Despite controversial measures introduced two years ago to speed up Canada's immigration process, a backlog of skilled immigrant applications appears to be re-emerging, critics say.

According to an analysis of Citizenship and Immigration Canada's latest data, the average processing time from all visa posts is 7 1/2 years, with 600,000 people in the queue for the 80,055 skilled immigrant visas granted in 2010.

The problem, immigration critics say, is twofold: longer waits as the government slowly sifts through the old backlog of applications that still runs in the hundreds of thousands, and a glut of applications to the 38 specific job categories introduced in 2008.

"We have a growing inventory because we have an oversupply of eager candidates," said Richard Kurland, a Vancouver-based immigrant lawyer and policy analyst who obtained the data. "The processing time is going to balloon. This is an early warning of a backlog returning."

To reduce the volume of applications, Kurland said Ottawa needs to trim the occupation list and install a warning system that alerts officials to remove a job category when it generates too many applications.

"It may be unpopular politically, but the immigration minister needs to fix this," Kurland said.

The new legislation was brought in to reduce the backlog and more quickly bring in immigrants whose skills are in demand, although opposition parties at the time warned it wouldn't solve the backlog.

Immigration spokesperson Kelli Fraser acknowledged this week that between March 2008 and now, the department has received 327,843 skilled immigrant applications for the 38 occupations, everything from geologists and specialist physicians to chefs and plumbers. But she said 80 per cent of decisions have been made within seven months or less.

Visa offices facing high workloads include Damascus in Syria, Guatemala, Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago, and Kingston, Jamaica.

The old backlog has been reduced by 40 per cent from 640,000 to roughly 400,000 applicants, she said. Under the old rules, a skilled immigrant application took four to five years to process; "given the size of the backlog, it cannot be reduced overnight," said Fraser.

At a recent immigration conference in Toronto, Immigration Canada's international director general Renald Gilbert said there are numerous challenges, resources being a key one.

"More applications mean a longer backlog," he said, adding over the last four years the federal government more than doubled resources to process temporary foreign worker permits, but increased resources at visa posts abroad by only 7 per cent. Part of the problem is the mismatch between the number of applications and government targets allotted to individual visa posts, said Phil Mooney, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants.

For example, the number of skilled immigrants waiting for visas in Islamabad, Pakistan, is 40,587 but the total number of visas to be granted there in 2010 is only 1,350, according to Kurland's analysis.

The loose description of some qualifying jobs, such as "financial manager" and "college instructor" also contributes to an influx of applications, said Mooney.

And, he worries about the aggressive marketing in some countries by immigration firms, legal and otherwise, that push people to apply even though they only vaguely meet the criteria.

"The sales pitch is very persuasive. The same thing happening now is what was happening before. People can come without a job. When the job market saturates, these people quickly end up at the food bank."

The immigration department just announced this month plans to review labour market needs to update the occupation list.

Close to 600,000 skilled workers around the world are waiting in line to get into Canada with some processing missions showing visa queues that could stretch up to 15 years, a top immigration expert said.
Using data obtained via Access to Information requests, Richard Kurland, a lawyer and one of Canada’s top immigration analysts said that the numbers are an early warning sign for Immigration Canada to act and reduce the waiting times.
There are 594,274 people in inventory waiting for 80,055 skilled workers visas in 2010, Kurland estimated.
“Parliament does not want long processing queues for skilled workers, and gave the Minister of
Citizenship and Immigration harsh policy tools (“C-50”) to be deployed in this kind of situation,’ said Kurland in his latest Lexbase information bulletin.
“The Minister needs to consider downsizing the number of eligible occupations from the current 38, to a much smaller number.”
The global average waiting times for all categories at all missions is 2.64 years.
“But then we examined the skilled workers. A very different picture emerges. Global average for all missions is 7.62 years ,” Kurland noted.
Kurland said downsizing the total number of eligible occupations does not mean Canada loses out on potential immigrants.
“The people who are no longer eligible federally, may apply under Provincial Nominee Programs, or can choose to seek temporary status in Canada under the Foreign Worker Program and subsequently apply under the Canada Experience Class… Canada’s door remains open,” said Kurland.
“It may be unpopular politically, but the Minister needs to fix this.”
Current projections and estimates show processing times for skilled workers of 12.79 years (New Delhi 117,098 people); 7.69 years (Hong Kong 30,763 people); 57.80 years (Nairobi 8,960 people); 33.51
years (Accra 18,688 people), or 30.06 years (Islamabad).
“Experience shows that unless a Minister is able to say ‘no’, processing inventories will bloat, and processing times will continue to lengthen beyond reasonable limits,” warned Kurland.
Kurland’s warning comes as Statistics Canada reported that Vancouver’s visible minority population is on track to become the majority over the next two decades.
The report shows visible minority groups are growing rapidly and will account for 59 per cent of the metro region’s total population by 2031, up from a current figure of about 40 per cent.
Immigration — led by China and South Asia — is a leading factor in the changing demographic picture.
Of the estimated two million visible minorities living in the region in 20 years’ time, one in three will be Canadian-born, the report states.
Nationally, Vancouver’s diversity projections are second only to Toronto, which could be home to 63 per cent of visible minority residents by 2031. The Abbotsford-Mission region ranks third with an estimated population of 39 per cent over the same time period, followed by Calgary (38 per cent), Ottawa (36 per cent), Windsor, (33 per cent) and Montreal (31 per cent).
Meanwhile, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney said he is streamlining the process for assessing the language skills of applicants to the Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience classes.
“The language requirements themselves have not changed,” said Minister Kenney.
“But beginning April 10, 2010, prospective immigrants will be required to prove their English and French language abilities at the time they apply. This requirement supports our commitment to fast, fair and efficient application processing.”
Previously, to prove language ability in French or English, applicants could either submit an independent, third-party test or a written submission to a visa officer.
An immigrant’s English or French language ability is one of the strongest predictors of their success in the job market.
Kenney also announced a new internet resource for newcomers to help them quickly and easily find a range of government services, in addition to settlement services, in their communities
This resource is easy to find at www.servicesfornewcomers.cic.gc.ca.

Annual Contribution of $2 Billion to the Canadian Economy


TORONTO, March 24 /CNW/ - Three prominent Canadian economists recommend that the Canadian government expand its Immigrant Investor Program, which provides an annual contribution estimated at $2 billion to the Canadian economy.

A study released today by Analysis Group measured the economic impact of the Program, which was founded 25 years ago to encourage the immigration of individuals likely to provide a positive economic and social contribution to Canada. In the study, Roger Ware, Professor of Economics at Queen's University, Pierre Fortin, Emeritus Professor of Economics at Université du Québec à Montréal and Pierre Emmanuel Paradis, Senior Economist at Analysis Group, conclude that Canada should welcome more immigrant investors, as they directly contribute to alleviating the country's demographic and economic challenges.

The authors of the study state that the "Immigrant Investor Program should be not only maintained, but expanded. It is financially profitable from a management standpoint, and results in the presence in Canada of thousands of affluent families who significantly contribute to the economy. Moreover, their demographic profile and the integration of the second generation directly contribute to respond positively to our future economic and social challenges. Also, because they still represent only 3% of new immigrants to Canada, their numbers may well be raised substantially."

Since its inception, more than 130,000 individuals have immigrated to Canada through the Immigrant Investor Program. About 34,400 of these immigrants were principal applicants and the rest were their family members. Program participants must demonstrate a net worth of at least $800,000 (all countries combined), commit to an interest-free investment of $400,000 for five years and possess adequate business and management experience.

Mr. Ware, Mr. Fortin and Mr. Paradis indicate that the Canadian Program is clearly competitive vis-à-vis similar initiatives designed to attract wealthy immigrants throughout the developed world. In addition, they recommend that Canadian authorities leverage the study's analysis as a starting point to optimise the Program's criteria and conditions compared to similar international initiatives and improve its weaker aspects. Specifically, they suggest reducing the processing time of applications, analysing the levels of initial contribution and wealth requirements, and improving the integration of new immigrants.

On the selection process, the study states that "although the number of applications processed reached an all-time high of 3,700 in 2008, it represented only half of the total number of applicants during this same year. A huge inventory has resulted from this excess demand, with nearly 9,000 files still waiting to be processed at the end of 2008."

The benefits of the Program include direct foreign cash inflows, productive use of investor funds, acquisition of personal assets (houses, cars, etc.) and personal consumption items, net productive contribution of immigrant workers and entrepreneurs, and the integration of second-generation immigrants in Canadian labour force and society.


Additional findings of the Analysis Group study include:


- top-5 countries of last permanent residence for immigrant investors
in Canada are China (29 %), Hong Kong (23 %), Taiwan (22 %), South
Korea and Iran. After 1999, mainland China became the main source
country, accounting for 53% of all investor immigrants;
- British Columbia is chosen as the primary province of settlement by
49% of all investor immigrants, followed by Ontario (23%) and Quebec
(22%);
- each immigrant investor is accompanied, on average, by three family
members, which is almost twice as much as in other economic immigrant
categories;
- the majority of immigrant investors were between 40 and 49 years old
at the time of immigration;
- educational attainment has substantially improved over time, as the
proportion of individuals with a high school education or less
dropped from 50% to 30% in recent years after 2000;
- immigrant investors are active players in the Canadian economy,
having acquired an average of $721,500 in personal and business
assets in Canada, including real estate;
- a majority of immigrant investors (82% of respondents) reside in
Canada on average between 10 and 12 months a year. About 90% of them
bought an apartment or house after settling in the country;
- among self-employed immigrant investors, some 30% were active in
business in Canada, with 12% having invested more than $1 million in
business assets;
- about 80% participated in philanthropic activities by donating their
time and/or financial support to a charity organization.

وزارت مهاجرت و شهروندی کانادا، در نظر دارد، با توجه به نیاز فعلی بازار کار کشور ، در نوع مشاغل اعلام شده برای مهاجرت متخصصین و همچنین شرایط لازم برای متقاضیان، تجدید نظر کند.
"جیسون کنی" وزیر مهاجرت با اعلام این مطلب افزود:" دولت کانادا از مردم می خواهد نظر خویش را در خصوص نحوه بازسازی اقتصادی کشور از بحران جهانی اخیر، اعلام کنند. این مشاوره می تواند در زمینه های تکمیل نیروی کار متخصص مورد نیاز ، همچنین تنظیم شرایط مناسب برای متقاضیان مهاجرت، جهت جذب آسانتر در بازار باشد."

اطلاعات اخذ شده، بمنظور اجرا در طرح Action Plan for Faster Immigration مورد استفاده قرار خواهد گرفت که اولین بار در فوریه 2008 (شامل 38 رشته فعلی) به منظور کم کردن حجم زیاد متقاضیان و مدت زمان انتظار، ارائه گردید.

جیسون کنی با ابراز رضایت از شیوه اجرای پلان مذکور و موفقیت های اخیر افزود:" Action Plan برای این طراحی شد تا موضوع مهاجرت، تناسب و سازگاری بیشتری با اقتصاد کشور داشته باشد، وقتی شرایط قبلی اقتصادی تغییر می کند، شیوه کار ما نیز باید با آن همخوان گردد."

پیش از اجرای طرح Action Plan for Faster Immigration میزان متقاضیان منتظر برای مهاجرت فدرال، بالغ بر 600،000 نفر بودند که رقم مذکور هم اکنون با 40 درصد مواجه شده است. در حال حاضر افرادی که برای مهاجرت از طریق تخصص و حرفه اقدام می کنند، انتظار دارند که در عرض یکسال ، اقامت خود را دریافت کنند، این درحالیستکه مدت زمان انتظار برای متقاضیان قبلی، حداقل 6 سال بود.

نظرسنجی درباره نحوه بازنگری در رشته های تخصصی و شرایط متقاضیان از نظر امتیاز بخش های مختلف، از طریق سازمان های دست اندرکار فدرال و استانی و همچنین بصورت عمومی و آنلاین تا 16 آوریل 2010 (27 فروردین) انجام و نتایج مربوطه، ملاک نحوه تعریف شرایط مهاجرت متخصصین خواهد شد.

Jason Kenney, the Canadian immigration minister, has announced a new streamlined language assessment process for Canada visa applicants.

The new rules will apply to people looking for a Canadian visa under the skilled worker and Canadian experience classes. Minister Kenney stated, “The language requirements themselves have not changed. But beginning April 10, 2010, prospective immigrants will be required to prove their English and French language abilities at the time they apply. This requirement supports our commitment to fast, fair and efficient application processing.”

The changes are intended to make the Canadian visa application system fairer. Previously, applicants were able to provide a written submission to a visa offer to prove their language capabilities, despite the fact that these submissions were not always a clear indicator of their ability. As a result, these applicant were being asked to provide further evidence, potentially delaying their visa applications by months.

Minister Kenney continued to explain the new rules, “we expect that applicants will have the language skills they claim on their application. Now, applicants in these categories will have only one opportunity to prove their language ability. They can still make a written submission to a visa officer if they wish, but only once.”

ایرانتو: وزارت مهاجرت و شهروندی کانادا، در نظر دارد، با حذف شانس مجدد اثبات مهارت زبان، برای متقاضیان گروه های "متخصصین فدرال" و "تجربه کانادایی" ، از مدت زمان بررسی پرونده ها و صدور شماره فایل، بکاهد.
جیسون کنی، وزیر مهاجرت و شهروندی، دیروز اعلام کرد، کلیه متقاضیانی که از دهم آوریل (21 فرودین) به بعد اقدام نمایند، می بایست مدرک زبان خود را به همراه سایر مدارک، ارسال نمایند و افسران مهاجرت ، بخاطر کمبود امتیاز ، فرصت دیگری را به متقاضی برای ارسال مدارک تکمیلی زبان ، نخواهند داد.

در حال حاضر، اگر افسر مهاجرت تشخیص دهد ، مدرک ارائه شده از سوی متقاضی برای مهارت زبان کافی نیست، با او تماس گرفته و خواهان ارسال مدارک دیگر نظیر آیلتس و غیره می شوند .

بدین ترتیب، پرونده های در حال بررسی دیگر بخاطر زبان متوقف نشده و تصمیم مقتضی درباره آنها اتخاذ می شود و این کار باعث خواهد شد، تقاضاهای بیشتری به جریان بیافتد.

Canadian employers are reporting stable staffing levels, or plans to increase their staffing in the second quarter, a survey by employment services company Manpower Inc found.

The Canadian employment outlook is positive, particularly in the mining industry.
The survey comes ahead of Friday’s employment report for February, which is expected to report a median 20,000 jobs were added in the month.

While most Canadian employers plan to hold staffing levels steady in the second quarter hiring intentions in the country are improved from a year ago.

The vast majority, 75 per cent, of employers expect to maintain their current staffing levels, which suggest stability during the economic recovery, and 17 per cent of employers plan to increase their staffing in the second quarter. This may be due, in part, to the economic
Infrastructure stimulus plan introduced by the Canadian Government that is expected to start shortly, and could see an increase in Canadian immigration to fill skilled worker shortages in the construction and mining industries.

Some 6 per cent of employers expect cutbacks. Two percent are unsure of their hiring intentions.

Hiring intentions were steady across the regions.

Employers in the education and mining industries reported the most favourable results among the 10 surveyed sectors for the second quarter.

Manpower's index is based on interviews with more than 1,900 Canadian employers.

ایرانتو: وزارت مهاجرت و شهروندی کانادا، از توسعه امکانات آنلاین خود برای تازه واردین خبر داد که به آنان کمک می کند دسترسی آسانتری را به سرویس های دولتی داشته باشند.
بر اساس سیستم جدید، تازه واردین می توانند ، خدمات مختلف دولتی در محل سکونت خود را یافته و از آنها استفاده کنند.

نظیر چگونگی دریافت گواهینامه رانندگی، کلاس های آموزش زبان، یافتن شغل، امور بهداشت و درمان یا سایر برنامه های عمومی.

امکانات جدید ،همچنین به آنان کمک می کند با سرعت بیشتری در محله ای که اقامت دارند و همچنین مردم و همسایگان خود جذب گشته و با آنان ارتباط برقرار نمایند.

در این بخش که در زیرمجموعه سایت وزارت مهاجرت و شهروندی قرار گرفته ، متقاضیان، با پرسش های گام به گام، به سمت درخواست خود پیش می روند. تا دقیقا به خدمات مربوط به شهر خود برسد.

یکی از بزرگترین امتیازات سیستم جدید، پرهیز از جستجو های بی مورد و طولانی در اینترنت است.

برای ورود به سیستم جدید به آدرس زیر مراجعه کنید
http://servicesfornewcomers.cic.gc.ca/

From finding information on how to start a new business to opening a bank account, there are many steps newcomers take to successfully make their way in Canada. Now, an internet resource has been created for newcomers to help them quickly and easily find a range of government services, in addition to settlement services, in their communities, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today. This resource is easy to find at www.servicesfornewcomers.cic.gc.ca.

“The Services for Newcomers resource has been put in place to help newcomers find the private sector and government services they need to succeed. With this resource, newcomers will easily find the many services available to them, such as how to buy their first home,” said Minister Kenney. “This can only increase their chance of successful integration within their new communities, and this is an important goal for Canada.”

The Services for Newcomers resource helps newcomers to Canada locate settlement services in their community, as well as find a range of other federal, provincial, and territorial government services. Newcomers will be able to e-mail the results of their searches to themselves, family members or other newcomers, making it easier to keep track of their search results. This on-line resource will be updated and expanded continually to add more information on services newcomers will likely be searching for when they first arrive.

Settlement services are an essential part of the federal government’s immigration program. CIC funds a number of services, including language training, employment related assistance and community service referrals to help newcomers settle, adapt and integrate into Canadian society. These services are delivered in partnership with provinces, territories and community-based organizations. Since 2006, the Government of Canada has tripled immigrant settlement funding, after it had been previously frozen for years.

The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) is applauding the Federal government's intention to shut down unscrupulous immigration consultants, announced today during the Speech from the Throne.

Unscrupulous ghost agents who pose as immigration consultants often exploit prospective immigrants for their own gain. They don't have to prove their competence and they're not accountable to anyone.

Governor General Michaëlle Jean delivered the speech, which promised that "to better protect would-be immigrants, our Government will take steps to shut down unscrupulous immigration consultants."

"It's very encouraging that the government is heeding CSIC's call for action on ghost agents," said John Ryan, CSIC Chair and Acting CEO. "I look forward to seeing the details of their plan."

The pledge comes just one month after CSIC hosted the first annual National Immigrant Protection Day to draw attention to the ghost agent problem and offer recommendations to the government.

CSIC also launched new initiatives to protect prospective immigrants, including a national ad campaign to warn them about the dangers of ghost agents and a toll-free referral line to make it easier for them to find a licenced immigration consultant.

"We're doing our part and it's great that the Federal government is doing its part as well," said Ryan. "I look forward to continuing to work with the government to put ghost agents out of business."


The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants is the professional regulatory body for immigration consultants in Canada. Established in 2004 it currently has more than 1660 members. CSIC's mandate is to protect consumers of immigration consulting services. Consequently, it is responsible for ensuring the education, competency testing and the discipline of its members. CSIC also requires its members to carry errors and omissions insurance and to contribute to a compensation fund.

The payroll employment survey by Statistics Canada tracks the number of paid positions based on tax information submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency by businesses.

The job gains in December were widespread, with 61 per cent of industries reporting gains, the highest share since October 2007.

The construction sector has increased by 19,300 (2.4 per cent) since August, and other industries with ties to construction had either modest job growth or small declines. The demand for skilled workers in the construction and related industries may continue to grow, as the Canadian Prime Minister announced late January that the upcoming Canadian construction season in April and May will be extremely busy due to the infrastructure stimulus programs introduced by the Canadian Government in 2009.

It is expected that targeted Canadian immigration will assist with the shortage in construction and skilled workers.

The Canadian Visa Bureau Job Seeker Service aims to link Canadian employers with British tradespeople, such as electricians, plumbers, construction supervisors, welders, crane operators, tilesetters and plasterers.

Unlike a recruitment agency, the Canadian Visa Bureau Job Seeker Service works as a specialised service for migrants, with access to both an active government job bank of potential employers, a dedicated onshore Job Search Agent, and the ability to assist with Canadian Work Permit applications.

The Canadian Visa Bureau can offer assistance in finding Canadian jobs for migrants working in any of the occupations that feature on the Canadian Visa Bureau Job Seeker Opportunities List, provided they have the qualifications and experience required by the Canada employer.

There were only two sectors in which the majority of industries had job declines in December: transportation and warehousing, and public administration.

Canadian workers also saw the fastest year-over-year growth in average weekly earnings since October 2008, which employment peaked.
Average weekly earnings, including overtime, of payroll employees rose to $837.08 in December, up 2.8 per cent from December 2008.

Recent changes to the Provincial Nominee Program in New Brunswick will now allow residents to sponsor their family members outside Canada to join them in the province.



According to Business New Brunswick Minister Victor Boudreau, "The immediate family members of permanent residents should be afforded an opportunity to be successful in New Brunswick."

Changes to the program are targeted towards skilled workers and entrepreneurs.

"This program change encourages retention by attracting newcomers with a genuine desire to stay in New Brunswick. Ultimately, we want our staff processing applications from individuals who are sincere about establishing businesses in our province," said Boudreau.

Previously nominees needed a job offer or business plan; however the new changes will create a new category enabling skilled workers with existing family members in New Brunswick to apply.

Boudreau admits that the job search can be daunting so under this program, residents can help skilled family members establish face-to-face contacts to find jobs.

Two years ago, New Brunswick welcomed almost 2,000 immigrants under this program, however plans are underway by the Population Growth Secretariat to not only attract approximately 5,000 immigrants by 2015 but also to find ways to increase the province's retention rate.

Executive Director of the Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area, Lorraine LeClair thinks that the new changes will be more effective for both the province and new immigrants. "I think it's going to be a good initiative for New Brunswick," she said. "It's also going to be a great thing for our newcomers so that they'll be able to keep their families together and have an opportunity to bring more folks to New Brunswick. It shows that there are roots that are going to be built here...it keeps that family unit as a whole and it shows that we're a welcoming community, not just for the bottom line, but for a healthier, overall family environment."

LeClair also hopes that the changes will help meet the population growth goals as well as provide benefits to newcomers.

Immigrants applying as entrepreneurs who want to establish a business in New Brunswick are required to submit a deposit, which will be refunded if they establish a business within two years of arriving in the province and it stays in operation for at least one year.

The Quebec government has announced a new program to accelerate permanent residency status for foreign-trained workers, a move that has been applauded by Montreal technology firms.



Immigration and Cultural Communities Minister Yolande James made the announcement earlier this week at the Science Centre in Montreal’s Old Port accompanied by the executives leading technology firms, Electronic Arts, and CGI.

During the announcement Minister James said the technology industry was one example of an industry that suffers from a lack of skilled workers and must rely on Canadian immigration to alleviate the shortage.

Bernard de Jaham, the vice-president of mobility for Montreal International, said the new program will help Montreal retain foreign workers who are recruited to work here.

“It makes the process very easy to get a certificate of selection, which is the first document you need to become a permanent resident,” Mr De Jaham said.

Mr De Jaham said it will now take a few days or weeks to obtain the certificate, taking several weeks off the previous waiting time.

Those eligible for the program must have worked for at least one year in Quebec, and must have an intermediate knowledge of French.

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When searching for employment in Canada, it is important for candidates to be prepared, not just to integrate into the Canadian workforce, but to organize a job search that is targeted specifically to the Canadian market. To do a thorough job search use the following link:

http://www.itc-canada.com/jobs_tool/index.asp

New Canadians as well as those in the process of immigrating to Canada find that a focussed job search enables them to find work in their own field relatively quickly.

Before beginning a Canadian job search, some candidates in regulated professions must first determine what they need to do to get their foreign credentials recognised. The Canadian government recently announced a plan to speed up foreign credential recognition and make it more standardized throughout the provinces, which will simplify the process for many professionals.

Building a résumé tailored to the Canadian job market is the starting point of a Canadian job search. After creating their Canadian résumé, applicants often find they benefit from additional guidance on how to effectively present their international background and skill set to a Canadian employer.

In addition, it is important for applicants to research the job outlook in their profession throughout Canada to decide where they should focus their job hunting efforts, and become familiar with Canadian employer expectations.

Above all, it is important to keep in mind that Canada’s economic needs are the driving force behind its immigration programs. The aging workforce and labour market shortages in the country mean that there are opportunities for new Canadians across the country—candidates just need to know where and how to look.

Temporary residents seeking work permits or an extension of their visit in Canada can now apply online, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

“Extending our online services to more temporary residents will significantly facilitate the application process by providing faster, more accessible and efficient services,” said Minister Kenney.

Forms submitted by mail often need to be returned because they are incomplete, adding additional time to the process. Applications online can only be submitted if they are complete, thereby contributing to faster processing. The service is open to all temporary residents except for co-op program work permit applicants.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) intends to make all types of applications available online in the future.

CIC first began offering online applications in June 2008, international students studying in Canada being the first to have access. Since then, international students have submitted close to 33,000 online applications. International students at over 200 participating educational institutions have been able to apply online for an off-campus work permit, confirm their eligibility online and renew their study permit while in Canada. They can also use our online services to apply for or extend the status of their dependent family members currently living in Canada.

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today proposed regulations to better protect the rights of live‑in caregivers and to make it easier for them and their families to obtain permanent residence in Canada. The announcement follows extensive consultations with caregiver groups from across the country, as well as heartfelt testimony before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

The first proposed change to the Live-in Caregiver Program eliminates the requirement for live-in caregivers to undergo a second medical examination when applying to become permanent residents, a change advocated by the late Juana Tejada.

