Government of Canada Helps Internationally Trained Professionals in Alberta Get Good Jobs


CALGARY, ALBERTA, Aug 01, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- More than 300 internationally trained professionals in Alberta will receive financial assistance to help them have their education and experience recognized, thanks to the Government of Canada's Foreign Credential Recognition Loans Pilot. The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, made the announcement today.
"Our Government's top priorities are job creation and economic growth and we recognize that internationally trained workers help fill skills shortages in key occupations," said Minister Finley. "By partnering with organizations like the Immigrant Access Fund Society of Alberta to help internationally trained professionals find meaningful work, we are working together for Canada's long-term prosperity."
"We want skilled professionals who come to Canada to work and contribute to their full extent as soon as possible, instead of facing underemployment and being underutilized," said Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. "That is why we are committed to not only attracting bright, hard-working people from all over the world but also making sure that they get every opportunity to succeed in Canada."
Under the Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) Loans Pilot, the Immigrant Access Fund Society of Alberta (IAF Alberta) is receiving over $3.3 million to provide loans to internationally trained professionals so they can become licensed to work in their fields. This funding will enable IAF Alberta to provide over 300 more loans over the next two years and to expand its employment counseling and credential assessment services to smaller and rural communities.
"The Immigrant Access Fund applauds the Government of Canada for its vision and commitment to investing in the potential of new Canadians," said Kerry Longpre, President of the IAF. "This aligns with the mission of the Immigrant Access Fund Micro Loan Program, which strives to ensure the equitable integration of internationally trained immigrants. It is critical for the economic and social success of our communities to maximize the expertise of new Canadians and celebrate their contributions."
For many internationally trained professionals, the cost of licensing exams, training and skills upgrading can present a significant barrier to credential recognition and getting work in their fields. The FCR Loans Pilot is implementing projects across Canada that provide financial assistance to internationally trained professionals to lessen some of these financial burdens. Delivered in partnership with community organizations, these micro-loans will make it easier for internationally trained professionals to find jobs that best suit their skills and experience.
IAF Alberta is the fourth organization to receive funding under the FCR Loans Pilot. Similar projects under the pilot have been announced with IAF Saskatchewan, WIL Employment Connections of Ontario, and S.U.C.C.E.S.S British Columbia. This innovative, community-based initiative is another example of how the federal government is working with partners to help internationally trained professionals put their knowledge and skills to work sooner.
The FCR Loans Pilot complements the significant investments that the Government of Canada has made in recent years to help new Canadians succeed.
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IF THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN ANY PRINTED VERSION AND THE ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, THE ELECTRONIC VERSION WILL PREVAIL.
This news release is available online at: www.actionplan.gc.ca .
BACKGROUNDER
The Foreign Credential Recognition Loans Pilot
Following a commitment made in Budget 2011, the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, launched on February 22, 2012, the Foreign Credential Recognition Loans Pilot to test innovative and sustainable ways to help internationally trained professionals cover costs associated with the foreign credential recognition process. Until March 31, 2014, the Pilot will provide $18 million in funding to community-based partners-such as non-government and non-profit organizations-to increase their capacity to deliver financial assistance to eligible professionals.
The funding announced today will help internationally trained professionals in Alberta find meaningful work by enabling the Immigrant Access Fund Society of Alberta to provide over 300 more loans over the next two years, and to expand its employment counseling and credential assessment services to smaller and rural communities.
The Immigrant Access Fund (IAF) provides internationally trained professionals and tradespeople with loans of up to $10,000, repayable within four years, to help with tuition fees, books and course materials, qualification assessment, or other costs related to obtaining the Canadian accreditation to successfully integrate into the job market. Since 2005, IAF has approved 675 micro loans to internationally trained professionals in over 60 different occupations.
The Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications
Canada's Economic Action Plan invested $50 million to work with the provinces and territories and other stakeholders to improve foreign credential recognition. This partnership led to the development of the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications, which was announced in November 2009.
Under the Framework, foreign credential and experience recognition is being streamlined for key occupations, including engineers and nurses. In 2010, service standards were established so that internationally trained professionals in the first eight priority occupations can have their qualifications assessed within one year, anywhere in Canada. We are currently improving foreign qualification recognition for six more target occupations, including physicians and dentists.
In Budget 2012, the Government of Canada announced support for further improvements to foreign credential recognition and will continue to work in partnership to identify the next set of target occupations under the Framework.
To learn more about Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca .
The Government of Canada's Foreign Credential Recognition Program and Services
The Foreign Credential Recognition Program aims to improve the integration of internationally trained workers into the workforce. The Program provides funding and works with the provinces and territories and other stakeholders-including regulatory bodies, post-secondary institutions, sector councils and employers-to implement projects that facilitate the assessment and recognition of qualifications acquired in other countries.
Established in May 2007, the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) provides information and path-finding and referral services, both in Canada and overseas, to help internationally trained workers have their credentials assessed quickly so they can find work faster in the fields in which they have been trained.
The FCRO works with federal, provincial and territorial partners, as well as with credential assessment and recognition bodies, to strengthen foreign credential recognition processes across the country. Internet-based services for internationally trained workers can be found on the FCRO website at www.credentials.gc.ca .
Established in 2005, the Internationally Educated Health Professionals Initiative works with provinces, territories and stakeholders to help more internationally educated health professionals put their skills to work in Canada's health system.
        
