Archive for the 'Canada Immigration' Category

Top Canadian minister set to lure UK citizens across the pond where a better life awaits

The Canadian government has stated its intention to attract British workers to its shores by offering them fast-tracked immigration visa applications which will exploit the rising cost of living in the UK.

Canada expects that large numbers of Britons will be lured in by the scheme, with increasing unrest as a result of soaring food and fuel prices in Great Britain, as well as the diminishing quality its hospitals and the state school system.

Hector Goudreau has been sent to Britain to target such individuals in an audacious and aggressive recruitment raid. He will be targeting doctors, nurses, teachers, electricians, construction workers, engineers, carpenters and joiners, management consultants and cardiac and diabetes experts, all of whom will be eligible for fast-track immigration applications.

Mr. Goudreau commented: “Somebody from London might be able to sell their small flat and come to Alberta where they can buy a detached house with a huge back yard and huge front yard for the same amount.

‘The cost of living is considerably less than in the UK. Our salaries are comparable or even higher, so anyone who moves over would be able to make money and set some aside.”

He then went on to speak exclusively about the province of Alberta, stating: “We are looking at attracting 50,000 foreign workers within the next year alone.

‘There is beautiful scenery, the health care system is second to none in the world and our educational system is second to none in the world. We have some of the lowest business taxes, there is no province sales tax on goods.”

Alberta’s population is just 3.4 million, less than half of London’s, though it covers an area twice the size of Japan. The average annual salary for a civil engineer in Alberta last year was £44,428.

Mr. Goudreau continued: “There has been a recent change in the UK economy which is part of the reason we are targeting it, it is a very important priority for us.
“If there are a lack of future or opportunities here we will encourage the individuals who feel this way to come to Alberta.

“There are tremendous opportunities, all over the world the people are feeling the housing crunch, but we aren’t. We might have some very little dips, but we have a very stable economy which is set up for the future.”

Canada signs new immigration act with Prince Edward Island

Citizenship and Immigration Canada has announced an new Agreement for Canada – Prince Edward Island Co-operation in conjunction with PEI’s Minister of Innovation and Advanced learning.

The new agreement is geared towards making it easier for the province to attract a greater number of skilled workers from abroad, whilst processing applications more quickly and increasing its Francophone community.

“The Government of Canada believes in immigration and the signing of today’s new agreement means Prince Edward Island has an immigration agreement that is tailored to the province’s unique needs and priorities,” said Immigration Minister Diane Finley.

She continued: “The focus of the Prince Edward Island agreement is the removal of limits in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), collaboration on overseas marketing initiatives, and the targeted use of the PNP to attract and retain Francophone immigrants. This will ensure that the province is able to select the number of immigrants it needs to meet labour market demands and build a stronger economy.”

Allan Campbell, Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development for Prince Edward Island said: “We are very pleased to renew this immigration agreement with the federal government. It gives the province the authority we need to attract new immigrants who will meet gaps in our labour market and help boost our declining population.”

The key points outlined in the new agreement are as follows:

- Prince Edward Island will be able to address particular social, demographic, economic development and labour market needs.

- Prince Edward Island will be able to nominate more immigrants possessing the skills needed in the province, for quicker processing by the Government of Canada.

- Prince Edward Island and Canada will work together to share information and to develop and implement strategies to better integrate immigrants into the labour market. This includes improving the process for the recognition of foreign credentials.

- Canada and Prince Edward Island will enhance their cooperation in overseas immigration marketing initiatives, including bringing temporary foreign workers and students to the province.

- There will be increased encouragement for the recruitment and retention of Francophone immigrants through the Provincial Nominee Program.

Increased immigration will help boost the population of Prince Edward Island and will provide must needed skills that will benefit local business and industry.

Canada announces changes to permanent residency card application process

Canada’s department of Citizenship and Immigration has announced two major changes to the process of applying for a Permanent Residency (PR) card.

The first change in policy is that citizens applying to replace a PR card which is due to expire no longer need to send their current valid card with their application. Instead, they will be able to obtain a new card in exchange for their old one when they visit a local Citizenship and Immigration Canada office.
It is believed that allowing permanent residents to keep their valid PR cards whilst waiting for a replacement would benefit them as the cards can be used for travel.

The second alteration is that people applying for a new or replacement PR card are no longer required to obtain the signature of a guarantor, or sign a statutory declaration should they be unable to do so. Removing the need for a guarantor will simplify the application process for a PR card without compromising security as CIC can verify an applicant’s permanent residence status and identity due to passport, driver’s licence and employment information.

Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Diane Finley commented:

“These changes demonstrate our continued commitment to providing more convenient services to newcomers. We recognize that people may want to hold on to a valid card for travel purposes while waiting for the replacement. We also understand that newcomers may have difficulty finding a guarantor who has known them for at least two years.”

Changes to Canada’s immigration system ensure much-needed migrants will be welcomed first

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has announced that changes to the Canadian immigration system have been made that will enable Canada to welcome migrants with much-needed skills by cutting the existing backlog of applications.

