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.

The Canadian province of Saskatchewan has been steadily building its reputation as an immigration destination in Canada.  Significant investments have been made to its Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) and towards immigrant settlement services in recent years, helping to develop a strong immigrant community in the province.  Now, the Government of Saskatchewan has unveiled a new […]

The post Saskatchewan’s new immigration strategy strengthens communities and the economy first appeared on CIC News.

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney joined the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in observing World Refugee Day earlier this month.  Canada’s longstanding commitment to providing a new home for refugees was acknowledged by the UNHCR, and current resettlement programs and integration initiatives were celebrated. Every year, Canada’s refugee program provides […]

The post Canada’s commitment to refugee resettlement first appeared on CIC News.

July 1st is Canada Day, a day for all of Canada’s citizens and Permanent Residents to celebrate the benefits and opportunities bestowed up them as Canadians.  Recognizing the contributions made by immigrants and the importance of immigration to the country’s history, the Government of Canada has now given national museum status to Canada’s Immigration Museum, […]

The post Happy Canada Day! Canada now has a National Immigration Museum first appeared on CIC News.

We Canadians take our hockey seriously. And why not? It is, after all, our game and no other country can match us over the long haul in international competitions. Hockey for us is a source of pride and many of us follow our favourite teams with the fervour you would expect from a religious devotee. […]

The post David’s Blog: A Tale of Two Cities first appeared on CIC News.

In the April edition of our newsletter, we had reported that changes were coming to the popular U.S. Visa Holder category of the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP).  Earlier this month, those changes were announced and, as suspected, the list of qualifying occupations was reduced.  Eight of the information technology (IT) occupations have been removed […]

The post Changes made to H1B fast-track Canadian immigration category first appeared on CIC News.

Entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized businesses are an important part of the Canadian economy.  If, as a potential Canadian immigrant, you would like to establish and manage your own business in Canada, the Entrepreneur category of Canadian Business immigration could be your ticket to Canadian Permanent Residency.  The federal and provincial governments strongly encourage newcomers […]

The post Manage a business in Canada: Business Immigration for Entrepreneurs first appeared on CIC News.

Municipalities across Canada are requesting a greater say in immigration and settlement planning, says a recent report by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.  Many Canadian city mayors believe that they do not receive enough funding to properly meet the needs of new immigrants and to cope with changing settlement trends.  Municipalities are on the front […]

The post The importance of municipalities for immigration and settlement in Canada first appeared on CIC News.

In recent years, Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has been opened up to make it easier for Canadian employers to hire foreign workers to fill labour shortages in their growing businesses.  As a result, the annual number of foreign workers coming to Canada has skyrocketed over the past few years, and a growing proportion […]

The post Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program under review first appeared on CIC News.

Around this time last year most Canadians were relieved to learn that Ms Brenda Martin, a Canadian Citizen, had been brought back to Canada after having languished for more than two years in a Mexican Prison. >> Read full article on Canadavisa.com

The post David’s Blog: Second class citizens – Part 2 first appeared on CIC News.

Earlier this year, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney announced that Canada was considering a reduction in immigration numbers in 2009, based on economic uncertainty.  Having met with his provincial and territorial counterparts to study the demand for immigration in regional labour markets, Minister Kenney has announced that the need for immigration remains […]

The post Canada to maintain immigration levels for 2009, though requirements may change first appeared on CIC News.

The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) has announced that the list of qualifying occupations for the popular U.S. Visa Holder category is currently under revision.  It is anticipated that a new list of qualifying occupations will likely be more restrictive than the current one.  Applicants who qualify under existing requirements are encouraged to submit their […]

The post In the US on an H1B? Get in on fast-track Canadian immigration while you still can first appeared on CIC News.

The free flow of skilled workers across provincial and national boundaries has become increasingly relevant in the age of free-trade markets and globalization.  To remain economically competitive with an efficient labour market, Canada has been taking steps to improve labour mobility and foreign credential recognition both at home and abroad.  Agreements have recently been signed […]

The post Labour mobility across Canada and across the Atlantic first appeared on CIC News.