        Contacts:
        Marian Ngo
        Office of Minister Finley
                    819-994-2482      
        
        Media Relations Office
        Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
                    819-994-5559      
        
        
        


SOURCE: Canada's Economic Action Plan
Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved. 

Stats confirm 'bogus' refugee claimants from 'safe' countries abusing Canadian health care: Kenney

By Tobi Cohen, Postmedia News July 31, 2012



OTTAWA — Mexican, Hungarian, Colombian and American refugee claimants used Canadian health care services more than any other asylum claimants, according to new figures obtained by Postmedia News which the government argues supports its claim that so-called "bogus refugees" are abusing the system.
Between Jan. 17 and Dec. 31, 2011, 8,819 Mexicans racked up nearly $7 million in health care costs under the Interim Federal Health Program. Some 6,749 Hungarians charged more than $4.4 million, while 4,583 Columbians racked up more than $2.6 million in costs. Meanwhile, 3,790 Americans received more than $1.4 million in free health care. Jamaican claimants round out the top five with 809 health care users receiving more than $808,000 worth of health services.
Given the high rejection, abandonment and withdrawal rates for refugee claimants from some of these countries, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney argued this is proof the government was right to crack down on the breadth of health services that are available to refugee claimants.
"That does underscore the reasons why we've reformed the Interim Federal Health Program. There's no doubt that it has been a draw factor for many false asylum claims," he said.
"I think it demonstrates why we've made what are, I think, very fair and balanced changes."
The government announced in April that it was cutting a variety of health care services, including pharmaceutical, vision and dental care, provided to refugee claimants under the Interim Federal Health Program. The cuts, which took effect June 30, were meant to ensure potential fraudsters were not receiving "gold-plated" extras average Canadians don't get, according to Kenney.
The move led to a backlash by a number of physicians across the country who have taken to the streets to protest the cuts, which they say go a lot deeper than the government is letting on and create additional barriers for an already vulnerable population.
There are also concerns that under Bill C-31, the controversial tough-on-refugees bill that became law in June, claimants will face even more hurdles in obtaining health care. The bill creates a list of so-called "safe" democratic countries that are thought not to produce bona fide refugees. Claimants from those countries will have their cases fast-tracked, they'll have no right to appeal a negative decision and they'll be barred from receiving ongoing health care services except in cases where public safety is at risk.
According to Immigration and Refugee Board figures, last year 83 per cent of Mexican refugee applications were rejected, abandoned or withdrawn. The same could be said for 91 per cent of Hungarian claims, 98 per cent of American claims, 63 per cent of Columbian claims and 62 per cent of Jamaican claims.
While Kenney has yet to release his "safe" country list, according to the criteria, Mexico, Hungary and the United States are certain to be on it.
Kenney said Tuesday that he's heard stories from Canada Border Service agents who've interviewed Hungarians about why they withdrew their applications. Some were quite honest, he said, noting they came to get free dental care for their kids and planned to leave after they got it.
Many Columbian claimants, he added, apply for refugee status in Canada, not after arriving from Bogota but after spending a decade in the United States with no health coverage.
"It's hard for us to quantify exactly how many false asylum claimants have come because of pull factors like the Interim Federal Health Program, but we shouldn't be naive. When you're offering people free gold-plated medical services they can't get in their country of origin, it's just human nature," Kenney said.
"We hope the changes we've made to the Interim Federal Health Program, combined with the fast asylum system and other measures we're taking to restrict access to federal benefits, will significantly reduce the pull factors . . ."
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Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/Stats+confirm+bogus+refugee+claimants+from+safe+countries+abusing+Canadian+health+care+Kenney/7019922/story.html#ixzz22JWSHK2B
 

Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/Stats+confirm+bogus+refugee+claimants+from+safe+countries+abusing+Canadian+health+care+Kenney/7019922/story.html#ixzz22JWKnQSR

CIC Launches National Consultations on Immigration Levels and Mix


TORONTO, ONTARIO, Jul 31, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)'s Parliamentary Secretaries Chungsen Leung and Rick Dykstra have launched a series of cross-country consultations on immigration issues, beginning today in Toronto.
The two Parliamentary Secretaries will be meeting with stakeholders and the public to discuss the appropriate level and mix of immigration for Canada in the coming years. Since 2006, the Government of Canada has welcomed the highest sustained levels of immigration in Canadian history.
Following the Toronto session today hosted by Parliamentary Secretary Leung, meetings with stakeholders will take place in Windsor, Vancouver, Halifax and Ottawa. As of today, online consultations are also open to the public and stakeholders for input.
The purpose of the consultations is to seek feedback on immigration issues, including the appropriate level of immigration for Canada, and the most suitable mix among economic, family, and refugee and humanitarian classes. Discussions with the Parliamentary Secretaries will also touch on CIC's transition towards a faster and more flexible immigration system, as well as the growing importance of immigration to Canada's economic growth and long-term prosperity.
In planning for the total number of people to admit as permanent residents, CIC must not only balance the Government of Canada's immigration objectives, but also consider broader government commitments, input from provinces and territories, and current and future economic conditions. The Department must also take into account its operational ability to process applications in a timely manner, as well as the capacity of communities to welcome newcomers.
These consultations present an important opportunity to generate greater public understanding of the difficult decisions involved in managing a global immigration system. There are competing visions and diverging goals for the future of the immigration program, and there are no easy answers. Engaging stakeholders and the broader public is key to CIC's development of an overall strategy for Canada moving forward.
Invited stakeholders represent a variety of perspectives, including those of employers, labour, academia, learning institutions, professional organizations, business organizations, regulatory bodies, municipalities, Aboriginal groups, settlement provider organizations and ethnocultural organizations.
The online consultations are open for input until August 31, 2012. Interested participants can find more information at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/consultations/index.asp .
A summary report of the stakeholder and public consultations will be available on the CIC website once completed.
Backgrounder
        
        --  2013 Levels Planning: Public and Stakeholder Consultations
        
        


Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CitImmCanada .
        
        Contacts:
        Citizenship and Immigration Canada
        Minister's Office
        Alexis Pavlich
                    613-954-1064      
        
        Citizenship and Immigration Canada
        Communications Branch
        Media Relations
                    613-952-1650      
        CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
        
        
        


SOURCE: Citizenship and Immigration Canada
        mailto:CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
        


Copyright 2012 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

The Government of Canada Launches Online Consultations on Immigrant Investment


OTTAWA, ONTARIO, Jul 31, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Delivering on the Economic Action Plan 2012, the Government of Canada today launched online consultations to engage the public on ways to improve the federal Immigrant Investor Program (IIP).
"We can no longer be a passive player in the global competition for talent and investment. That is why we need to review our immigration programs to create dynamic opportunities that enable immigrants' investments to directly benefit the Canadian economy," said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.
The Economic Action Plan announced that business immigration programs will be reformed to target more active investment for Canadian growth companies. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is now inviting online submissions from stakeholders and the public on how the department can:
        
        --  Increase the economic benefit that immigrant investment capital brings
            to Canada;
        --  Attract experienced, international investors with the skills and
            resources needed to ensure they integrate into Canada's economy; and
        --  Develop efficient and cost-effective ways of delivering an investment
            program.
        
