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.
Through recent changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program, Canada has made it easier for graduating international students to obtain work permits and acquire Canadian work experience. Not only will the changes help Canada’s international student retention rate and ease current skills shortages, but they will also help these students on their way to becoming […]
The post Canada rolls out the welcome mat for international students – No job offer needed for three year work permit first appeared on CIC News.
The minority Conservative government tabled a bill on March 14, 2008 that proposed amendments to Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Since that time, there has been much debate over these controversial reforms. Over a month later, the Conservative’s budget implementation bill (which includes the immigration reforms) has passed second reading in the House […]
The post Latest Update on Amendments to Canada’s Immigration Act first appeared on CIC News.
The Family Connections category is the newest addition to the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nomination Program (NLPNP). Newfoundland and Labrador residents can now sponsor family members from abroad to relocate and work in the province. In announcing the new NLPNP Family Connections category, Human Resources Minister Shawn Skinner noted that residents who are surrounded by […]
The post New Category in Newfoundland and Labrador PNP brings families together first appeared on CIC News.
The number of visible minorities in Canada has topped the five million mark for the first time in Canada’s history, now representing 16.2 per cent of the country’s population. Canadian employers are learning how to manage employees from different cultural backgrounds and are creating programs and training sessions to ensure that newcomers become comfortable in […]
The post As visible minority population swells, Canadian employers are stepping up first appeared on CIC News.
The Conservative led minority government has recently introduced a bill in Parliament that contains significant changes to Canada’s immigration law. If passed, the proposed amendments will empower the immigration minister to instruct visa officers to take certain candidates quickly, hold some applications for consideration at a later date, and return others without any consideration at […]
The post David Cohen’s Blog: Discretion can lead to discrimination first appeared on CIC News.
On March 14, 2008 Canada’s Conservative government tabled a bill that proposed amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Under the current law, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is required to assess every Permanent Resident application received at a visa office, in a particular immigration category, on a “first come, first served” basis. […]
The post Proposed Changes to Canadian Immigration Laws: Implications for Applicants first appeared on CIC News.
Young, educated, and attuned to life in Canada, foreign students are Canadian immigrants of choice, with no settlement-integration cost and strong potential to contribute to the Canadian labour force. In December 2006 there were 157,000 foreign students in Canada – many from China, Korea, and the United States. The Canadian Bureau for International Education reports […]
The post Canadian Labour Shortage Solution: International Students in Canada first appeared on CIC News.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada has been working with new EU countries in an effort to establish visa-exempt status for all EU member states. Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Lithuania, are the most recent countries for which citizens traveling to Canada are no longer required to obtain Temporary Resident (Visitor) Visas. Twelve countries joined the EU in […]
The post Visa-Free Travel to Canada for New European Union Member States first appeared on CIC News.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has been pumping funds into the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program, supporting English and French language training providers across Canada as they help newcomers transition into life in Canada. Additionally, the Quebec government has recently introduced new measures to improve and extend French language classes to immigrants. […]
The post Language of Choice at Work – Investments in English and French Language Training first appeared on CIC News.
Since it’s inception in 2002, Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) has stood for the principle that anyone is entitled to apply for permission to live in Canada and to have his or her admissibility considered fairly, according to purely objective criteria. This core value is now threatened. >> Read Full Blog on Canadavisa.com
The post David Cohen’s Blog: Government Gets It Wrong first appeared on CIC News.
How long will it take to process a Canadian Permanent Resident Visa application? Well, that depends on several factors. One of the most important factors is the planned number of visas to be given out at a visa office (target numbers) for the year. The assignment of these target numbers to each Canadian visa office […]
The post Canadian Immigration Visa Office Targets for 2008 first appeared on CIC News.
Nearly three quarters of Canadian immigrants settle in Canada’s three largest metropolitan areas, Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal. However, a recent Statistics Canada report suggests that those who go against the grain and start their new lives in smaller Canadian centres will likely experience an even more successful integration into Canadian society. In response to this […]
The post Smaller Canadian Cities Offer Faster Economic Integration for Newcomers first appeared on CIC News.
The Canadian economy is growing at a much faster rate than the Canadian population. The Canadian population would not be growing if it were not for immigration. To maintain economic growth, Canadian businesses are reliant on the large pool of new skilled immigrants, who by 2011 will account for all net labour force growth in […]
The post Message to Canadian Employers: Hire Skilled Immigrants first appeared on CIC News.
The Philippines is one of the most important source countries for Canadian immigration. Recent government reports have shown that Filipinos integrate well into the Canadian workforce and Canadian society. Provincial governments have taken notice and have established agreements with the Philippines that provide employment opportunities for Filipino skilled workers, in turn addressing provincial labour shortages. […]
The post Canada Strengthens Immigration Ties with the Philippines first appeared on CIC News.
If you are a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident, and want to sponsor your dependent child who resides, say, in China or Turkey, you will likely wait about four months to be reunited. On the other hand, if your child happens to reside in Egypt, the same process will take 34 months. Why should that […]
The post David Cohen’s Blog: Uneven Delays = Discrimination first appeared on CIC News.