coming from other countries. These countries offer various residence or even directly “economic citizenship” to those who invest in the development and economy of the country.

St.Kitts and Nevis

St.Kitts and Nevis offers directly “citizenship” to foreign clients and the minimum investment needed is USD 200,000 and there are no residency requirements. The major advantage of gaining St.Kitts Citizenship and passport is it allows visa free travel to schengen and other 180 countries including Europe. Investment in Real estate is also possible with higher amount. No personal visit is needed.

Panama

Panama has a investor program to foreign nationals who invest in the country. The minimum investment is USD 80,000 which has to be invested in agriculture project or USD 300,000 in a real estate or a bank term deposit. A temporary or permanent residence can be obtained under investor, business or pensioner category.

Bahamas

Bahamas is a major offshore “Tax haven” for company formations in the Carribean. Bahamas has “economic investment program” for which a permanent residence is granted foreign nationals who make minimum investment of USD 500’000, in buying purchase a residence (a home or condominim) in Bahamas. The permanent residence grants the investor right to live and work in Bahamas.

Dominica

Dominica offers direct “citizenship” upon investing a non refundable investment of USD$ 75,000 in the economic development of the country. The formalities invoved with the Govt is very strict and the personal interview in Dominica is a must.

Restrictions on Dual citizenship: In the above list, Austria, Monaco, Latvia, Singapore, Hong Kong does not permit dual nationality, which means when you become a citizen, you will need to renounce your previous nationality.





The Northamerica


Canada
Canada has a investor immigration program to foreign nationals who are willing to invest a minimum of CAD$ 800,000 which has to be invested in a government backed term deposit. No interest is paid and financing option is available. Family dependents such as spouse and children under 18 years can be accompanied by the investor. The processing time for application is very lengthy in Canada and it may take about 8-14 months.




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SASKATCHEWAN’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STILL THE LOWEST IN CANADA

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Saskatchewan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.0 per cent is the lowest in Canada for the second straight month – well below the national average of 7.6 per cent.

Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister Rob Norris said the numbers support the Conference Board of Canada’s release earlier this week, which indicate Saskatoon and Regina will have the first and third highest economic growth rates in the country in 2011.

Norris also pointed to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business’s April Business Barometer, which shows that small business optimism in Saskatchewan has hit a three-year high. The report notes that 29 per cent of Saskatchewan employers expect to add full-time staff over the next three to four months.

“Employers in our largest cities and across Saskatchewan are expressing confidence in their future and in the economic future of our province,” Norris said. “As a result, Saskatchewan is and will continue to be the best place in Canada for skilled workers looking for new opportunities.”

April also marks nine consecutive months of year-over-year increases in employment for Aboriginal Youth, which jumped by 1,000, or 11.6 per cent.

Norris noted a strong April for www.saskjobs.ca, where Saskatchewan employers posted 11,410 jobs – an 18 per cent year-over-year increase and the largest monthly total since October of 2008.

“With more than 8,000 jobs available right now, I encourage everyone to visit SaskJobs and see the opportunities our province has to offer,” Norris said.

-30-

For more information, contact:

Christopher Jones-Bonk
Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration
Regina
Phone: 306-798-3106
Email: chris.jones-bonk@gov.sk.ca

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Mentors help immigrants find success in Canada

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BY CLARA HO MAY 5, 2011 COMMENTS (1)

Many immigrants come to Canada with years of work experience, talent and new ideas, but often run into language barriers and challenges adjusting to the local culture.

Frustrated and desperate to feed their families, many new Canadians end up taking minimum-wage jobs far from where their expertise lies.

It’s a situation that Ratna Omidvar sees everyday in her line of work.

That’s where mentoring programs can help, said Omidvar, president of Maytree, a Toronto-based private organization that invests resources to reduce poverty.

“Skilled immigrants bring talent, connections to world markets and new ways of thinking to solve problems,” she said at the Sheraton Suites in Eau Claire, where the 2011 ALLIES Mentoring Conference is taking place. “We need to collapse the time for them to succeed.”

Omidvar credited a mentor for helping her find her career path when she first arrived to Canada from Iran nearly 30 years ago.

Her mentor took the time to organize mock interviews, work with Omidvar on resume-writing skills, and even taught her about the “unwritten rules” of Canadian workplace culture.