        


"I am open to creative ideas and suggestions from the business community on how to maximize the economic benefits of such programs to Canada," said Minister Kenney.
The goal of these consultations is to determine how best to target high value global investors and to increase the economic benefit that immigrant investment capital brings to Canada. The current IIP offers permanent residency to individuals who meet specific criteria and are able to make an $800,000, five-year, interest-free loan to provincial and territorial governments for economic development activities.
CIC is also consulting Canadians on whether the government should use its new powers under the amended Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to create short-term programs that could have a far greater impact on Canada's economy, for example by possibly favouring active use of investment capital to promote economic growth.
CIC implemented a temporary pause on new IIP applications on July 1, 2012, in order to allow for a thorough review of the program. Nonetheless, in 2012, Canada intends to admit 5,500 to 6,000 newcomers under the Federal Business category, which includes investors.
The online consultations are open for input until September 4, 2012. Interested participants can find more information at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/consultations/index.asp . CIC is also consulting with provinces and territories on changes to federal immigrant investor programming.
A summary of the highlights from the online consultations will be available on the CIC website once completed.
Backgrounder:
- Improving the Immigrant Investor Program: Public Consultation Discussion Paper
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CitImmCanada .
        
        Contacts:
        Alexis Pavlich
        Minister's Office
        Citizenship and Immigration Canada
                    613-954-1064      
        
        Media Relations
        Communications Branch
        Citizenship and Immigration Canada
                    613-952-1650      
        CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
        
        
        


SOURCE: Citizenship and Immigration Canada

International Students Generate CDN$8 billions for Canadian Economy


The Canadian government has released a report showing that international students contributed more than CDN$8 billion to the Canadian economy in 2010, up from CDN$6.5 billion in 2008.
“This study reaffirms our government’s commitment to international education. That is one of the reasons we are committed to refreshing our government’s Global Commerce Strategy and to developing a comprehensive plan to entrench educational links between Canada and international institutions for Canada’s long-term prosperity.”
The report found there were 218,000 full-time international students in Canada in 2010, up from 178,000 in 2008 and more than double the number of students in 1999.
In total, the annual expenditure of CDN$8 billion by international students translated to estimates of almost CDN$4.9 billion worth of contribution to GDP, supported 86,570 jobs, and generated CDN$455 million of government tax revenue. Foreign students are now worth more than Canada’s exports in unwrought aluminium or aerospace products.
“I am delighted that Canada is a destination that is growing in attraction for international students,” said Minister Fast while visiting the University of British Columbia. “The presence of international students and researchers taking advantage of Canada’s world-class facilities creates jobs and economic growth, and contributes to our people-to-people ties with other countries and, in particular, emerging markets.”
“Outstanding international students and researchers not only enrich our campuses but make Canada more competitive by sharing knowledge and expertise both during their time at university and afterwards,” said Prof. Stephen Toope, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia.
Canada_economic_impact
Additional quantitative results are summarised below.
  • The economic benefit of international students studying in Canada is substantial. Total expenditure of long-term international students in Canada amounted an estimated CDN$6.9 billion in 2010. This translates to almost CDN$4.2 billion in GDP contribution to the Canadian economy, and represents about 7% of the GDP contributed by the overall education services sector in the Canadian economy.
  • International education services serving these long-term students contributed to 70,240 jobs in the labour market. This represents about 5.7% of the total number of jobs in the overall education services sector in Canada.
  • Those international students in short-term language training programmes in Canada were estimated to have contributed an additional CDN$788 million per year in total spending to the Canadian economy. This is equivalent to about CDN$455 million in GDP, 10,780 jobs, and CDN$48 million in government revenue.
  • In addition to capturing the economic impact that has resulted from students’ spending on tuition, fees and basic living expenses, an estimated CDN$336 million per year can be attributed to additional tourism related activities, enjoyed by the international students and their family and friends.
  • Governments also benefit from international education services as the total amount of net indirect taxes collected in 2010 was estimated to be CDN$455 million (including tax revenue generated from serving long term and short term international students, as well as from tourism activities). Out of this amount, an estimated CDN$180.6 million were tax contributions to the federal government, and CDN$273.9 million was contributed to provincial and territorial government tax revenue.
  • It is important to note that over 50% of foreign students are from Asian countries (primarily China, India, South Korea and Japan).
A commitment to refresh Canada’s Global Commerce Strategy was announced in Economic Action Plan 2012. A more powerful international education strategy will help strengthen Canada’s engagement with emerging economies and ensure greater collaboration between Canada and institutions while boosting the country’s economic prosperity.
The full report can be found here, and more details on Canada’s international education and youth efforts are here. In addition, our video with Languages Canada Executive Director Gonzalo Peralta explains what Canada is doing to ramp up its marketing efforts around the world. Watch the video interview here.

