In Canada, we enjoy first-class social services such as healthcare and education. To pay for these services, the government has a number of sources of revenue… from income taxes to goods and services taxes (VAT). While most government services are free to the user, some – including visa services – charge fees to cover administrative […]

The post David Cohen’s Blog: Canada Should Reduce Visa Application Fees first appeared on CIC News.

In 2008, a new stream of Canadian immigration will be available to certain temporary foreign workers and international students with Canadian degrees and Canadian work experience. First announced in the 2007 budget, the Canadian Experience Class will help address the country’s labour force needs by better focusing on these candidates for Canadian Permanent Residency. Citizenship […]

The post New Category of Canada Immigration – Canadian Experience Class first appeared on CIC News.

Tabled earlier this month, the 2007 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration tells the story of Canadian immigration in 2006, provides a mid-year update about Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) activity in 2007, and describes plans and targets for 2008. 2006 was a busy year, with 251,649 new Permanent Residents and 1.2 million Temporary Residents […]

The post Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Annual Report for 2007 first appeared on CIC News.

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) are now a key element to Canadian immigration – and with good reason. Upon arrival, most nominees already have a Canadian job. They are therefore poised to make a speedy entry into the Canadian workforce and thus are likely to transition into Canadian society smoothly. In addition, PNP’s allow provinces to […]

The post Provincial Nominee Programs – New Brunswick first appeared on CIC News.

Canadian provinces are stepping up their efforts to integrate newcomers into the workforce. Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario have announced increased funding for provincial foreign credential recognition services, to facilitate the placement of internationally-trained skilled workers and professionals in labour-tight industries. Given current Canadian immigration requirements for education and work experience, recent groups of newcomers […]

The post Foreign Credential Recognition Services Now More Readily Available first appeared on CIC News.

More and more provinces are making lists of Regional Occupations Under Pressure, which help employers in labour-tight industries to bring in foreign workers quickly. Employers with job vacancies in listed occupations face less stringent requirements under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. >> Read Full Article on Canadavisa.com . . .

The post Occupations Under Pressure Lists Fast-Track Temporary Foreign Worker Hires first appeared on CIC News.

From the day Permanent Residents land in Canada, they have nearly all the rights and obligations of Canadian citizens. Aside from the right to vote, a Permanent Resident who landed in Canada yesterday and a native-born Canadian pay the same taxes and in return have the same expectation to services from the government. That is, […]

The post Come on in, Just Don’t Get Sick first appeared on CIC News.

The shortage of skilled labour in Canada has been deemed the most important challenge for Canadian business leaders, according to a recent study.  The C-Suite survey of Canadian executives reports that 84 per cent of respondents are having a difficult time finding qualified and available skilled workers to staff their businesses. According to the surveyed […]

The post Skilled Trades – The Great Canadian Job Rush first appeared on CIC News.

Under the Agreement for Canada-Prince Edward Island Co-operation on Immigration, the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) fast-tracks Canadian immigration applications.  The Prince Edward Island (PEI) provincial government is looking to recruit individuals to increase its population, its supply of skilled workers, and to fuel business and economic development. Through the PEI PNP, […]

The post Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program first appeared on CIC News.

By designating the third week of October as Canadian Citizenship Week, Citizenship and Immigration Canada encourages all Canadians “to reflect on the value of citizenship, what it means to be Canadian and the rights, privileges and responsibilities of citizenship.”  Many citizenship ceremonies were held in communities across the country throughout Citizenship Week, in which hundreds […]

The post Celebrating the Value of Canadian Citizenship first appeared on CIC News.

Recent modifications to British Columbia’s Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) make it easier for immigrants to establish new businesses in the province. This article serves as an update to the Business section of the BC PNP article that appeared in the April 2007 edition of CICNews. >> Read Full Article on CanadaVisa.com . . .

The post British Columbia Eases Requirements for Business Immigration first appeared on CIC News.

Niagara Falls is one of the wonders of the world, and a point of Canadian national pride. The Falls lie on the border with the United States, however the more impressive Horseshoe Falls are within Canada’s jurisdiction. While Canadians take pride in ownership of the better share of the famous waterfall, recent incidents at the […]

The post David Cohen’s Blog: Who is Making our Border Decisions? first appeared on CIC News.