The experience inspired Omidvar to take on many mentees throughout the years, many who have found success in Canada.

More than 120 delegates from across the country are in Calgary today and Friday to discuss how mentoring between employers and skilled immigrants can benefit workplaces and also help newcomers realize their full potential.

A local partnership between the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council (CRIEC) and Bow Valley College pairs mentors in the city’s corporate world with immigrants new to Canada.

Katalina Bardell, a mentoring project lead and employment facilitator for the program, said the partnership has facilitated over 100 matches.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi lauded the program and many others that are sprouting up across the country, but he said more needs to be done to help put new immigrants in jobs that best suit their abilities.

“We need to ensure everyone who comes to this country has the ability of achieving his or her own potential,” he said.

Immigration policy changes also need to be made to better recognize foreign credentials, he added.

cho@calgaryherald.com

© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

Read more:http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Mentors+help+immigrants+find+success+Canada/4734166/story.html#ixzz1LXpMUvHr

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Wealthy Chinese Choose Investment Immigration

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A report issued by China Merchant Bank and global management consulting firm Bain & Company indicates about 60 percent of China's multimillionaires are considering becoming or have already become immigrant investors. As Zhang Cheng reports, most immigrant investors are heading to developed countries.

More Chinese are turning to investment immigration for visas to reside in developed countries such as the United States and Canada.

To get a visa, they must invest in certain funds or business programs in the country so they eventually can become permanent citizens.

Huang Xiaoliang, an attorney in her thirties, is considering becoming an immigrant investor.

"I used to study abroad, and I like the lifestyle. You will have less pressure in your work and social life. As an attorney, it is more difficult for us to do skills-based immigration."

Skills-based immigration means a citizen of a foreign nation is granted permanent residency in another country because he or she possesses in-demand professional abilities and language proficiency.

Huang Xiangliang says she is still thinking about which country she would like to immigrate to and the field in which she would like to invest.

Robert Mu, a registered immigration lawyer from AAE Group, an investment immigration consultancy, says most of his clients choose to do invest immigration in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. They choose different fields according to each country's relevant regulations.

"Different countries have different policies. For example, in Canada, they just invest in government-approved funds, then the funds will invest in some projects to support local economic development. But for U.S. immigration, investors can only invest in U.S. Immigration Bureau-approved projects. In Australia, they can just buy bonds issued by the state government."

Mu says Chinese immigrant investors usually come from wealthy provinces or municipalities, including Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai.

Song Quancheng, Director of the Institute of Immigration Studies at Shandong University, explains the immigration trend.

"Internationally speaking, immigration is a result of globalization. Globalization leads to the flow of capital, technology and commodities, and population flow contributes part of it. Domestically speaking, people are pursuing an even better lifestyle. At the same time, some people, especially rich people like multimillionaires, are worried about maintaining the value of their fortune in China, so they choose to transfer it abroad."

The report by China Merchant Bank and Bain & Company indicates the risk appetite of wealthy Chinese has fallen. Nearly half of those surveyed said they wanted to disperse investment risk.

For CRI, this is Zhang Cheng.

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Choosing Your Legal Representative

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Why is professional legal assistance essential?

Source: http://www.fogartylaw.ca/choosing-your-legal-representative/

You are not obliged to hire a lawyer or registered immigration consultant when applying for any Canadian Immigration status or for Citizenship.

However, we constantly meet new clients whose files are facing delays and problems, or have been refused. Often they tried to do their own applications to save money. They may have relied on advice and experiences gained from friends or family.

The Immigration and Citizenship rules of Canada are constantly evolving and, unfortunately, becoming more complicated. Likely, if  you were about to undergo a major medical procedure, you wouldn’t try to operate on yourself or ask your uncle how to do it. So why act as your own “surgeon” and take chances with your future in Canada? Leave your case in the hands of a legal professional. Fogarty Law Firm stands ready to assist you.

Did you know? If you already have legal status in Canada and you make mistakes when trying to renew or change your status, your application can be denied and you may even face removal proceedings.

Be aware of fraudsters

We applaud the efforts of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration of Canada, the Honourable Jason Kenny, who warns against the danger of falling victim to fraudsters. Fraudsters will pretend to be lawyers or authorized immigration consultants but have no legal training and no right to represent you.