Ms. Tejada developed cancer while working as a live-in caregiver. She was initially denied permanent resident status when she did not pass her second medical examination. It was only through special ministerial intervention that she gained status in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

“Our government fully supports the ‘Juana Tejada Law.’ We propose to implement this change in her honour, to ensure that no one else has to endure this same painful experience,” said Minister Kenney.

Another proposed change will allow live-in caregivers who work overtime to apply for permanent residence sooner. Currently, live-in caregivers must work for two years within the first three years of entry into the program before they can apply for permanent residence in Canada. Unfortunately, events – such as pregnancies or loss of employment – have resulted in some live-in caregivers not meeting the two-year requirement.

Under the new measure, live-in caregivers would be eligible to apply for permanent residence after 3,900 work hours – the equivalent of working a standard work week for two years. Also, a portion of their overtime hours could count toward the work requirement and enable caregivers to apply for permanent residence sooner. Equally important, these changes would also increase the time that live-in caregivers are allowed to complete the work requirement from three to four years.

“These important changes help fulfil Canada’s duty to those who care for our young, our disabled and our elderly,” Minister Kenney said. “The Government of Canada is taking action to protect foreign workers from potential abuse and exploitation.”

Additional administrative changes to the program will also require employers of live-in caregivers to pay for:

•travel costs for live-in caregivers to come to Canada;
•medical insurance until live-in caregivers become eligible for provincial health coverage; and
•workplace safety insurance and any recruiting fees owed to third parties.
Employment contracts will have to spell out these employer-paid benefits. They will also have to include clauses clearly outlining job duties, hours of work, overtime and holidays, sick leave, and termination and resignation terms.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will work closely with caregiver groups to improve information packages that live-in caregivers receive before they leave for Canada. CIC will also set up a dedicated live-in caregiver hotline. Emergency processing of work permits and new authorization requests from employers to hire a live-in caregiver will help caregivers when they need to change employers urgently. Live-in caregivers will continue to be able to apply for study permits when they want to take courses longer than six months; they do not need study permits for shorter courses.

Today’s announcement builds on recently proposed regulatory changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Employers found to have provided significantly different wages, working conditions or occupations than they promised may be put on a blacklist making them ineligible to hire a live-in caregiver for two years under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Employers on this blacklist could be identified on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website in order to inform prospective and current temporary foreign workers of ineligible employers.

The Live-in Caregiver Program helps Canadians recruit caregivers to live and work in the homes of those they care for in order to provide child care or support for seniors or people with disabilities. The program facilitates the entry of qualified caregivers into Canada when there is a shortage of Canadians or permanent residents to fill available live-in caregiver positions. Because of Canada’s ageing population, the program is expected to grow in the years ahead. In 2008, Canada admitted 12,878 live-in caregivers.

The proposed changes to the Live-in Caregiver Program will be published in the Canada Gazette on December 19 for a 30-day comment period open to all Canadians. Final regulatory changes will be published after this period.

Ottawa, October 9, 2009 — The Government of Canada is taking further action to strengthen the protection of temporary foreign workers, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

“Temporary foreign workers play an important role in the Canadian economy,” the Minister said. “We have a duty to them, employers and all Canadians, to ensure that the program is fair and equitable.”

Today the Minister announced proposed regulatory amendments to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program which include:

a more rigorous assessment of the genuineness of the job offer;
limits to the length of a worker’s stay in Canada before returning home; and
a two-year prohibition from hiring a temporary foreign worker for employers found to have provided significantly different wages, working conditions or occupations than promised.
One of the factors in assessing the genuineness of a job offer would be an employer’s past compliance with federal or provincial labour laws – which in some cases prohibit the charging of fees, for example. Employers found to be in violation may be refused authorization to hire a foreign worker.

Employers prohibited from hiring a temporary foreign worker for two years will be named on the Citizenship and Immigration website.

“The regulatory changes being proposed today are the result of extensive consultations and address the most significant concerns identified through that process,” said Minister Kenney.

“These changes are an important step by our government,” said Human Resources and Skills Development Minister Diane Finley. “They reiterate that our government is committed to improving the integrity of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, while ensuring that temporary foreign workers filling a need in sectors where there are still labour shortages are afforded the necessary protections.”

A key element of the measures is to limit the length of such workers’ stay in Canada before returning home. Under the plan, after a cumulative total of four years in Canada, they would not be eligible to work in Canada for six years.

This reflects the fact that the program is designed to address short-term labour market shortages and is not a solution to long-term labour needs. Exceptions would be allowed under certain circumstances.

Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program helps address temporary labour shortages by allowing employers to hire foreign workers when sufficient numbers of Canadian workers are not readily available.

For those unfamiliar with Ontario's education system, making sense of it can be difficult.
The Chinese Professionals Association of Canada (CPAC) is helping to sort through the confusion by hosting an Education Day on Sunday, Oct. 17 at Earl Haig Secondary School. Running from noon to 6 p.m., the event, in its second year, will include seminars, workshops and keynote speeches.

"The education system in Canada is very unique in the world," said Howard Shen, president of CPAC and CPAC Education Foundation. "These families are deeply concerned that they do not have the knowledge and pertinent information on the Canadian education systems and other relevant services."

While CPAC offers settlement, education and employment services to immigrants throughout the year, Shen considers Education Day to be the "crown jewel" of his community events. More than a dozen workshops on topics related to career development and education will be held throughout the day, concluding with a job fair and information booths from universities and colleges in Ontario.

Last year's event was considered by Shen to be a big success and he expects more than 1,000 participants to attend this time around. One special attendee will be Provincial Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Michael Chan, who will be addressing the participants in the main auditorium at the beginning of the day.

Events like this were rare when Shen first came to Canada from China about 20 years ago.

"As a newcomer at that time, the most challenging things for me were a lack of Canadian experience, knowledge of Canadian culture and a local education," said Shen.

He is trying to address all of those issues through his work with CPAC so that newer immigrants can be put on the fast track to success. Legislation in Ontario has helped to improve fair access to professional positions, but Shen's work is far from complete. With the help of organizations like CPAC, success for immigrants is much more attainable than it was decades ago.

"I think the opportunities for new immigrants have been significantly increased in the past one to two decades in Canada," said Shen. "New immigrants have been contributing a lot to Canada's economic and social development. Meanwhile, Canada also provides a great growing place for these newcomers."

Education Day is a free event, but those interested must pick up tickets from participating HSBC branches or the CPAC office, located at 4168 Finch Ave. E.

Despite mounting unemployment, a shaky economy and the ballooning provincial deficit, the grass still looks green enough in Alberta to lure thousands of newcomers who have an impact on everything from the jobless rate to the price of a home.

Alberta outpaced every other province in population growth in the second quarter, from April to June, at 0.59 per cent, according to the latest Statistics Canada figures.

"The main contributors to the province's growth were immigration and natural increase," said the federal agency.

There were 3,687,662 Albertans as of July 1, including 21,466 residents new to the province in the three previous months.

Of those, 4,737 people moved from other provinces--the largest interprovincial migration in Canada.

Alberta also attracted 6,623 people from other countries, excluding temporary and non-permanent residents.

But with Alberta unemployment at 7.4 per cent in August, double the rate of a year ago, what is behind their arrival?

"The key word is relative," said ATB Financial economist Dan Sumner said on Wednesday. "The economy in Alberta is still relatively better than a lot of other areas in the country.

"If you look at our unemployment rates, that tells a big story. Out in Ontario they're in the high nines and here we're in the mid-sevens."

Most of Alberta's growth comes at the expense of Ontario, which lost 4,000 people--its biggest second-quarter migration deficit since 1990.

In Alberta, the new arrivals are showing up in provincial economic indicators, starting with the jobless rate.

"The near four-percentage-points surge in the unemployment rate... has largely been due to unabated growth in the labour force rather than a large drop in employment," TD Bank economist Pascal Gauthier said in his resale housing outlook released Wednesday.

"It can also add strain to government spending programs, as demand for things like schools and hospitals grows with the population," Sumner said.

But overall, strong migration helps the Alberta economy by boosting retail sales and demand for housing, he said. During the boom, employers also complained they couldn't find staff.

"It's not where it was two years ago when (in-migration) was the best thing that could happen to Alberta," Sumner said, "but on net, I would absolutely say it's still a good thing for the province. "We still have skilled-labour shortage issues."

Alberta's second-quarter population growth is down from the 7,144 people who moved to Alberta in the first quarter. It has also fallen from a year ago, when provincial demographic growth was 0.80 per cent.

TD Bank's Gauthier blamed that slowdown of inward migration for pushing Calgary's local home sales down from a peak of more than 3,000 homes a month in early 2007 to 2,000 units late last year.

In Edmonton, the TD report predicts 2009 will post a 3.5-per-cent decline in home prices, the second consecutive year of decline.

"Nonetheless, after falling 10 per cent from their peak, home values are slowly on the mend, and back in line with a more sustainable long-term up trend," said the report.

It predicts home prices will increase yearly by a "modest" 2.8 per cent in 2010, or 1.5 per cent when inflation is factored in.

By 2011, it predicts a 1.5-per-cent price growth, or nil in inflation-adjusted terms.

For the second year in a row, the World Economic Forum has ranked Canada’s banking system ‘the soundest in the world,’ and given Canada top marks for the ease of starting a business. The Immigrant Investor Program, a category of Canadian Business Immigration, is an essential Canadian immigration option for business people who have accumulated a high net worth and wish to take advantage of Canada’s opportunities, such as a five-year ‘tax holiday’ for new Canadian permanent residents. There are two Immigrant Investor programs: the Federal Investor program, and the Quebec Investor program. While the requirements for both programs seem similar, the Quebec Investor program has slightly different conditions than the Federal Investor program, and, depending on the applicant’s country of residence, may provide a faster route to a Canadian immigrant (permanent resident) visa.

The Federal Investor program is geared towards people who intend to settle anywhere in Canada outside of the province of Quebec, while individuals who wish to settle in the Province of Quebec apply under the Quebec Investor program. .

For both programs, applicants must have legally acquired a minimum net worth of CAD $800,000. In addition, applicants under both programs must agree to make a government guaranteed investment CAD$400,000, which can be financed. Five years after the investment is made, this sum is returned to the applicant, without interest. .

In addition, the applicants under both programs must show at least two years of qualifying business experience in the last five years. This is where the requirements differ between the two programs. .

The Federal Investor category considers management experience only in commercial enterprises, whereas the Quebec Investor category is not limited to commercial enterprises and considers management experience of any kind. For this reason, the Quebec Investor category may appeal to individuals with broader management backgrounds. .

The processing times also vary between the two programs. While immigration to Quebec is a two-step process involving both provincial and federal immigration authorities, Quebec-selected applicants are fast-tracked at the federal level. As well, Quebec Immigrant Investor applications are often processed fairly quickly at the provincial level. As a result, applicants under the Quebec program often find that their application takes less time to process than those of applicants under the federal program, but this depends on the visa offices involved in processing the application. (CIC)

Toronto, September 10, 2009 – An in–home program that helps parents prepare their children for school and connect with services in their communities is expanding its family literacy program in several Canadian cities with the help of two federal departments.

Known as HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Pre–School Youngsters), the program celebrated its 10–year anniversary in Canada today with nearly $3.5 million in funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

HIPPY Canada helps immigrant families better understand Canadian language, life and culture in the comfort of their own home. It also helps them develop friendships and a sense of connectedness, and learn to access services in the community. This federal funding expands services at HIPPY’s operations in the Toronto region and at three new sites in Halifax, Red Deer and Ottawa, creating family literacy opportunities for an additional 600 newcomer families. It also introduces a new curriculum that dramatically increases Canadian content in the HIPPY program.

“For the past 10 years, HIPPY has been helping families overcome isolation and participate in society,” said the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. “With these additional investments, HIPPY will be able to expand its reach to more Canadian cities to help newcomer families improve their language and literacy skills, maximizing their contribution to our society.”

“With today’s announcement, more families will benefit from HIPPY’s program,” said the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. “I am particularly pleased that we are supporting the completion of a new curriculum that dramatically increases Canadian content in HIPPY’s learning materials.”

HIPPY promotes parents as a child’s first educator. Through culturally sensitive program delivery in the family home, HIPPY has established a record of reducing social isolation and fostering active participation by parents in Canadian society. Since it was established in 1999, HIPPY Canada has delivered family literacy services to more than 2,500 people. It currently serves over 600 immigrant and First Nation families per year at eight Canadian locations, including those in British Columbia and Quebec.

“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate 10 years in Canada than knowing our best days are ahead,” said Dr. Miriam Westheimer, HIPPY’s International Director. “With the support of the federal government, we can build on our foundation of success with three more sites and a dramatic expansion of Canadian content in our curriculum. I want to congratulate Debbie Bell and the entire HIPPY Canada team for their inspiring commitment to family literacy.”

Of the $3,487,326 in funding, $3,150,544 comes from Citizenship and Immigration Canada and $336,782 comes from Human Resources and Skills Development.

HIPPY Canada is a branch of HIPPY International, which has community literacy programs operating in more than 10 countries worldwide – including more than 172 in the United States.

Federal immigration officials are looking into a scheme in which some foreign students are allegedly buying their way into Canada by enrolling in but not attending private language schools springing up in the GTA.

The scam involves Korean students who are here to study English for six months or longer. They are eligible for a work permit, which Canadian officials said allows them to take the jobs of Canadians, and they can then apply for permanent residency based on the work experience.

"The tuition fees paid to the private language schools effectively becomes the cost of purchasing a work permit," said Martin Mundel, an immigration counsellor and program manager at the Canadian embassy in Seoul. "The value has recently increased given the prospect of obtaining work despite the global economic downturn."

The scam surfaces as thousands of Toronto students get ready to return to classrooms on Tuesday.

"The majority of prospective students in certain programs do not actually attend a single course," Mundel said. "A very small proportion of students authorized to work and study in any given year ever attend any courses."

Mundel alerted his bosses in Ottawa last May of the scam. He estimates Korean students, who do not need a visa to travel here, generate about $1 billion yearly for Canada through tuition, books, clothing and other needs.

"The growing popularity of this route ... is reflected in a significant jump in demand for internship and co-op placements," he said in a confidential memo that was obtained by lawyer Richard Kurland and made available to Sun Media.

"The value to Canada of Korean students is in excess of $1 billion per year," Mundel said. It is roughly "equal to the value to Korea of their automotive sales to Canada."

Mundel said the demand from Korean students for internship and co-op placements at Canadian schools spiked from under 10% in 2007 to more than 40% in 2009. Keun Ha Kim, president of the 28-member Federation of Korean Canadian Associations, said most of the students return home after studying here.

Canadian Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced the implementation of the redesigned permanent resident card, introduced on 24 August 2009.

"Thanks to state-of-the-art security features, this redesigned permanent resident card will help prevent the fraudulent use of Canada's immigration documents and protect the integrity of our immigration system," said Minister Kenney. "The new card contains security features that comply with international standards for travel documents. Technology is continuously evolving and it is important that our standards keep up."

The card has micro-lettering and fine line patterns that are difficult to copy which is similar to that found in banknotes. The card holder's photograph and details are recorded on a bar code in an encrypted format so that it can only read by authorised officials.
New permanent residents receive the card automatically when their visa is approved. Those who currently have permanent residence will receive the new card when their existing card expires.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada reminds people that permanent residents should check the expiry date on their existing card and, if necessary, apply for a new card well ahead of any overseas trip. This wallet-sized plastic card is required for all permanent residents of Canada seeking to re-enter Canada by airplane, boat, train or bus.

Children in Canada returned to school this week and young immigrants found themselves being given a helping hand settling in.

Canadian immigration launched a program a year ago to help children of immigrants who made the move to Canada to settle into school more easily. This week the program has been taking place again.

The Newcomer Orientation Week (NOW) is funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and is run by Kitchener-Waterloo YMCA Cross Cultural and Immigrant Service.

NOW involves school children mentoring their immigrant friends. Many of the mentoring children started their previous school year as a part of the program and re-joined as a mentor to help new students that are in the position they were once in.

NOW lasts for four days and during the sessions the young immigrants are shown where the lockers are, how to use them and what wing their classes are taking place in. Often the students attending have had trouble with their English and so simply learning what “wing” is makes a big difference in feeling comfortable in the school.

Making friends is a big part of NOW as well. Games are played, including quizzes and treasure hunts around the school helping them learn their way around and make friends all at the same time.

Jane Wei, a settlement worker at Dr. Norman Bethune CI said: “The program was designed to provide information and friendship, for sure. But we also have a guidance councillor coming in to talk about the school system, the credits you need for graduation. Peer leaders teach newcomers how to read their time table, how to use the agenda, what materials they need for classes.”

This week, Nova Scotia announced that a new stream is being added to its Provincial Nomination Program (PNP), known as the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP). Under the NSNP Non-Dependent Children of Nova Scotia Nominees stream, non-dependent children of people previously nominated by the province will be able to apply for fast-track Canadian immigration.

The goal of this new stream is to attract the non-dependent children of previous Nova Scotia nominees, to help the province fulfill its demographic and labour market needs.

“With an aging and declining population, we are committed to attracting even more immigrants to Nova Scotia. This new option is an important first step,” said Nova Scotia Immigration Minister Ramona Jannex.

Non-dependent children of Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents may qualify to immigrate if their parents immigrated to Canada under the NSNP, have resided in Nova Scotia for at least three months, and still reside in the province.

“This is a stream that opens up [an] avenue for families to reunite here in Nova Scotia and stay in Nova Scotia,” Jannex said.

Applicants must show the intention to permanently settle in Nova Scotia, and demonstrate that they will be able to integrate into the province’s labour market and economy. They must have been named on their parents’ Canadian immigration applications, and fulfill certain age, language, education and training requirements.

As well, applicants must either have a minimum of one year of full-time work experience in their field of studies within the last five years, or demonstrate that they have employment prospects in Nova Scotia.

Successful applicants will receive a Nomination Certificate from Nova Scotia, and must then submit their application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for federal approval of their application. CIC fast-tracks the processing of applications from provincial nominees.

Faced with a steady slowdown in labour force growth caused by an extended period of declining birth rates and a sharp increase in the number of retiring “baby boomers,” Canada and several other developed countries are likely to experience severe labour shortages over the next 30 to 50 years.

In addition, the country will experience a significant increase in the dependency ratio (i.e. the ratio of population 65 years + to working age) and ultimately a decline in per capita incomes.

Many who have studied this problem have concluded that by admitting more immigrants, Canada could ensure there would be a sufficient number of new entrants into the labour force.

In turn this could help avoid a worker shortfall and help to maintain the country’s relatively high standard of living.

This theory is challenged in a recent study by the C.D. Howe Institute: Faster, Younger, Richer?

According to C.D. Howe, only by boosting immigration to unrealistically high levels would Canada be able to offset the effect of persistently low fertility rates, limit the increase in the dependency ratio and help prevent a significant deterioration in the overall standard of living.

Avoiding this latter outcome is particularly challenging given that, on balance, net immigration has little impact on output.

Given the limited benefits and relatively high costs of using immigration to solve our demographic problems, the study’s authors suggest three major policy reforms:

A gradual move to delay the normal retirement age, recognizing that today’s 70 year olds are in better shape than 65 year olds were in the 1980s.


Measures to raise fertility, boost labour force growth in the near term and reduce the dependency ratio in the longer term.


Finally, the study indicates that improvements in productivity would have a direct positive impact on future living standards irrespective of flagging growth of the labour force or rising dependency ratios.
The study emphasizes that in the longer term, increased immigration by itself is not really a viable solution to either our “baby bust” or our “retirement boom.”

Only when immigration is complemented by some or all of the three policy measures outlined above is it likely to achieve a satisfactory outcome.

Similar to the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the "Quebec Experience Class" (PEQ: Programme de l’expérience québécoise), is a new accelerated immigration program that will allow international students and Temporary Foreign Workers in Quebec to apply to immigrate permanently to Quebec.



The PEQ, which will be put into effect before October, 2009 will be even more simplified than the CEC process, and applicants will be able to qualify sooner under the PEQ than the CEC after they first arrive in Canada.

Under the PEQ, foreign students will be eligible to apply for a Certificat de Sélection du Quebec (Quebec Selection Certificate, a document that allows the holder to immigrate to Quebec, commonly known as a CSQ) if they:

Have obtained a degree or diploma from an educational institution recognized by the Quebec Ministry of Education;
Have studied in Quebec for at least 1,800 hours (two years); and
Show that have successfully completed a level B1 French course at a Quebec educational institution, if their studies were not completed in French.
The PEQ offers an advantage to foreign students in Quebec in that they do not need work experience in Quebec to be eligible for the PEQ and can even begin the application process six months before their expected graduation date. However, their applications will only be assessed upon submission of proof that they have graduated.

Temporary Foreign Workers in Quebec will be eligible to apply for a CSQ if they:

Have 12 months of Quebec work experience in a skilled, managerial or professional occupation in the 24 months prior to their application:
Are employed and show legal status in Quebec at the time of their application; and
Show that have successfully completed a level B1 French course at a Quebec educational institution, or provide results of a standardized French proficiency test. Alternatively, they can show that they have satisfied the French language requirements of the professional order governing their occupation in Quebec.
Temporary foreign workers in Quebec only need one year of eligible work experience to qualify for the PEQ, whereas temporary foreign workers elsewhere in Canada need twice the amount of work experience before they become eligible for the CEC.

According to a new proposal by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Canadian government is expected to fast-track people from counties that are generally deemed safe who make a visa application.



In a push by the Conservative party for reform to make the Canadian visa system more similar to the British, this proposal will attempt to speed up the laborious and lengthy process that is Canadian immigration.

Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney would not comment on the details of what the reform would include, but he did describe the fast-track proposal.

He said the fast-track reform is: "One dominant idea that has been proposed that I think is worth consideration. The reality is there's been, for good reason, a great deal of caution from successive governments about this issue."

The reform, if it passes, will change the system so that visa applicants from countries that are generally deemed "safe" will be able to enter the county much more quickly, freeing up resources to allow other applicants to also have their visa application judged more quickly.

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney today announced the signing of an agreement to help attract new immigrants to the Northwest Territories.

Minister Kenney made the announcement with his territorial colleagues, Education, Culture and Employment Minister Jackson Lafferty and Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Bob McLeod.

"I am very pleased to announce the very first nominee agreement with the Northwest Territories today," Minister Kenney said. "This pilot initiative will better extend and strengthen the benefits of immigration for the Northwest Territories and allow it to bring in the immigrants it needs faster. Provincial nominee programs are an important part of our government's focus on ensuring that our immigration system aligns with labour market needs."

The Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) is operated by the Government of the Northwest Territories through an agreement with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The program will help strengthen the Territories' economy by attracting qualified individuals to fill critical labour shortages and promote business development.

"This program will allow us to encourage the migration of skilled workers to the Northwest Territories," Minister Lafferty said. "Foreign workers can assist us in building a strong, balanced and diversified economy that will benefit all Northerners."

Individuals nominated by the territorial government are eligible to

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) have announced that they are to roll out the Transit Without Visa (TWOV) Program nationwide.

The TWOV programme allows citizens of particular counties, who have valid US visas, to also move to Canada without having a Canadian visa.

The programme applies to people from Indonesia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand and China, although China is included on a trial basis for a year from 30 July 2009. Anyone from China hoping to transit Canada via the China Transit Trial scheme must have left for Canada from Shanghai, Taipei, Manila, Hong Kong, Guangzhou or Beijing.

People are only able to transit Canada under the scheme if they have a valid US visa, are booked onto an onward flight leaving Canada immediately and have passports proving citizenship of one of the participating countries. They must also have arrived in Canada on either China Airlines, Cathay Pacific or Philippine Airlines. Travellers transiting under the scheme are prevented from applying for temporary residency in Canada.

Although the scheme is being rolled out, Vancouver airport is currently the only one eligible to accept TWOV flights and passengers.

The “Programme de l’expérience québécoise,” or “Quebec Experience Class” (PEQ), is a new, accelerated immigration program that will allow international students and Temporary Foreign Workers in Quebec to apply to immigrate permanently to Quebec. The PEQ, which will be put into effect before October, 2009, shares some aspects with its federal counterpart, the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), which began accepting applications in September 2008. However, the PEQ process will be even more simplified than the CEC process, and applicants will be able to qualify sooner under the PEQ than the CEC after they first arrive in Canada.

Both immigration programs operate under a “pass-fail” model, which means that if all the requirements for the program are met, the applicant is eligible. However, if any of the requirements for either program are not met, the applicant is not eligible to apply under that program.

Under both the PEQ and the CEC, there are two different streams: one for foreign students, and another for Temporary Foreign Workers.

Under the PEQ, foreign students will be eligible to apply for a Certificat de Sélection du Quebec (Quebec Selection Certificate, a document that allows the holder to immigrate to Quebec, commonly known as a CSQ) if they:
1. Have obtained a degree or diploma from an educational institution recognized by the Quebec Ministry of Education;
2. Have studied in Quebec for at least 1,800 hours (two years); and
3. Show that have successfully completed a level B1 French course at a Quebec educational institution, if their studies were not completed in French.

Temporary Foreign Workers in Quebec will be eligible to apply for a CSQ if they:
1. Have 12 months of Quebec work experience in a skilled, managerial or professional occupation in the 24 months prior to their application:
2. Are employed and show legal status in Quebec at the time of their application; and
3. Show that have successfully completed a level B1 French course at a Quebec educational institution, or provide results of a standardized French proficiency test. Alternatively, they can show that they have satisfied the French language requirements of the professional order governing their occupation in Quebec.

