Archive for September, 2008

Durham region benefits from Canadian immigration funding

Published by
graham
at September 29, 2008 in Canada Immigration. 0 Comments

As the ongoing bid to attract an increasing number of migrants to its shores, the Canadian government has made the Durham region the latest recipient of funding designed to help new migrants settle into society.

Immigration Minister Diane Finley has pledged funds to a total of six organisations in the Durham area, which has become increasingly popular as a destination for new Canadian migration in recent years. The funding, set to amount to a total of $6 million, is expected to help some 2,400 foreign migrants integrate themselves into their new communities.

The services of the six organisations concerned will include referrals to community resources, advice and guidance, language assessment, language training, general information, and help finding a job.

Minister Finley commented: “This funding will give [migrants] the support they need to settle into the Durham community. Since 2006, the Government of Canada has begun investing an additional $1.4 billion in settlement funding over five years to help newcomers integrate and succeed in Canadian society.”

In recent years, the Canadian government has placed a high emphasis on helping new migrants integrate into society, and the Canadian Immigration Services have made it clear that it will continue to welcome migrants with Canadian skilled visas by offering such services in the future.

Quebec simplifies investor immigration program

Published by
Justin
at September 22, 2008 in Canada Immigration. 1 Comment

The Government of Québec recently announced its intention to amend the Regulation respecting the selection of foreign nationals (RSFN) as it applies to investor immigrants in order to simplify the program’s administration and improve its performance. The proposed changes concern the definition of management experience, the calculation of net assets and selection based on the applicant’s record. A brief summary follows.

Definition of management experience

Investors currently have to demonstrate that they have at least three years of management experience acquired in the 10 years preceding their application in a farming, commercial or industrial business that is profitable and legal, or for a government or one of its departments or agencies or for an international agency.

Management experience is defined as the actual assuming on a full-time basis of responsibilities and duties related to the planning, management and control of financial resources and of human or material resources.

Under the proposed amendments:

  • Investors will need to have at least two years of management experience acquired in the five years preceding their application. This experience no longer has to be acquired in a profitable business, which will simplify application processing procedures.
  • The level of management experience required will be more flexible in order to broaden the pool of managers eligible for the program.
  • Management experience will no longer have to have been acquired on a full-time basis to enable the selection of applicants who practise both management functions and a professional activity.

Calculation of net assets

Investor immigrants are required to have net assets of $800,000. Under the present Regulation, these assets must have been accumulated through legal economic activities and may include the value of the equity of the accompanying spouse, if that equity belongs to the foreign national and is invested in an enterprise in which the investor also controls the equity and has acquired experience in management.

Under the proposed amendments:

  • Net assets may include donations and inheritances held by the applicant as well as all the assets of his or her spouse, which would broaden the pool of applicants eligible for the program. However, donations received less than six months prior to the filing of the application will not be accepted.

Selection based on applicant’s record

Currently, all investors are required to attend a selection interview.

Under the proposed amendments:

  • Selection may be based on the applicant’s record, which would allow for more flexibility in administering the program.

Canadian Experience Class commences

Published by
Justin
at September 22, 2008 in Canada Immigration. 0 Comments

Canada’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, The Honourable Diane Finley, announced that certain temporary foreign workers and students can start applying for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class starting September 17, 2008.
This Canadian Experience Class application is for temporary workers and recent graduates with Canadian credentials who are already in Canada and wish to apply for permanent residence. Unlike other programs, the Canadian Experience Class allows an applicant’s experience in Canada to be considered a key selection factor when immigrating to Canada.

All applicants must have:

  1. legally come to Canada to work or study, and have valid temporary status in Canada at the time of application
  2. work or studies in occupations that meet the minimum requirements
  3. evidence of proficiency in the English or French language (reading, writing, listening and speaking)
  4. work experience as a temporary foreign worker, or work experience following graduation from a Canadian post-secondary institution, and post-graduation education requirement.

The final implementation of the Canadian Experience Class reflects what was originally proposed on August 9, 2008. The main difference is that those who have left Canada, but otherwise meet the requirements as workers or graduates, will be eligible to apply provided they do so within one year of leaving their job in Canada. Under the proposal, CIC had suggested that applicants would be required to have temporary resident status and be present in Canada to be eligible to apply. The Government of Canada has since chosen to cast a wider net to avoid missing those with the Canadian experience, through residency restrictions.

Canada takes measures to speed up migration application processing

Published by
graham
at September 22, 2008 in Canada Immigration. 0 Comments

The Canadian government has announced a pilot scheme to centralise the intake of applications for Canadian skilled migration.

$109 million has been pledged by the government in order to implement the changes, which will see 30 newly-trained staff working alongside experienced staff in a new office located in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The centre will provide a faster service for the processing of Canadian skilled visa applications, which it will begin in October.

Immigration Minister, Diane Finley said: “In order to get the people we need to this country, we need to process applications faster. This pilot is one of several measures we are taking to help reduce wait times overall. By centralizing the intake of federal skilled worker applications, we are alleviating some of the workload in our overseas visa offices. This allows visa officers to focus more on processing applications.”

In addition to the establishment of the new processing centre, Canadian immigration officials have been working to reduce the waiting time of applications to be processed. Measures to address such problems include sending staff to areas where processing backlogs are currently unmanageable.

Canadian Experience Class introduced to national immigration scheme

Published by
graham
at September 22, 2008 in Canada Immigration. 0 Comments

As of 17 September, Canada’s new visa class, named the Experience Class, has been in full effect. Under the newly-introduced scheme, certain temporary foreign workers and students will be allowed to apply for permanent residency in Canada.

The scheme targets foreign workers and international student graduates with professional, managerial and skilled work experience. Unlike Canada’s traditional visa classes, the Experience Class allows an applicant’s previous experience in Canada to serve as a “key selection factor” in relation to their application for Canadian residency.

The move comes as Canada, like other popular migration destinations such as Australia and New Zealand, attempts to heighten its profile by attracting a growing number of foreign workers and graduates to its shores.

Canadian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Diane Finley, commented: “With the Canadian Experience Class fully in place, Canada will be more competitive in attracting and retaining individuals with the skills we need.”

She added: “It, along with other recent improvements to modernize the immigration system, will go a long way in bringing Canada in line with its global competitors while further spreading the benefits of immigration into smaller centres across Canada.”

Since the initial proposal to introduce the Canadian Experience Class was made in August, the policy regarding eligibility has been adapted. Originally, only foreign workers and graduates with temporary residence in Canada were allowed to apply, however, this has since been extended to applicants who have left Canada in the last year, but wish to return.

Canadian migrants heading for smaller towns

Published by
graham
at September 22, 2008 in Canada Immigration. 1 Comment

Statistics released by Citizenship and Immigration Canada have revealed that a growing number of people are migrating to Canada’s small and mid-sized towns towns, rather than the traditional big cities.

Last year, Charlottetown’s migration intake increased by a staggering 73 per cent on 2006, with other small regions such as Moncton and Saskatoon welcoming a migration increase 31 per cent and 40 per cent on the pervious year. Overall, Alberta revelled in a massive increase of 93 per cent migration intake compares to the figures for 2006.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada explained that the shifting migration pattern was party due to the Provincial Nomination Program, which encourages skilled workers to immigrate to Canada’s more regional areas.

Overall, the statistics and social factors surrounding immigration to Canada’s smaller towns are highly favourable. New migrants find it easier to integrate into society in regional towns, income rates are higher on average, unemployment is lower, and the demand for housing is greatly reduced.