Who can represent you?

The following persons are the only ones legally authorized to represent you to the Government of Canada (including all departments, offices, embassies and consulates) for your Canadian Immigration or Citizenship case:

• A person in good standing with a Canadian provincial or territorial bar association or law society. Examples are the Quebec Bar Association (Barreau du Québec) and the Law Society of Upper Canada. Note that lawyers from non-Canadian jurisdictions cannot represent you unless they are also a member of a bar or law society in Canada;

• A person in good standing with the Quebec association of notaries;

• A person in good standing with the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants.

“The Government of Canada will not deal with non-authorized representatives who charge a fee for their service.”

Source: official website of Citizenship and Immigration Canada

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Changes to Family Sponsorship Rules in Canadian Immigration

The government of Canada is seeking to implement major changes to the Immigration rules governing sponsorship. Two of the proposals deal with sponsorship of spouses, common law and conjugal partners. The third would modify rules pertaining to the sponsorship of any member of the “family class”.

Curbing abuse of the system

Canadian Immigration wishes to target “abusers” of the Immigration system who use sponsorship as a means to scam their way into Canada.

First, the government wishes to prevent persons, who themselves have been sponsored to Canada, from sponsoring a new (second) spouse, common law or conjugal partner for a period of five years following the date the now new sponsor originally gained permanent residency, and this even if by that time the new sponsor has become a citizen.

Second, the government wants to create a new category of permanent residents. Persons who have been in their amorous relationship for two years or less and are sponsored to come to or remain in Canada as a spouse, common law or conjugal partner will have “conditional” permanent residency status for two years (or perhaps longer) after acceptance. If the new resident splits with their sponsor during the two years following acceptance, the new resident might face removal procedures where Immigration authorities determine that the relationship behind the sponsorship was not genuine.

Why is the Canadian government doing this? This is really an instance of a relatively small group of fraudsters spoiling it for the majority of person who have genuine relationships and want to bring their spouse here.

Sponsorship Bridge

Canada is trying to deal with an old Immigration game. Sometimes all three players are willing participants in the charade. Let’s call it “Sponsorship Bridge”. We mention Canada but this same game is played out in many countries around the world.

The game may have variations, but often looks like this. An individual, we will call “A”, is sponsored by their new spouse, we will call “B”, or even better “Bridge”, to come live in Canada. The paperwork goes through, and A arrives with permanent resident status to join Bridge. But after only a few months or maybe even weeks, A splits from Bridge. A seeks a divorce as soon as legally possible. To help avoid suspicion, A might throw in allegations of mistreatment. Once the divorce goes through, after waiting a while to make events seem natural, A will wed or otherwise make a show of establishing a recognized relationship with another person, we will call “C”. Then C is sponsored by A to come live with A in Canada.

However, A never had any intention of living with Bridge; in fact, C was A’s love interest all along. They kept their relationship low key. B really was nothing more than the Bridge to the new destination for both A and C.

Notice that since both A and C was sponsored, neither of them had to worry about having sufficient educational levels or job experience to qualify as skilled workers, for example. Eventually, A and C will be able to sponsor their own other family members to join them. They may all become happy citizens of their new country. Not a bad scam if you can get away with it.

As we have seen, B, our Bridge, is the key part of the puzzle.

In some cases, Bridge might be a cousin who is eager to promote the interests of his extended family. Or Bridge might be an acquaintance or a stranger who will receive monetary or other compensation for his assistance. (Remember the film “Green Card”?)

However, more often than not, Bridge is in complete good faith, actually in love, but in the love triangle, he or she ends up with a broken heart, and sometimes a lot more. That’s because in many countries, the Bridge or sponsor remains financially responsible for the new resident (A) for a period of time even after the split. I have seen some pretty painful situations when A has split after a few months and is basically laughing in B’s face, but B has to keep paying for A’s upkeep for three years after her arrival.

Concerns with the proposed sponsorship changes

Some women’s and immigrant rights groups have warned that the proposed new rules amount to discrimination. Why should people be prevented from sponsoring a new spouse for five years when their first marriage really did have problems? In addition, they argue the new rules will create a legal trap for A (usually women) who come to Canada in good faith, but face abuse from sponsor B and/or his family members in Canada.  Such women will be afraid to leave the abusive relationship for fear of being removed from Canada because of the two-year conditional residence rule.

