Earlier this month, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) Minister Jason Kenney introduced Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship, a new study guide for permanent residents applying for Canadian citizenship. The new guide is intended to give new Canadians a more comprehensive look at Canadian history and values than its predecessor. Permanent residents […]

The post Canadian Government introduces new Citizenship Guide first appeared on CIC News.

Every fall, the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism gives an annual report on immigration to the Canadian Parliament, detailing the state of immigration to Canada over the past year as well as the immigration plan for the coming year. In this year’s report, Minister Jason Kenney announced that Canada expects to maintain the number […]

The post Canada expects to welcome a larger proportion of Provincial Nominees first appeared on CIC News.

Depending on their nationality, Canadian landed immigrants receive different treatment when it comes to residency requirements. >> Read full article on Canadavisa.com

The post David’s Blog: Two classes of permanent residents first appeared on CIC News.

Newcomers to Canada have a large number of settlement services available to them once they arrive, most of which are provided to them at no cost. In recent years, the Canadian government has consistently increased funding to provinces and municipalities, to enable them to provide as well as improve settlement services for their immigrants. This […]

The post Take advantage of a wealth of settlement services available to immigrants to Canada first appeared on CIC News.

Federal Skilled Worker is no longer the only way to go.  Both federal and provincial immigration programs have expanded significantly in recent times, offering candidates more than sixty different alternatives for immigration to Canada.  This new reality in Canadian immigration is matched by the revamp of Canada’s leading immigration website, Canadavisa.com.  By submitting a Canadian […]

The post Canadavisa.com reveals fresh new look with new assessment form that determines your eligibility across 60 Canadian immigration categories first appeared on CIC News.

In the July, 2009 edition of our Newsletter, we reported that the province of Quebec, which is responsible for its own immigration program as part of an agreement with the federal government, would be making changes to the Quebec Skilled Worker Program. The changes to the program were announced and implemented on October 14, and […]

The post Quebec Immigration Update: Changes to the Quebec Skilled Worker Program will allow the province to welcome more immigrants first appeared on CIC News.

Earlier this month, the province of Saskatchewan introduced new procedural guidelines for the Entrepreneur category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) that will speed up the processing of applications under this program. In recent years, Saskatchewan has been an attractive destination for immigrants to Canada because of the many employment and investment opportunities it […]

The post Saskatchewan PNP Update: Province introduces new procedural guidelines for faster processing first appeared on CIC News.

On October 9, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) Minister Jason Kenney announced proposed changes to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program that will strengthen the protection of Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada. “Temporary Foreign Workers play an important role in the Canadian economy. We have a duty to them, employers and all Canadians, to ensure […]

The post Immigration Minister proposes changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to help protect foreign workers in Canada first appeared on CIC News.

Over the past few years, there has been a gradual but steady shift in the ways that people qualify for a Canadian permanent resident visa. More and more, the Canadian government is relying upon the 13 provinces and territories to come up with their own immigration strategies (Quebec and Provincial Nomination Programs), using selection criteria […]

The post David’s Blog: Think you don’t qualify? Think again first appeared on CIC News.

For the second year in a row, the World Economic Forum has ranked Canada’s banking system ‘the soundest in the world,’ and given Canada top marks for the ease of starting a business. The Immigrant Investor Program, a category of Canadian Business Immigration, is an essential Canadian immigration option for business people who have accumulated […]

The post Business Immigration: the Quebec Investor Category may provide a faster route to Canadian Immigration first appeared on CIC News.

In the August, 2009 edition of our Newsletter, we highlighted two of the 38 qualifying occupations for the Federal Skilled Worker program: University Professors, and College and Other Vocational Instructors, and emphasized the importance of duties performed in each occupation, as opposed to job titles. This month, we look at Construction Managers, another qualifying occupation, […]

The post A closer look at the 38 qualifying occupations: Civil Engineers and Architects may qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program as Construction Managers first appeared on CIC News.

Earlier this month, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) announced a major change to its popular US H1B Visa Holders category. One occupation—Computer and Information Systems Managers—has been removed from the list of qualifying occupations. That’s the bad news. The good news is the Federal Skilled Worker program remains an attractive Canadian immigration option for […]

The post AINP Update: Computer and Information Systems Managers may still qualify for Canadian immigration under the Federal Skilled Worker Program first appeared on CIC News.

Some immigration consultants in Montreal are helping landed immigrants bypass the residency requirements for Canadian citizenship, by offering “life in Canada simulation” services, according to an investigation by the CBC, Canada’s national news network. >> Read full article on Canadavisa.com

The post David’s Blog: Tempting… but don’t do it first appeared on CIC News.

