As of September 17, 2008, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is accepting applications for the newest category of Canadian immigration, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).  This fast-track immigration category was designed specifically for Canada’s temporary foreign workers and international graduates with work experience, as a means to more easily transition them into Permanent Residents, and […]

The post Canadian Experience Class up and running first appeared on CIC News.

Canada, like most OECD countries, has a selective immigration system that focuses on highly skilled candidates. This has created gaping holes in the lower-skilled Canadian workforce, where many employers are struggling to find workers. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) International Migration Outlook 2008 report recommends that OECD countries adapt their immigration and […]

The post OECD recommends that lower-skilled workers be included in immigration policy first appeared on CIC News.

With smaller cities and a lower profile, Atlantic Canada traditionally has not seen large influxes of newcomers to Canada.  Recent initiatives have somewhat altered this trend, as immigrant communities are becoming established and are growing.  However, the rate of immigration is not high enough to satisfy regional governments, who are facing the challenges of aging […]

The post Atlantic Canada: An increasingly important immigration destination first appeared on CIC News.

In two weeks from now, Canadians will go to the polls to select their federal members of Parliament, and unless we experience our own “Dewey Wins” moment, the Conservative Party of Canada will be called upon to form the next national government. >> Read full article on Canadavisa.com

The post David’s Blog: After the Election first appeared on CIC News.

International graduates and temporary foreign workers have established themselves in Canadian society and are well-poised to become Permanent Residents and eventually Canadian citizens.  The Canadian Experience Class (CEC), a new immigration category, has been created specifically to facilitate this transition.  Recognizing their Canadian education and/or work experience, the Canadian Experience Class will fast-track their Canadian […]

The post New fast-track immigration category for applicants with Canadian experience first appeared on CIC News.

After months of deliberations and consultations, the details of what will govern the selection of skilled worker applicants for immigration to Canada will finally be disclosed early in the fall, according to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Minister Diane Finley. The new amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which were made law […]

The post Early fall – CIC Minister will reveal new priorities for immigration to Canada first appeared on CIC News.

Though Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal continue to absorb the majority of newcomers to Canada, each of their respective national shares of immigrants have dropped as Canadian newcomers have begun to appreciate the advantages of living in smaller cities. Recently released Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) statistics show that Canada’s small and mid-sized urban areas are […]

The post More immigrants looking to smaller Canadian cities for a place to call home first appeared on CIC News.

Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP) across the country have seen much success in the recruitment and retention of Canadian immigrants based on regional socio-economic priorities.  They are constantly evolving and expanding to make room for more newcomers and to adapt to the provinces/territories’ changing needs.  Saskatchewan and Newfoundland Labrador have both made additions to their PNP’s […]

The post PNP’s opening up to new types of Canadian immigration applicants first appeared on CIC News.

It seems more probable by the day that Canadians will be going to the polls in the next couple of months to elect a new federal government.  A snap election will likely be called by the minority Conservative government as early as September 5th for later in the Fall on the pretext that Parliament is […]

The post David Cohen’s Blog: Canadian Immigration and the Coming Election first appeared on CIC News.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Minister Diane Finley has begun her cross-Canada tour through which CIC will develop the framework for the new amendments to Canadian immigration legislation.  Critics are asking why these consultations were not held months ago, before the Conservative government issued the changes to be applied to all applications received on or […]

The post Cross-Canada consultations underway to determine immigration priorities first appeared on CIC News.

Presently, licensing requirements for many occupations differ across provinces and territories, making inter-provincial labour mobility challenging for some Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents.  With the goal of creating a stronger and more united national work force, the Premiers of Canada’s provinces and territories have proposed a new labour mobility accord that will make it easier […]

The post Unifying licensing requirements across Canada to improve labour mobility first appeared on CIC News.

Canada’s International Youth Program encourages young Canadians to travel and work abroad; to acquire the skills, training, and cultural experiences that are so valuable in Canada and in the global marketplace.  Canada has coordinated reciprocal work permit arrangements with close to 40 countries in which qualifying Canadians and international youth can visit each others’ countries […]

The post Reciprocal work permit agreements for Canadian and international youth travelers first appeared on CIC News.

