Total complete applications received since July 1, 2011

On July 1, 2011, the eligibility criteria for Federal Skilled Worker applicants changed.
Between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012, a maximum of 10,000 complete Federal Skilled Worker applications will be considered for processing. Within the 10,000 cap, a maximum of 500 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: 2,565 of 10,000 as of October 3, 2011

Applications received per eligible occupation:

Eligible Occupation (by National Occupational Classification [NOC] code)	Number of Complete Applications Received*
0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers	229
0811 Primary Production Managers (except Agriculture)	23
1122 Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management	(Cap reached)**
1233 Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners	36
2121 Biologists and Related Scientists	135
2151 Architects	73
3111 Specialist Physicians	113
3112 General Practitioners and Family Physicians	111
3113 Dentists	146
3131 Pharmacists	260
3142 Physiotherapists	30
3152 Registered Nurses	(Cap reached)**
3215 Medical Radiation Technologists	14
3222 Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists	10
3233 Licensed Practical Nurses	55
4151 Psychologists	11
4152 Social Workers	84
6241 Chefs	22
6242 Cooks	50
7215 Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades	25
7216 Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades	47
7241 Electricians (except Industrial and Power System)	23
7242 Industrial Electricians	20
7251 Plumbers	4
7265 Welders and Related Machine Operators	9
7312 Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics	9
7371 Crane Operators	1
7372 Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction	2
8222 Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service	23

*The number of complete Federal Skilled Worker applications received as of October 3, 2011 is approximate.
**Once the cap has been reached, we can only accept applications for this occupation from people with an existing offer of arranged employment.
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.

Ethnic diversity and immigration

According to demographic projections, the ethnocultural diversity of Canada’s population will increase greatly by 2031. The vast majority (96%) of Canadians belonging to a visible minority group will likely live in one of the 33 census metropolitan areas, and visible minority groups could comprise 63% of the population of Toronto, 59% of Vancouver and 31% of Montréal.

Canada’s increasing visible minority population is not the only aspect of diversity projected to change. Other aspects of diversity include foreign-born, generation status, mother tongue and religious denomination.

Diversity growing

According to demographic projections, the proportion of foreign-born people in the population could increase from 20% in 2006 to between 25% and 28% by 2031. Just over half (55%) could be born in Asia.

The proportion of foreign-born in the population could increase together with immigration levels. From 1991 to 2006, the average annual number of immigrants to Canada was 229,000, making the years 1991 to 2006 one of the longest uninterrupted periods of strong immigration since 1871. Over the same period, the proportion of foreign-born in the population increased from 16.1% to 19.8%. In contrast, over a 40-year period from 1951 to 1991, the proportion of foreign-born in the population rose from 14.7% to 16.1%.

From 2006 to 2031, the foreign-born population of Canada could increase four times faster than the rest of the population. The number of foreign-born Canadians could total between 9.8 and 12.5 million, depending on immigration levels. By 2031, nearly half (46%) of Canadians aged 15 and older could be foreign-born, or could have at least one foreign-born parent, up from 39% in 2006.

Diversity will grow among the Canadian-born population in coming generations regardless of future immigration, since the children and grandchildren of immigrants will add to Canada’s diversity.

Doubling of visible minority population

By 2031, if current demographic trends continue, 47% of the second generation (the Canadian-born children of immigrants) will belong to a visible minority group, nearly double the proportion of 24% in 2006. The proportion of the third generation (the Canadian-born children of the Canadian-born children of immigrants) or later generations belonging to a visible minority group, although low, will triple from 1% to 3%.

By 2031, 29% to 32% of Canada’s population—between 11.4 and 14.4 million people—could belong to a visible minority group, which is nearly double the proportion (16%) and more than double the number (5.3 million) reported in 2006. In contrast, the rest of the population is projected to increase by up to 12%. Sustained immigration, slightly higher fertility and a young population will bolster the visible minority population’s growth.

South Asians—the largest visible minority group—could represent 28% of the visible minority population by 2031, up from 25% in 2006, whereas the share of Chinese could decline from 24% to 21%. Chinese women have one of the lowest fertility rates in Canada, unlike South Asian women. Also, people born in China are more likely than South Asians to emigrate from Canada.

Canada’s Black and Filipino populations, which were the third- and fourth-largest visible minority groups in 2006, could double in size by 2031. The Arab and West Asian groups could more than triple—the fastest population growth among all groups.

More allophones, increasing religious diversity

Allophones (people whose mother tongue is neither English nor French) accounted for less than 10% of Canada’s population in 1981. By 2006, that proportion had risen to 20%; augmented by immigration, it could reach 29% to 32% by 2031. In other words, the number of allophones could rise 7 to 11 times faster than the rest of the population, to total between 11.4 and 14.3 million people.