A recent Statistics Canada report that analyzed 2006 immigrant labour market information points to Manitoba and Alberta as the provinces where newcomers most easily settle into the workforce.  Manitoba has one of the best success rates in Canada with respect to immigrants finding work. Even among very recent immigrants, newcomers in Manitoba have among the […]

The post Canadian Immigrant Labour Market Results for 2006 first appeared on CIC News.

The recently-signed Agreement for Canada-Nova Scotia Co-operation on Immigration removes the cap on the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) as a means to address labour market needs and declining population trends. So far in 2007, over 300 individuals have been nominated by Nova Scotia for Canadian Permanent Residency, and this number is expected to go […]

The post Nova Scotia Nominee Program first appeared on CIC News.

September marks the beginning of the school year in Canada; a good time to note the successes of immigrant students and the opportunities for foreign-born students in Canadian educational institutions.  Many immigrant students are outperforming their Canadian-born peers, despite the additional challenges of starting a new life in Canada. During this past academic school year, […]

The post Immigrants’ Success in Canadian Educational Institutions first appeared on CIC News.

Under the Federal Skilled Worker category of Canadian immigration, applicants who have obtained Associate’s degrees are granted up to 20 points under the Education factor. >> Read Full Article on CanadaVisa.com . . . 

The post Associate’s Degrees Recognized for Immigration to Canada first appeared on CIC News.

Canadians went to the polls earlier this month in a series of Federal by-elections marked by controversy. Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand announced that in light of the Canada Elections Act he would not require women wearing burka or veils to show their faces in order verify their identity. Until recently this was not an […]

The post David Cohen’s Blog: Standing Up for Veiled Voters first appeared on CIC News.

In a country as culturally diverse as Canada, the notion of multiculturalism is a significant element of Canadian identity – “fundamental to [the Canadian] belief that all citizens are equal.” A nation based on immigration, Canada has a long history of being culturally diverse. The British North American Act that marked Canadian Confederation in 1867 […]

The post Multiculturalism in Canada first appeared on CIC News.

Like most other Canadian provinces, Saskatchewan has been focusing on immigration as a means to fuel population growth and ease the provincial labour shortage. Recent population figures show that this focus is paying off. In part due to the increasing number of immigrants heading to Saskatchewan, recent population growth has been setting provincial records. The […]

The post Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program first appeared on CIC News.

“Politics, health care, social issues, and possibly even the strengthening of the Canadian dollar” are being cited by the Association of Canadian Studies as reasons why more and more Americans are choosing to immigrate to Canada. Also, an increasing number of Mexicans are deciding to bypass the United States as an immigration destination, heading to […]

The post Canada Becoming the More Attractive North American Immigration Destination first appeared on CIC News.

The Canadian Immigration Integration Project (CIIP) was created to improve employment prospects for new immigrants to Canada. >> Read Full Article on CanadaVisa.com . . .

The post The Canadian Immigration Integration Project for Pre-Arrival Preparation first appeared on CIC News.

Ontario is Canada’s most populous province and a beacon for newly arriving immigrants. In fact, well over half of new immigrants arriving in Canada settle in Ontario. On October 10, residents of the province will head to the polls to elect a new government. As the campaign picks up momentum, it is becoming clear that […]

The post David Cohen’s Blog: Preventing Discrimination Versus Encouraging Multiculturalism first appeared on CIC News.

U.S. technology giant Microsoft Corp. recently announced that it will be setting up shop in Vancouver, British Columbia. The location of the new Microsoft Canada Development Centre was chosen because the city is both “a global gateway with a diverse population,” and “is close to Microsoft corporate offices in Redmond, Washington.” However, the most significant […]

The post Microsoft Attracting Foreign Workers to New Centre in Canada first appeared on CIC News.

Continually striving to be a more attractive destination for Canadian immigrants, Manitoba has been investing in programs and support systems for newcomers. The elements of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) reflect the province’s community values. The MPNP is unique in that, among its six streams, two of them offer priority assessment to applicants who […]

The post Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program first appeared on CIC News.

July 1st, 2007 marked the 140th anniversary of Canada’s confederation, whereby the existing British North American provinces were united in the federation of Canada. Now commonly known as Canada Day, the official establishment of the country has been celebrated on July 1st since 1867. Canada Day is an opportunity for all Canadians, whether born in […]

The post Canada’s 140th Birthday a Multicultural Celebration first appeared on CIC News.