Creating Credit History in Canada


Few concepts are more controversial than credit when it comes to a person’s financial decisions. On one hand, credit can be a fantastic tool to help you get a loan or a mortgage, save on interest rates and even rent a home or obtain certain jobs. On the other hand, if poorly managed, credit can haunt you for many years and make you miss out on financial opportunities.

Creditors can run a credit check on you to assess if you are a low-risk or a high-risk borrower, and decide to grant or deny you a loan, or to charge you a lower or higher interest rate.

Landlords can rent or deny you accommodation based on how consistently you pay your bills.

Certain jobs require credit checks to verify information listed on your resumé, or to avoid conflicts of interest in jobs where money and sensitive financial information are involved.

Your credit history speaks volumes to lenders about what kind of risks they take when they agree to lend you money. It takes a long time to build, it’s very easy to sabotage and it takes even longer to rebuild. Can you do without it? Yes. Should you try to do without it? No. Without credit, you will not be able to improve your living standards; at the very least, not quickly enough to get to enjoy the results.

Maintaining good credit history

Credit histories are recorded by credit reporting agencies. Equifax and TransUnion Canada are the two major such agencies in Canada. Your credit report will contain information on your loans, credit accounts, certain bills (outstanding cell phone bills can be listed on your credit report, for example), collections items (meaning if an outstanding debt was sent to a collections agency) and legal items (meaning if you had a court order issued against you for an outstanding debt). Collections items stay on your credit report for six years; legal items, for 10 years.

Take advantage of the fresh start to establish a good credit history in Canada. Get a credit card or two, and use them, but use them sensibly. It’s best to start with only one, until you are financially comfortable enough to afford more. Pay off your balance each month, to show potential lenders your reliability.

On top of paying your monthly bills and loan instalments on time, you need to be careful when signing up for services such as cable, telephone, internet, gym subscriptions and whatever else requires a monthly fee. Check the cancellation fees and deadlines when you sign up for such services.

Never move without cancelling or transferring your services, because sometimes final bills end up in collections out of sheer neglect, and from collections they land on your credit report for the next six years.  Always keep track when you make such changes, by recording the date, the names of the agents you speak to and your case number.

If you hit a rough patch, such as an extended period of unemployment, do not be complacent about your credit. Call your creditors and try to renegotiate your monthly payments. They will likely be willing to help you, because sending outstanding accounts to collections would cost them a lot more money. Cancel or suspend services you can do without, rather than have the bills rack up.

All in all, credit is a rather sensitive tool, but you will definitely need it and you should learn to manage it to your advantage. Even if some aspects seem confusing, keep in mind that it’s always easier to prevent credit damage than fix it later.

Source: http://www.prepareforcanada.com/money/financial-first-steps/creating-credit-history/story.html

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