Potential European immigrants will be given access to Canada through British Columbia ‘s (BC) Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The initiative will expedite work permit processing as well as Permanent Resident applications. B.C is currently undergoing a labour shortage that is affecting its booming construction industry. This month Vancouver ‘s Regional Construction Association (VRCA) president, Keith […]

The post British Columbia to fast-track skilled trades workers from Europe first appeared on CIC News.

Ontario has officially launched two new immigration-centric websites. The online resources facilitate both settlement and career services, respectively. Ontarioimmigration.ca welcomes Canadian Newcomers to Ontario and provides them with comprehensive settlement information. The new online service is intended to help ease the transition for over 120,000 newly-landed immigrants that settle in Canada ‘s most populous province […]

The post The Government of Ontario launches new online immigration services. first appeared on CIC News.

In his first public address as Immigration Minister, Monte Solberg announced that a federal agency will be developed to respond to the needs of Canada ‘s skilled immigrants. He also re-iterated his government’s plan to reduce the immigrant landing fee by half. Speaking at the Public Policy Forum Convention held In Toronto recently, Solberg did […]

The post New government agency will recognize foreign credentials first appeared on CIC News.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper played host as he welcomed Canada’s first ministers to dinner at his new home on Friday, February 24. The now famous prime-ministerial address, located on 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, was the setting for an evening of political parley. The conversation included parboiled discourse on the hot-topic of Canadian immigration. The […]

The post Harper avows: Government will address foreign credentials recognition. first appeared on CIC News.

According to Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) Canada , over 56,000 international students settled upon Canada to complete their studies in 2004. Universities claim that Canada ‘s strong international reputation, affordable tuition, and diverse culture are the main draws. To attract foreign students, the universities employ a variety of techniques; usually a combination of international education […]

The post Canadian universities lure international students first appeared on CIC News.

Ontario is taking the lead in recognizing foreign credentials in Canada by offering to recognize international qualifications for experienced Massage Therapy Professionals. The new International Massage Therapy Bridging Program is offered at Ontario ‘s Centennial College and prepares recently landed immigrants to take the registration exams and continue to practice their profession safely in Canada […]

The post Wanted: experienced internationally trained Massage Therapists first appeared on CIC News.

The Rainy River Future Development Corp. (RRFDC) has launched an independent study on immigration in the Rainy River ( Ontario ) district with the hope to attract new immigrants to the area. RRFDC’s economic development intern, Jessie Zhang, began working on the project in December. Inspired by the local economic development officer Geoff Gillon, the […]

The post Rainy River studies local immigration first appeared on CIC News.

Monday January 23, 2006 – The votes are in and Canadians have chosen a new Prime-Minister in Stephen Harper, and a new direction for Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada picked up more than 36% of the popular vote and has won a plurality of seats in parliament, establishing it as Canada’s first Conservative government […]

The post Foreign credentials recognized in a Conservative Canada. first appeared on CIC News.

The Conservative party critic on Immigration, Diane Ablonczy, is considered among political observers as the “front-runner” for the position of Citizenship and Immigration Minister.Ablonczy has been the Conservative party’s Citizenship and Immigration critic since 2002. Canada ‘s new Conservative government will see a “shuffling of the deck” in Ottawa. The prime-minister-designate, Stephen Harper, has not […]

The post Who will be Canada’s Next Immigration Minister? first appeared on CIC News.

Canada’s aging population, coupled with the current economic boom, leaves key Alberta growth industries clamoring for skilled workers Dealing with long-term labor challenges, the Canadian Government recognizes the critical role immigrants play in the sustainable development of Canadian industries such as Alberta ‘s Oil and Gas. The government hopes to encourage a swell of new […]

The post More Skilled Workers needed to fuel Western Canada’s Oil and Gas Industries. first appeared on CIC News.

Q: I have submitted my application for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker category. I have since left my employment and have started my own business. Will this affect my application status, and how? A: Quitting your current job may or may not affect your application for Permanent Residence. To qualify under the Skilled […]

The post Question & Answer first appeared on CIC News.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is currently approving a greater number of temporary work permit applications based on provincial assessments submitted through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The Provincial Nominees Program allows provincial governments the ability to effectively bypass Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s (HRSDC) labor market opinion in order to address regional employment […]

The post Facilitated approval for Temporary Work Visas through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) first appeared on CIC News.