The province of Manitoba has implemented new regulations to better protect temporary foreign workers from unscrupulous recruiters and employers that have surfaced in Canada and abroad.  The new legislation is designed to prevent any worker from paying to find a job in Manitoba, requiring recruitment agencies be licensed by the province for better regulation.  National […]

The post New legislation for foreign worker recruitment provides better protection first appeared on CIC News.

Though it is one of the three categories of federal business immigration, the Self-Employed Person category is the only one that does not require a monetary investment or a minimum personal net worth.  It is simply a fast-track option for those who have relevant experience in an occupation in art, culture, recreation, or sport, as […]

The post Self-employed? Canadian business immigration seeks cultural and athletic professionals, as well as farmers first appeared on CIC News.

If you were to ask me what I consider to be the greatest benefit of being a Canadian, I’d say it’s that I get to pass citizenship on to my children. While it’s still true for me, its no longer the case for one of my kids who happened to be born in the U.S.. […]

The post David’s Blog: Second class citizens’- Part 1 first appeared on CIC News.

Canada’s banking system is renowned for its stability.  And Canada is recognized for its superior quality of life.  Through the Canadian Immigrant Investor Program, you and your family could qualify for fast-track Canadian Permanent Residency…and your money is secure. >> Read full article on Canadavisa.com

The post Looking for a safe place to make an investment? first appeared on CIC News.

On November 28, 2008, Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney announced the new instructions for the processing of all Federal Skilled Worker applications received since February 27, 2008.  Since that time, this category of Canadian immigration has continued strong, albeit with more stringent requirements.  A comprehensive review of the requirements and the change […]

The post Federal Skilled Worker Immigration – Four months after the implementation of Ministerial changes first appeared on CIC News.

Over the past several years, the Government of Canada has been reviewing its citizenship laws, which are considered quite liberal, compared to other countries’.  Bill C-37 was created in response to these deliberations and will go into effect on April 17, 2009.  Under the new law, certain individuals who lost their citizenship will regain it.  […]

The post New Canadian citizenship rules to come into effect in April first appeared on CIC News.

First, a bit of good news: Canada will likely weather the current economic storm better than any other     Western nation. As the Prime Minister recently pointed out, Canada has a low debt burden, an efficient inflation regime, a diversified economy, flexible labor markets and proper fiscal management going back for more than a decade. […]

The post David’s Blog: Let Immigration Reduce the Deficit first appeared on CIC News.

Whether at libraries, educational institutions, community centres or online, Canadian organizations and federal, provincial, and territorial governments have been making great strides to provide exceptional settlement services to newcomers.  Here are some recent highlights. This month, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) has infused new funding into immigrant settlement services in Ontario, Alberta, and British […]

The post New options for immigrant settlement services across Canada and beyond first appeared on CIC News.

If you have been contemplating immigration to Canada, you would be wise to submit your application as soon as possible.  Citing economic uncertainty and rising unemployment numbers in the country, Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has announced that Canada is considering reducing its immigration targets for 2009. At the present time, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism […]

The post Canada may decrease immigration numbers first appeared on CIC News.

The Strategic Recruitment Stream of the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) has recently been shaken up to reflect the province’s changing labour needs.  Its popular US H1B Visa Holder category (for which applicants do not need a job offer) has been modified to reflect key occupations that are common among H1B holders.  Additionally, two new […]

The post New developments in the popular Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program first appeared on CIC News.

Though Canada has been less affected by the global economic downturn than the United States and other OECD nations, the national unemployment rate has increased slightly over the past several months.  This has prompted Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to review immigration numbers to ensure that there will be enough jobs for newcomers once they […]

The post Amidst the economic downturn, there are still hot spots for jobs in Canada first appeared on CIC News.