Applying under the PEQ is a more simplified and accelerated process than applying under the CEC. While the Canadian Experience Class is a fast-track application at the federal level, its application process requires the submission of complete documentation to the Canadian Immigration Visa Office for assessment. On the other hand, applicants under the PEQ will be able to apply online and submit minimal documentation to the Quebec Immigration Visa Office.

Because the application process for the PEQ is so simplified, Quebec immigration authorities expect the assessment of applications under the PEQ to be completed relatively rapidly.

However, applying to immigrate to Quebec under any category is a two-step process in which an applicant first obtains a CSQ, and then submits their application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for federal approval before their Canadian Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa can be issued. Federal immigration authorities are responsible for processing criminal and medical checks.

All applications from individuals who have obtained a CSQ are processed in their own priority queue at the federal level.
Requirements differ for the Canadian Experience Class.

Students who have successfully completed a program of study of at least two academic years at a Canadian post-secondary educational institution may qualify for the CEC if they have:
1. At least one year of skilled, professional or technical work experience within 24 months of the application date: and
2. Moderate or basic language skills, depending on the skill level of their occupation.

Foreign workers can qualify to immigrate to Canada under the CEC if they:
1. Have at least two years of skilled, professional or technical work experience in Canada within 36 months of the application date; and
2. Have moderate or basic language skills (depending on the skill level of their occupation).

The PEQ offers an advantage to foreign students in Quebec in that they do not need work experience in Quebec to be eligible for the PEQ and can even begin the application process six months before their expected graduation date. However, their applications will only be assessed upon submission of proof that they have graduated.

Temporary foreign workers in Quebec only need one year of eligible work experience to qualify for the PEQ, whereas temporary foreign workers elsewhere in Canada need twice the amount of work experience before they become eligible for the CEC.

Individuals who are eligible to apply to immigrate under the PEQ program are not subject to the Quebec Skilled Worker selection criteria.

It is important to note that an applicant may qualify for the Canadian Experience Class category with work and study experience obtained in Quebec. However, an individual may only apply under the CEC if they intend to reside in a province or territory outside of Quebec. If an individual’s intention is to settle in Quebec, he or she must apply under a Quebec immigration program

The population of Saskatoon-proper has increased by its highest rate in more than two decades, jumping 5,000 people in this year to 218,000 people, according to the city’s latest estimate.

“It’s a significant number,” said Randy Grauer, manager of the city’s planning and development branch. “It’s a very big jump. But it’s something we’ve expected to see, not something that’s taken us by surprise.”

The numbers come from the city’s bi-annual population update, which is done at the end of December and June each year.

The city rejigged its calculation method this year to provide a more accurate number based on a percentage of Saskatoon’s metropolitan area that includes surrounding towns.

The city’s estimate last June pegged the population at 208,800 — but using the new method that number would have been 213,000, meaning the city’s population grew by around 5,000 people, said Bill Holden, manager of the city’s research and information resource centre.

The city’s population is growing at a rate not seen in at least two decades, driven primarily by interprovincial migration and international immigration, Holden said.

“We haven’t seen a number like that or estimated any number like that since back in the 80s,” he said.

The growth is driven by a large number of immigrants moving to Saskatoon from abroad and across Canada, primarily to reunite with their family through an expedited sponsorship program, said Mayor Don Atchison.

The growing number of newcomers is prompting the City of Saskatoon to begin to investigate the possibility of a 311 municipal services line to make finding services at the city simpler, Atchison said.

“It’s something we need to work towards and start looking at very shortly,” he said.

As Americans, we often jokingly poke fun at our northern neighbor by referring to Canada as the "51st state". We say they talk funny; their baseball is no good, and their beer is overpriced. And don't forget the ice hockey jokes. But really, I think we're just jealous.

To start with, we're envious of their solid healthcare system. Discussions on the healthcare reform underway in the US now often refer to Canada's system as a cheaper and better model. It seems to be the benchmark by which we judge our own.


The US healthcare system comprises 15.2 percent of GDP while Canada's is only 9.7 percent. And it still outperforms the US system by all measures. The life expectancy in the US is 78 years. Canada's is 81.

Car manufacturers have been moving jobs north for years to avoid the high healthcare costs in the US. Now Ontario is the largest carmaker in North America, even out-producing Michigan.

The next obvious point of envy is the Canadian banking system. It is the world's healthiest, according to The World Economic Forum. The US banking system ranked 40th while Britain's is 44th.

Despite sharing a huge border and plenty of trade with the US, Canada has not been contaminated by the financial epidemic which has brought down the US economy.

It hasn't had a single bailout, bank failure or need for government to interfere with its financial system.


US banks are leveraged at an average of 26 to 1, while Canadian banks only borrow 18 to 1. Even worse is European banks, which are geared 61 to 1.

Canada has stuck to the tried-and-true rules of banking, borrowing, and risk. It has remained conservative and sensible, and hasn't been tricked into thinking it could beat the markets, unlike much of the rest of the world.

Housing, the root of the US credit crunch, is also remarkably robust in Canada. While prices have dropped about 12 percent in Canada during the crisis, they have dropped twice that in the US.

How about that irritating budget deficit the US carries? Canada doesn't have that problem – it has run a surplus for the past dozen years. It now has cash that can pull it out of any economic drags it may be facing.

Immigration is another issue. Criteria to live in Canada are based on education, work experience, language skills and other merit-based criteria. It is not xenophobic like the American system that only permits a few of the many who want to work and live in the US.

As a result, Canada is drawing skilled and educated manpower, mainly from Asia. Microsoft even set up a Vancouver research center specifically to attract "highly skilled people affected by immigration issues in the U.S."

It might be cold and icy, but Canada has the fundamentals of healthcare, finance, and the economy down. And they still love beer and baseball.

وزير مهاجرت ايالت كبك ، از طرح جديدي خبر داد كه به موجب آن ، پذيرش كارگران موقت و دانش آموزان و دانشجويان به عنوان مهاجر سرعت مي گيرد.
خانم يولاندا جيمز، با اعلام اين مطلب ، افزود، پذيرش و حفظ كارگران و دانشجويان بين المللي به عنوان مهاجر، كمك فراواني به رشد اقتصادي آن استان خواهد بود.
با اينكه هنوز، جزئيات طرح منتشر نشده، اما تاكنون موارد زير مشخص گرديده است:
مطابق برنامه جديد، افراد مورد نياز از سه گروه زير كه بيشترين منفعت را براي بازار كار كبك دارند، انتخاب مي شوند:
گروه اول_دانش آموزان و دانشجويان بين الملل:
وزارت مهاجرت كليه افرادي را يكي از مدارك تحصيلي ديپلم دبيرستان، دوره هاي فصلي، كالج، فني و حرفه اي و يا دانشگاهي را در يكي از آموزشگاه هاي مورد تاييد وزارت آموزش كبك كسب كرده باشند، در گروه جديد پذيرش سريع Certificats de sélection du Québec (CSQ) قرار مي دهد.
اين دانش آموزان و دانشجويان، بخاطر تحصيل، مدتي را در جامعه كبك مشغول زندگي بوده اند و با شرايط اجتماعي و اقتصادي و بازار كار كبك آشنا شده اند.
وزير مهاجرت معتقد است، اعطاي امتياز به اينگونه افراد، همچنين موجب علاقمندي جوانان ساير كشورها براي تحصيل در موسسات آموزشي كبك خواهد شد.
گروه دوم: كارگران موقت خاص:
وزارت مهاجرت، برخي از افرادي كه هم اكنون با ويزاي كار موقت، مشغول كار در برخي زمينه ها از جمله آي تي و تحقيقات علمي هستند، در گروه CS قرار مي دهد.
گروه سوم: متقاضيان مهاجرت با سابقه كار در رشته هاي مورد نياز
متقاضيان فعلي مهاجرت كه داراي سابقه كار مفيد در برخي رشته هاي بسيار ضروري، از جمله، جوشكاري، تكنسين آزمايشگاه، پرستار و همچنين مهندسي هوا فضا هستند نيز جزو گروه پذيرش سريع قرار مي گيرند.
هر يك از افراد اين گروه اگر سابقه حضور و كار در كبك را نيز داشته باشند در اولويت اول قرار مي گيرند.
در صورت انتشار متن كامل تصميمات وزارت مهاجرت كبك در اين زمينه، موراد مربوطه در همين سايت درج مي گردد.

After 142 years Canadians -- contrary to our reputation -- do have much about which we can and should be proud.

We are a country that has much more than good beer, winter sports and oh-so-polite people.

As we sip on our morning coffee tomorrow, most of us grateful for a day off, it's well worth thinking through just who we are.

First and foremost, if we are not of First Nations heritage, then we are either immigrants or of immigrant stock.

Whether our families arrived in Nanaimo on the Princess Royal in 1854, came through Pier 21 in Halifax in the post-war era or took their citizenship oaths a year ago tomorrow, we are all Canadians.

By 1840 there was no doubt about the land mass called Canada, at that time pretty much defined by Upper and Lower Canada and lots of wilderness yet to be given boundaries and names.

What we might think of the apostles of Upper and Lower Canada, Robert Baldwin (Upper) and Louis LaFontaine (Lower) began the political moves that would culminate in the Charlottetown conference and cement our nationhood in 1867.

It's worth mentioning that one defining characteristic of Canadians is that we are not Americans. That's been going on for a long time.

In fact, many of those who made the early contributions to what later became Canadian culture were United Empire Loyalists who fled the American Revolution.

That is not lost on Canadians. We burned down the original White House in defeating the U.S. in the War of 1812. Our relations have improved significantly with our southern neighbour since then, though our yen to distinguish ourselves from them remains.

It didn't take long after 1867 to prove ourselves. That's why Sir Wilfrid Laurier promised the world that the 20th century would belong to Canada. In some ways it did. Our troops played key roles in the two world wars.

Canadian soldiers even fought in Vietnam, and we should today not forget those now in Afghanistan.

Our industry took off, with a rapid and stunning growth after the Second World War of urban and industrial centres.

Our contributions to industry may not be as great numerically as the United States, but this nation has played key roles in everything from agricultural technology to space exploration.

We should also not forget that it was a Canadian, John Peters Humphrey, who drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Our commitment to such rights is one reason why we remain a country of choice for people looking to improve their lives through immigration.

Canada is now at a crossroads where we too must choose immigration. Due to poor policies leading up to and after the Second World War, this country failed to bring the number of immigrants it needed.

Millions more were required to come into this nation between 1948 and the 1970s, when Pierre Trudeau saw the need for more immigrants. The failure to beef up our population at that time resulted in a lack of investment in industry. We just didn't have the people.

Many of us will remember on Canada Day the story of the Avro Arrow, the first jet fighter that could be flown independently of a pilot over vast distances at great speeds.

Many blame one of our greatest statesmen, John Diefenbaker, for giving in to American demands to kill the Arrow. The reality is that we did not have and could not create the industrial infrastructure to put the aircraft into production.

Yet, Canada became and remains a great nation.

We don't crow about the things that make us great and, oddly, perhaps that is one of the things that make us great.

If Canada's future is secure, it's because we have a great past

In order to accelerate the selection and arrival in Québec of workers whose professional profile corresponds to a job that is in demand, the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles will give priority to certain applications for a Selection Certificate, as of October 14, 2009.

Applications that will be given priority are those submitted by qualified workers who have obtained a diploma in one of the fields in the 2009 List of Preferred Areas of Training during the five years preceding their application.

You may find the list here:
http://www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/publications/en/informations/list-training-26may2009.pdf

This measure will apply to all applications received and not yet processed on October 14, 2009 as well as those submitted on or after this date.

Applications submitted by candidates whose area of training is not included in the List will continue to be processed according to their order of submission.

The Government of Canada has announced it will reintroduce amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) to help protect vulnerable foreign workers from exploitation.


The bill is designed to protect immigrants on a Canadian visa from exploitation and human trafficking, such as those working as exotic dancers or live-in carers.

“This will strengthen Canada’s immigration system by helping to prevent situations where temporary workers in Canada may be abused, exploited or possibly become victims of human trafficking,” said Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, President of the Queen’s Privy Council and Minister for la Francophonie, Josée Verner, speaking on behalf of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

“The amendments will help further our agenda of increasing protections for temporary foreign workers, by preventing situations of abuse from happening in the first place,” said Labour Minister Rona Ambrose.

The bill would give the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada the authority to instruct immigration officers to deny work permits to vulnerable foreign workers who may be trafficked into Canada and forced to perform humiliating and degrading jobs against their will.

Eligibility:

To be considered for the SINP Entrepreneur Category, you must:

Have a minimum of 3 -5 years business ownership experience or senior management experience;

Have a minimum personal net worth of CDN $250,000;

Conduct a comprehensive Exploratory Visit to Saskatchewan (at least five working days) that includes a Visitation Seminar and interview with a SINP Business Immigration Officer;

Submit a Business Proposal or Relocation and Settlement Plan;

Make a minimum, verifiable investment of CDN $150,000 into starting a new business or buying outright an existing business, and have an active management role in the day-to-day operation of the business;

Intend to own at least 33.3% of your business in Saskatchewan (with a minimum investment of CDN $150,000). If you will not own 33.3% of your business, you must invest a minimum of CDN $1 million into the business, in either case, you must have an active management role in the day-to-day operation of the business;

Make a deposit of CDN $75,000 into a trust account and sign a Performance Agreement based on your Business Proposal or Relocation and Settlement Plan.

Common Questions:

I wish to immigrate to Canada and am willing to invest in a business in Saskatchewan. Am I eligible under the SINP's Entrepreneur category?
Business applicants must first meet the eligibility criteria as set forth by the program and further show that they intend to manage and operate a business in Saskatchewan, not just invest in it, and that they will live in Saskatchewan. Passive investments (investments in a business without ongoing management responsibilities) are not eligible. Individuals wishing to immigrate as passive investors may apply under the federal Immigrant Investor Program administered by CIC.

What kinds of businesses are considered under this Program?

We will consider businesses in any sector. You must however, show through either your Business Proposal or Relocation and Settlement Plan that you have done adequate research to support your decision to invest in the proposed business or that you have put in place adequate support structure to help with your business once you move to Saskatchewan. In the event that you are submitting a business proposal, you must also include financial projections that are reasonable relative to the industry and to that particular line of business, and that predicts future financial success.

What kind of businesses will not be eligible under this Program?

Although the program offers flexibility in the types of businesses being considered, it is essential that the planned business be an operating entity. The following businesses will not be considered:

Passive investments such as loan companies
Property rental and investment and leasing companies
Proposals where the applicant invests in the business for a period of time with a return of investment under specified conditions, or where there is not an on-going management role for the applicant.
Can you recommend a business opportunity for me?

No. However, staff at the Canada Saskatchewan Business Service Centers in Regina and Saskatoon can provide you with referrals to persons or organizations that can help you. Please refer to www.cbsc.org/sask/ for contact information.

Are partnerships or group applications permitted?

Partnerships are permitted. Group applications are not generally recommended; however, on a case-by-case basis we will take them under consideration by looking at: the number of parties involved, the type of business and industry, the number of senior managerial positions that can reasonably be expected to be created, or whether the arrangements overall meet all the criteria and expectations of the intent of our program.

Before making any definite plans to undertake such an arrangement, you should discuss the specifics of the proposal with program staff.

Please note that each individual must qualify for the SINP - Entrepreneur Category on their own merits (individually meet all the eligibility criteria of the program).

Why is a CDN $75,000 deposit required?

Successful provincial nominee Entrepreneur applicants are required to make a CDN $75,000 deposit to ensure that the commitment to establish a business in Saskatchewan is undertaken as planned.

When do I deposit the CDN $75,000 Deposit?

Once we approve your application, we will send you written notification advising you that your application has been approved for nomination. We will include a copy of the Performance Agreement and request that you make the deposit at that time.

When is the CDN $75,000 Deposit released?

You have two years from the date of becoming a permanent resident to fulfill the requirements of the Performance Agreement. Once you have demonstrated that you have met the terms of the Performance Agreement, your CDN $75,000 deposit and any interest earned will be returned to you.

To ensure that you remain eligible for the refund, any changes to the Performance Agreement must be discussed with and approved by the Immigration Branch before proceeding with your business.

Do I have to wait the full 2 years from the date of becoming a permanent resident before my deposit will be returned to me?

As soon as you can prove, within the two years from the date of becoming a permanent resident, that you have fulfilled the requirements of the Performance Agreement, we will begin the process to refund your deposit. For example, if you can prove within one year after your date of becoming a permanent resident that you have fulfilled the requirements of the Performance Agreement, we will refund the deposit to you at that time.

If I need to use all or part of my CDN $75,000 Deposit towards my business prior to fulfilling the requirements of the Performance Agreement, can I apply to have it returned to me at that time?

Your deposit, or a portion thereof, can be released to your lawyer in escrow prior to you proving that you have fulfilled the requirements of the Performance Agreement in its entirety. In such cases, we will have to undertake a formal review of your business to date before making a decision. Each request will be treated on a circumstantial and a case-by-case basis.

Will I get my Deposit back if my business fails?

If you can prove that you had fulfilled the requirements of the Performance Agreement prior to the failure of your business, and that you made every reasonable attempt to ensure the business' success, you will still get your deposit back.

We strongly encourage you to contact the Immigration Branch for counselling and guidance as soon as you think you may have trouble fulfilling your business proposal.

May I change my plans for my business venture after I arrive in Saskatchewan?

You may do so with the approval of the province of Saskatchewan. You will be required to contact the Immigration Branch for counselling and guidance as soon as you think you may have trouble fulfilling, and/or need to change your business proposal.

I have already invested more than the minimum investment required in a business in Saskatchewan. Can I forgo the deposit criteria?

The underlying goal of the Entrepreneur Category is to attract new immigrants to Saskatchewan who will invest in and manage a business in this Province. In cases where a business person wishes to become a permanent resident of Saskatchewan, the applicant should demonstrate incremental investment for that business or additional benefit to the province. Such applications will be considered on their merits.

I want to immediately invest in a business in Saskatchewan. Will that give me an advantage in my application?

We strongly advise against making any financial investment in the Province prior to being nominated and receiving your permanent resident visa.

What are the factors that delay the processing of my application?

There are several factors that can delay processing of your application. These may include, but are not limited to:

not having completed an Exploratory Visit
the need for an interview with the Canadian Embassy
incorrectly completed or unsigned application forms
payment of fees using a method that is not accepted by the Canadian Visa Office in your Country
missing documents
unreadable photocopies
documents not accompanied by a certified English or French translation
failure to provide an accurate mailing address or change of address
time needed to verify information and documents provided
a medical condition which may require additional tests or consultations
a criminality or security problem.

A new global consumer survey has found that given the chance to go anywhere on the planet, more people around the world would choose to visit Canada than any other country.
Canada topped the list in two categories, "would make me feel welcome" and "I would like to visit this country if money were no object."

Conducted by Anholt-GfK Roper, the Nation Brand Index asked people from 20 countries to rank 50 nations based on six criteria -- exports, governance, culture and heritage, people, tourism and investment and immigration.

Canada also topped the list for natural beauty, a fact that doesn't surprise Banff Lake Louise Tourism president and CEO Julie Canning. Just under half the annual visitors to the Rocky Mountain resort town come from outside Canada's borders.

"It's certainly an indicator of how Canada is seen around the world and certainly tourism is an important part of that," she said. "We've got a fabulous reputation in terms of our natural landscapes and our national parks system is definitely a jewel in that Canadian iconic perception out there."

Italy and Australia finished second and third in both those categories while New Zealand and Spain were deemed the fourth and fifth most welcoming and Switzerland and France the fourth and fifth most desirable places to visit.

In recent years, Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has been opened up to make it easier for Canadian employers to hire foreign workers to fill labour shortages in their growing businesses. As a result, the annual number of foreign workers coming to Canada has skyrocketed over the past few years, and a growing proportion of them are unskilled. Foreign worker advocates are now calling for a review of the program to better protect foreign worker rights and to explore avenues to allow them to transition to Canadian Permanent Residents.

Both federal and provincial governments have recognized the need for reforms to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Reports of recommendations have been published and are currently being reviewed by program coordinators.

In Alberta, where the number of foreign workers ballooned in the province to nearly 60,000 in December 2008 up from just under 40,000 a year earlier, the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) has been taking measures to better protect foreign worker rights. In December 2007, the AFL established an advisory office and helpline for temporary foreign worker complaints and concerns. It also conducts worksite audits to ensure that Alberta employers are compliant with provincial labour standards.

The AFL recently released a report calling for “the immediate end to the TFWP in its current form” and for the creation of mechanisms to offer Canadian Permanent Residency to all temporary foreign workers currently in Canada.

Additionally, a Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee report on illegal and temporary foreign workers has recently been tabled in the House of Commons, offering dozens of recommendations to improve the TFWP.

The recommendations include getting rid of a current rule that ties work permits to a specific Canadian employer along with improved measures to protect workers from unscrupulous recruitment agencies and employers.

“I rather suspect that a goodly number of their recommendations will find their way into law when the government implements changes to the program,” stated a spokesperson for Canada’s Immigration Minister, Jason Kenney. “The Minister is currently consulting with cultural communities and employers on how to improve the temporary foreign worker program as well as the live-in caregiver program to better protect foreign workers, with a view to implementing tougher regulations in the upcoming months.”

Last month, Manitoba introduced a new Worker Recruitment and Protection Act to address certain issues faced by temporary foreign workers in the province. The Act requires that all foreign worker recruitment agencies be registered and licensed by the province and prohibits recruitment agencies from charging fees to foreign workers. Manitoba has also implemented an improved regulatory system, requiring both employers and recruitment agencies to submit detailed records about the place of employment, the workers’ duties and wages, and up-to-date contact information for the temporary foreign workers.

Foreign worker advocates are calling for similar legislation across the country.

While these reports and recommendations are being reviewed, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is currently running an awareness campaign to inform temporary foreign workers and potential Canadian immigrants about how to protect themselves from dishonest and unethical immigration consultants and representatives.

On Sept. 5, 2008, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley announced that certain temporary foreign workers and students could apply for permanent residence under the newly created Canadian Experience Class (CEC) starting September 17, 2008.
The Canadian Experience Class is a new program of immigration for qualified temporary foreign workers and foreign student graduates with professional, managerial and skilled work experience in Canada.

Unlike other programs, the program allows an applicant’s experience in Canada to be considered a key selection factor when immigrating to Canada.

WHO CAN APPLY?

To apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class the minimum requirements are as follows:
plan to live outside the province of Quebec.

be either a temporary foreign worker with at least two years of full?time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada, or a foreign graduate from a Canadian post?secondary institution with at least one year of full?time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada
have gained their experience in Canada with the proper work or study authorization apply while working in Canada B or B within one year of leaving your job in Canada

There are two streams for the Canadian Experience Class:


TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKER STREAM


Under this category an applicant must have two years of full-time equivalent, skilled-work experience at the National Occupational Classification (NOC) System O, A or B level. (i.e. managerial, professional, or skilled and technical) acquired in Canada within the three years preceding the date the application is submitted in a complete form.


Lower?skilled workers cannot apply under the Canadian Experience Class. However, Provincial Nominee Programs may be available to lower?skilled workers. These are workers in jobs classified at skill levels C and D under the NOC System.

Work experience gained in Canada while waiting for a decision on a refugee claim is not eligible for an application for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class

POST-GRADUATION STREAM

Requirements for graduates from a qualified Canadian educational institution.

There are two requirements specific to graduates:

Work experience

Education
WORK EXPERIENCE
As a graduate of a Canadian post?secondary educational institution, applicants must have one year of full?time (or equivalent) work experience in Canada after graduation. The work experience must be gained within two years of applying under the CEC program.

Co?op terms and apprenticeships completed before graduating do not count as skilled work experience as they are considered part of an educational program. Co?op terms and apprenticeships are counted as part of the minimum two?year educational program requirement.

Applicants can get qualified work experience by applying for the Post?Graduation Work Permit after graduation. Under this program Work Permits may be valid for up to three years with no restrictions on the type of work preformed. However, to qualify under the Canadian Experience Class for permanent residence, at least one year of work experience under the permit must be at Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B under the National Occupation Classification or (NOC). The work experience must be gained within two years of the time the application is made.

EDUCATION
Education is only assessed if you are applying as a graduate of a Canadian post?secondary educational institution under the Post-Graduation stream.

To qualify the applicant must be either a full?time Canadian post?secondary educational program of at least two years or a one?year Master’s program (certificates and diplomas cannot be counted) and an additional year of education, obtained in Canada, before admission into the one?year program (for a total of two years).

Applicants also must complete a required program of study in Canada and obtain a Canadian educational credential (e.g. a degree, diploma or certificate). Some categories of education are excluded from this program. These include English or French ESL studies; on-line programs completed outside Canada and studies in Canada taken under an award or scholarship program which stipulate return to their home country.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
All applicants are required to be able to communicate and work in one or both of Canada’s official languages.

Applicants must prove their ability in English or French to qualify for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class.

The occupation category will determine the language abilities required to immigrate under the Canadian Experience Class. The requirements vary according to job classification under NOC.

The completed application will undergo a detailed review by a Visa Officer. The officer will consider all the information and documentation provided, and will assess it against current selection standards.

Unlike many other Canada Immigration programs there is no residency requirement for landing. If the applicant has temporary resident status when their application is approved, they can be landed in Canada at their local Citizenship and Immigration Canada Office. If the applicant is approved while outside of Canada they will present their visa at a Port of Entry and get landed through that office.

Canadian immigration minister Jason Kenney has announced the need to maintain immigration levels for the second half of 2009.

Having spoke with provincial and territorial departments studying employment demand throughout the country, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has decided the number of Canadian visas should be maintained at approximately 250,000 new permanent residents.