Diversity is also increasing in terms of religious denomination. The number of people having a non-Christian religion is expected to almost double from 8% of the population in 2006 to 14% by 2031; about half of the non-Christian population would be Muslim, up from 35% in 2006. The proportion of the population with a Christian religion could decline from 75% to about 65%. The share with no religion could rise from 17% to 21%.

BMO Canadian Housing Outlook: Tailwinds and Headwinds Point To Soft Landing

Tailwinds include low mortgage rates, relatively low unemployment and strong immigration, while high prices, elevated household debt and slowing employment are cause for concern. - More buyers are turning to variable rate mortgages on expectations that rates could stay low for some time, or even decline. - Average Canadian house prices were a record two-thirds more than average U.S. house prices.

TORONTO, ONTARIO, Sep 30, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- After a decade of strong growth in the Canadian housing market, residential real estate is headed for a "soft landing" with prices moderating in the months ahead, according to a Special Report from BMO Economics.

Low interest rates have fuelled Canada's housing market in the past decade, pushing prices to new highs in most regions. Sales are now close to their past-decade norm, and well below pre- and post-recession peaks, while residential mortgage demand has also moderated. However, a weaker economy and new mortgage rules have dimmed activity recently.

"Since the prudent and timely mortgage rule changes announced early this year by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Canadian house prices have moderated," said Sal Guatieri, Senior Economist and Vice President, BMO Capital Markets. "House price gains are slowing. Although average resale prices rose a brisk 7.7 per cent year-over-year in August, the rate of increase has slowed from nearly 9 per cent earlier this year."

Mr. Guatieri noted in the report that housing activity should remain moderate in the year ahead, with tailwinds including low mortgage rates, relatively low unemployment and strong immigration. Furthermore, a weak global economy and Europe's debt crisis will likely keep the Bank of Canada on the sidelines until early 2013, while further easing measures by the Federal Reserve should suppress long-term rates in both countries, thereby supporting affordability.

On the flip side, Mr Guatieri noted that the housing market also faces several challenges, including high prices, elevated household debt and slowing employment.

"Prices have risen twice as fast as incomes in the past decade, lifting the current ratio 16 per cent above its norm. Although the current overvaluation is below levels that triggered price corrections in Canada in 1989 and the U.S. in 2006, it will remain a thorn in the side of first-time buyers," said Mr. Guatieri. He added that for bargain hunters, Canadian houses, on average, cost a record two-thirds more in local currency terms than properties in the U.S.

The upshot is that home sales are likely to remain steady in 2012 and prices should also stay put. However, the resource-rich provinces, notably Alberta and Saskatchewan, should outperform other regions since their economies are expected to grow the fastest. Because housing is moderately overpriced in most regions (and considerably so in Vancouver), it's vulnerable to a correction.

"Regardless of the current low interest rates, it is still important for homeowners or potential buyers to be prudent and stress-test their mortgage against a higher interest rate to ensure they can afford what they signed up for. Total housing expenses should not consume more than one-third of total household income," said Katie Archdekin, Head of Mortgage Products, BMO Bank of Montreal.

Ms. Archdekin added that Canadians need to be continually examining ways to reduce overall housing costs. "BMO has developed products, such as the low rate mortgage with a maximum 25-year amortization, that we believe are directly relevant to today's environment and specifically designed to help Canadian consumers manage their debt. Furthermore, the lower amortization can significantly reduce the amount of interest paid over the life of the mortgage."

Additional factors expected to affect the future of Canada's housing market:

        
        --  The biggest threat stems from the perceived one-in-three chance of a
            recession, and the attendant loss of jobs.
        --  Another risk, though far smaller, is if interest rates spike higher next
            year. Even a moderate 2 percentage point increase in rates would
            severely impact affordability. Low rates are a threat too, since they
            could cause the market to heat up again, only to correct when rates
            eventually rise.
        --  Mortgage growth is expected to moderate as Canadians turn more cautious
            in managing their debt. Despite slower personal credit growth, household
            debt hit a record 1 1/2 times disposable income in Q2, as residential
            mortgages continued to outrun income.
        --  Meanwhile, job and income growth should moderate next year, as the
            economy is expected to grow just 1.8 per cent versus about 2.2 per cent
            this year.
        --  More buyers are turning to variable rate mortgages on expectations that
            rates could stay low for some time, or even decline.
        
        

        
        Contacts:
        Matt Duffin, Toronto
        (416) 867-3996
        matthew.duffin@bmo.com
        
        Sarah Bensadoun, Montreal
        (514) 877-8224
        sarah.bensadoun@bmo.com
        
        Laurie Grant, Vancouver
        (604) 665-7596
        laurie.grant@bmo.com
 
www.bmo.com            

Ottawa takes aim at immigrant waiting lists a million names long

HEATHER SCOFFIELD

The Canadian Press

Published Friday, Sep. 30, 2011 5:59PM EDT

Last updated Friday, Sep. 30, 2011 6:10PM EDT

The lineup of people wanting to immigrate to Canada has grown steadily under the Conservatives' watch, despite government attempts to make the system more efficient.