The government has promised to create a “process for allowing bona fide spouses and partners in such [abusive] situations to come forward without facing enforcement action…”

That is a rather vague reassurance. Hopefully there will be clear guidelines and special training for officers deciding such files. For example, it takes courage to leave any abusive relationship, especially when the victim may be from a culture wherein men’s actions are never questioned by women, and/or spousal abuse is the norm. As a bare minimum, the government should ensure that such matters are handled at the screening level by Immigration officers, and not deportation teams of the Canada Border Services Agency.

Curbing violence

The government is also proposing to enlarge the circumstances according to which persons will not be eligible to sponsor any family member, not just spouses, for a period of five years following completion of their sentence for certain criminal offences.

For the most part, these proposed changes have been met with approval. After all, if an individual has been found guilty of violent crimes, we as a society want some reassurances that they will not inflict violent acts upon persons they bring to Canada.

This Blog has been written just prior to the Canadian federal election of May 2nd, 2011. Depending on the results thereof, the proposed changes may not all become law or may be modified prior to their adoption.

Credits

The official Canadian government announcements for the changes referred to may be found at the following links:

Five-year rule: http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/2011-04-02/html/reg3-eng.html

Two-year rule: http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/2011-03-26/html/notice-avis-eng.html

Curbing violence: http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/2011-04-02/html/reg2-eng.html

Photo by Patcard, Wikimedia Commons, “Air Canada Boeing 777-333ER just about to touch down at Montreal Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport … arriving from Paris”

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Let’s make room for the ‘bright’ immigrant

Image via WikipediaBy RACHEL BRIGHTON JUST BUSINESS 



When my husband and I applied for permanent residency in Canada in 1996, one of the questions asked on the application form was whether we were "bright" or "dull." We indicated we were bright and they opened the door for us.
We were also considered suitably young, educated and affluent, but more importantly, to us, we were "free" immigrants. We did not enter the country and the province through an economic immigration stream that bound us to work for a particular company or take a particular job on a prescribed list. We were free to make our living as we chose and where we chose.
We chose Nova Scotia because we liked its contours on a map. We stayed because we liked the lay of the land when we saw it and the laid back way of life.
Moving here is harder now, because of the regimented immigration system that channels applicants through narrow corridors into provinces, sectors and occupations.
For example, the federal skilled-worker stream lists 29 eligible occupations and accepts up to 1,000 applicants in each occupation per year, up to a total of 20,000 applicants.
In a 10-month period ending April 19, Canada had filled its quota in some occupations, such as pharmacists and registered nurses, but fell far short in other occupations. Only 49 plumbers and seven crane operators wanted to immigrate to Canada.
Imposing such strict controls may not be the best way to attract immigrants with sought-after skills.
When Nova Scotia launched its new immigration strategy this week, it set out a flexible approach that will still try to match skills and jobs but without a strict list. It will also try to balance the short-term needs of employers, who are looking for people with very particular skill sets, with self-sufficient skills that immigrants bring, such as being able to operate machines and heavy equipment.
The government hopes to attract 7,200 immigrants a year by 2020 — double the rate now. Half would come through the provincial nominee program, or as family members of these nominees, and half would come through federal immigration streams.
But the province says to meet these targets the federal government must release its tight grip on immigration to this province. The federal government will only consider up to 500 applications a year through Nova Scotia’s provincial nominee program.
The premier said Friday that immigration was an economic driver and the federal cap was setting "a limit on that development."
As the premier seeks to free up the immigration process at the federal level, he should also strive to ensure there is sufficient freedom in the provincial process.
It makes some sense to stream immigrants into economic categories, such as highly skilled, semi-skilled and temporary workers, or agricultural entrepreneurs, as the new strategy will do.
But Nova Scotia should always welcome a knock at the door from more romantic types who can’t be classified by narrowly defined labels. We could shut out some "bright" immigrants if our vision is too dull.
Rachel Brighton is the editor and publisher of the regional magazine Coastlands: The Maritimes Policy Review.

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Canada needs more immigrants to boost economy, university study concludes

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Canada needs an extra one million immigrants between now and 2021 in a move that would boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product by 2.3%, it is claimed.