“Canada is facing a long-term labour shortage so the government is not going to turn off the immigration tap only to have to turn it back on later,” stated Minister Kenney.

The Canadian economy relies heavily on bringing in skilled overseas workers to supplement an ageing population with British Columbia and Alberta requiring an additional 600,000 foreign workers over the next five years, “as ageing workers retire and their economies continue to expand,” said Kenney.

A report by Statistics Canada recently credited the main driver of population and labour force growth with international migration and attracting skilled immigrants to work in Canada.

“There continues to be acute labour market shortages in certain businesses, certain industries and certain regions. And our government believes that the worst thing we could do during this time of economic difficulty is to starve those employers who are growing of the labour they need to fuel their prosperity,” added the Immigration minister.

Earlier this year, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney announced that Canada was considering a reduction in immigration numbers in 2009, based on economic uncertainty. Having met with his provincial and territorial counterparts to study the demand for immigration in regional labour markets, Minister Kenney has announced that the need for immigration remains strong in Canada. Immigration levels for 2009 will therefore not be reduced.

Though Canada has not been immune to rising unemployment numbers in the current economic downturn, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has decided that immigration numbers will not be reduced for 2009, maintaining a target of approximately 250,000 new Permanent Residents.

“Canada is facing a long-term labour shortage so the government is not going to turn off the immigration tap only to have to turn it back on later,” stated Minister Kenney. British Columbia and Alberta alone are going to need an additional 600,000 foreign workers over the next five years, he went on to say, as aging workers retire and their economies continue to expand.

Canadian population and labour force growth rely heavily on immigration. A recent Statistics Canada demographic report credits net international migration as the main driver of population and labour force growth.

“There continue to be acute labour market shortages in certain businesses, certain industries and certain regions. And our government believes that the worst thing we could do during this time of economic difficulty is to starve those employers who are growing of the labour they need to fuel their prosperity.”

Nevertheless, as the worldwide economic downturn evolves, so too may Canadian immigration legislation. As evidenced over the past year, Canada’s Immigration Minister has the authority to modify immigration regulations without notice to better respond to Canada’s labour market needs.

Most notably, the list of 38 qualifying occupations for the Federal Skilled Worker category of immigration (having a year of work experience in one of them is the common way to qualify) is based on Canada’s labour market needs, and is currently being evaluated to determine whether changes should be made.

Similarly, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) has also been revising its list of qualifying occupations for the popular U.S. Visa Holder category, which fast-tracks applicants without requiring a job offer.

Potential applicants who are qualified for either of these programs under current work experience requirements are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible, to avoid being subject to new government regulations.

The good news for now is that, according to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, “We have no plans in Canada, nor are we under any pressure, to reduce immigration in any way during the recession.”

Over the past several years, the Government of Canada has been reviewing its citizenship laws, which are considered quite liberal, compared to other countries’. Bill C-37 was created in response to these deliberations and will go into effect on April 17, 2009. Under the new law, certain individuals who lost their citizenship will regain it. Others will receive Canadian citizenship for the first time. The most significant change, however, is to the regulations for granting of citizenship to children born abroad to Canadian parents.

One of the main purposes of Bill C-37 is to restore Canadian citizenship to the tens of thousands of Canadians who have had their citizenship denied or unknowingly allowed it to expire because of several little-known particularities of Canada’s Citizenship Act.

The proposed legislation restores citizenship to anyone born in Canada or who became a Canadian citizen on or after January 1, 1947 (when the Citizenship Act was created), and then lost their citizenship. This includes war brides who have not yet become Canadian citizens.

Some of the people who will have their citizenship reinstated are children who were born abroad to Canadian parents; or they are children born in Canada but whose parents later became citizens of another country. Also receiving citizenship under the new law are foreign-born family members of Second World War veterans, who were granted citizenship when they moved to Canada after the war, but later lost it because they were not aware that it subsequently needed to be reaffirmed.

The new law will retroactively rectify these past problems.

Moving forward, however, citizenship laws will become more restrictive for children of Canadians born abroad.

Canada grants citizenship to anyone born on Canadian soil. If Canadian citizens give birth abroad, their children are automatically accorded Canadian citizenship as well.

Previously, these Canadians born abroad could pass on their citizenship to their children, grandchildren, and so on, regardless of whether the children were born in Canada or not.

The new law restricts this citizenship by descent. Now, if first-generation Canadians (those born in Canada) give birth to their children in another country, they can still pass on their Canadian citizenship. However, if second-generation Canadians (those born to Canadian parents abroad) have children in another country, these children will not qualify for Canadian citizenship.

Essentially, Canadian citizenship by descent will only be accorded to first-generation Canadians living abroad.

Second-generation Canadians can only pass on their citizenship to their children if they give birth in Canada. If they give birth abroad, their children will not be accorded Canadian citizenship.

This means that second-generation Canadians will not possess the same citizenship rights as those born in Canada. This has garnered considerable criticism.

Canada has a vibrant and valuable expatriate community around the world, which proudly represents the country. Critics say that this new law would discourage Canadian citizens from settling abroad.



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Calgary is the top city out of 21 major urban areas in terms of living quality and economic potential, according to a new study released by the Toronto Board of Trade.

The board launched its first-ever study of the world's biggest cities on Tuesday, measuring urban locations in terms of quality of life and economic competitiveness.

"Calgary's blistering economy over the past five years may have powered it to the top, but its overall favourable environment provides a solid basis for attracting and keeping people," according to the report, which was called Scorecard on Prosperity.

Calgary was the only city to earn an overall grade of "A." Dallas was next up, garnering a "B" grade in the report, slightly ahead of another "B" city, Hong Kong.

The report was compiled with information collected before the current economic downturn.

"Calgary's continued domination is currently under threat, as weaker energy prices and tighter credit conditions have slowed oil and gas activity in the province of Alberta. This is likely to be reflected, as data from current conditions becomes available," indicates the report.

Toronto ranked fourth on the list, but only received a "C" for its efforts. Canada's biggest city was tied with Boston, London and New York on the board's listing. In fact, Toronto only managed to beat out Oslo, Rome, Barcelona and Montreal in productivity, a key measure of future economic competitiveness.

"The benchmarking study reveals the Toronto region as 'mediocre' in terms of its current economic competitiveness and at risk of further decline," said the board of trade's chief executive officer Carol Wilding in a press release.

While Toronto's showing is respectable, the city really feeds other, more prosperous areas outside the main core, the study said.

"This confirms what many people believe: that Toronto offers a generally good quality of life that will be in jeopardy without a stronger economic platform," the report said.

Vancouver made the overall list, tied at 8th. Quebec City grabbed the 10th spot while Montreal managed to get a 13th-place showing.

While more immigrants are heading west, some provinces like Nova Scotia are still in need of newcomers to help bolster their growth and economy.

Nova Scotia’s population has only grown eight per cent from 847,000 to 913,000 people, from 1981 to 2006. Whereas Canada’s overall population has jumped by about 30 per cent, from 24.82 million to 32.25 million people, during the same period.

Also, less than four per cent of the province’s population is composed of visible minorities.

The province is suffering from brain drain, where many young people are leaving for opportunities in Alberta and Ontario, further depleting Nova Scotia’s skilled worker base.

The province is calling upon immigrants to choose Nova Scotia as a means of bolstering the economy thanks to their skills and training, as well as open up new export markets between the province and immigrants’ home countries.

Elizabeth Mills, the executive director of the immigration office in Nova Scotia, says that improving language training and ensuring immigrants have good-quality employment opportunities are means that the province is using to attract newcomers.

وزارت مهاجرت و شهروندی اعلام کرد، طی سال 2008، بیش از 80 درصد پرونده متقاضیان مهاجرت در مدت 33 ماه به نتیجه رسید که بطور متوسط ، 4 ماه سریعتر از سال قبل از آن بوده است.
با اینحال ، هنوز مدت زمان انتظار، به میزان سال 2004 نرسیده و برای برخی کشورها ، هنوز در حد هفت سال باقیمانده است.
برخی ناظران هشدار داده اند که عدم اصلاح زمان انتظار برای تصمیم گیری در مورد صدور ویزا، موجب شده، متقاضیان تحصیلکرده و نخبه گان از مهاجرت به کانادا منصرف و به کشورهای دیگر متمایل شوند.
"جیسون کنی" ، وزیر مهاجرت، با پیشرفت خواندن این موضوع گفت:" در طول دو دهه گذشته ، این اولین بار است که مدت انتظار، بجای افزایش ، کاهش می یابد. ما هم کانون در رقابت جدی با استرالیا، نیوزلند و آمریکا ، برای جذب مغزها هستیم، سوال اینست که آیا کسی حاضر می شود مدت 5 سال برای ورود به کانادا صبر کند، در حالیکه آن کشورها در عرض شش ماه ویزا صادر می کنند؟"
وی افزود، ما برای ایجاد تحول در قوانین مهاجرتی و بکارگیری نیروی بیشتر در دفاتر صدور ویزا، دست کم به 109 میلیون دلار بودجه بیشتر نیازمندیم.
رسیدگی به برخی پرونده های موجود در دفتر دهلی ، بدلیل شلوغی و تقاضای بیش از حد، به مکان های دیگر از جمله ورشو در لهستان منتقل می شود.
در حال حاضر تعداد پروندهای موجود به 900،000 مورد رسیده در حالیکه این رقم در اوایل دهه 1990 ، تنها 40،000 مورد بوده .
اما مخالفین چندان از پیشرفت های مورد ادعای وزیر مهاجرت راضی نیستند. گفته می شود طی سال 2008، مدت زمان پذیرش اعضای فامیل مثل فرزندان و یا همسران، بین 20 تا 37 درصد افزایش یافته است.
هشتاد درصد همسران هم اکنون می بایست 11 ماه و فرزندان یکسال تا صدور ویزا صبر کنند ، در حالیکه در سال 2007 ، این مدت بین 7 تا 10 ماه بوده است.
ناظران همچنین از تفاوت فاحش به زمان رسیدگی پرونده متقاضیان در نقاط مختلف جهان نیز ابراز نارضایتی کرده اند. برای مثال ، صدور ویزای مهاجرت برای متقاضیان منطقه آسیا و پاسفیک، سه برابر بیشتر از متقاضیان آمریکایی طول می کشد.
طولانی ترین مدت انتظار، متعلق به هند است. جاییکه 80 درصد متقاضیان ، 72 ماه منتظر می مانند. این مدت برای پاکستانی ها 67 ماه و برای فیلیپینی ها 56 ماه است. که می توان آن را با 14 ماه انتظار برای اتباع شیلی و کوبا، 16 ماه برای کلمبیا و 19 ماه برای برزیل مقایسه کرد.
آنان همچنین ، از بهم خوردن توازن بین تعداد اعضای جوامع نژادی در کانادا هشدار داده اند.

DON’T BE THE VICTIM OF A SCAM. If the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Please go to http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/notices/notice-fraud.asp to read the message in your language.

What you need to know:

You do not need to hire an immigration representative to apply for a visa or for Canadian citizenship.
Immigration representatives do not have special connections with Canadian government officials and cannot guarantee you a visa.
Only authorized officers at Canadian embassies, high commissions and consulates can decide whether or not to issue a visa.
Don’t be tempted into using false documents as this will result in the refusal of your application.
Beware of internet scams and false websites. The official website of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is www.cic.gc.ca.
You will find free application forms and guides for any type of visa on CIC’s website.
Processing fees are the same at all Canadian visa offices around the world. Fees in local currency are based on official exchange rates and correspond with the amount in Canadian dollars.
Canadian visa offices will never ask you to deposit money into an individual’s personal bank accounts or to transfer money through a specific private money transfer company.
If you have questions, contact CIC or the visa office responsible for your area.
To read more, including information on who can legally represent you if you choose to hire an immigration representative, check out CIC’s web pages on Immigration Representatives.

A new online resource to help newcomers and prospective immigrants put their skills to work in Canada faster was announced today by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

“Each year, thousands of skilled newcomers arrive in Canada. It is in their interest, and in Canada’s interest, to do everything we can to help them put their skills to work here as soon as possible once they arrive,” said Minister Kenney. “This is one more tool to help them obtain the greatest benefit from their experience and education.”

“Planning to work in Canada? An essential workbook for newcomers,” will guide immigrants intending to enter the Canadian labour market, as well as newcomers. Using a step-by-step approach, it includes information on how to begin the credential assessment process, as well as how to explore alternatives when immediate access to a previous profession is not possible.

The workbook, produced by the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO), is available to individuals both in Canada and overseas.

It provides information about:

Living in Canada, including information on organizations that help immigrants;
The importance of knowing one of Canada’s official languages;
Finding a job in Canada, including the difference between regulated and non-regulated professions, how to find job opportunities, and the process to get certified, licensed and/or registered;
The importance of identifying and gathering work-related documents; and
Education and academic credentials, including information on how to determine the difference between education and credentials obtained in another country and those obtained in Canada.
The workbook is one of several measures that the Government of Canada is undertaking to help newcomers successfully integrate into Canada and get their foreign credentials assessed and recognized. Specifically, Canada’s Economic Action Plan is investing $50 million over two years to support the development of a common approach to foreign credential recognition. This investment follows a January agreement by first ministers and territorial leaders to develop a national framework for faster recognition of foreign credentials. Labour ministers were asked to develop the common framework by September 2009.

These efforts, along with the work of the FCRO, will help ensure continued progress and that internationally trained individuals have the information they need to have their qualifications assessed and recognized in a manner that is fair, consistent, transparent and rigorous.

The FCRO, established in May 2007, is also working with federal, provincial and territorial partners, and with foreign credential assessment and recognition bodies, to strengthen foreign credential recognition processes across the country. This is accomplished through improved coordination of foreign credential recognition issues, policies, programs and services, information sharing and the exchange of best practices.

For more information, please visit the FCRO website at www.credentials.gc.ca.

تورنتو ، مهمترین و پرجمعیت ترین شهر کانادا، امروز درحالی 175 سالگی خود را جشن گرفت که به عنوان یکی موفق ترین شهرهای چند فرهنگی جهان شناخته شده است.
در اواخر دهه 1800 تورنتو تنها 200،000 نفر جمعیت داشت ، اما با توسعه آن هم اکنون میزان جمعیت آن به 2.5 میلیون نفر رسیده است که پنجمین شهر پرجمعیت آمریکای شمالی بحساب می آید.
تورنتو با وسعتی در حدود 3 برابر تهران، به عنوان مرکز ایالت اصلی کانادا یعنی انتاریو، همچنین بخش مرکزی تورنتوی بزرگ را شامل می شود که در ناحیه جنوبی انتاریو ، موسوم به نعل اسب طلایی قرار دارد.
جمعیت تورنتوی بزرگ 5.5 میلیون و منطقه نعل اسب طلایی 8.1 میلیون نفر برآورد شده که 25 درصد کل جمعیت کانادا را شامل می شود.
تورنتو در واقع پایتخت اقتصادی کانادا نیز محسوب می شود و بزرگترین شرکت های تجاری بین المللی در این شهر قرار دارند.
هم اکنون بیش از نیمی از این ساکنین این شهر زیبا را مهاجران و تازه واردین تشکیل می دهند. این درحالیستکه در کل کانادا، تنها 25 درصد مردم از مهاجران هستند.
از این هفته ،در آب و هوای بهاری ماه مارس ، شهرداری تورنتو ، برنامه های مختلفی را به همین مناسبت برگزار می کند.
از جمله جشن سالگرد در مقابل شهرداری در روز جمعه، نمایشگاه هنر و تئاتر در روز سه شنبه 12 مارس، معماری تورنتو در 19 مارس، هتل و حمل و نقل در 26 مارس، عزا و مهاجرت در دوم آوریل.
علاقمندان برای کسب اطلاعات بیشتر می توانند به سایت شهرداری تورنتو مراجعه نمایند
Toronto.ca
سایت ایرانتو این روز را به هموطنان ساکن تورنتو تبریک می گوید

In 1984, I played for a tee-ball team called the Sesquis. Swansea's Rennie Park created the team for that one summer only to commemorate Toronto's 150th birthday, or sesquicentennial if you will.

It was March 6, 1834 that York was incorporated as the City of Toronto. That's 175 years ago tomorrow. They call this the demisemiseptcentennial, but I don't know if Swansea will field a team this summer called the demisemisepts or not.

I do know The Toronto Star has published 175 reasons to love Toronto. Here's their list:

1. It is the centre of the (Canadian) universe.

2. Jane Jacobs called it home.

3. Our first mayor led a rebellion.

4. We can finally buy a decent burrito.

5. We can hang up our laundry without stirring up gossip.

6. We have independent bookstores in every neighbourhood – and new ones are still opening.

7. Our sports teams wear blue and purple, and we look damn good in blue and purple.

8. We have a Little Malta.

9. And a Little Azores.

10. There are so many Chinatowns, we've lost count.

11. There's a festival for every neighbourhood and ethnic group in the city – and about a dozen crammed into every summer weekend.

12. A million people can crowd the streets during one of these festivals and nobody gets mugged.

13. Gays and lesbians can marry here.

14. There's a perfect, tiny old church in the courtyard of the Eaton Centre.

15. And a prayer labyrinth.

16. North America's most stable banks are based here.

17. The elegant footbridge at the mouth of the Humber that has inspired thousands of photographs.

18. The surreal spectacle of Church Street on Halloween.

19. Long before wi-fi, we could predict the weather by looking at the beacon atop the Canada Life building.

20. Violent crime is actually going down.

21. The downtown population is actually going up.

22. Admit it: A couple of the seemingly thousands of new condo dwellings are actually rather nice.

23. One of the city's best golf courses runs underneath its busiest highway.

24. We can watch (and cringe at) young daredevils at Cummer Skateboard Park.

25. The newspaper reading room at the Toronto Reference Library.

26. We have a restaurant devoted to poutine.

27. Those streetcar drivers who assert themselves over the automated voice system with their own personal shout-outs for various intersections and attractions along their routes.

28. Going down the giant escalator at the Paramount – er, Scotiabank Theatre.

29. Working up a sweat on the old wooden indoor running track at Hart House, followed by lunch at the Gallery Grill.

30. Dining on pho at 2 in the morning.


31. The inspirational messages on the Inglis billboard keep Gardiner Expressway commuters uplifted.

32. Touring local history (and stopping for a game of chess) at Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

33. The private viewing booths at the NFB's Mediatheque.

34. That guy – you know the one – who insists on wearing shorts in the dead of winter.

35. We proudly display our favourite of Spacing magazine's iconic buttons of TTC subway stations.

36. We dutifully separate our garbage into black, blue and green.

37. Learning to love theatre classics, thanks to Soulpepper.

38. Michael Snow's Canada geese sculpture in the Eaton Centre.

39. If you're bored by what you're watching at the Winter Garden Theatre, you can admire the faux greenery.

40. The artistic Utopia of the gorgeously restored 401 Richmond and the Wychwood Art Barns.

41. We've got more cyclists per capita than Vancouver.

42. The SkyDome (okay, Rogers Centre) when the roof is in the process of being opened or closed.

43. Basking in the sun at the Canada Master tennis tournament (okay, the Rogers Cup).

44. From the Humber Bay butterfly habitat, the city looks almost beautiful.

45. The dim sum is as good as the tapas. (And the antipasti are as good as the panchan. And ...)

46. We've got a sugar museum. And a shoe museum.

47. When you look up you can see hawks circling.

48. The double-decker Go trains flashing by cars gridlocked on the Gardiner.

49. We are a hockey city, baseball city, basketball city and now a soccer city.

50. We are sometimes also a cricket city.

51. Eating your way across the globe at St. Lawrence Market on a Saturday.

52. The Dakota Tavern, the west end's roots-music rec room.

53. Watching leaves turn at the Toronto Botanical Garden in the fall.

54. Stopping in your tracks as a bigger-than-you-remembered Porter plane descends over the harbour.

55. The flume log ride at Ontario Place.

56. Without us, where would they film movies set in American cities?

57. Honest Ed's shrine to kitsch even lets Toronto fill in for Vegas from time to time.

58. We never have to stop traffic for a Stanley Cup parade.

59. A family of beavers made a home for themselves at the Music Garden.

60. Yonge-Dundas Square was supposed to be Toronto's answer to Times Square. It's really no comparison, but don't you want to give the city a big condescending hug just for trying?

61. Colin Partridge's vivid tree carvings in High Park.

62. Getting to the Toronto City Centre Airport necessitates a ride on the world's shortest ferry route.

63. Bumping into a towel-clad celeb at Stillwater Spa.

64. Marvelling at the machines that churn out sweet walnut cakes in Little Korea.

65. Chilled-out revellers and circus performers at free summertime Promise parties put Cherry Beach on the map.

66. You can pay $5 for a cup of coffee at a growing number of specialty cafes – or still get your double-double for 90 cents.

67. For 10 star-struck days in September, Toronto is justified calling itself Hollywood North.

68. The raging fandom on display – for lacrosse! – at Toronto Rock games is inspiring.

69. Spotting a big, beautiful white-tailed deer nibbling greenery at G. Ross Lord Park.

70. Watching a big ugly amphibious Hippo bus taking a swim in the harbour.

71. The legendary white squirrel.

72. We've now got a deli and bagels that make trips to Montreal almost unnecessary.

73. The smiles on everyone's faces during the first warm spell of the year.

74. A hive of indie rock, from Apostle of Hustle to Woodhands.

Hip hop too: Kardi, K-os and K'Naan call it home.

76. Scouting for migrating birds at the Leslie Street Spit – but look out for the snakes.

77. Nuit Blanche, for letting us see the city with fresh eyes.

78. The gorilla compound at the Toronto Zoo.

79. The intimate zoos at High Park, Riverdale Park and Centre Island.

80. A huge festival that treats authors like real celebrities.

81. Exploring the cottagey, car-free Ward Island neighbourhood and wondering why we don't all live there.

82. The united nations of Baldwin Street.

83. Tai chi at Christie Pits.

84. The sad, poignant sculptures at Ireland Park.

85. Being able to overhear – and see – top-shelf jazz from a comfortable perch outside the Nathan Phillips mainstage tent during the jazz festival when you can't afford a ticket.

86. Getting back to nature, almost, in a meandering ravine.

87. Housing is getting more affordable by the month.

88. The view of the city as you drive south on the DVP.

89. Riding your bike along the DVP and Gardiner during the annual Ride for Heart.

90. Lively literati – from Michael Ondaatje to Bryan Lee O'Malley – helped make this a city of the imagination.

91. Enza, supermodel.

92. The glass staircase in the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

93. The glass floor at the CN Tower.

94. The perfect blend of old and new in the Brookfield Place atrium.

95. Top-notch, small-scale comedy at Bad Dog, Comedy Bar, Second City – and a dozen other barroom stages.

96. Basking in verdant luxury in the backyards of the wealthy along the Belt Line trail.

97. Shirtless Zanta doing pushups in the cold.

98. Extensive back-alley graffiti, some of which is better than the stuff hanging in galleries.

99. Gehry, Libeskind, Alsopp: Thank you, thank you, thank you, for giving us architecture worthy of debate.

100. Spotting the almost mystical garbage train on the TTC late at night.

101. Fig and molasses, chestnut and birch syrup ... and other exotic flavours from Kensington Market Organic Ice Cream.

102. The care that goes into irrepressibly quirky allotment gardens.

103. Winter? What winter? Eating, shopping and working in the PATH.

104. Rightfully beloved Massey Hall has welcomed too many big names to count.

105. Distillery delicacies: Mayan hot chocolate at Soma, organic beer at Mill Street Brewery, exotic fromage from A Taste of Quebec and a meat pie from Brick Street Bakery, enjoyed in the city's most cinematic setting.

106. The surprisingly vibrant beach volleyball scene at Ashbridge's Bay.

107. Helping a student by riding a rickshaw.

108. Listening to live music at the restored deco classic Carlu.

109. Eating brunch three times a day, every day, in Leslieville.

110. SARS made us stronger – and the resulting benefit concert found a use for the empty expanse of Downsview Park.

111. Ron Baird's landmark kinetic steel sculpture on Dufferin St. south of Steeles Ave.

112. The smell of baked goods at Bathurst and Eglinton subway stations.

113. The giant glowing pill-shaped classroom in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at U of T.

114. There's a downtown driving range that doubles as a drive-in theatre.

115. The CN Tower withstands some 50 lightning strikes a year.

116. We saw a guy take his Christmas tree home on the subway.

117. The Dufferin Grove organic farmers market is open every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. year round.

118. Going for mojitos at Julie's.

119. Then listening to live Cuban music at Lula Lounge.

120. Hopping from one you-call-that-art? gallery to another on Queen West for Thursday-night opening receptions.

121. Coming across a part of the city transformed for a movie shoot.

122. The impossibly ornate, painstakingly constructed Hindu temple that seems totally out of place alongside the 427.

123. Sipping from a green coconut and wishing Toronto had palm trees during Caribana.

124. Lining up for Hakka food in Scarborough.

125. Dancing to a band from a faraway land in the open air at Harbourfront.

126. Reading a book on the bizarre slab of granite on Yorkville Ave.

127. Feeling like you're the first to discover fresh pupusas on Augusta Ave.

128. Jackie Richardson, a one-woman musical treasure.

129. Dusk Dances and Shakespeare in the Park: keeping green space interesting.

130. Pillow fights, Zombie Walks, subway parties, Manhunt and Capture the Flag: keeping it weird.

131. Spectacular patios – the Madison, Quigley's and the Rectory, to name just three – filling up at the first sign of good weather.