The government of Saskatchewan has been focusing on better preparing soon-to-be immigrants for the reality of the labour market, with the goal of facilitating their integration into the workforce upon arrival.  Several new initiatives have recently been launched, including a web portal for internationally-trained health professionals and a pilot project for the overseas recognition of […]

The post Saskatchewan helping newcomers transition into the workplace more quickly first appeared on CIC News.

The United States is fortunate. It attracts a seemingly endless supply of the best and brightest people from all parts of the globe as foreign guest workers. Most of these individuals enter on H-1B visas and all of them have a high-skilled job set aside for their arrival. These temporary workers include IT professionals, physical […]

The post David Cohen’s Blog: America’s Loss = Canada’s Gain first appeared on CIC News.

Canada, as it is today, was built by immigration. It is a nation that has always welcomed newcomers as a means to build a solid population and an effective federal state. Now more than ever, immigration is at the heart of a strong and growing Canada. To all our readers, whether you are just thinking […]

The post July 1st – Happy Canada Day! first appeared on CIC News.

The Alberta provincial government recently announced that residents of Alberta can now sponsor their close relatives for fast-tracked Permanent Residency under a new section of the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP). The expansion of the program seeks to stimulate population and labour force growth and to create more welcoming communities for newcomers. Though it has […]

The post Alberta now welcomes family members for fast-track immigration – No job required first appeared on CIC News.

After much deliberation on Parliament Hill, the Conservative’s amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) survived a final vote in the House of Commons and received support from Senate. The budget implementation bill, which included the immigration reforms, has been adopted and the new immigration laws will come into effect in the coming […]

The post Controversial Canadian immigration reforms to be made law first appeared on CIC News.

The Agreement for Canada-Prince Edward Island Cooperation on Immigration will make it easier for the province to attract and welcome newcomers and to respond to its particular social, demographic, and economic needs. Limits have been removed from the Prince Edward Island (PEI) Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), allowing the province to nominate even more of the […]

The post Canada signs new agreement on immigration with Prince Edward Island first appeared on CIC News.

Certain Canadian immigration applicants are required to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), a standard test that is recognized by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) as an indication of English language ability. New to Canadavisa are free IELTS practice tests where visitors can get an idea about to expect. >> Read full article […]

The post Practice for your IELTS on Canadavisa – New preparation material available first appeared on CIC News.

It’s easy, in this day and age, to be cynical. Examples of greed and selfishness abound in most parts of the world, including Canada. I certainly have no trouble pointing out inequities in the Canadian immigration selection system, as readers of my previous blogs can attest. That said, it’s important to keep in mind that […]

The post David Cohen’s Blog: Canadian Town Shows the Way first appeared on CIC News.

The province of Alberta, with its booming economy and expanding cities, has been working to make it as easy as possible to bring in foreign workers to contribute to the provincial labour force.  The Strategic Recruitment Stream, a new pilot project by the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) can fast-track the issuance of Canada Permanent […]

The post In the U.S. on an H1B? Alberta PNP has a new option for you – no job offer required first appeared on CIC News.

Attorney David Cohen has been vocal about his opposition to the Conservative government’s proposed legislative changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. At the request of the House of Commons Finance Committee and the Citizenship and Immigration Committee, he delivered an address outlining his legal perspective on the implications of the amendments. Video highlights […]

The post David Cohen speaks before Parliament about proposed immigration amendments first appeared on CIC News.

British Columbia (BC) is making immigration work. The provincial government has been in immigration headlines quite often over the past few months, with new initiatives and solutions to help newcomers make BC their home. From credential recognition services, to refugee settlement, programs for international students, better access to employment information and job-finding services, the BC […]

The post British Columbia – An impressive front-runner in newcomer integration first appeared on CIC News.

With a recent string of apologies to various Canadian communities, the Government of Canada is recognizing the past wrongs of Canada’s former immigration policies. The Conservative government’s Historical Recognition Program has allotted $29 million to commemorate several of these important yet shameful events in Canada’s history. “Like any country, our country is not perfect. We […]

The post Canada apologizes for past discriminatory immigration policies first appeared on CIC News.

The Canadian government announced last week that it will create a 29 million dollar grant program as redress for various shameful incidents in Canada’s history, relating to the way Canada treated prospective and landed immigrants. For example, from 1885-1923 there was a Chinese head tax which was a fee charged for each person wishing to […]

The post David Cohen’s Blog – Learning from our mistakes first appeared on CIC News.