It would mean an extra 100,000 per year and would add $14 billion to the government’s tax revenue coffers as well as boosting investment in housing and creating more demand for goods and services, according to a study by Canadian professor Tony Fang.

The report from University of York in Vancouver looked at the impact of large-scale immigration on the Canadian economy and took into account factors such as how much immigrants participate in the labour force, spending on government services and infrastructure.

It also looked at funds brought in by immigrants, labour market differences between migrants and the effect of large-scale immigration on Canadian born workers.

Fang, an associate professor of human resources in the faculty of liberal arts and professional studies, concludes that higher levels of immigration will boost the economy.

Canada already has the highest immigration rate per capita out of major countries and has programmes in place to try to deal with skill shortages.

Fang’s previous work has found that training and development doesn’t help immigrants get ahead in their careers, even though it benefits other employees.

He found that immigrant and non-immigrant professionals are equally likely to undergo training and development initiatives funded by employers. However, immigrants don’t reap the rewards of higher pay, promotions, or increased job satisfaction reported by their non-immigrant counterparts.

‘We believe non-immigrants may be better able to leverage their training and, as a result, achieve higher salaries and promotions,’ he said.

‘There is an urgent need for employers to develop better policies for integrating and leveraging the talents of immigrant professionals,’ he added.

On average, immigrant professionals, that is those who hold at least an undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree, earn less than non-immigrants. They also tend to have lower promotion rates and shorter tenure with their current employer. In addition, they are less satisfied with their jobs and compensation.

A major barrier for immigrants, Fang noted, is lack of cultural fluency including language limitations and unfamiliarity with local training methods.

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N.S. wants to double number of immigrants by 2020

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Nova Scotia announced a new immigration strategy that aims to double the number of immigrants entering the province each year by 2020.

At the Canadian Immigration Museum at Pier 21 in Halifax on Friday, Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter released the province's new strategy, which sets a target of 7,200 new immigrants by 2020, double what the province had previously aimed for.

The immigration strategy will be bolstered by an additional $790,000 for immigration efforts and targets a 70% retention rate.

"Welcome Home to Nova Scotia is the province's most ambitious and focused immigration plan ever, and one of the most comprehensive strategies in the country," Dexter said in a release.

"By focusing on attracting immigrants with the right skills and experience, this new strategy will make our immigration programs more responsive to employers' needs," Immigration Minister Marilyn More said.

In 2007, the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia signed a new immigration agreement to give the province the ability to nominate more skilled immigrants for quicker processing by the feds in an attempt to help counter declining population trends in communities across the province.

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Birth rate up for sixth year in a row: StatsCan 2

Image via WikipediaCASSANDRA DRUDI, QMI AGENCY

It's not a baby boom. It's not even enough to replace our own numbers. But more so than other parts of the developed world, Canadian women are becoming moms.

The number of births in Canada rose in 2008 for the sixth consecutive year, according to data released Wednesday.

In 2008, there were 377,886 live births in Canada. That number reflects a rise in every province and territory other than the Northwest Territories.

The rise in births seems to be slowing down, however, with a 2.7% increase in 2008, down from rises of 3.6% and 3.7% in the previous two years, Statistics Canada said.

That reflects a total fertility rate in 2008 of 1.68 children per woman - the highest total fertility rate on record since 1992, when it was 1.69.

While the rate is still "well below" the generational replacement level of 2.1 children per woman - the rate to replace the country's population in the absence of migration - it is still above other developed nations such as Italy at 1.39, and Japan at 1.21.

The numbers in Canada can be attributed to more women reaching their late 20s and early 30s, the ages at which the likelihood women will have a child is highest, said David Foot, an economics professor at the University of Toronto.

Foot, the author of Boom, Bust, Echo, a book about Canadian demographics in the 21st century, says that the recent growth in the number of births can be expected to continue for the next decade or so, as the children of the echo generation reach child-bearing age.

The echo generation are those born to baby boomers, who themselves were born in the post-war period between 1947 and 1966.

"This is the echo of the echo, the grandchildren of the baby boomers," Foot says.

In part, the rise in the national fertility rate can be attributed to a rise in the fertility rate in Quebec, Foot said. More than a third of the total increase in births in 2008 (35%) came from Quebec, StatsCan said. There have been more births there "primarily because of expanded child care," Foot said.