132. The "secret" patios hiding at the back of dozens of restaurants.

133. Grazing among the cow statues in the TD Centre plaza.

134. Watching glass blowers performing their molten arts at York Quay Centre.

135. Lying on the grass for a concert at Molson Amphitheatre.

136. Determining your favourite pa'an-wallah – by sampling them all – on Gerrard Street.

137. Collecting your winnings – even if you're at a loss overall – at Woodbine Racetrack.

138. The fact that decades after Mies van der Rohe designed them, the TD towers look brand new.

139. The myriad and lovely stained glass windows on Annex-area homes.

140. Singing karaoke with the Gladstone Cowboy.

141. Doors Open proves that yes, we do give a damn about architecture.

142. And there's more to like here than just the Flatiron Building.

143. Neil Young and Glenn Gould were both born here.

144. The Rolling Stones surprise us with a secret concert once in a while.

145. Off-leash areas of parks, where dog owners sit on picnic tables and mingle while their furry charges roam free.

146. The harbour lit up with sails at sunset on a windy summer's eve.

147. Watching an extended streetcar accordion its way around a curve.

148. Winter DJ skating parties.

149. The overhead OMNIMAX screen and comfy chairs you can lay back on at the Ontario Science Centre.

150. Trying not to puke while riding the Zipper at the CNE.

151. Surviving the vomit comet.

152. The awe-inspiring R.C. Harris fortress of water filtration.

153. York University's ravine-shrouded Glendon campus.

154. The best movies you've never heard of at Cinematheque Ontario.

155. The best movies you missed the first time around – for a better price – at neighbourhood rep houses.

156. Ogling the old-money opulence of Rosedale.

157. And the nouveau opulence of the Bridle Path.

158. The sights and smells of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

159. Summertime drum circles at Trinity Bellwoods Park.

160. We have had two World Series championships when cities that have had franchises longer – that means you, Houston and San Diego – haven't had any.

161. Finding the perfectly musty tweed jacket in Kensington Market.

162. Watching a dance lesson through the expansive windows of the National Ballet School.

163. A taste of Dover at Bluffer's Park.

164. The historic outdoor pool at Sunnyside Park.

165. Helping the artisans make meals from scratch at Black Creek Pioneer Village.

166. Actual gold in the windows of the Royal Bank tower makes us almost nostalgic for days of excess.

167. Winterlicious and Summerlicious, when we can afford to dine amongst the expense-account set.

168. The city is finally realizing there's a waterfront.

169. The Mayor is your Twitter buddy.

170. Looking out from a rooftop lounge, you can see how much the city has changed in the last decade.

171. We're nicer than they say we are. We're just a little shy sometimes.

172. Big enough to be anonymous. Small enough to know your neighbours.

173. It's easy to leave.

174. It's just as easy to come back.

175. If we don't love it, who will?

میزان مهاجران پذیرفته شده طی سال گذشته، بیشترین رقم در تاریخ کانادا بوده است. جیسون کنی، وزیر مهاجرت و شهروندی کانادا، که در کنفرانس کاریابی برای تازه واردین سخن می گفت، ، تعداد کل پذیرفته شدگان سال 2008 را 519،722 اعلام کرد که 247،000 نفر از آنان را مقیمان دائم، 193،000 نفر کارگر موقت و 79،000 نفر دانشجویان خارجی تشکیل می دهند.
با این وجود، بیشترین عامل افزایش صدور ویزا در سال 2008، مربوط به سیر صعودی تعداد کارگران موقت است که در طی سال های اخیر شاهد آن بوده ایم و تعداد مهاجران دائم، همچنان در رقم بین 240،000 تا 265،000 نفر ثابت مانده است.
احزاب مخالف با انتقاد از سیاست های دولت نسبت به افزایش تعداد کارگران موقت، خواستار توجه بیشتر به مهاجران دائم شده اند که سرمایه های اصلی اقتصادی کشور را تشکیل می دهند.
وزیر مهاجرت اخیرا از احتمال کاهش میزان پذیرش مهاجر در سال 2009 به دلیل رشد بیکاری در کشور خبر داده بود.
وی در نظر دارد به همین منظور و در اواخر همین ماه ، جلساتی را برای تبادل نظر، با مسئولین مهاجرتی ایالت های مختلف کانادا برگزار کند.
گزارش ها حاکیست، بحران اقتصادی و کسری بودجه که منجر به افزایش بیکاری در کشور شده، بیش از همه کارگران موقت در بخش های ساختمان و صنعت را هدف قرار داده و انتظار می رود پذیرش کارگر موقت طی سال جاری به نحو قابل ملاحظه ای کاهش یابد.
این گزارش حاکیست، وزیر مهاجرت در این کنفرانس همچنین بر عزم دولت نسبت با افزودن تعداد دانشجویان خارجی بدلیل درآمدزایی آنان برای دانشگاهها تأکید کرد.

The Canadian government is proposing to introduce a biometric system for visitors to Canada.
The new programme is due to go live in three to four years, if it is passed by the Government, and will mean that all those with a temporary Canadian visa, including visitors, temporary workers and students will need to provide biometric information.

The implementation of the programme has already encountered controversy, with protests from privacy advocates claiming the information could be mishandled or misused.

"The idea will be that we will take biometrics from people who are coming temporarily to Canada and need a visitor's visa - temporary workers, students and visitors," Claudette Deschenes, assistant deputy minister in the immigration department told members of Parliament. "Those who don't need a visitor's visa to enter Canada will be taken at the port of entry."

"We will be launching in three to four years ... We expect in 4 1/2 to five years we will have covered off at least 30%. So we will start with certain places in the world and then move from there."

If you have been contemplating immigration to Canada, you would be wise to submit your application as soon as possible. Citing economic uncertainty and rising unemployment numbers in the country, Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has announced that Canada is considering reducing its immigration targets for 2009.

At the present time, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) plans to maintain its 2009 immigration numbers of between 240,000 to 265,000 new Permanent Residents. This makes it one of the only developed nations that has not contracted its immigration plans in the face of current global economic turmoil.

However, that may change by the end of March, once Minister Kenney meets with federal, provincial, and territorial officials to review economic data and to determine if modifications to immigration levels are needed.

“We don’t want people coming to Canada and facing unemployment. We need to be sensitive to the changing labour market, and if we need to make modifications, we will,” stated Minister Kenney.

Taking a longer-term perspective, he has expressed his preference to maintain current levels, noting that immigrants will be greatly needed to help fuel Canada’s economic growth once the economy turns around.

“We need to be flexible, prudent and ensure that our response to short-term conditions does not counter out long-term goals, in which immigration will play a significant role,” he said. “We don’t want to turn off the tap of the future growth that is represented by immigration.”

The Immigration Minister has the authority to make changes to the immigration selection system without any advance warning. In this case, he has signaled that an imminent reduction of immigration targets is a real possibility.

If you would like to immigrate to Canada, you should take the Immigration Minister’s words seriously. Now is the time to submit your Canadian immigration application. After the Immigration Minister’s meeting at the end of March, it may become more difficult for you to qualify or it may take you longer to realize your plans to come live and work in Canada.

Canadian immigration minister, Jason Kenney, has spoken further of his plan to deal with the country’s skills shortage and address the continuing need to bring in foreign skilled workers.

With the government facing an acute skills shortage in the next 5-10 years due to retirement ages in the medical, teaching and engineering fields, Canada remains one of the few developed nations to maintain immigration numbers for 2009.

Recent changes to immigration policy mean that visa applications in the federal skilled worker program are being fast-tracked and processed within six months to a year, making it even more attractive to the 240,000 to 265,000 Canadian visas available in the year ahead.

The government is also combating the expected 70% shortfall within the next 10-15 years and targeting overseas talent wanting to move to Canada and become Canadian citizens.

“We need to be flexible, prudent and ensure that our response to short-term conditions does not counter out long-term goals, in which immigration will play a significant role,” he said. “We don’t want to turn off the tap of the future growth that is represented by immigration.”

To find out if you are eligible to live and work in Canada, with the added benefit of Canadian citizenship after three years, forward your CV to Global Visas today and complete our online assessment form on this page.

You may qualify if:

You are aged between 21 and 49
You speak English or French
Your job is on the list of qualifying occupations
You have over one years experience in your chosen field
If your occupation is not on the list you might still qualify under the following routes:

Self Employed Immigrant Programme
Entrepreneur Programme and Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP)
Canada Investor Visa
Canada Sponsor Visa

The Canadian government has announced plans to increase the number of international students attending university in Canada.

In a public statement Jason Kenney, federal minister of citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, recognized the integral role international students play as a source of revenue for universities.

“We need a labour force with the skills and the knowledge to keep our economy competitive in the new global marketplace,” Kenney recently told a delegation in India.

“International recruitment has become a heavier priority over the last three years due to program expansions,” Stephanie Brooks, recruiting director for the Honours Business Administration program at the Richard Ivey School of Business, said.

Brooks, who works closely with Western’s international recruitment services, believes particular programs at Western — especially engineering, science and business — tend to attract international students.

“Ivey has full-time staff in Hong Kong allowing the school to build a strong brand name there,” Brooks said.

However, with the number of high-quality educational opportunities rapidly growing in countries such as India and China, it is becoming more important to provide incentives for foreign students to pursue a more expensive Canadian education.

Brooks responded to these concerns by emphasizing the brand consciousness of students abroad with regard to Canadian universities and the country as a whole.

Other draws to Canadian universities include program partnerships between universities in Canada and abroad.

Wang Dong Yuan and Jing Di, two students from China, were attracted to Huron University College both by its partnership with the Dongbei University of Finance and Economics and Western’s economics program.

“[Western] is famous for economics in China because of a Chinese economist that teaches here, professor Xu Dianqing,” Yuan said.

However, despite Western’s efforts to attract international students, the number of full-time undergraduate international students has dropped from 774 in 2002 — 4.3 per cent of all undergraduates at the time — to 618 in 2008 — 3.1 per cent of all undergraduates — according to Western’s Office of Institutional Planning and Building.

The opposite trend has occurred amongst graduate students.

“At the graduate level there has been quite robust growth in the number of international students,” John Doerksen, Western vice-provost of academic programs and students, said.

From 2002 to 2008, the number of international graduate students enrolled at Western increased from 390 to 665.

According to Doerksen, the internationalization of the undergraduate experience has become a larger priority for Western rather than international recruitment. This is being achieved through international educational initiatives included in Western’s strategic plan, Engaging The Future.

However, Doerksen also stressed the importance of exchange programs that bring international undergraduate students to Western.

“Students have the opportunity to experience other cultures and that has enormous benefits, both for personal development and for professional development.”

Canadian immigration has announced plans to ‘substantially increase’ the number of visas for people who want to study in Canada.

Last year Canada granted almost 75,000 student visas but plans to increase the numbers because foreign students bring in extra revenue and offers a direct route to citizenship. As the country is facing an ageing population crisis, welcoming international students is deemed a good way of tackling this problem.

“While other countries are talking about taking fewer immigrants, today, I am pleased to announce that in 2008, we increased the number of new permanent residents to Canada,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

Under the Canadian Experience Class program foreign students who live in Canada can apply for permanent residency and receive priority processing because they are already familiar with the Canadian way of life.

The Canadian immigration minister went on to say student visa holders have the chance to understand local labour markets and languages, and put themselves on a ‘much faster pathway’ to immigration.

Canada welcomed an unprecedented number of permanent and temporary residents in 2008, according to preliminary data released by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) today.

“While other countries are talking about taking fewer immigrants, today, I am pleased to announce that in 2008, we increased the number of new permanent residents to Canada,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

Canada welcomed 247,202 permanent residents in 2008, 70,000 more than in 1998, and well within the government’s planned range of 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents for the year. An additional 193,061 temporary foreign workers and 79,459 foreign students resulted in a combined total of 519,722 newcomers for the year.

The higher number of temporary foreign workers reflects increased demand in the Canadian labour market last year. The hiring of temporary foreign workers is based on employers’ needs and labour market demand.

“Our government will not follow the advice of those who believe that Canada should take steps to reduce immigration levels. In fact, we are maintaining our planned immigration levels for 2009,” said Minister Kenney. “As minister responsible for multiculturalism, I am particularly concerned by short-sighted, divisive rhetoric that pits immigrants against Canadians in our economy.”

To view the complete set of preliminary data released by CIC today, please visit http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/statistics/menu-fact.asp

جیسون کنی، وزیر مهاجرت کانادا ، از طرح جدید افزایش پذییرش مهاجر، از بین دانشجویان خارجی دانشگاه ها خبر داد. وی که دیروز برای حدود 1،400 دانش آموخته خارجی بیکار یا جویای کار سخن می گفت افزود:" استرالیا، 10 برابر بیشتر از کانادا، دانشجویان هندی را به عنوان شهروند می پذیرد. دانشچویان هنگام تحصیل در کانادا، با بازار کار ، زبان و قوانین کشوری آشنا می شوند و آسانتر می توانند در جامعه جذب شوند."
دست کم 176،116 دانشجوی خارجی شرایط لازم برای درخواست مهاجرت تحت کلاس " کارگران موقت و دانشجویان" را دارند که از این میزان، 65،000 نفر ، در دانشگاه های انتاریو تحصیل می کنند.
طبق قانونی که سال گذشته تصویب شد، کارگران موقت و دانشجویانی که دو سال از زمان اقامت آنان در کانادا می گذرد، می تواندن تحت شرایطی ، درخواست مهاجرت دائم کنند.
وزیر مهاجرت تأکید کرد، با توجه به اینکه دانشجویان بین الملل، شهریه بیشتری می پردازند، منبع درآمد خوبی بحساب می آیند ، یه همین دلیل دانشگاه ها علاقمندند، تعداد بیشتری از آنان را بویژه از کشورهای آسیایی جذب کنند.
این گزارش حاکیست، جیسون کنی، با اذعان به کاهش کارگران موقت در کانادا، دلیل آن را بحران اقتصادی و افت سرمایه گذاری در بازار کار بیان کرد.
وی تأکید کرد ، تنها در سال 2007، تعداد 115،470 کارگر موقت پذیرفته شدند. اما با اینکه نرخ بیکاری ، روزبروز افزایش می یابد، بخش رستوران و اغذیه، همچنان بدنبال افراد متخصص خارجی هستند.

As you were informed before, Canada Immigration rules has been changed. For this reason and in order to provide you with the best services to facilitate the process of your immigration to Canada, we are introdcing a very special offer.

For only one month (February 1, 2009 to March 1, 2009), we would like to offer you what you need to be able to get landed in Canada in the shortest possible time.

Go to http://www.itc-canada.com/specialoffer1feb09.asp to read about this exciting offer.

Wishing you success and happiness,
Ramin Asadi

Full Member of CSIC (Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants) ID#: M063858
Member of CAPIC (Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants)

ITC Immigration and Employment Services
370 Steeles Ave. W. Suite# 211 Thornhill, ON
Tel: (416) 410-5508
Fax: (905) 695-0301
Email: info@itc-canada.com
Web Site: www.itc-canada.com

Tehran Main Office
Tel: +9821-88661277,8
Fax: +9821-88872666
Email: tehran@itc-canada.com

همه ساله مجمع اشتغال مهاجران منطقه تورنتو، TRIEC ، اشخاص و شرکت هایی را که بیشترین تعداد تازه واردین را استخدام کرده و یا به کاریابی آنها کمک می کنند، مورد تقدیر قرار می دهد.
امسال جایزه Immigrant Champion Award مربوط به روزنامه تورنتو استار، از سوی این مجمع به خانم "پاتریشیا اکانر"، هماهنگ کننده دانشگاه رایرسون در برنامه ویژه آموزشی، کاریابی و پشتیبانی متخصصین تحصیل کرده در خارج از کانادا اهدا شد. اکانر همچنین دوره های آموزشی برای آژانس ها و کارفرمایان کانادایی برگزار کرده تا آنان را با استعدادها و توانمندیهای مهاجران متخصص آشنا کند.
دومین کسی که مشمول جایزه شده، خانم "فیونا مک فارلین" مهاجری از آفریقای جنوبی و مدیر اجرایی شرکت Ernst and Young است که جایزه CBC Toronto Business Leadership را بدلیل راهنمایی و هدایت مهاجران به شغل های تخصصی خود دریافت کرده است. وی معتقد است، مهاجران همیشه آماده ریسک کردن و مبارزه کردن هستند و برای رسیدن به هدف خود و ساختن زندگی جدید ، حاضرند گام های متعددی را آزمایش کنند.
اما جایزه The Canadian HR Reporter Individual Achievement به خانم :جین لویس"، مدیر امور منابع انسانی شرکت Procter & Gamble بدلیل نقش ارزنده اش در معرفی فرهنگ های مختلف و ترغیب مدیران شرکت نسبت به آزمایش و بکارگیری نیروه های تازه وارد و آموزش آنها ، به او اهدا شد.
شرکت Nytric Ltd. که 25 نفر از تازه واردین را در بخش تحقیقاتی و طراحی مواد اولیه ، استخدام کرده ، جایزه RBC Best Immigrant Employer را برای شرکت های کوچک دریافت کرد.
و دست آخر اینکه The RBC Best Immigrant Employer Award برای شرکت های بزرگ نیر به شرکت مشاوره مهندسی و محیط زیست CH2M HILL تعلق گرفت که بطور مرتب و پیوسته، به استخدام تازه واردین می پردازد.

تمامی فرزندان والدین کانادایی که در خارج از این کشور متولد می شوند، می توانند برای اخذ شهروندی درخواست نمایند .
اما بر اساس قانون جدیدی که از 17 آوریل 2009 باجرا درمی آید، فرزندان نسل دوم کانادایی ها که خارج از این کشور بدنیا بیایند، به طور خودکار، مشمول شهروندی این کشور نمی شود .
آنان باید مراحل درخواست مهاجرت و اقامت 3 ساله در کانادا را طی کنند.
طبق مقررات، همه نوزادانی که در خاک یا آسمان کانادا متولد می شوند ، شهروند محسوب می شوند ، بجز فرزندان مأموران و دیپلمات ها خارجی.
این قانون شامل توریست ها و دانشجویان و همچنین کارگران موقت نیز می شود.

روياي بودن در سرزميني ديگر كه آسمانش رنگين‌تر از آسمان وطن باشد، نه تنها در كشور ما كه در همه جاي دنيا در ذهن‌ها وجود دارد؛ اما اين كه اين رويا چقدر دستمايه سوءاستفاده قرار مي‌گيرد و به عبارتي رسيدن به اين رويا تا چه اندازه چشم‌ها و ذهن‌ها را مي‌بندد، صحبت ديگري است.

از نگاهي ديگر،برخي افراد، شركت‌ها و موسساتي هم با سوءاستفاده از اين موضوع ظاهرا به شكل قانوني و با عقد قرارداد بازار خوبي براي كلاهبرداري مهيا كرده‌اند.

ماجرا از اين قرار است كه وقتي در معرض تبليغات اين افراد يا مراكز قرار مي‌گيريد به شما اعلام مي‌شود اگر شما يكي از هزاران نفري هستيد كه به دنبال مهاجرت به خارج از كشور و بهره‌مندي از زندگي استثنايي و امكانات بي‌شمار اين كشور‌ها هستيد، مي‌توانيد فرم ارزيابي مهاجرت را به صورت آنلاين يا حضوري و رايگان تكميل نماييد تا يكي از مشاوران آنها شخصا صلاحيت شما را جهت مهاجرت براساس معيارهاي سازمان مهاجرت كشور مورد نظر ارزيابي كند. آنها تاكيد مي‌كنند كه ما پاسخگوي تمام نيازهاي مهاجرتي شما هستيم.
اين تبليغات در حالي انجام مي‌شود كه بر اساس قوانين مهاجرت در بسياري از كشور‌ها شما با كسب امتيازات و داشتن شرايط خاص كه تعريف شده و مشخص است، مي‌توانيد براي مهاجرت اقدام كنيد.

اما در اين شركت‌ها به شما توصيه مي‌شود داشتن امتياز به تنهايي تعيين‌كننده موفقيت، يا عدم موفقيت پرونده مهاجرت شما نيست.

آنها به شما مي‌گويند نظر مثبت يا منفي افسر اداره مهاجرت صرفنظر از تعداد امتيازات شما تاثير تعيين‌كننده‌اي در نتيجه نهايي پرونده شما دارد و اكثريت كساني كه خودشان اقدام كرده‌اند يا به نتيجه مطلوب نرسيده‌اند و پرونده آنها با شكست مواجه شده يا به مشكلاتي برخورده‌اند.

آنها براي شما توضيح مي‌دهند كه حدنصاب امتياز در هر مقطع زماني ممكن است تغيير داده شود و اين مساله در هر لحظه و بدون هيچ اطلاع قبلي ممكن است رخ دهد و اين تغيير شامل تمام پرونده‌ها از جمله پرونده‌هاي قديمي خواهد شد مگر اين‌كه دلايل محكم و جايگزيني براي قبولي ارائه شده باشد.

در واقع بر همين اساس و طبق قراردادي كه با رضايت شما در ابتداي كار بسته مي‌شود، هرگاه به هر دليلي امكان مهاجرت منتفي شود، وكيل يا شركت مورد نظر هيچ‌گاه شما را علي‌رغم وضعيت پرونده‌تان، نااميد نمي‌كند مگر خودتان انصراف دهيد كه در اين صورت و بر اساس همان قرارداد توافقي، مبالغ داده شده تا زمان فسخ قرارداد، استرداد نمي‌شود.

مثلا ممكن است شرايط مهاجرت شما منوط به داشتن مدركي خاص باشد، شركت مورد نظر به شما اطمينان مي‌دهد كه نيازي به اين مدرك نيست. يك سال بعد از اين‌كه شما قراردادي با اين شركت داريد، به شما اطلاع داده مي‌شود كه براي اخذ آن مدرك اقدام كنيد، در واقع بعد از گذشت يك سال از پرداخت مبالغي، پرونده شما دوباره از ابتدا به جريان مي‌افتد.

يكي از شاكيان اين نوع شركت‌ها در گفتگو با ما، با اشاره به اين موضوع مي‌گويد: ممكن است برخي افراد كه شرايط مهاجرت را داشته باشند، بتوانند از طريق اين شركت‌ها به خارج از كشور مهاجرت كنند، اما حقيقت اين است كه افرادي كه شرايط لازم را ندارند، طعمه‌اي براي كسب درآمد آنها محسوب مي‌شوند.

نظارت؟ شكايت؟ پيگيري؟

اين شركت‌ها، افراد، موسسات و در واقع هر مجموعه‌اي كه در اين زمينه فعاليت مي‌كنند، مجوز دارند؟ چه كسي بر كار آنها نظارت مي‌كند؟ پيگيري صحت كار آنها در كدام سازمان يا وزارتخانه انجام مي‌شود؟

مساله اينجاست كه اين سوالات پاسخ روشني ندارند و پيگيري درباره فعاليت چنين افراد يا شركت‌هايي با كدام مجوز انجام مي‌شود، در وزارتخانه‌هاي كشور، امورخارجه و كار، به جايي نرسيد.كارشناسي در وزارت كار مي‌گويد كه اين وزارتخانه فقط به شركت‌هايي مجوز مي‌دهد كه در سطح اعزام نيروهاي كار در صورت توافق كشورها كار مي‌كنند.

پيگيري‌ها در وزارت امورخارجه موضوع را مربوط به وزارت كشور مي‌داند و در وزارت كشور اعلام مي‌شود كه اداره اتباع خارجي به امور اتباع خارجي ساكن در كشور مي‌پردازد و امور مهاجرت براي ساير كشور‌ها ربطي به اين وزارتخانه ندارد.

تبليغ يا دروغ

راهنمايي در ارتباط با موارد و كارهايي كه بايد براي افزايش امتيازتان انجام دهيد:

- آماده كردن تقاضانامه مهاجرت و مدارك مورد نياز به نحوي كه حداكثر امتياز مورد نياز را به دست بياوريد. ارائه مدارك لازم به اداره مهاجرت در خصوص توانايي شما براي موفقيت در كشور مورد نظر به صورتي كه افسر ارزياب پرونده شما نظر مثبت روي آن داشته باشد.

- راهنمايي و كمك در زمينه آماده‌سازي سابقه كاري و تاكيد كردن روي موارد خاص به‌صورتي كه سوابق كاري شما انطباق با استانداردهاي كشور مورد نظر داشته باشد.

- امكان ارائه تمامي خدمات پس از ورود به كشور مورد نظر، بدين ترتيب نگراني‌هاي شما در خصوص سكونت، كار و غيره به حداقل مي‌رسد.

اين‌ها بخشي از وعده‌هاي غيرقابل اعتناي اين گونه شركت‌هاست. حتي جالب است بدانيد در تبليغات يكي از اين شركت‌ها نوشته شده است: «توجه كنيد كه اين سرويس ويژه فقط براي مدت محدود اعتبار دارد و براي استفاده از آن بايد هر چه زودتر با ما تماس بگيريد.»

به رغم آن‌كه غيرواقعي بودن اين تبليغات بديهي است اما خيلي از هموطنان هنوز به اين افراد يا شركت‌ها مراجعه مي‌كنند يا در انتظار معجزه‌اي براي امكان مهاجرت از سوي اين شركت‌ها هستند.

از طرف ديگر نظارت يا كنترل اين شركت‌ها و نحوه عملكرد آنها مبهم به نظر مي‌رسد، هرچند برخي از اين افراد و شركت‌ها به شكل غيرعلني مشغول فعاليت هستند.

In a bid to encourage foreign students and recent graduates to travel and work in Canada, the Canadian High Commission has loosened the regulations on the open work authorisation visa, available for international students on the post-graduate work permit.

The Canadian visa allows working holidays to be taken for up to 12 months and can now be taken several times during students’ study period, for up to a year after graduation.

