Last year, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Diane Finley, opened a new route to permanent residency in Canada for certain temporary workers and students under the new Canadian Experience Class (CEC) starting in September 2008.
The new immigration program is addressed to qualified temporary foreign workers and foreign graduates with professional, managerial and skilled work experience in Canada.
In contrary to other programs, the Canadian Experience Class emphasises the importance of an applicant’s professional experience in Canada in the context of the immigration process.
In order to apply, a potential candidate has to plan to lie outside the province of Quebec and be a temporary foreign worker with two years of full-time professional work experience in Canada, or a foreign graduate from a Canadian post-secondary institution with one year of full-time professional experience in Canada. Applications have to be made within one year of leaving the job in Canada.
Applicants are required to communicate and work in one or both of Canada’s official languages. The language abilities have to be proven in order to qualify for permanent residence under the program. The level of language competency required to qualify will vary depending on the occupation category.
All applications will be reviewed by a visa officer who will asess applicants’ information and documentation in accordance with current selection standards.
A report from Canada’s parliamentary foreign affair committee has been issued, suggesting that foreign workers on Canadian skilled visas should be given more protection from employers and more time to gain Canadian citizenship.
The suggestions made in the report are predominantly geared towards ensuring that foreign workers are not exploited, clearly stating: “No one should feel that they have to tolerate mistreatment in the short term for the long-term gain of permanent residency.”
The report also states that temporary workers should have the right to work for multiple employers, in a bid to reduce exploitation form unscrupulous bosses and recruitment agencies.
Canadian Immigration spokesperson, Alykhan Velshi said he expected the suggestions to be implemented soon.
“The minister is currently consulting with cultural communities and employers on how to improve the temporary foreign worker program as well as the live-in caregiver program to better protect foreign workers, with a view to implementing tougher regulations in the upcoming months,” he said.
A free trade agreement between the European Union and Canada has been hailed as “a glimmer of light in the darkness of this global recession and an important message against protectionism around the globe.”
Currently, trade between Canada and the EU is worth an estimated €70 billion, and the new agreement is set to bring in a further €20 billion for the two sides within seven years of its implementation.
Furthermore, the Council of the European Union has stated its intention to work towards the implementation of visa-free travel to Canada for all EU citizens.
According to an EU press release, the new agreement will focus on the “liberalisation of trade in goods and services between the EU and Canada, enhanced market access, investment provisions and improved rules on trade-related issues.”
The media release continues: “By launching negotiations, we are sending a clear signal that the EU and Canada reject protectionism in this time of economic and financial crisis.”
Scientific research is also a priority of the agreement, with both sides pledging to “develop specific initiatives in priority areas such as Energy and Environment research, closely liaising with the existing High Level Dialogues on these topics.”
In addition to research, trade and migration, the EU-Canada agreement will also focus on addressing climate change and reducing carbon omissions, and both participants have stated their intent to ensure that the United Nations remains the international forum for cooperation on peace and security, and both lay a clear emphasis on the strengthening of international law.
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