The continued increase in the number of births is likely to have "big implications" for child care in the next four or five years, before going on to affect elementary school enrolments as children grow older, Foot said.

And although the fertility rate is below the generational replacement level, immigration compensates for a fewer births than at other times in the country's history.

"The population of Canada would still be growing without immigration, but at a slower pace," Foot said.

An ideal fertility rate is somewhere between 1.6 and 2.6 births per 1,000 women, Foot said.

A society with too few children can't afford the costs of caring for its aging population, and a society with too many children will suffer from political instability because there won't be enough jobs for them all, Foot said.

Canada, with a fertility rate of 1.6, is on the right track.

"I think our position's very good," Foot said. "Canada's demographic future is considerably better than most of Western Europe and Japan, and Southeast Asia."

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Board of Trade workplace program connects immigrants and Burnaby businesses

Image via WikipediaBY JANAYA FULLER-EVANS, BURNABY NOW



The Burnaby Board of Trade is working to break down barriers to employment for new residents.
The board has conducted six Breaking Down the Barriers workplace tours and is hosting its final forum for the project on April 28.
The aim of the project was to connect more than 250 immigrants with Canadian companies over a period of 18 months.
The project was designed to create meaningful dialogue between immigrants and employers, allowing attendees to exchange experiences and share perspectives.
The project has helped immigrants and employers better understand the challenges each faces, according to Darlene Gering, president and CEO of the board.
"Employers are saying, we do have to look at our hiring practices," she said.
And immigrants get an idea of what businesses are looking for, Gering added.
For instance, one of the common threads on the tours was that immigrants looking for work didn't realize employers do the majority of hiring through networking or employee recommendations, she explained.
"It was quite new for immigrants to learn that," Gering said, adding this surprised her, as people on the tours have gone through employment training with social service agencies.
Another interesting challenge for immigrants was understanding the different types of workplace culture in Canada, as they often expect to have to adapt to one cultural standard, she said.
But in fact, workplace culture varies depending on the industry and the type of company, Gering explained.
Gering addressed some of the challenges immigrants face in finding employment at a recent tour..
"The Canadian employment market is significantly more robust than others, but accessing it can be difficult and daunting for immigrants for whom language and cultural difference pose an inhibitory barrier to entry," she said.
"However, we need more immigrants to drive innovation, which is fundamental to our economy's success. We must continue to position British Columbia as the preferred destination for the world's best and brightest - therefore Canadian companies need to understand the challenges immigrants face in accessing the employment market. Additionally, immigrants need to be given the tools to market themselves so they are more appealing to employers."
Gering added that she is proud of the board's partnership with the Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table, which is leading the initiative.
The final tour was on April 14.
The board has been conducting the tours over the past 18 months, to introduce new immigrants to businesses in Burnaby. Tours have included the healthcare industry, engineering, finance, the IT and technology sector, green businesses, and accounting.
The forums are intended to raise awareness and reach out to the business community regarding the importance of newcomer integration into society, particularly through employment opportunities.
They are designed for immigrant job seekers, industry professionals and hiring managers.
The final forum, which is free to employers, is on April 28 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Vancouver Hilton Metrotown.
Bob Elton, chair of the Immigrant Employment Council of British Columbia and former president and CEO of B.C. Hydro, is presenting.
The Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia have provided funding for the Breaking Down the Barriers project.
For more information, go to: www.bbot.ca.

© Copyright (c) Burnaby Now

Read more: http://www.burnabynow.com/Business+leaders+building+bridges+breaking+barriers/4682677/story.html#ixzz1KlceyRTb

Alberta targets mature workers to combat future labour shortage

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EDMONTON - The Alberta government wants aging workers to put off retirement instead of putting golf balls as a way to stave off a looming labour shortage.

Employment and Immigration Minister Thomas Lukaszuk released Wednesday a strategy aimed at encouraging more mature workers to stay on the job.

It’s one way to avert the worker, skills and knowledge crunch expected when the forecasted economic upturn crashes into Alberta’s aging population.

“We’re walking into a perfect storm,” Lukaszuk said, after announcing the report Engaging the Mature Worker: An Action Plan for Alberta at a human resources conference.

“2011 is the first year during which officially baby boomers are turning 65, so we’re looking at a large exodus of workers, not only in numbers but experience.”