The rules allow students or recent graduates, aged 18 to 30, to take long working summers in Canada and is similar to the Youth Mobility Scheme in the UK.

Graduates can also choose to take a gap year in the country, even if they have already used a work visa during their studies and even better it's not restricted to any particular region or industry.

International students can apply for the Canadian visa through the post-graduate work permit program, which says that casual work is very easy to find in Canada and that study-related work can also be found with a little more perseverance.

Liam Clifford, director of globalvisas.com, highlights the attractiveness of Canadian student visas in the current climate, “Since we returned from the Christmas break there’s been an evident surge in the number of students expressing an interest in Canada. The government in Canada has created a product that's proving very popular in the university circuit and given the current prospects for students in the UK, temptation is complimenting design, we are happy to help.”

“There were 63,673 international students in Canada in 2007, that figure looks like it will be smashed in 2008 and if the beginning of 2009 is anything to go by, it looks like it will be another record,” he finished.

As of April 17, 2009, Canada’s Citizenship Act will be amended. The new law now limits Canadian citizenship to the first generation born abroad to Canadian citizens.

All individuals born in Canada are granted citizenship, as are people born abroad who undertake the Canadian citizenship process and are approved.

Previously, individuals who were born abroad to Canadian parents were granted Canadian citizenship and would apply for a citizenship certificate as evidence. The new law alters this.

One of the elements of the April 17 amendments to the Citizenship Act restricts the granting of citizenship for children born abroad to Canadian parents. Now, only the first generation of children born abroad to Canadian citizens will be accorded Canadian citizenship.

Once the law comes into effect, children born abroad to Canadian parents in the second or subsequent generations will not become Canadian citizens automatically at birth. Moreover, those who are born abroad in the second or subsequent generations before the new law is implemented, who are not already Canadian citizens, will not automatically become a citizen under the new law.

There have been significant Canadian developments relating to both the temporary foreign worker program and to the permanent resident program. On the permanent resident front, new programs and policies are aimed at providing government with more control over the occupational skill set of those who apply for permanent resident status, while making it easier for most foreign workers already in Canada to obtain permanent resident status.

Duration of NAFTA Work Permits Increased: Following the U.S. lead (see below) Canada announced in December that it was increasing the duration of NAFTA Professional work permits to up to three years. Before the change, such work permits could only be obtained for a period of up to one year. Renewals are also now available for up to three years. Such work permits are available to eligible American and Mexican citizens.
Post-Graduate Work Permits: The Post Graduate Work Permit program has been improved. Foreign nationals who graduate from eligible post-secondary institutions in Canada may apply for an open work permit within ninety days of receiving written confirmation of graduation. The duration of the work permit was increased to three years for foreign nationals graduating from a program of study that takes at least two years to complete. Employers can transition holders of these work permits to permanent resident status, which can be acquired prior to the end date of the work permit.
Improved LMO Processing: In order to hire a foreign worker in many situations, an employer must first obtain a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from Service Canada. Over the course of 2008, the processing times for LMOs fell dramatically in Alberta and British Columbia. Processing timelines used to be measured in months, but are now measured in weeks. This means that employers seeking to hire foreign nationals in Alberta and British Columbia are now able to get work permits much more quickly than in the past.
New Canadian Experience Class: This new permanent resident category is for foreign nationals who have gained work experience in Canada. The CEC facilitates permanent residence status for foreign nationals who have a track record in Canada. Canadian employers should consider using the CEC to transition temporary foreign workers to permanent residents, thereby creating a long-term employee.
New Skilled Worker Program Rules: Canada announced a major overhaul of the federal Skilled Worker Permanent Resident Program. The current system has effectively been replaced by an occupations-based system. Ministerial Instructions were issued November 28. There is now a list of 38 occupations that applicants must show that they have at least one year of experience in to be able to apply for permanent resident status under the regular skilled worker class. The policy reason behind this change is to provide the Canadian government with greater control over the occupational background of would-be permanent residents. This change does not affect applicants who can apply under the CEC, or under other permanent resident programs such as Provincial Nominee Programs. Furthermore, the Ministerial Instructions allow those who have "arranged employment" or who have worked in Canada legally for at least one year to apply for permanent resident status under the skilled worker category, without having to be under one of the 38 listed occupations.
Expansion of PNPs: Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) continued to expand. For example, both B.C. and Alberta introduced streams to allow low-skilled workers in certain occupations to transition from temporary work permit status to permanent resident status. It is expected that PNP programs will continue to expand, giving provinces greater control over potential immigrants.

If you are a Canadian resident or temporary resident of Canada returning to Canada from a trip outside the country, or a former Canadian resident returning to live in Canada, you may qualify for a personal exemption to bring a certain value of goods into Canada without having to pay the regular duties. You will still have to pay duties, taxes and any provincial/territory assessments on the value of goods above your personal exemption.

Children, even babies, are entitled to a personal exemption. A parent or guardian can make a declaration on the child's behalf as long as the goods declared are for the child's use.

The amount you claim for your personal exemption must be reported in Canadian dollars. Use a foreign exchange converter to change foreign currencies into Canadian dollars.

The personal exemption for returning Canadian residents depends on the length of time you have been outside Canada.


Outside Canada for 24 Hours or More
If you are outside Canada for 24 hours or more, you may claim a personal exemption of

up to $CAN50 worth of goods
the goods must accompany you
tobacco or alcohol can not be claimed in this exemption
Note: If you bring in goods worth more than CAN$50 in total, you cannot claim this exemption. Instead you have to pay full duties on all the goods you bring in.


Outside Canada for 48 Hours or More
If you are outside Canada for 48 hours or more, you may claim a personal exemption of

up to CAN$400 worth of goods
the goods must accompany you
you can include some tobacco products and alcohol, but only a partial exemption may apply to cigarettes, tobacco products or manufactured tobacco.
Outside Canada for 7 Days or More
To calculate the number of days you have been outside Canada for the purposes of this personal exemption, do not include the day you left Canada but do include the day you returned.

If you are outside Canada for 7 days or more, you may claim a personal exemption of

up to CAN$750 worth of goods
you can include some tobacco products and alcohol, but only a partial exemption may apply to cigarettes, tobacco products or manufactured tobacco.
alcohol and tobacco products must accompany you
other goods do not need to accompany you when you cross the border.

Canada's housing market made skeptics proud and put eternal optimists to shame in 2008 as the favour turned quickly to buyers, after years of smug sellers having the upper hand.


The shock was how quickly the tables turned.


House prices across Canada have dropped 11 per cent since hitting a peak of $316,896 in May 2008, down to $280,880 in November, according to latest figures from the Canadian Real Estate Association.


The drop is weighed heavily by cities such as Vancouver, Canada's most expensive housing market, where prices have also fallen almost 13 per cent since May.


Across Canada, prices have dropped 10 per cent since November 2007, when the average home cost $311,485. Sales slipped 42 per cent year-over-year.


With consumer confidence at 25-year lows and the economy in recession, potential home buyers are staying on the sidelines until prospects brighten. Banks are also more reluctant to lend money to finance home purchases in markets where prices have been falling.


"It was back to reality in 2008, " said CIBC World Markets economist Benjamin Tal.


"The realization was that house prices can fall, and will fall."


Tal said we moved from a seller's market to a buyer's market "in a matter of months."


"This was a transitional year. A reflection of not a subprime-type meltdown, not of a bubble, but rather of recessionary conditions," said Tal.


The puncturing of the real estate bubble in 2008 has happened before. In the early 1990s, property values fell between 10 per cent and 20 per cent in many Canadian markets. In the 1980-81 recession, interest rates of more than 20 per cent in Canada squeezed inflation out of the economy but also caused thousands of homeowners to lose their houses because they couldn't afford their new payments when they refinanced their mortgages.


In both cases, recessions were followed by a runup in house prices when economic recovery came.


Tal expects national house prices to drop about 10 per cent in the next 12 months as the recession deepens in Canada. He said prices will drop the most in Western Canada, because that is where they had the biggest run up in the housing boom, which has lasted nearly a decade.


"The decline is going to be significant, but it's not going to be a freefall," Tal said.


"The U.S., minus subprime, equals Canada."


Canada's falling housing market is often compared to the United States, where prices nationally have fallen by 20 per cent since their peak in mid-2006, and up to 40 per cent in some cities.


The market crashed as a result of a risky and reckless mortgage practices, which led to billions of dollars in defaults, and turn caused millions of Americans to lose their homes. A second wave of those mortgage renewals is expected to hit in 2009, causing prices to fall further and defaults to rise.

While many real estate experts say Canada does not have the same problem with risky lending practices, Merrill Lynch Canada economist David Wolf maintains Canada is following the same path as the U.S., but with a two-year lag.

He said while mortgage defaults might seem low at 0.29 per cent of about 3.9 million mortgages as of September, it's a 17 per cent year-over-year increase. It's also larger than the 0.18 per cent of mortgage defaults in Canada in 1990, "right around the peak in house prices and just after the cyclical trough in unemployment."

He also cited a Bank of Canada study released a year ago that said mortgage default rates would rise to 2.25 per cent under a "very extreme" scenario of a 23 per cent aggregate drop in house prices.

"In sum, the relatively low level of mortgage arrears in Canada is of no comfort to us," said Wolf, who in recent reports has turned bearish on the Canadian housing market.

Gregory Klump, chief economist at the Canadian Real Estate Association, said he has been struck by how quickly sales have dropped in Canada in recent months, noting that 2007 was the strongest sales year on record.

He said many buyers are nervous about the current economy, but he is also seeing the impact of "very cautious" lenders.

Klump said he is hearing more stories than ever before of people with pre-approved mortgages that don't get the money from the bank when it comes time to try and close the deal.

"The last time I heard about such things happening ... would have been at the last housing recession," Klump said.

The Bank of Canada warned recently that, in a worse-case scenario, mortgage and consumer debt defaults could rise "significantly" if the global financial crisis deteriorates. It said the number of "vulnerable households" - the three per cent with a debt-to-income ratio above 40 per cent - could double by the end of next year.

The Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals predicts mortgage approval activity to fall nearly 12 per cent to $193 billion in 2008, compared to $218 billion in 2007. Approvals are forecast to fall another 10 per cent to $174 billion in 2009 and another 1.6 per cent in 2010 to $171 billion. That follows a growth rate of about 11.5 per cent annually for the three years ended August 2008.

Scotiabank economist Adrienne Warren said she too expects the housing market in Canada to soften next year, particularly in the next six months as the recession creates higher unemployment.

"I think it's the type of environment where we won't see a lot of activity from buyers or sellers," said Warren.

She said the housing boom had to end eventually, after lasting more than a decade. The normal cycle is usually about six or seven years, she said.

Warren said she doesn't anticipate another boom once the market recovers, which she predicts will be in the last half of 2009.

Canada immigration figures are expected to rise to between 240,000 and 265,000 in 2009, according to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.

The figures include up to 156,600 in work permit categories, 71,000 in the family visa category and 37,400 in the humanitarian category.

Visa officers processing the visa applications are fast-tracking visas from immigrants who fall into the work permit shortage occupations such as health, skilled trades and engineering or those with an offer of employment and already living in Canada legally for one year as a temporary foreign worker or on a student visa.

“We expect new federal skilled worker applicants, including those with arranged employment, to receive a decision within six to 12 months compared with up to six years under the old system,” said Kenney.

The strict application process means that those applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be processed, and their application fee fully refunded.

“The eligibility criteria apply only to new federal skilled worker applicants and will not affect Canada’s family reunification or refugee protection goals,” said Kenney, adding applicants could also qualify under the provincial nominee program or as temporary foreign workers.

The Quebec government has made some very important changes to the selection requirements for Investors to Quebec. These changes were just published in November 2008 and will go into effect February 2 2008.

Highlights of the changes are:

• “Full-time” management experience no longer required. Management Experience has been changed. In order to meet the management experience requirements, a prospective investor need show only 2 years in the last 5 years of duties related to the planning, management and control of financial resources and of human or natural resources under the investor’s authority. There is no longer a requirement for “full-time” management experience. This opens the Quebec Investor Class to professionals who spent most of their time carrying out their practice but only spent a portion of their time on management duties.

• Interview may be waived. t is now possible for the Quebec immigration officials to process an application without requiring the investor to attend for an interview. This means that if the application is well prepared and all of the supporting documents are of good quality and present, a decision can be made much more quickly without requiring the investor to attend for an interview. The Quebec immigration officer may still require an interview if there is reason for it.

• Management of “profitable” business no longer a requirement. The type of management experience has also changed. In addition to being able to qualify with part-time experience, an investor can also now qualify with experience in a legitimate business, even if it is not profitable. There is a requirement that the business must have had the equivalent of at least 2 full-time employees other than the investor.

• Net worth can be by gift. The net worth of $800,000 no longer needs to be accumulated as a result of the investors own efforts. Now, gifts, as long as they were received more than 6 months before the application, and inheritances can be used in calculating the investor’s net worth.

These changes are very positive for the Quebec Investor Program. We are more than pleased to assist you in an application for a Selection Certificate under the Quebec Investor Program.

Jason Kenney, Canadian Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism has confirmed that Canada will maintain its positive stance on immigration by setting a target of 240 000 to 265 000 new permanent residents for 2009.

'Whilst countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia are talking about taking fewer immigrants, our planned numbers for 2009 are on a par with last year and are among the highest for this country over the past 15 years,' Minister Kenney said. 'The numbers reflect a continued commitment to an immigration program that balances Canada's economic, humanitarian and family reunification goals.'

Of the planned intake, some 60% will be accepted in the economic category. The remainder will be in the family and humanitarian categories.

The minister also announced the introduction of an 'Action Plan for Faster Immigration' aimed at those applicants qualified in 38 high-demand occupations in fields such as finance, health, mineral extraction and various skilled trades.

Under this plan, skilled worker applications from people on the high-demand list, those already having an offer of employment or those living legally in Canada for one year as an international student or as a temporary foreign worker will have their applications fast-tracked. All other federal skilled worker applications will not be processed and the application fee will be fully refunded.

The plan is retroactive to 27 February 2008, the date set by the Federal Budget, and should see an end to the increasing backlog in applications and eventually a decreased backlog.

'We expect new federal skilled worker applicants, including those with arranged employment, to receive a decision within six to 12 months compared with up to six years under the old system,' said Minister Kenney. 'All other economic class applications, including applicants chosen by Quebec, provincial nominees, the Canadian Experience Class, and live-in caregivers, will continue to be given priority.'

Jason Kenney went on to say that 'the eligibility criteria apply only to new federal skilled worker applicants and will not affect Canada's family reunification or refugee protection goals. Applicants who aren't eligible for the federal skilled worker category may qualify under another category, such as the Provincial Nominee Program, or as temporary foreign workers, which could then put them on a path to permanent residency through the new Canadian Experience Class. There are many ways to immigrate to Canada.'

'The recent steps this Government has taken to improve our immigration system will help ensure that Canada remains competitive internationally and responsive to labour market needs domestically.'

وزارت مهاجرت و شهروندی بر اساس قانون جدید مهاجرت، لیست مشاغل و تخصص هایی را که در اولویت پذیرش قرار دارند اعلام کرد.

این تخصص ها شامل متقاضیانی می شود که از 27 فوریه سال 2008 به بعد، تشکیل پرونده داده باشند و سایرین و همچنین متقاضیان کبک ، مطابق قانون قبلی مورد بررسی قرار می گیرند.

دارندگان حداقل یک سال سابقه کار در یکی از رشته های زیر، مشمول اولویت هستند:

مدیر امور مالی

مدیر رایانه و سیستم های اطلاع رسانی

مدیر امور بهداشت و درمان

مدیر امور تغذیه و رستوران

مدیر خدمات اسکان و هتل

مدیر امور ساخت و ساز

حسابدار و کارشناس مالی

زمین شناس و کارشناس امور زمین

مهندس معدن

مهندس زمین شناسی

مهندس نفت

پزشک متخصص

پزشک عمومی و خانواده

کارشناس گفتاردرمانی و شنوایی سنجی

کارشناس کاردرمانی

فیزیوتراپ

سرپرستار و سوپروایزر

پرستار دارای RN

کارشناس رادیولوژی

پرستار Licensed Practical

استاد دانشگاه

مدرس کالج

سرآشپز

آشپز

پیمانکار و سرکارگر لوله کشی

پیمانکار و سرکارگر نجاری

پیمانکار و سرکارگر کارهای سنگین

برقکار( بجز سیستم های صنعتی و سنگین)

برقکار صنعتی

لوله کش

تکنسین لوله های بخار و آب رو

اپراتور جوشکاری و ماشین های مربوطه

ماشین های سنگین

اپراتور کرین

امور ماشین های حفر استخراج معدن

سوپروایزر معدن

سوپروایزر امور استخراج نفت، گاز و خدمات مربوطه

سوپروایزر سیستم پروسس نفت خام، گاز و امور شیمیایی

توجه: همه مشاغل فوق دارای اسکیل نوع 0 ( شامل شغل های مدیریتی) ، نوع A ( مشاغل تخصصی) و نوع B (شامل شغل های تکنسینی ) در لیست مشاغل ملی کانادا یا NOC هستند.

اگر شما مطمئن نیستید که می توانید بر مبنای کارگر ماهر اقدام کنید، می توانید از ابزار اولویت یا eligibility tool برای اطمینان از اینکه شغل شما شامل لیست اولویت می شود یا خیر، استفاده کنید.

برمبنای اطلاعیه وزارت مهاجرت، کسانی که شغل آنها شامل موارد فوق نشود، بررسی پرونده آنها متوقف شده و پولشان پس فرستاده می شود.

We would like to highlight for your attention the news release issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) today - Minister Kenney announces immigration levels for 2009; Issues instructions on processing federal skilled workers – for complete details please refer to the website at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2008/2008-11-28.asp

Some highlights of the announcement are as follows:

Instructions on which skilled worker applications are eligible for processing

Under changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, federal skilled worker applications are assessed for eligibility according to the eligibility criteria listed below. Note: This does not apply to applicants intending to live in the province of Quebec.

These criteria affect you only if you applied on or after February 27, 2008. If you applied before February 27, 2008, your application will be processed according to the rules that were in effect at that time.

A question for clarification “Is my application eligible for processing?”

In order for your application to be eligible for processing, you must either:

have an offer of arranged employment, OR

be a foreign national living legally in Canada for one year as a temporary foreign worker or an international student, OR

be a skilled worker who has at least one year of experience in one or more of the following occupations:


0111: Financial Managers

0213: Computer and Information Systems Managers

0311: Managers in Health Care

0631: Restaurant and Food Service Managers

0632: Accommodation Service Managers

0711: Construction Managers

1111: Financial Auditors and Accountants

2113: Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists

2143: Mining Engineers

2144: Geological Engineers

2145: Petroleum Engineers

3111: Specialist Physicians

3112: General Practitioners and Family Physicians

3141: Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists

3143: Occupational Therapists

3142: Physiotherapists

3151: Head Nurses and Supervisors

3152: Registered Nurses

3215: Medical Radiation Technologists

3233: Licensed Practical Nurses

4121: University Professors

4131: College and Other Vocational Instructors

6241: Chefs

6242: Cooks

7213: Contractors and Supervisors, Pipefitting Trades

7215: Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades

7217: Contractors and Supervisors, Heavy Construction Equipment Crews

7241: Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System)

7242: Industrial Electricians

7251: Plumbers

7252: Steamfitters, Pipe fitters and Sprinkler System Installers

7265: Welders and Related Machine Operators

7312: Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics

7371: Crane Operators

7372: Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction

8221: Supervisors, Mining and Quarrying

8222: Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service

9212: Supervisors, Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing and Utilities


NOTE: the occupations above are all Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification list.

Federal skilled worker applicants who do not meet the above criteria will be informed of this and will have their processing fee refunded.

There are many ways to immigrate to Canada. If you don’t meet the criteria to apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, you may qualify under another category. Learn more about your options.

سومين جشنواره بين‌المللي آموزش زبان موسوم به ‪ , ledex 2008‬بيست و هشتم آبان ماه سال جاري در تهران برگزار مي‌شود

در جشنواره امسال كه با حضور شخصيت‌ها ، عناصر موثر در امر آموزش زبان در سطح كشور و خاورميانه از جمله اساتيد ، مديران ، موسسات آموزشي ، توليد كنندگان تجهيزات آموزشي ، نشريات ، دانش پذيران ، مترجمان ، همچنين علاقمندان به زبان و ناشران برگزار مي‌شود ، شركت‌كنندگان با آخرين متدلوژي و ابزارهاي آموزشي و پژوهش‌هاي انجام شده دراين حوزه ، تنوع زبان ها و گوناگوني روش‌هاي يادگيري و همچنين بازارهاي نوين آموزش زبان از نزديك آشنا مي‌شوند.

سومين جشنواره بين‌المللي آموزش زبان ‪ ledex 2008‬با حمايت وزارت فرهنگ و ارشاد اسلامي ، وزارت آموزش و پرورش ، سازمان پژوهش و برنامه ريزي آموزشي به همت گروه ايده ، از ‪ ۲۸‬آبان تا ‪ ۱‬آذرماه امسال در محل مركز آموزش‌هاي كانون فكري كودكان و نوجوانان ( خيابان حجاب) برگزار مي‌شود.

فعالان صنعت مواد غذایی ایالت انتاریوی کانادا از دولت محلی خواست، مجوز وارد کردن نیروی کار خبره از خارج از کشور را در آن حوزه صادر کند.
«جاستین تیلر» از مسئولان اتحادیه رستوران ها و سروبس های غذایی کانادا با اعلام این مطلب افزود:« ما می خواهیم با این درخواست بگوییم مایل نیستیم ، مهاجران مهندس و پزشک را در رستوران ها و اغذیه فروشی ها بکار بگیریم».
وی افزود، در تابستان گذشته، 38 درصد رستوران ها و فست فودها نتوانستند نیازهای تخصصی خود را برآورده کنند.
دو سال پیش اتحادیه رستوران ها به دولت کانادا هشدار داده بود که برای نجات صنعت 50 میلیار دلاری خدمات غذایی این کشور، نیاز مبرم به مهاجران متخصص دارد.
اما سیستم پذیرش مهاجر که پیش از این اولویت را به مهندسین و پزشکان می داد، توانایی جذب کارکنان رستوران ها و اعذیه فروشی ها را نداشته است.
در طرح پیشنهادی اتحادیه رستوران داران، نسبت به برقراری دوره های آموزشی برای کارگران موقت، تغییر سیستم پذیرش مهاجر به نفع کارگران و افزایش شمار کارگران موقت ، تأکید شده است.
اظافه می شود، طرح جدید پذیرش مهاجر که بر روی پرونده های متقاضیان از 27 فوریه سال جاری میلادی به اجرا در می آید ، بر اساس تخصص های مورد نیاز کشور، به اولویت بندی زمان و نوع پذیرش درخواست ها می پردازد.

As the secretary of state for multiculturalism, Jason Kenney was omnipresent at ethnocultural events and instrumental in redressing Canada's historical wrongs to various minority groups – earning him the trust and respect of immigrant communities.

Now the government is hoping that, as the new immigration minister, the young MP for Calgary Southeast will be able to use his strong ethnic ties to roll out the controversial immigration reforms rammed through by his unpopular predecessor, Diane Finley. Those reforms were contained in a budget bill passed during the final days of the last Parliament to further restrict immigrant selections.

However, Kenney's appointment to the cabinet post Thursday also came with hopes by advocacy groups and the ethnic communities. They hope he will address their concerns over what they see as a dramatic shift in immigration policies that increasingly view newcomers as an economic unit, wanted for nothing more than their job skills.

"He's very engaged with the community. He came out to a number of events and listened to different groups and took the leadership on the government's Chinese head tax redress initiatives. We appreciated that," said Victor Wong, executive director of the Chinese Canadian National Council.

"The expectation is he will be able to hear us out on our deep concern over (the immigration changes), take that into account, and not just be led by the bureaucrats in the immigration department."

Thomas Saras, president of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council, said Kenney organized a meeting, at his request, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper two weeks into the election campaign, and that the opposition parties weren't as responsive.

"I do believe he's the type of politician who pays attention to what the other side is saying. He's one of the very few politicians who is down to earth. I trust Jason and I believe we are going to make some improvements," Saras said.

Kenney is a familiar face to Canada's growing Filipino community, which was particularly impressed when the then-state secretary of multiculturalism attended a community function in August and shared the stage with Juana Tejada, a nanny who was denied permanent residency in Canada because she had cancer.

"What we are concerned with is the policy of the federal government under Harper of taking in a big number of temporary foreign workers," said Hermie Garcia, editor of The Philippine Reporter. "In a lot of cases, these workers work under wages that are very much below the common standard in Canada. Their working conditions and living conditions are very substandard, too. This is a shabby way of treating foreign workers."

Garcia added: "If Jason Kenney would like to have an impact on the immigrant population, he should be able to make real significant changes" for temporary foreign workers.

Sima Sahar Zerehi, an organizer of the grassroots campaign against the immigration changes, said Kenney's appointment signals the government's attempt to use his reputation among immigrants to silence opposition to the immigration changes.

"This is part of an ongoing tendency for the government to reduce immigration issues to congratulatory messages to minority groups," Zerehi said. "I think the government is feeling the pressure to repackage the immigration reforms and better communicate them to the public."

Although Janet Dench of the Canadian Council for Refugees knows little about Kenney, she said the new minister already has his work cut out for him.

Kenney, she said, must address the refugee backlog through timely appointments to the Immigration and Refugee Board and immediately establish the promised refugee appeal division that was approved before Parliament's dissolution. The minister should also increase the number of UN refugees resettled in Canada, Dench said.