Despite the global economic recession, the Canadian economy has proven to be quite resilient. Throughout September, there have been many signs that not only showed that the economic situation in Canada is improving, but that its economy was less affected by the global downturn than most economies around the world. Canada remains an ideal place […]

The post As the Canadian economy shows increasingly positive signs, the contribution of immigrants is playing a major role in its growth first appeared on CIC News.

When Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) Minister Jason Kenney announced the details of the new Action Plan for Faster Immigration, which set new regulations for the Federal Skilled Worker program of Canadian immigration, the focus turned to a list of 38 qualifying occupations that determine a potential applicant’s eligibility to apply to immigrate under […]

The post Applying to immigrate to Canada as a Federal Skilled Worker: Beyond the 38 qualifying occupations first appeared on CIC News.

There is often confusion about whether or not an individual is eligible to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, because their job title might differ from those listed in the announced 38 qualifying occupations. Job titles for a particular occupation can vary across different countries, different industries and even different employers, but the duties […]

The post A closer look at the 38 qualifying occupations under the Federal Skilled Worker Program: University Professors, and College and other Vocational Instructors first appeared on CIC News.

Since 2001, the Yukon Territory has been the only Canadian Territory to have an immigrant Nominee Program in place. However, the Yukon now has company. On August 5, 2009, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) Minister Jason Kenney, along with his Territorial counterparts, announced the new Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP). This fast-track Canadian immigration […]

The post Northwest Territories Nominee Program: A New Fast-Track Canadian Permanent Residency Option first appeared on CIC News.

This week, Nova Scotia announced that a new stream is being added to its Provincial Nomination Program (PNP), known as the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP). Under the NSNP Non-Dependent Children of Nova Scotia Nominees stream, non-dependent children of people previously nominated by the province will be able to apply for fast-track Canadian immigration. The […]

The post Nova Scotia announces new Provincial Nomination Program stream to welcome more immigrants first appeared on CIC News.

 “The pot calling the kettle black” is an expression, which refers to criticism that could equally apply to the critic. Interestingly, similar idioms can be found in more than 30 languages, across as many cultures and so we can assume that this particular human disposition is universal in nature. It most certainly applies to the […]

The post David’s Blog: The Pot Calling the Kettle Black first appeared on CIC News.

Since 1991, the province of Quebec has had an agreement in place with the Government of Canada, called the Canada-Quebec Accord, which allows Quebec to select its own immigrants. In the June 2009 edition of our newsletter, we reported that the Quebec Immigration Minister had announced changes to Quebec’s immigration programs. Some of these changes […]

The post Quebec Immigration Update: Changes to selection grid to improve the immigration and settlement process first appeared on CIC News.

Working-aged dependents of Temporary Foreign Workers in Ontario and Alberta can now obtain Open Work Permits, giving them the ability to contribute to the Canadian workforce alongside their parents.  On an Open Work Permit, these individuals will be able to work for any employer in Alberta or Ontario without having to undergo the usual process […]

The post Children of Temporary Foreign Workers in Alberta and Ontario can now apply for Open Work Permits first appeared on CIC News.

The “Programme de l’expérience québécoise,” or “Quebec Experience Class” (PEQ), is a new, accelerated immigration program that will allow international students and Temporary Foreign Workers in Quebec to apply to immigrate permanently to Quebec. The PEQ, which will be put into effect before October, 2009, shares some aspects with its federal counterpart, the Canadian Experience […]

The post New Quebec Experience Class mimics Canadian Experience Class, but offers faster route to Canadian Permanent Residency first appeared on CIC News.

Language ability plays a crucial rule for immigrants to Canada in terms of their ability to find employment and successfully integrate into their new society. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has set up language training services for new arrivals across the country. However, it is also important to be proficient in one of Canada’s two […]

The post Language training programs are the key to successful settlement in Canada first appeared on CIC News.

About a year ago, I was privileged to appear before parliamentary committees that were charged with examining proposed changes to Canada’s immigration selection system. The government of the day claimed that urgent modifications to the law were necessary in order to streamline the immigration process and reduce the backlog of pending skilled worker (economic) applications. […]

The post David’s Blog: Canada on the wrong immigration track? first appeared on CIC News.

Along the lines of the federal Canadian Experience Class, introduced last year by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the province of Quebec is launching its own accelerated and simplified immigration program for international students and specialized foreign workers who meet labour market priorities in the province. >> Read full article on Canadavisa.com

The post Quebec adopts special immigration program for international students and foreign workers first appeared on CIC News.