Officials from the Immigration Department confirm that the waiting list to process immigration applications is now more than a million names long.

The long list means many years of uncertainty for some families here and abroad, and a tarnished reputation for Canada in the global competition for skilled workers.

“Huge problem,” tweeted Immigration Minister Jason Kenney this week.

He has spoken frequently about the need to streamline the immigration system, but the matter has now risen toward the top of his political agenda.

The House of Commons immigration committee has just agreed to hold eight hearings on the matter, beginning next week.

And Mr. Kenney has made curtailing the backlog a priority as he undertakes a major review of the level and mix of immigrants allowed into Canada.

He is in the final stages of that review, although his final assessment is not expected soon.

However, Ottawa has cut back on the overall number of immigrants allowed into Canada this year, critics point out.

Clamping down on the number of acceptances is just lengthening the waiting list, and also taking the federal government further away from its goal of fuelling the Canadian workforce with immigrant labour, says NDP immigration critic Don Davies.

He points out that Mr. Kenney has said any growth in Canada's labour force will need to be completely supplied by immigration within five years.

“How are we going to meet that economic reality? I don't think they're responding to their own projections,” Mr. Davies said in an interview.

Mr. Kenney's officials say immigration is as high in Canada now as it ever was, and 2010 was a sudden spike that skewed the numbers. Still, the minister has also indicated that a huge increase in immigration is not in the cards any time soon.

“While Canada continues to welcome historically high numbers of new immigrants, and maintains the most open and generous immigration system in the world, we have to carefully manage the large number of people who want to be Canadian,” Mr. Kenney's spokeswoman, Candice Malcolm, said in an email.

That leaves finding ways to curtail applications as the only solution to getting rid of the backlog.

Indeed, Immigration Canada has taken steps in the past few years to control the waiting list.

Since 2008, the minister has had the power to limit applications in certain categories. Mr. Kenney has exercised that power for foreign skilled workers and, most recently, the investor program. Canada is not accepting any more applications in the investor program until next summer.

As a result, and also because immigration officials are being pushed to process applications faster, the rate of increase in the backlog has diminished over the years, officials say.

Plus, the wait for some categories of workers — people who have a job lined up, or professionals badly needed in Canada — are usually approved within months.

But others — especially parents and grandparents of permanent residents, and immigrants who applied before the systemic change in 2008 — can spend up to eight years before they receive word about whether they are accepted or rejected.

Now, the challenge is to prevent the list from continuing to grow.

Mr. Davies says that if increasing immigration is not an option, there are two other ways to go about it: boosting government resources to handle the paperwork, or placing stricter limits on accepting applications.

But he says the government won't entertain an increase in resources.

“They're not doing that, leaving only one policy option, which is to shut the door on the number of applications that can be made,” he said. “I think they already have a pre-ordained answer. ... They're going to limit the numbers of applications for the first time in history.”

Hungary still tops for refugee claims in Canada

BY DANIEL PROUSSALIDIS ,PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU

FIRST POSTED: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2011 03:24 PM EDT | UPDATED: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2011 03:27 PM EDT

OTTAWA - As Canada receives thousands of dubious refugee claims from Hungarian citizens, there's a call for drastic action.

"How much of our money do we want to hemorrhage before setting a visa requirement on Hungarian nationals, just like we did with the Czech Republic?" asked immigration lawyer Richard Kurland.

Between January and August of this year 2,045 people claiming to be refugees came to Canada from Hungary That's 13% of all refugee claims made during that time in Canada, keeping

Hungary as this country's top source of refugee claims.

QMI Agency has acquired a 2010 Canada Border Services Agency report that concluded most of the claimants from Hungary are Roma – a stateless ethnic group that considers the name 'Gypsy' derogatory.

Once those claimants arrive, they're set up to receive medical, dental and eye care at no charge, social assistance benefits, and financial help for housing and furniture while their case is sorted out.

But, claims from Hungary are almost never approved and most cases are usually abandoned or withdrawn during the 12 to 18 months it takes to process them.

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney spoke out about the problem in the House of Commons in April 2010.

"The allegations are that many of these people were coached to come to Canada, make a false asylum claim and then register for provincial welfare benefits which subsequently flowed to a criminal organization. The asylum system was being abused as a tool to access welfare." said Kenney.  Over the last several years, the Mounties have investigated allegations people have

been trafficked from Hungary to Hamilton, Ont., coached into filing refugee claims and collecting social assistance, enslaved in construction work, and locked in basements while organized crime syndicates took every penny from them.

The Conservatives passed reforms to the refugee system last year to get claims

processed in just two or three months -- not long enough for most claimants to

get approval for provincial welfare benefits.

Budget considerations and the process for approving new regulations have bogged down those reforms, so changes aren't expected until late June 2012.

Federal officials say a new visa requirement for Hungarian nationals is not under consideration.