Despite the economic woes facing America, its neighbour Canada is much better placed to weather the global financial storm with its strong levels of employment, its oil and gas reserves and the fact that it has enjoyed 10 consecutive years of balanced budgets.

Therefore many people are taking a second look at Canada as a place to potentially live and work, retire or perhaps invest in a second home. A stable economy, a low crime environment, a very high standard of living, relatively affordable property prices and a more liberal attitude to immigration also all mean that Canada really is an excellent choice.

For those contemplating a diversification of their financial affairs or who are in search of a robust yet profitable property market, the Canadian real estate landscape really is well worth closer inspection. There are pockets of the nation where one can find the perfect balance between well-priced and attractive properties that have maximum second home and tourism rental appeal. Areas such as Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Eastern North America's #1 ski resort, Nova Scotia or St Sauveur have all come onto the radar for domestic and international property investors and holiday home seekers in recent months, as a greater awareness has arisen of just how universally popular Canada is as a vacation destination.

Previously lesser-known provinces such as Quebec are now known for benefiting buyers by the very fact that they are more affordably priced because demand for real estate over the years has been less intense. They also potentially profit investors because the reputation of an area such as Mont Tremblant, Quebec has risen due to it being thought of as the best ski resort in Eastern North America and because of its celebrity appeal - Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, both renowned property investors, have an estate in Mont Tremblant with an incredible view of the mountain for example.

For those seeking the most versatile property in Canada, again an area like Mont Tremblant, Quebec is ideal because the winter season starts as early as November and runs well into April, and then the summer season kicks in - and with its golf courses, fabulous lakes, hiking and biking trails, Mont Tremblant is a true four seasons resort. This gives owners of a second home all year to enjoy their property, and it gives those who want to raise an income from their real estate investment purchase a 12-month rental season.

Now, because of the very nature of the resort - i.e., it is famed for its stunning scenery, the fresh air, lush forests, clean lakes and rivers - it is also an area of Canada where the planners and developers are very careful to remain faithful and sensitive to the inimitably perfect surroundings. This gives those who have an environmental conscience peace of mind when looking for real estate too. Developers such as the Walker Corporation are leading the way with their 46˚ North resort of environmentally sustainable log home hideaways set within a 500 acre rolling estate on the edges of Lake Mitchell and the Parc National du Mont-Tremblant.

According to Lang Walker, Executive Chairman of Walker Corporation: "those looking to buy a home overseas should definitely consider investing in a property in East Canada. Despite the global economic crisis the country has remained relatively unscathed and is in a strong economic position - appealing to those looking to make a safe investment in high quality property. Areas such as Mont Tremblant in Quebec, where we're currently 46˚ North, have a greater appeal as they provide excellent winter sports and outdoor pursuits facilities. The province of Quebec is also predicted to continue growing in 2009 which should provide further reassurance to those looking to buy."

The latest edition of Next Big Thing from Real Estate TV specifically focuses on Canada's appeal as a second home location, particularly with those attracted to the new wave of eco-friendly property designs that Canada's developing a world-class reputation for. RETV also has a special feature on the resort of Mont Tremblant; it identifies the fact that as greater numbers of people are beginning to see that the resort is not just a #1 ski destination, but that it has massive year round appeal, is within reach of vibrant, chic and sophisticated Montreal and its international air links, so demand for rental and resale real estate could follow.

در تازه ترین رتبه بندی دانشگاههای جهان که توسط موسسه QS ارائه شد، دانشگاه مک گیل کانادا در مونترآل ، رتبه بیستم را از آن خود کرد و
دانشگاه های بریتیش کلمبیا، تورنتو، آلبرتا و مونترآل، به تر تیب در رتبه های 34،41،74 و 91 قرار گرفتند.
در این گزارش دانشگاه هاروارد برای پنجمین سال متوالی، صدر نشین باقی ماند و دانشگاه های ییل از آمریکا و کمبریج و آکسفورد از انگلیس در رتبه های دوم تا چهارم قرار گرفتند.
علاوه بر دانشگاه های آمریکایی و انگلیسی، تنها دو دانشگاه ملی استرالیا و دانشگاه توکیو از دانشگاه ها مک گیل کانادا برتر بوده اند.
6 دانشگاه دیگر کانادایی شامل: مک مستر، کوئین، واترلو، وسترن انتاریو،سایمون فریزر،کلگری و دال هاوس نیز در بین رتبه های 100 تا 200 هستند.
همچنین دانشگاه تورنتو دهمین دانشگاه برتر جهان در مهندسی و دانشگاه مک گیل نیز دهمین دانشگاه در علوم پزشکی معرفی شدند.
جایگاه دانشگاه های کانادایی در بین 100 دانشگاه برتر جهان بر اساس رشته های تخصصی:
هنر و علوم انسانی:
تورنتو: 11
مک گیل:13
بریتیش کلمبیا: 18
مونترآل:59
یورک:70
آلبرتا:88

علوم پزشکی:
مک گیل:10
تورنتو:13
بریتیش کلمبیا:14
آلبرتا:45
مک مستر:52
مونترآل:60

علوم طبیعی:
تورنتو:9
بریتیش کلمبیا:20
مک گیل:22
واترلو:42
آلبرتا:51
مک مستر:82
مونترآل:91

علوم اجتماعی:
بریتیش کلمبیا:12
مک گیل:14
تورنتو:16
یورک:53
کوئین:56
وسترن انتاریو:61
سایمون فریزر:64
مونترآل:70
مک مستر:94

تکنولوژی و مهندسی:
تورنتو:10
مک گیل:18
بریتیش کلمبیا:22
واترلو:30
آلبرتا:46
مک مستر:79
مونترآل:87
کلگری:90

A report released by the Conference Board of Canada says the Canadian Immigration and Citizenship (CIC) would need to increase their migration programme by 110,000 places annually by 2025 if it is to meet its labour shortage, reports Thaindian News.
Each year, the CIC allows around 250,000 migrants enter the country permanently, with India and China being the biggest sources of immigrants. However, the Conference Board of Canada, an independent research company, said this number would need to increase to 360,000 annually by 2025 for the Canadian economy to grow at a steady rate.

The report shows 15.3 per cent of the Canadian workforce is almost ready to retire, being above 55 years of age, and that only 2.7 workers are entering the workforce to replace every five retirees. One-fifth of the Canadian economy relies upon immigrants already, and it seems the growing shortage in the labour market will grow even more dependent on foreign workers.

The report suggested the CIC should allow more workers on temporary Canadian visas to become permanent residents, and to increase its annual refugee quota. In 2007, around 250,000 migrants to Canada were temporary workers while 75,000 arrived on a Canadian student visa.

The Canadian Government has recently increased measures to tighten immigration and give the Immigration Minister the power to fast-track applications for skilled migrants to Canada.

یک گزارش جدید نشان می دهد ، با توجه به بازنشستگی گروه بزرگی از اساتید دانشگاه های کانادا ، این مؤسسات مجبور به ورود به رقابت جهانی برای جذب استعدادهای بین المللی خواهند شد.
براساس بیانیه منتشره در آخرین اجلاس روسای دانشگاه های کانادا، در حالیکه این کشور بیش از هر زمان دیگر دارای هیأت علمی دانشگاهی است، اما نیمی از 41،000 استاد و پژوهشگر، که همگی متعلق به یک نسل هستند، تا سال 2016 به طور همزمان به کار خود پایان خواهند داد.
گفته می شود برای پر کردن خلاء مذکور ، دست کم 10 تا 15 هزار استاد جدید، می بایست طی چند سال آینده ، جذب شوند.
دانشگاه های کانادا در نظر دارند علاوه بر جذب استاد خارجی، نسبت به افزایش دوره های دکترا و PHD برای تربیت مدرس داخلی، اقدام نمایند.
اضافه می شود هم اکنون شرکت های خصوصی تجاری ، بیش از دو سوم افراد با تحصیلات بالای دکترا را برای امور غیر آموزشی جذب کرده اند.

The Nova Scotia government is expanding the number of immigrants who are eligible for refunds under a tainted work program that brought them to the province.

The program - which has been sent to the RCMP for further investigation by the province's auditor general - attracted more than 800 immigrants who paid fees of about $130,000 in return for middle-management job placements.

To qualify for refunds, immigrants must have started work with a so-called business mentor under the program before October 2007.

They and their dependents must also have lived in the province for at least 12 consecutive months before this month, and have been living in the province as of Oct. 1 and when they make their application.

Under a previous refund scheme announced by the province, only nominees who had not signed work contracts before October 2007 were eligible for refunds.

Many immigrants have complained they never received the job training they paid for when they arrived in Canada.

In announcing the refund program on Tuesday, the province says the amount of money paid back to immigrants would depend on how much they have already been paid back by businesses that hired them.

Earlier this month after the auditor general found irregularities in the program, Immigration Minister Len Goucher said he expected the province would repay money to about 400 immigrants who have remained in the province.

"We believe that nominees and their families, who have proven their commitment to Nova Scotia and building their futures here, should be eligible for the refund as well," Goucher said in a statement.

All applications must be submitted to the province by Jan. 5.

A study based on Canada's census data has revealed that a higher proportion of the children of Canadian immigrants attend university compared with the children of Canadian-born citizens.

The census data shows that twice as many second-generation Asian-Canadian women aged 25-37 years old have university degrees compared with non-immigrant Canadian-born women of the same age. Earning power amongst second-generation immigrants aged 25-37 is 6% higher than the earning power of their Canadian-born counterparts.

The highest number of women employed in the country came from the second-generation immigrants group aged 25-37 years, at 72 per cent. Immigrant parents with less education were more likely to have highly educated children - this is opposite to the findings for non-immigrant families.

The study's author is Miles Corak, a professor of the University of Ottawa. He said of the findings: "The study offers a more precise picture of where discontent and disengagement might arise in Canadian society."

The results of the study will be good news for The Canadian Immigration and Citizenship (CIC) which aims to improve and streamline the immigration system so that more foreign workers will move to Canada.

Canada has joined with other Western countries in condemning Iran's crackdown on dissidents, many of them scholars, artists and writers.

But about 500 Iranian-born Canadians have signed a petition to Ottawa's political leaders protesting what they say is worsening discrimination against Iranians who want to visit Canada, some of them internationally known dissidents on the blacklist of the regime.

"It makes no sense to deny visas to people who are moderates, and want to bring that message to Canada," said Saeed Soltanpour, host of the Glass Ceiling program on Iranian Television Canada. "Those people shouldn't feel that they are being left alone."

In a phone interview from Tehran, Ottawa's chargé d'affaires James Carrick said suspicions that Iranian visa-seekers have fallen victim to a backlash from the two countries' political tensions were unfounded, adding there was no policy to exclude Iranians from Canada.

Ottawa's ambassador to Tehran was expelled last year after Canada rejected Iranian candidates for ambassador to Ottawa. That followed years of wrangling over political and human rights concerns.

"There has been no change in our (visa) policy," Carrick said. "It's my understanding that in the past two years the approval rate for visas has increased."

Immigration officials say that each case is examined on its merits, and they must be confident those granted visas will return to their countries.

Those rejected received form letters saying that officials were "not satisfied" they would go back to Iran – a statement that leaves many puzzled.

Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi, of the University of Toronto, who organized one of the world's largest gatherings of Iranian scholars in Toronto last July, said "the difficulty in securing visas this year was unprecedented," in spite of efforts to smooth the way by meeting with Canadian officials and travelling to Iran.

Only a minority of several hundred Iranian artists and intellectuals invited to other Toronto events this summer were granted visas, Soltanpour said.

One rejected applicant, Hasan Yousefi Eshkevari, is a prominent clerical reformer who planned to lecture on democracy and women's rights. And, said Soltanpour, the Canadian embassy has failed to return his passport.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada said it would look into his case.

Another, Mohsen Namjou – known as Iran's Bob Dylan – had his Toronto concert cancelled when the popular performer was denied a visa.

Speaking from Tehran, Mahmood Schricker of the Toronto-based Small World Music organization, said it was "the first time in eight years" that the government-supported performing arts group had an Iranian artist's visa application turned down. Namjou was later admitted to the U.S., Schricker said.

Relatives of Iranian Canadians, and prospective students, have also been barred from visiting Canada, a situation that sparked the "anti-discrimination" petition backed by Liberal MPP Reza Moridi (Richmond Hill), himself an Iranian-Canadian.

The petition calls visa refusals "arbitrary," and claims that those turned down on the grounds of "limited ties to Iran" have increased since 2004. It calls for an investigation of "any violations of human rights."

Relations between Canada and Iran have been rocky since former Canadian ambassador Ken Taylor helped to rescue a group of Americans from Tehran during the 1979-81 hostage crisis. They worsened with the 2003 murder of Montreal photojournalist Zahra Kazami, who died in custody in an Iranian jail.

Human rights groups have long argued for more open visa regulations in Western countries to allow Iranians better contact with the West, increasing their exposure to democratic societies. But Iran's poor international image, and its ongoing confrontations over its nuclear program, have lowered expectations that would happen soon.

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced that certain temporary foreign workers and students can start applying for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class starting September 17, 2008.

“With the Canadian Experience Class fully in place, Canada will be more competitive in attracting and retaining individuals with the skills we need,” said Minister Finley. “It, along with other recent improvements to modernize the immigration system, will go a long way in bringing Canada in line with its global competitors while further spreading the benefits of immigration into smaller centres across Canada.”

The Canadian Experience Class is a new avenue of immigration for certain temporary foreign workers and foreign student graduates with professional, managerial and skilled work experience. Unlike other programs, the Canadian Experience Class allows an applicant’s experience in Canada to be considered a key selection factor when immigrating to Canada.

The final implementation of the Canadian Experience Class reflects what was originally proposed on August 9, 2008. The main difference is that those who have left Canada, but otherwise meet the requirements as workers or graduates, will be eligible to apply provided they do so within one year of leaving their job in Canada. Under the proposal, CIC had suggested that applicants would be required to have temporary resident status and be present in Canada to be eligible to apply. The Government of Canada has since chosen to cast a wider net to avoid missing those with the Canadian experience we want, through residency restrictions.

The final regulations for the Canadian Experience Class will be published in the Canada Gazette.

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, announced today a pilot project that will centralize the intake of applications from prospective immigrants applying under the federal skilled worker category.

With funding provided in the 2008 budget, which set aside $109 million to help meet the growing demand for permanent and temporary immigration, a centralized intake office will be established at CIC’s Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Over 30 additional staff will eventually be hired and trained. The centre will begin reviewing applications in October.

“In order to get the people we need to this country, we need to process applications faster,” said Minister Finley. “This pilot is one of several measures we are taking to help reduce wait times overall. By centralizing the intake of federal skilled worker applications, we are alleviating some of the workload in our overseas visa offices. This allows visa officers to focus more on processing applications.

“In addition to improving the way we process applications, this centre will create new jobs in Nova Scotia,” the Minister added. “This is a win situation for Nova Scotians, for Canadians and for prospective immigrants.”

CIC will evaluate the effectiveness of this pilot after 18 months and will adjust as necessary. The Department is also taking other measures to reduce wait times and address the immigration backlog. These measures include sending more staff to help out in areas around the world where wait times are the longest, redistributing work from busy to less busy visa offices, and reconfirming the interest of the applicants who have been waiting the longest.

Mr. Ramin Asadi will be in Tehran office to meet with applicant from September 28, 2008 (7 Mehr) for two weeks.
To book an appointment, please call 021-88661277.

آقاي رامین اسدی از تاريخ 28 سپتامبر 2008 (7 مهر ماه) به مدت دو هفته براي مشاوره و پاسخگويي به متقاضيان مهاجرت به کانادا در ايران حضور دارند.

براي گرفتن وقت مشاوره با دفتر ما در تهران 88661277 تماس بگيريد.

More Canadian immigrants are choosing to move to smaller cities rather than the economic hubs of Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto, reports the Canada Immigration Newsletter.
Statistics released from Citizenship and Immigration Canada show that a considerable amount of people are immigrating to small and mid-sized cities.

In 2007, the number of people moving to Charlottetown increased by 73 per cent on the previous year, while Saskatoon welcomed 40 per cent more immigrants over the same period. In Moncton, immigration numbers increased by 31 per cent, and Alberta revelled in a massive 93 per cent increase in overseas migrants.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada said the shifting pattern in Canadian immigration is in part due to the Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) which focuses on attracting immigrants to regional parts of the country.

According to the news provider, studies have shown that immigrants have a more successful integration to society if they move to smaller towns or cities, where unemployment rates are lower, incomes are higher, and there is less demand for housing.

The regional areas of Canada have been welcoming the influx of immigrants because of the economic and cultural benefits; there has been a country-wide need for overseas workers to work in specialised occupations in the Canadian workforce because of a growing skills shortage.

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada Minister Diane Finley, details on how the government will prioritize skilled worker applications are to be revealed in early Autumn.

The changes come as a result of amendments to Canada's Immigration and Refugee Act (IRPA) which came into law in June of 2008. The amendments give Canada's immigration minister the ability to prioritize the processing of Canadian immigration applications based on the country's 'socio-economic' needs.

Priority processing is expected to affect applications under Canada's federal skilled worker category received on or after 27 February 2008. Previously, applications in the federal skilled worker category were processed on a 'first-come-first-serve' basis.

While little is known about what criteria will govern the fast-tracking of skilled migrant applications, Finley noted that Canada as a whole is facing shortages in the medical, financial, and IT sectors.

Canada's federal skilled worker category is a points based system similar to schemes used by Australia and the UK. It assessed applicants based on criteria such as age, education, and work experience.

Canada’s government to help temporary foreign workers and foreign student graduates become permanent residents
Waterloo, August 12, 2008 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced the details of the Canadian Experience Class, a proposed new avenue for immigration for certain temporary foreign workers and foreign student graduates with Canadian work experience. Unlike other existing programs, this proposal will allow an applicant’s Canadian experience to be considered a key selection factor when immigrating to Canada.

The Canadian Experience Class will allow certain temporary foreign workers and certain foreign student graduates with managerial, professional, or technical or trade work experience to apply to become permanent residents, and eventually Canadian citizens. All applicants, depending on their occupational skill level, will be required to demonstrate either basic or moderate language skills. Proposed regulatory changes have been pre-published in the Canada Gazette for a 15-day comment period. Final regulatory changes will be published following this comment period.

“The Canadian Experience Class is one more measure this government is proposing to make our immigration system more attractive and accessible to individuals with diverse skills from around the world, and more responsive to Canada’s labour market needs,” said Minister Finley. “This new proposed avenue for immigration would also go further to spread the benefits of immigration into smaller centres across Canada.”

Temporary foreign workers and foreign students are generally spread out across the country and contribute to the growth of smaller communities as well as metropolitan areas. Individuals applying for permanent residence through this new avenue could apply from within Canada while continuing to work and continuing to contribute to their local communities.

The Canadian Experience Class comes after a number of recent initiatives the government has undertaken to help newcomers succeed and to help make Canada a more attractive destination for skilled individuals from around the world. These initiatives include changes to the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program; the establishment of the Foreign Credentials Referral Office; increased investments in language training and other programs and services aimed at helping newcomers successfully settle and integrate into their new communities; and, most recently, changes to the immigration system that would allow for priority processing of certain skilled applicants and reduced wait times for those wanting to immigrate to Canada.

Through the Canadian Experience Class, newcomers will be more likely to make the most of their abilities while undergoing a more seamless social and economic transition to Canada. And, in turn, their cultural and economic contributions will enrich Canada.

“Choosing newcomers based on knowledge of our labour market and experience within Canadian society would make Canada a more attractive destination for skilled individuals from around the world,” added Minister Finley. “International students and skilled workers would be more likely to choose Canada if they knew their time in Canada and contribution to Canadian society would assist in their eligibility to apply to stay permanently.”

بر اساس قانون جدید مهاجرت ، دانشجویانی که هم اکنون در کانادا تحصیل می کنند و سایر افرادی که با ویزای موقت مشغول کار هستند، می توانند می توانند پس از دو سال تحصیل یا کار، جهت اخذ ویزای دائم، از داخل کشور، تقاضا کنند.
خانم دایان فینلی، وزیر مهاجرت و شهروندی امروز با اعلام این مطلب افزود، این برنامه از اکتبر امسال و در راستای جذب بیشتر نیروهای متخصص خارجی به اجرا در می آید.
برای اینگونه افراد ، تجربه کار و حضور در کانادا، می تواند به عنوان امتیاز ویژه در هنگام درخواست ، مد نظر قرار گیرد.
این درحالیست که مطابق قانون قبلی، همه افراد مقیم موقت، برای درخواست مهاجرت می بایست از خارج از کانادا اقدام می کردند.
از سوی دیگر "برنامه تجربه کانادایی" یا Canadian Experience Class Program به فارغ التحصیلان خارج از کانادا ، اجازه می دهد از این پس همزمان با ادامه کار یا تحصیل در این کشور، به کسب مجوزهای لازم بازار کار بپردازد.
برخی از رشته ها و تخصص هایی که از طریق این برنامه می توانند اقدام کنند عبارتند از: محققین،مدیران مالی و بازرگانی،حسابداران، ریاضی دانان، مهندسین، داروسازان، پزشکان و پرستاران دارای مجوز، تکنسین های مهندسی،تکنسین های علوم پزشکی، طراحان و گرافیست ها، لوله کش ها و نجارها.
دولت کانادا معتقد است در صورت استفاده از کسانی که به نوعی با بازار کار کانادا آشنا هستند، سرعت جذب و رشد آنها بیشتر می شود.
آنان پیش بینی کرده اند ، افرادی که از این طریق مشغول بکار می شوند ، در مدت 10 سال اولیه می توانند درآمد خود را به بیش از 60 هزار دلار در سال برسانند، این درحالیستکه درآمد مهاجران عادی طی این مدت ، حداکثر به 42 هزار دلار در سال می رسند.
مخالفین که عمدتا از حزب نئو دمکرات هستند ، به دلیل اینکه در این طرح کارگران کم سواد ساختمانی و فنی و همچنین کشاورزان نادیده گرفته شده اند ، آن را ناعادلانه می دانند. هم اکنون 165 هزار کارگر موقت در کانادا مشغول بکار هشتند که 90 درصد آنها، افراد کم سواد هستند.

کمبود شدید کادر بهداشتی درمانی در سراسر کانادا باعث می شود ، جهت گیری پذیرش مهاجر به سمت متخصصین رشته های علوم پزشکی سوق یابد.
چدیدترین لیست منتشره از سوی سازمان توسعه منابع انسانی کانادا (HRSDC) ، با عنوان " مشاغل منطقه ای تحت فشار" نشان می دهد که تمامی شغل های مرتبط با بهداشت و درمان و بویژه پرستاری ، مورد نیاز شدید تمامی ایالت هاست.
این گزارش می تواند به عنوان مبنای تصمیم گیری برای چگونگی پذیرش مهاجر طی سال جاری قرار گیرد.
بر اساس قانون جدید مهاجرت که خردادماه گذشته به تصویب پارلمان کانادا رسید ، وزارت مهاجرت و شهروندی این کشور، مختار است ، متناسب با نیاز بازار کار کانادا به رشته های خاص، متخصصین متقاضی مهاجرت در آن حوزه را سریعتر جذب کند.
این تصمیم شامل کسانی خواهد شد که بعد از 27 فوریه 2008 تشکیل پرونده داده باشند.
گزارش HRSDC پس از مطالعه و بررسی 10 سال وضعیت بهداشت و درمان کانادا تهیه شده و نشان می دهد، در همه سال های مذکور، میزان نیروهای مورد نیاز، از استاندارد ملی کمتر بوده است.
از جمله رشته هایی که بیش از بقیه مورد تأکید قرار گرفته می توان به پزشکان عمومی و متخصص، فیزیوتراپ و شغل های مرتبط، پرستار و سرپرستار اشاره کرد.
برخی دیگر از رشته هایی که کمبود آن اعلام شده عبارتند از: بهیار و کمک پرستار، تکنسین شنوایی، تکنسین فیزیوتراپی و تکنسین رادیولوژی
روند رو به رشد نیازمندی کشور به حدی است که اخیرا ، انجمن پزشکی کانادا از نیاز فوری به حداقل 26،000 پزشک و 20،000 پرستار یاد کرده است.
افزایش جمعیت از یک سو و توسعه برنامه های بهداشت عمومی دولتی ، بازنشستگی سریع کارمندان این حوزه و عدم توانایی دانشگاه های کشور نسبت به تربیت نیروی مورد نیاز از سوی دیگر ، موجب بروز بحران در این بخش شده است.
این درحالیست که کانادا قوانین سختی برای پذیرش مدارک پزشکی اخذ شده در خارج از این کشور دارد و متقاضیان می بایست چندین نوع امتحان و دوره ویژه را برای گرفتن مجوز طبابت یا پرستاری طی کنند.
انتظار می رود وزارت مهاجرت همزمان با اجرای این طرح ، تسهیلاتی را نیز برای جذب سریعتر متخصصین در بازار کار تأمین کند.
اخیرا وزارت بهداشت ایالت انتاریو اجازه داد فارغ التحصیلان پزشکی دانشگاه های امریکا و کشورهای مستعمره بریتانیا، بتوانند همزمان با شروع کار عملی ، طی 5 سال خود را با استاندارد های کانادا تطبیق دهند.
کارشناسان پیش بینی کرده اند، به این ترتیب احتمال دارد مدت زمان انتظار متقاضیان مهاجرت در رشته های علوم پزشکی برای اخذ ویزا به یک سال یا کمتر کاهش یابد.

The Government of Quebec has introduced today its intention to modify the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program. These changes shall come into force on September 15th, 2008.


