In the Government of Canada’s recent Speech from the Throne, Governor General Michaëlle Jean stated that the federal government will “work with the provinces to make the recognition of foreign credentials a priority”.  In addition to the establishment of the Foreign Credential Referral Office last year, provincial governments have been working to develop tailor-made plans […]

The post Recognition of foreign credentials – A priority for Canada and provincial governments first appeared on CIC News.

Saskatchewan has just made it easier for international students to become Canadian Permanent Residents.  British Columbia (BC) is now helping its substantial food processing sector to retain foreign skilled workers by nominating them for fast-track Canadian immigration.  These students and workers have now been added to a growing list of foreign nationals who can qualify […]

The post PNP Update – Fast-track Canadian Permanent Residency options expanding first appeared on CIC News.

In a few days from now, the waiting will be over. Not only will we know the fate of the Federal Skilled Worker applications submitted to the Canadian Visa Offices after February 27, 2008, (now in a suspended state) but we will also find out what lies in store for Skilled Worker applications that will […]

The post David’s Blog: What if? first appeared on CIC News.

This month’s Canadian federal election resulted in Canada’s third consecutive minority government, re-electing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party.  Now that the Conservatives have secured their place as the ruling government, it is expected that the Immigration Minister will announce her plan about how the recent Canadian immigration amendments will be implemented. Though […]

The post Canadian Federal Election Results: Conservatives win minority government first appeared on CIC News.

Two recently released reports have shown that the children of Canadian immigrants are faring well in Canadian post-secondary institutions and therefore seeing increased success in the work force.  Many Canadian families have a similar story of parents immigrating to Canada and working hard to make sure that their kids could stay in school.  These efforts […]

The post Children of immigrants succeeding academically and professionally in Canada first appeared on CIC News.

The province of Alberta and the Philippines have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate the flow of Filipino skilled workers into Alberta.  Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and British Columbia have entered similar agreements with the Philippines over the past year, all working towards alleviating chronic labour shortages in their growing economies. Along the same lines […]

The post Alberta joins four other Canadian provinces in actively recruiting Filipino skilled workers first appeared on CIC News.

Here’s what the Province of Ontario has to say about immigration on its official website. “Immigration is a cornerstone of Ontario’s economic prosperity and social fabric.” “More that half of all newcomers to Canada have chosen to settle in Ontario each year since 1987.’ Maybe so, but that was then and this is now. >> […]

The post David’s Blog: Hey Ontario, Get in the Game first appeared on CIC News.

Le président français Nicolas Sarkozy et le Premier ministre du Québec Jean Charest viennent de signer un accord bilatéral qui assure la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles par leurs gouvernements, permettant la liberté de mobilité de nombreux travailleurs français et québécois. >> Read full article on Canadavisa.com

The post Nouvel accord entre le Québec et la France appuie la mobilité des travailleurs first appeared on CIC News.

On October 14th, a Canadian federal election will be held to either re-elect the governing Conservatives, or to elect a new party and Prime Minister.  Given the changes to Canadian immigration policy that have taken place over the past few months, the outcome of this election will have important implications for immigration to Canada.  If […]

The post Canadian federal election will have implications on immigration to Canada first appeared on CIC News.

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.