Minister Finley declared: “Our government believes in immigration,” said Minister Finley. “With these changes, we now have the tools in place to strengthen our system so that people with the skills for the jobs available can be brought to Canada more quickly.

“This is good for Canada and good for newcomers, who could have more opportunities to find work sooner, to provide a better life for themselves and their families and to benefit more from life in Canada.”

Changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) were recorded in Bill C-50, The Budget Implementation Act 2008, which now states that the government is set to begin prioritising certain areas of business or trade expertise that will help the country to overcome its current labour crisis. However it is yet to be announced which areas of trade and industry will benefit immediately.

Another change to the migration process is that Canada no longer has the obligation to process every application through to a final decision. This will affect all applications made on or later than 27 February 2008.

The new bill brings Canada in line with other countries such as Australia and New Zealand which are currently thriving due to a well-structured migration system. There are currently 925,000 people waiting for their applications for Canadian visas to be processed, and it is estimated that, were it not for these changes, this number would increase to 1.5 million by 1012. Furthermore, experts believe that, without these changes, waiting times for visa applications could be up to 10 years by the same time.

Minister Finley also commented on what would be the next step in implementing changes to the Canadian migration process:

“Our next step is to launch consultations with provinces, territories and other experts to ensure we accurately define the priorities for immigration,” she said. “Once we’ve determined Canada’s immigration needs, we can develop a set of instructions to guide the processing decisions of immigration officers, including whether applications are prioritized, retained or returned with a refund.”
According to research, the demand for skilled migrant workers in Canada is growing rapidly. It is estimated that by 2012, immigration is set to account for 100 per cent of labour growth throughout the country, with two thirds of jobs requiring post-secondary education.

Why so many Brits make the move to Canada every year

Popular Canadian magazine Muchmor Canada recently conducted a survey analysing the various reasons why newly-arrived British migrants chose to make the move across the Atlantic, as well as what they thought they would miss once they had migrated to Canada.

As many would suspect, the British weather was cited as a primary reason amongst new migrants seeking a better quality of life, claiming that Britain did not have a proper summer, had far too many rainy days and even lacked an adequate amount of snow.

Furthermore, the government also came under fire, with respondents largely claiming to have lost faith in Gordon Brown and his party whom they do not believe can make Britain a better place.

Another major factor in several migrants’ decision to migrate to Canada was the extremely huge cost of living in the UK, with the prices of housing, petrol and tax reaching extortionate levels. People also claimed that there was a strong feeling of having to “keep up with the Jones’s” in terms of jobs, houses and cars.

The NHS also took a hammering in the survey, with people complaining heavily about long waiting-lists as well as the risks of being treated in public hospitals, such as the possibly contracting the MRSA virus.

Moreover, migrants also claimed that Canadian people were generally speaking much more laid back and friendly that people back home.

Further reasons for the constantly growing number of Canadian visa applications from British citizens who have had enough of life in the UK included: chav-culture, yob-culture, congestion, too many asylum seekers, easy access to drugs, rising crime rates, litter, graffiti and the country’s binge-drinking culture.

When asked what they would miss most about Britain, the former UK residents suggested, naturally, that family, friends and pets top the list, however, beyond this, it seemed that all other answers given were all of a seemingly trivial nature, such as fish and chips, Irn Bru, Coronation Street, football, British beer and ‘decent newspapers’.

Generally speaking, the results of the survey showed that people, by and large, no longer feel that Britain offers the quality of life it once did, and is not the sort of place that parents wanted their children to grow up in. The vast majority of people who have made the move to Canada stated that they have absolutely no regrets.

Positive economic outlook for Canada

A recent Financial Post article highlights the good news for Canada which has been fiscally responsible for years by attacking its national deficit and thereby seeing a number of budget surpluses year after year. Coupled with a strong resource sector the Canadian economy has seen steady growth across the board largely in part to oil and gas developments in Western Canada.
As Eric Katz points out, “Canada has the second largest proven oil reserves in the world after Saudi Arabia. It is the most politically stable of all oil producres in the world and sits right next tothe United States which is the world’s biggest consumer of energy.”
‘It is clear from this that Canada will continue to profit from its geographical and geological advantages for some time to come. As a result of this energy boom, there is a correlating job boom that is centred around Alberta and to a large extent British Columbia and Saskatchewan where new natural gas reserves have been discovered’, Katz said.

Canada bucks trend of global stock decline as energy industry continues to boom

Stocks looked to be in decline all over the world on Tuesday 20 May, with one exception: Canada. This was no ordinary one off bucking of the trend, either; in fact, the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)’s main measure set yet another record, fuelled by energy stocks as oil prices hit heights never seen before.

The S&P/TSX composite index surpassed 15,000 for the first time on Tuesday, achieving a record close of 15,047.34, up 63.14 points or 0.4 per cent for the day. It also reached a new intra-day high of 15,090.74, and resulted, overall, in a close which put it 24 per cent higher than its close of 12,132.13, a 14-month low recorded on 21 January.

The new heights reached on the TSX have been attributed largely to the booming Canadian energy industry, which continues to be a primary reason for mass immigration to Canada.