Alberta faces a shortage of at least 77,000 workers in the next decade, he said. “That means no doctors, that means no coffee shops open, that means no daycare.”

Lukaszuk said he wants to maximize groups which are under-represented in the workforce — aboriginals, youth, immigrants and older people. A similar government report on engaging aboriginals is on the way.

Mature workers now account for about 16 per cent of the workforce and fewer than one in four employers have strategies in place to address the aging workforce.

In 2010, 17,400 Albertans retired, 2,300 more than in 2009. About 190,000 workers are expected to retire during the next 10 years.

Lukaszuk said the government wants to tap into mature workers — age 55 and above — who don’t want to stop working.

“We’re finding that our pre-retirees and retirees no longer follow the pattern of turning 65 and instantly hitting the golf course and never working again. Most mature workers want to stay engaged in the labour force in some capacity — maybe doing what they were doing all their lives but on a part-time or casual basis or changing careers altogether.”

The strategy was met with mixed reviews at the Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton.

“Sixty-five is too young to retire,” said one senior, who declined to give her name.

Diana Bacon, 77, retired as a kindergarten teacher when she was 58 and said that as it turned out, if she had kept working, it would have robbed her of a blessing.

“I retired early because my husband retired early and I’m glad I did because we had a few trips and things before he died,” Bacon said.

“If I’d have kept on working, I’d have missed that. And after he died, I could have gone back to work but I have enough to live on and I don’t require a lot.”

Bacon, who volunteers at the centre preparing taxes for seniors, says encouraging people to work longer will have another unintended consequence.

“If you allow people to work endlessly, you’re going to cut back on the people available to do volunteer work. It’s very well-known that the best volunteers are the seniors.”

The plan calls on government to work with employers to retain mature workers by developing age-friendly workplaces, succession planning and phased retirements.

Mature workers who want to keep working should have more employment and career services and post-secondary education options.

The plan also calls for educating employers on the value of older workers and to revise pension and tax policies.

It suggests employers consider reducing hours and responsibilities of mature workers, move some to part-time work, recall retirees for busy times, use them for mentoring and consulting and redesign their jobs.

“There’s nothing magical that happens to us at 65,” Lukaszuk said.

“We don’t lose our capabilities. We not only could be as productive but frankly, could be even more productive because of the wealth of experience that we have.”

Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour said he supports mature workers staying on voluntarily but worried some may be coerced to stay on.

“If (Lukaszuk’s) talking about forcing people to work past retirement age against their choice, then he’s going to have a war on his hands. Working Albertans won’t take kindly to having their retirement dreams undermined or taken away.”

He was also skeptical that employers would go out of their way to accommodate older workers.

“We in the labour movement have been calling on both governments and employers for years to discuss more flexible approaches to retirement for mature workers, but the truth is we’ve met a lot of resistance especially from the employers’ side.

“I’m not as convinced as the Minister seems to be that employers will get behind a more flexible approach.”

Charlotte Bouchard, chair of the Human Resources Institute of Alberta, said employers are looking at ways to retain older workers and reviewing their retirement policies.

“That’s a lot of experience that’s going out the door,” Bouchard said.

But employers face some challenges when it comes to retaining mature workers. “Is there the desire for them to stay? Secondly, what initiatives do you need to put in place to get them to stay? Do you need to help them more with benefits? Do you need to give more life balance?

“You need to have some flexibility.”

Lukaszuk said the province will work with the federal government to make sure tax rules and other policies don’t deter people working past retirement age.

“If you’re collecting your pension and choose to work part-time, you will just jump yourself one bracket over and everything you’re earning will be deducted in income tax and making it a futile exercise.”

Lukaszuk said keeping aging people working could boost workforce numbers by 40,000 but it still isn’t a long-term solution to Alberta’s labour shortage.

“At the end of the day, if we were to be 100-per-cent successful with persons with disabilities, mature workers, aboriginals, women and those who are chronically unemployed or underemployed, that still won’t suffice.

“At the end of the day, our population growth is still not catching up with our labour force requirement to our economic growth.”

Lukaszuk urged the federal government to revamp Canada’s immigration policies to better address the economic needs of provinces.

bmah@edmontonjournal.com

twitter.com/mahspace

© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

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