The British Columbia (B.C.) Construction Association’s says that 50 per cent more workers in the industry are needed to fill the shortage. This represents an additional 60,000 people than are currently employed in the sector. We don’t have enough of the skilled trades necessary just to carry out the functional construction tasks,” says economics professor […]

The post Vancouver needs more skilled trade workers first appeared on CIC News.

Gulf residents applying for Canadian Permanent Residency in pre-defined categories will be processed through the Abu Dhabi Embassy, instead of the previous London (UK) Visa Office beginning on January 1, 2006. The affected countries are: * Bahrain * Kuwait * Oman * Qatar * United Arab Emirates * Saudi Arabia * Yemen Applications that will […]

The post New Processing procedures for Gulf residents first appeared on CIC News.

With the resignation of four board members in less than four months, The Canadian Bar Association expressing concern, and an independent auditor describing its expenses as “unusually high”, the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) is raising considerable doubt over its ability to self-govern. December 14 2004 – Francisco Rico, formerly a CSIC board member, […]

The post Doubts exist over CSIC’s competence first appeared on CIC News.

Q: I recently received my Canadian Permanent Resident Visa but I have not yet landed in Canada. I am planning to get married soon and would like to know if my future wife can accompany me to Canada? A: Once the permanent resident visa has been issued you cannot include your wife in your application. […]

The post Question & Answer first appeared on CIC News.

Immigration levels to increase by 35% over five years. Canada’s Immigration Minister Joe Volpe confirmed that he is preparing a proposal that will raise the current yearly immigration quota to over 300,000 within five years. Details of the proposal have yet to be released. The initiative would include recruiting more people to work outside of […]

The post Canada’s Immigration Minister Pushing for More Changes first appeared on CIC News.

Canada to fast-track existing family class immigration for individuals affected by the South Asian earthquake. “The government of Canada is committed to helping reunite close family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are seriously and personally affected by the earthquake,” announced Citizenship and Immigration Minister Joe Volpe. Priority is being given to spouses, […]

The post Canada Offers to Reunite Families first appeared on CIC News.

Minister Volpe wants to regularize illegal immigrants. Proposes changes to deal with “Out-of-Status” immigrants. Immigration Minister Joe Volpe has drafted a document to present to the cabinet, which tackles the thorny issue of “undocumented” settlement in Canada. Volpe has not released the details of his proposal, however he has stated that there are “several options” […]

The post Volpe Comments on the Thorny Issue of Illegal Immigration first appeared on CIC News.

Question: What is the difference between Permanent Residency and Citizenship? Answer: A Permanent resident of Canada remains a citizen of his/her country of origin, but is granted the qualified right to live and work in Canada permanently. Canadian Permanent Residents have most of the rights of Canadian citizens. Notable exceptions are the right to vote […]

The post Question & Answer first appeared on CIC News.

Michaëlle Jean immigrated to Canada from Port-au-Prince in 1968 and studied at the University of Montreal as well as Universities in Italy before beginning her career as a Quebec television journalist in 1988. While Jean tended to her pursuit of higher education she assisted hundreds of women and children in crisis, and passionately donated her […]

The post Haitian-Born Immigrant Michaëlle Jean is Canada’s 27th Governor-general first appeared on CIC News.

Almost 400 years since Nova Scotia’s founding fathers embarked on their journey across the Atlantic, John Russell, originally from Clackmannanshire Scotland, is leading a new wave of Scots to the second smallest province in Canada. John and his wife moved to the Atlantic coastal province in August 2004 after spending a picture-postcard holiday there. Inspired […]

The post Nova Scotia’s Bid to Encourage Scottish Immigration. first appeared on CIC News.

On the days leading up to Monday August 29 Hurricane Katrina had set her vengeful eye on America’s Gulf Coast and as she clawed her way inland the people aligned in her path were anticipating the very worst, and rightfully so. Thousands of people eventually made it out with only precious hours to spare before […]

The post Helping the Victims of Hurricane Katrina. first appeared on CIC News.

Question: What does ‘AOR’ mean? Answer: AOR is an acronym that stands for the term “Acknowledgment Of Receipt”. An AOR indicates that the Canadian consulate, embassy, or high commission, has received your application for permanent residency and has issued a case file number for the application submitted. The length of time it takes for an […]

The post Question & Answer first appeared on CIC News.

We at Campbell Cohen wish to welcome you to the New CICNewsletter! We have been burning the midnight oil here at our offices in an effort to revamp CICNews.com. We’ll be overhauling the website over the course of the next few months in order to bring to our audience a fresh, more comprehensive view of […]

The post The New and Improved CICNewsletter! first appeared on CIC News.