As these export based sectors such as energy are attractive to investors, the Canadian dollar rose 81 basis points to 1.00083 US on Tuesday.

Canadian migration expert Eric Katz highlighted the significance of Canada as an energy supplying nation and explained how the booming industry has created a need for mass immigration in order to sustain itself. He said:

“The main reason for the record stock market high in Canada is that energy prices are going through the roof. Most people do not realize that Canada is the main energy supplier to the United States after Saudi Arabia and before all other oil and gas producing countries. Furthermore, Canada has the second largest oil reserves in the world.

“What this means is that we are, as a nation, a net exporter of energy and are virtually energy self sufficient. In immigration terms this has set an insatiable demand for foreign skilled workers in the trades, management and related fields. More people moving to Alberta’s oil rich cities means more housing having to be built and therefore a greater need for more plumbers, carpenters and electricians as well as bankers, IT professionals and other services professionals, such as those in healthcare, that go along with any major economic boom.”

Canadian immigration wait times increasing

Canadian Immigration wait times have surged more than 20 per cent since 2004, according to statistics released by Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis.

Karygiannis obtained the figures from Citizenship and Immigration Canada through the Access to Information Act.

The figures also reveal disparities in the way Canada processes applications from different countries.

Some immigrants are forced to wait a staggering 2,300 per cent longer than others depending on where they’re from and what immigration category they fall under.

A dependent child whose file is dealt with by Canadian officials in Beijing, Seoul or Ankara, for instance, has an 80 per cent chance of being processed within four months. But a child’s average wait time is 13 months in Singapore, 19 months in Guatemala and 34 months in Cairo.

Similar disparities occur in the skilled workers category.

A skilled worker could expect to be processed within 14 months in Lima and 15 months in Paris but would likely wait up to 71 months in Kyiv.

The 2006 figures released to Karygiannis indicate:

-For dependent children, although 80 per cent of overall cases were processed within 11 months, there were significant variations by geographic area. Eighty per cent of cases were completed within three months in Vienna, five months in Jamaica, seven months in Damascus, eight months in London, and 19 months in Haiti and Guatemala.

-For parents and grandparents, 80 per cent of cases were processed within 40 months. But the figures were eight months in Sao Paolo, 11 months in London, 19 months in Mexico, 30 months in Colombo, 34 months in Beijing, 36 months in Rabat and Guatemala, 40 months in Islamabad, and 45 months in New Delhi.

-For skilled workers, 80 per cent of cases were processed within 62 months - an increase from 43 months in 2004. Eighty per cent of cases were completed within 14 months in Lima, 15 months in Paris, 31 months in Vienna, 54 months in London, 59 months in Rome, 62 months in New Delhi, 63 months in Islamabad, 64 months in Beijing and 71 months in Kyiv.

-Processing times increased most dramatically in the skilled workers category. The parents/grandparents category also saw a sizeable increase, while processing times fell significantly for children and slightly for spouses.

-For spouses and partners, 80 per cent of cases were processed within nine months. Eighty per cent of cases were completed within five months in Taipei, 13 months in Buffalo, N.Y., and Buenos Aires registered among the longest wait times at 15 months.

-The overall percentage of applications for temporary resident visas refused by Canadian officials has remained stable.

-In 2006, 32 per cent of applications for temporary resident visas were rejected from Africa and the Middle East. That compares with a rejection rate of 19 per cent for the Asia-Pacific region and 14 per cent from the Americas.

Canada immigration seminars in the UK

I’m heading to the UK in March and hitting the road with Richard Gregan of Overseas Emigration Visas. If you’re considering emigrating to Canada these seminars are an opportunity to clarify any questions you may have about Canada visa requirements.

My colleague, Richard Gregan, is a registered migration agent for New Zealand and Australia and will be covering Australia immigration and New Zealand immigration.

We’ll be in the following cities on the dates below:

Glasgow, Saturday 8th March
Manchester, Sunday 9th March
Birmingham, Monday 10th March
Bristol, Tuesday 11th March
London, Wednesday 12th March

OE Visas immigration seminars cost £12. For further information and to book contact info@canada-immigration-visas.co.uk or call 0845 601 7810.

Canada tech industries facing IT skills shortage

A coalition of industry professionals - “Canadian Coalition for Tomorrow’s IT Skills” has called on the Canadian government to loosen Canada immigration requirements to more easily allow highly-educated skilled workers to live and work in Canada. The coalition also intends to market the technology sector to high schools in an effort to attract more high-tech post-secondary students.

More than 90,000 jobs in the information technology sector will need to be filled in the next three to five years and could potentially impact the Canadian economy to the tune of $10.6-billion, said Conference Board of Canada vice-president of organizational effectiveness, Dr. Michael Bloom.

“The problem is much bigger than any of us at the Conference Board has identified,” said Mr. Bloom.

A “perfect storm” of socio-demographic factors, negative perceptions of the tech sector following the bubble burst of 2002 and a significant drop in university enrolment in IT programs across Canada has all come together to create this dire scenario, said Mr. Bloom.

source: David George-Cosh, Financial Post
Published: Monday, January 21, 2008

Labour shortage could cripple Canada’s tech industry: report