Management Experience

The management experience now only focuses on duties related to planning, directing, budgeting and control of either or both human and material resources. These duties must be performed under the authority of the applicant. However, the experience must have been performed during two years in the last five years.

As a result, the requirements for fulltime responsibilities, control of 25% of the equity in the enterprise and profitability are no longer required. This modification is an invitation to professionals who could not apply under the previous definition such as doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, etc. The period of time in which the experience must have been acquired should not have a negative impact.


Interviews

The requirement for investors to be interviewed has been lifted. This means that officers will now waive interviews and select candidates upon file reviews, if satisfied. However, we suspect that the Government will also use this modification to refuse applications upon file reviews.


Net assets

While there has been no modification to the required amount of $800,000, these assets may now be in the name of the applicant and his or her spouse together. Moreover, donations received by applicants at least six months prior to submitting the application will be accepted.


Conclusion

We welcome these changes and consider them very positive as they remove the irritants that had negatively impacted on the Quebec IIP in the past. These changes are much more in tune with the Federal definition and should alleviate the hesitation to present files to Quebec on the basis of Quebec’s complex definition.

The challenge is now to present files that will be accepted upon file review only. Our in-house lawyers will continue to provide the best legal support in order for you to meet the challenge. Together we will be successful.

On 14 March 2008, the Government of Canada introduced changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act with the objective of reducing the waiting time for applicants who have the skills Canada needs.

The changes, approved by Parliament on 18 June 2008, give Canada's immigration minister the authority to issue instructions to immigration officers which would allow them to fast-track skilled migration applicants who possess particular skill sets.
Immigration Minister Diane Finley is currently holding consultations with provinces, territories and other key stakeholders about the types of occupations that will be needed in Canada and where there are shortages within the workplace, both provincially and across Canada as a whole.

The 'Regional Lists of Occupations under Pressure' -- maintained by Human Resource Social Development Canada (HRSDC) -- shows health occupations in particular shortage throughout all Canadian provinces and territories, with a particular need for Registered Nurses.

In addition, HRSDC research entitled 'Looking Ahead: A 10 Year Outlook of the Canadian Labour Market' found that the health sector had the largest number of occupations showing signs of shortages at the national level.

Pressures are particularly acute for physicians, therapy and assessment professionals (e.g. physiotherapists), head nurses and nurse aides. Other health occupations are also experiencing shortages, such as registered nursing assistants, audiology technicians, physiotherapy technicians and medical radiation technologists.

Growth in demand for those occupations has been strong, due to the rising needs associated with population aging, increases in government funding for health care, and a high number of people retiring from the workforce. On the other hand, supply growth in many of these occupations has been relatively weak.

In some areas, the lack of supply may reflect the effects of earlier deficit control decisions (including accelerated retirements), declines in enrollments in related training programs, or delays in graduation due to lengthening course requirements. In those occupations, new supply from immigration is also limited as a result of foreign-credentials recognition issues and strong competition stemming from the overall global demand for health care workers.

It is expected after the Minister has completed the consultations on immigration priorities that cases for applicants who meet the point's requirements in occupations such as Registered Nurses will be fast tracked.

In addition, the time it will take to gain permanent residence in Canada will be dramatically reduced in some cases to less than a year -- if the proposals go ahead as planned.

Canada's skills pool is benefiting from record numbers of migration to its many provinces. Reports show that areas such as Canada's Alberta have seen the strongest demographics in recent months than since 1995.

The frequent campaigning by Canada's Immigration authorities in order to drive people to migrate and assume skills based jobs, appears to be being successful.

Alberta, located in Western Canada and bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, saw in the first three months of the year its population rise by 0.41 to reach an estimated 3,512,400.

Experts believe contributors to this boom are a combination of strong immigration rules, declining economies and a strong job market. Statistics show Alberta received 5,300 immigrants and posted a net increase of 4,000 non-permanent residents.

This increase in overseas workers, tourists and Canadian migrants is one which has been seen throughout the country and not merely in Alberta. Saskatchewan, a Prairie province this year recorded the highest first quarter increase in population for decades. This is a rise which has been on the steady up form 2006.

Inter-provincial migration and non-permanent resident net inflows have also played major contributors to the upsurge. The statistics further showed that all of the country's provinces experience net gains in inter-provincial migration.

Further figures show that as of April 1, 2008, Canada's population was estimated at 33,223,800.The nation's population increased 0.24%, the strongest first quarter growth rate since 2002.

Tabitha Holland a Canadian Immigration Consultant from www.globalvisas.com said that "Canada is definitely becoming more appealing as a country to migrate to. People seem to view it as a place where they can have a fresh start. News that Canada has received 53,100 new immigrants since the beginning of the year does not surprise me. It is a great country with lots to offer."

These rising figures are not entirely made up of migrants wishing to live in Canada. Instead the number of non-permanent residents has also risen. During the first three months of 2008, this number grew by 16,300, the largest net increase for a first quarter since 1990.

With many of the countries which already fighting it out for new talent in the global marketplace coming under pressure from the possibility of economical crises. Canada is being able to prosper from such fortunes and is driving thousands to its far shores laced with opportunity and culture.

اگر یکی از بستگان شما در استان آلبرتا زندگی میکند، امکان مهاجرت شما به کانادا فراهم گردیده است.
تحت قانون جدید مهاجرت کانادا و قرارداد جدید دولت فدرال کانادا با دولت استان آلبرتا که از تاریخ 19 جون امسال اجرا شد، افراد مقیم این استان هم اکنون میتوانند یکی از بستگان درجه 1 یا درجه 2 خود را تحت حمایتشان به کانادا بیاورند.
این بستگان شامل پدر، مادر، فرزند، برادر، خواهر، عمه، خاله، عمو، دایی، خواهرزاده ویا برادرزاده میباشد.

اگر شما یا همسرتان یکی از نسبتهای فوق را با یک فرد مقیم آلبرتا دارید، همین امروز با دفتر ما تماس بگیرید تا امکان مهاجرت سریع شما را به کانادا بررسی نماییم.
ITC Immigration and Employment Services
 
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Tel: (416) 410-5508, (905) 707-5555
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Fax: (905) 695-0301
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With the amount of affordable housing in many of Canada's provinces rapidly declining, the Canadian government is turning to immigration to provide solutions.

Canada has one of the most serious shortages of skilled labour in the industrial world and recent reports suggest that Canada's housing shortage is becoming the first critical casualty of this crisis. A spokesperson for the Canadian Home Builders' Association says "Our industry has been dealing with a chronic and growing shortage of skilled people for some time now."

Many are blaming contributing factors of high immigration to Canada and an aging population as the two key drives behind the lack of affordable housing in Canada. However in response to such theory's it seems that with an influx of skilled migrants the housing problem can in essence be eased, if not controlled entirely.

Skilled workers are being especially targeted in areas of housing and manual labour, this increase of overseas workers is therefore thought to aid the development of affordable housing by contributing to their production.

At present places such as Ontario, where the manufacturing industry is struggling are seeing housing starts weakening. Yet many argue that with an increase in manual labourers, housing starts should begin to rise which will have a known-on contribution to the manufacturing industry.

Colin Romberger from www.globalvisas.com agrees with the governments plans. "I think skilled migration can play a vital role in improving Canada's housing industry. Like any essential industry, housing relies on skilled workers to manage high demand. There's no reason that with its high standard of living that Canada can't compete and ultimately win the waging war for skilled workers from around the globe.

In addition to increasing the drive for overseas skilled workers, the government is also actively trying to encourage a younger generation to develop skills which they're lacking in. Such initiatives are jointly being used within the country's educational system as well as bribes for potential migrants.

Such schemes which are being pursued and implemented are the Registered Apprenticeship Program, on-the-job training and curriculum changes. Further more the development of the forthcoming World Skills Competition, which is scheduled for Calgary in 2009, are being seen as a tremendous opportunity to generate interest amongst youngsters.

Whilst many feel that although Canada's immigration system and procedures have radically received improvement, there is still a dyeing need for further reform. Romberger however thinks that "it's great news that Canada's current immigration system recognises the values which skilled tradesmen can bring to the country. There is always greater room for improvement, but things are definitely moving the right way."

In conclusion the Canadian government has certainly become aware of the benefits which can accompany skilled workers and views that the strength of ageing industries, such as housing relies on the strength of skilled people from the world-over.

Ottawa, July 3, 2008 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today released details of consultations on Canada’s immigration priorities, following the passage of changes to Canada’s immigration legislation under Budget Bill C-50.

The new immigration law gives the Minister the authority to issue instructions on which categories of applications are prioritized, returned with a refund or held for future consideration.

The new law is intended to stop the growth of the backlog of applicants so that, ultimately, people who want to come to Canada receive a decision within 6 to 12 months instead of the 6 years it can take now. The new law also more closely aligns Canada’s immigration system with labour shortages so that immigrants who come to Canada will have more opportunities to find employment in their chosen fields.

The consultations will focus on identifying critical occupational shortages, the role of immigration in responding to them, and any barriers to foreign credential accreditation.

They will help develop instructions to immigration officers on which applications are identified for priority processing, particularly in the federal skilled worker category.

“The changes to Canada’s immigration law allow us to bring to Canada more quickly those immigrants with the skills that match Canada’s labour market needs,” said Minister Finley. “We are now consulting to make sure we accurately define those needs. This will help our economy and help newcomers better support their families.”

Beginning July 7th, the Department will consult with all provinces and territories, as well as key stakeholders, through a series of face-to-face meetings and videoconferences. A consultation schedule is attached. Representatives from business, labour, and academic and non-government organizations will be invited to these sessions.

The Minister will also consult national stakeholders at a roundtable in August. Other organizations or interested individuals who wish to provide input can submit their feedback online at www.cic.gc.ca until the end of July.

“We committed to consulting across the country and we are delivering on that commitment,” said Minister Finley. “I believe this inclusive approach will help identify the categories of workers who get priority, and will allow us to prepare instructions that reflect the knowledge and expertise of the provinces, territories and stakeholders.”

Following consultations, the instructions will be published in the Canada Gazette and available on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website at www.cic.gc.ca. They will also be tabled in Parliament as part of the Annual Report on Immigration.

To meet the 2008 immigration plan, which calls for the admission of 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents, CIC missions around the world continue to process applications submitted before February 27, 2008, the date the legislation takes effect. With wait times exceeding six years in some categories, few missions are currently processing applications received in 2008, which is expected to be a transition year.

The legislation will not affect agreements with the provinces to process provincial nominees or, in the case of Quebec, Quebec skilled workers. It cannot affect refugee protection, nor is it intended to affect our goals for family reunification. This means CIC continues to process applications in those areas in the usual way.

Applications from federal skilled workers who already have a job arranged for them when they arrive will also be processed. Other applications received on or after February 27, 2008 in the federal skilled worker category will be considered for possible processing once the instructions are issued.

The new Canadian immigration policy aims to stop the ever-growing application backlog. But at the moment the backlog is destined to grow even more as the government halts all visa processing.

Last week a new visa strategy was voted in by the Canadian Parliament. These reforms, replacing the amendments of just six years ago, focus on the current skills shortages that actively hamper the success and growth of the nation. The new laws give immigration minister, Diane Finley, the flexibility to fast-track applicants with sought after skills.

However at the moment the applications that will be accepted are not known, therefore those who have submitted applications after February 26 have been put on hold. The backlog as it stands has reached over 900 000 to date, because of this stoppage an additional 90 000 is estimated to be added to this figure.

"Canada is an extremely popular immigration choice," says Leanne Hurrell of www.globalvisas.com. However she adds that, "with the queue growing by the day, the waiting time could get even longer and more and more skilled professionals will be looking elsewhere." Therefore the major reasons for the changes will ultimately be sidelined.

Canadian visa processing has been stopped until further notice, explained the government on Friday. In the next few months which visas will be processed and which will be returned unprocessed will be decided upon. This has caused much concern within immigration consultancies that fear that with the growing backlog, some applications will be put to the side and applicants will have to reapply.

This with not only affect people in terms of the time it takes to process but those who are rejected will loose out money-wise. An applicant will get a refund of the processing fee from the government if rejected, but money spent on consultancies and the like is often not refundable.

This immigration policy should move people with the needed skills forward in the immigration line. Therefore those with the right skills could have their visa processed in as little as six months. At the moment who and when these people will benefit are still unclear.

دولت محلی آلبرتا اعلام کرد، مهاجران و شهروندان مقیم آن ایالت می توانند از این پس تحت برنامه ویژه پذیرش مهاجر آلبرتا (Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program) نسبت به دعوت از بستگان نزدیک خود و اسپانسر شدن برای آنان اقدام کنند.
وزیر مهاجرت و شهروندی آلبرتا گفت، برخی از اعضای فامیل افراد مقیم ، دارای دانش یا تخصص مورد نیاز ایالت هستند، بنابراین ما می توانیم ضمن تکمیل نیروهای مورد نیاز خود بوسیله آنان، جوامع خانوادگی را نیز گسترش دهیم.
طبق مقررات مذکور، آلبرتایی ها می توانند در صورتیکه والدین، فرزندان، برادر و خواهر، عمو و عمه، خاله و دایی، برادرزاده و خواهر زاده آنها، شرایط لازم برای اخذ پذیرش مهاجرت را داشته باشند، آنان را تحت پوشش خود، به آلبرتا بیاورند.
این افراد لازم نیست دعوت نامه شغلی ( Job offer ) داشته باشند ، اما باید ثابت کنند که توانایی ورود به بازار کار آلبرتا را دارند.
همچنین متقاضیان باید دارای حداقل مدرک دیپلم یا فنی و حرفه ای و سابقه کار باشند و سن آنها بین 21 تا 45 سال باشد.
در این طرح سرمایه قابل دسترس متقاضیان، معادل 10،000 دلار ، به ازای فرد اصلی خانواده ، باضافه 2،000 دلار برای افراد تحت پوشش خود تعیین شده است.
اضافه می شود آلبرتا هم اکنون با کمبود 30 تا 40 هزار نیروی کار روبرو است که این میزان طی دهه آینده به 110 هزار نفر می رسد.
ایالت ثروتمند و نفتی آلبرتا در غرب کانادا قرار دارد و مهمترین شهرهای آن ادمونتون و کالگری است.

June 19, 2008
Invite your uncle to pack his arc welder for a new life in Alberta

Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program expands to include family members

Edmonton... In an effort to build the province’s workforce, the government is expanding its Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) to include family members.

“Albertans have family members with skills and knowledge Alberta needs,” said Hector Goudreau, Minister of Employment and Immigration. “Adding this family stream to the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program will help us meet our workforce needs while creating more diverse and welcoming communities for all our families.”

Eligible Albertans may sponsor a parent, child, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew for provincial nomination. The family members coming to Alberta will have to meet provincial eligibility criteria and be able to join Alberta’s labour market. They must have post-secondary education, work experience, and be between 21 and 45 years old. Applicants do not need to have a job before they apply. The sponsoring family member living in Alberta will act as a vital support system to help the newcomers while they settle in.

The AINP fast-tracks the immigration process for people applying for permanent residency. Applicants will then need to go through the standard federal security and health checks. Citizenship and Immigration Canada makes the final decision on permanent resident visas.

By expanding the program and increasing the number of people living in Alberta, there will be a larger labour force pool employers can draw from. The program is designed to meet the needs of Alberta employers who are unable to fill skilled and select semi-skilled positions with Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.

More information on the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program and the new family stream is available at www.albertacanada.com/ainp.

Ottawa, June 16, 2008 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced two significant changes to the permanent resident card (PR card) application process.

Permanent residents applying to replace a card that is due to expire are no longer required to send in their current valid card with the application. Instead, they now only need to exchange their old card when they pick up the new card in person at a local Citizenship and Immigration Canada office. In addition, applicants for a new or replacement PR card are no longer required to obtain the signature of a guarantor or sign a statutory declaration in lieu of a guarantor.

“These changes demonstrate our continued commitment to providing more convenient services to newcomers,” said Minister Finley. “We recognize that people may want to hold on to a valid card for travel purposes while waiting for the replacement. We also understand that newcomers may have difficulty finding a guarantor who has known them for at least two years.”

Allowing permanent residents to keep their valid cards while waiting for a replacement will make it easier for people to travel while their application is being processed.

Previously, permanent residents had to send in their existing PR card when they applied for a replacement. This presented an inconvenience for permanent residents who intended to travel outside Canada while their application was being processed. Permanent residents should still include their PR card with the application for a replacement if it has already expired.

Eliminating the need for a guarantor will simplify the permanent resident card application process without compromising security. For example, CIC can verify an applicant's passport, driver’s licence, or employment and educational information to confirm their residence and identity.

The PR card confirms the holder’s permanent resident status in Canada. Permanent residents who travel outside Canada must show the card before boarding commercial transportation (plane, train, boat or bus) to return to Canada. Without a valid PR card, permanent residents would not be allowed to board commercial transportation back to Canada.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada encourages permanent residents to check the expiry date on their PR cards and apply for a new one well before they plan to travel. The PR card was introduced in 2002, and, in most cases, is valid for a five-year period.

Charlottetown, June 13, 2008 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and the Honourable Allan Campbell, Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development for Prince Edward Island, on behalf of P.E.I.’s Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning, today announced the new Agreement for Canada‑Prince Edward Island Co‑operation on Immigration.

The new agreement will make it easier for the province to attract more skilled international workers, to process those applications more quickly and to strengthen its Francophone community.

“The Government of Canada believes in immigration and the signing of today’s new agreement means Prince Edward Island has an immigration agreement that is tailored to the province’s unique needs and priorities,” said Minister Finley. “The focus of the Prince Edward Island agreement is the removal of limits in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), collaboration on overseas marketing initiatives, and the targeted use of the PNP to attract and retain Francophone immigrants. This will ensure that the province is able to select the number of immigrants it needs to meet labour market demands and build a stronger economy.”

“We are very pleased to renew this immigration agreement with the federal government,” said Mr. Campbell. “It gives the province the authority we need to attract new immigrants who will meet gaps in our labour market and help boost our declining population.”

The agreement, which sets out the roles and responsibilities in immigration matters, replaces a previous agreement signed in 2001. It includes several new provisions aimed at keeping pace with Prince Edward Island’s changing economic, social and demographic needs. Specifically, the new agreement means:

Prince Edward Island will be able to address particular social, demographic, economic development and labour market needs.
Prince Edward Island will be able to nominate more immigrants possessing the skills needed in the province, for quicker processing by the Government of Canada.
Prince Edward Island and Canada will work together to share information and to develop and implement strategies to better integrate immigrants into the labour market. This includes improving the process for the recognition of foreign credentials.
Canada and Prince Edward Island will enhance their cooperation in overseas immigration marketing initiatives, including bringing temporary foreign workers and students to the province.
There will be increased encouragement for the recruitment and retention of Francophone immigrants through the Provincial Nominee Program.
The agreement formalizes and builds on the existing collaborative relationship between Canada and Prince Edward Island on immigration matters, including the delivery of settlement and integration services. It also recognizes the importance of involving community stakeholders, including service providers, municipalities and the private sector, in welcoming newcomers.

Attracting more immigrants to Prince Edward Island will help maintain population levels in the province’s communities and will provide skilled workers who can meet the labour market needs of P.E.I. businesses.

For an electronic copy of the agreement signed today, please visit www.cic.gc.ca or www.gov.pe.ca/immigration.

شبکه اینترنتی ایرانیان مقیم تورنتو (ایرانتو) – مجلس عوام کانادا در سومین مرحله از بررسی لایحه متمم بودجه با عنوان C-50 ، بار دیگر به آن رأی مثبت داد.
طرح جدید کنترل پذیرش مهاجر به وزیر مهاجرت و شهروندی اختیار می دهد متناسب با نیاز کشور به تخصص های مختلف، نسبت به اولویت بندی تقاضاها یا رد آنها اقدام کند.
با عدم مخالفت حزب لیبرال، این لایحه با 120 رأی مثبت در مقابل 90 رأی منفی به تصویب رسید.
نمایندگان حزب نئودمکرات(سومین حزب اصلی کانادا) با متهم کردن حزب لیبرال به دورویی در این قضیه اعلام کردند، حزب لیبرال به رأی دهندگان خود پشت کرده است.
مواضع حزب نئودمکرات در مخالفت با این موضوع ، از حمایت اکثر گروه های قومی برخوردار است.
در حالیکه وزیر مهاجرت دلیل ارائه طرح را انتخاب افراد متخصص مورد نیاز کشور و پذیرش سریع تر آنان اعلام کرده، اما مخالفین معتقدند ، وزیر مهاجرت بدین ترتیب اختیارات بیش از حدی می یابد که می تواند در نحوه پذیرش پیروان یک مذهب، ملیت یا زبان بخصوص مؤثر باشد.
خانم دایان فینلی وزیر مهاجرت گفته است که نظام پذیرش مهاجر کانادا تقریبا از هم پاشیده است و نزدیک به یک میلیون نفر متقاضی که هم اکنون در لیست انتظار قرار دارند، شاید تا سالهای سال نتوانند به کانادا بیایند.
در عین حال رهبر حزب نئودمکرات در نشست دیروز تأکید کرد، اگر وزیر مهاجرت مایل به سرعت بخشیدن به روند پذیرش است ، باید با افزودن تعداد کارکنان در سفارتخانه ها، به این موضوع کمک کند.
اضافه می شود وزارت مهاجرت بارها عنوان کرده است که انتظار 6 تا 7 ساله برای ورود به کانادا باعث می شود ، بسیاری از افراد نخبه به کشور دیگری مهاجرت کنند و از این نظر ، کانادا متضرر شود.
طرح جدید مهاجرت می بایست برای اجرا، از تصویب مجلس سنا هم بگذرد.

شبکه اینترنتی ایرانیان مقیم تورنتو (ایرانتو) - دولت انتاریو در نظر دارد محدودیت های موجود بر سر فعالیت برخی پزشکان تحصیل کرده خارج از کانادا را بردارد تا آنها بتوانند به محض ورود به این کشور، طبابت خود را آغاز کنند.
بر مبنای طرج جدید، پزشکان فارغ التحصیل آمریکا و مستعمرات بریتانیا و همچنین سایر ایالت های کانادا می توانند از این پس بدون گذراندن دوره یا انجام ارزیابی خاص، نسبت به دریافت مجوز اقدام کنند.
این اقدام به دلیل کمبود نیروی پزشک در ایالت و همچنین تصمیم وزارت بهداشت برای تبدیل انتاریو به عنوان ایالت پیشرو در ترکیب پزشکان خارجی و داخلی انجام می شود.
با این وجود این تصمیم از دیدگاه برخی ناظران، موجب تضعیف فعالیت پزشکان فعلی دانستند و یک انجمن پزشکی نیز آن را طرحی شتابزده و ناصحیح ارزیابی کرده است.
وزارت بهداشت همچنین یک مجوز فعالیت انتقالی هم طراحی کرده که براساس آن، اینگونه از پزشکان به مدت 2 تا 5 سال فرصت خواهند داشت، همزمان با آغاز فعالیت درمانی، خود را به استانداردهای مورد قبول کانادا برسانند.

Ahmed Ramahi first applied to come to Canada as a skilled worker in late 2001. At the time, he was 28, single and had just finished his MBA at Sam Houston State University in Texas.

Today, the Jordanian-born mechanical engineer is 35, a married father of a boy – and still waiting.

"The more time goes by, the more difficult it will be for me to make up my mind and start over in Canada," Ramahi said in a phone interview from Doha, Qatar, where he is the general manager of an oil and energy company. "I have a wife. I have a kid. I have a career. The opportunity cost would be too high."

It is Ramahi's story, along with the nearly million other cases caught in this country's huge backlog, that has prompted what Immigration Minister Diane Finley called "urgent action" to modernize a dysfunctional immigration system. The government's proposed changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act are to be voted on in the coming weeks.

No one disputes the long waits are unacceptable. But a growing number of immigration experts and community groups say Finley's proposal will not reduce the backlog and will, in fact, lengthen the wait because the amendments only apply to new applications filed after Feb. 26. In other words, people like Ramahi could languish in the queue for many more years to come.

And even if there were no more new applications, it would still take up to five years to process everybody already waiting.

The government has embedded the controversial changes in the 2008 budget bill, turning the immigration plan into a confidence vote – a move the Liberal Opposition was ill-prepared for.

If passed, the legislative changes would give Finley the power to reject applications even if they meet all the criteria, and instruct officials to cherry-pick immigrants based on labour market needs.

The proposal has created a furor among its critics, who argue the current act already gives the minister power to reduce the backlog by altering the point system and giving priority to different types of applications, without compromising parliamentary oversight.

Previous immigration ministers have used that discretion to prioritize processing, for example to get survivors of the 2004 Asian tsunami in the door more quickly, and to fast-track sewing machine operators needed in Manitoba.

"With the blank-cheque power, decisions could be made in secret or not made at all, and rules could change retroactively. There would be no limit on the discretionary power granted to bureaucrats," said immigration lawyer and policy analyst Richard Kurland.

"When you have an inexperienced minister, who is not legally trained and relies so much on the bureaucrats, the uncontrolled power is a recipe for disaster, for potential corruption and abuse."

A large contributing factor to the backlog is Canada's popular open-door policy that allows anyone who can chalk up at least 67 points on its point-selection system to put an application in the pile.

On the other hand, Canada does set annual quotas to limit the number of applications it processes and landed immigrants it accepts. But resources to deal with those applications have been spread thinly over the years, especially in the "skilled worker" category. Manpower is being diverted more and more to priority-processing programs such as the temporary foreign worker category and the provincial nominee program, both created to meet specific labour needs.

"The backlog is not a backlog at all, if you live or work in certain countries. If you live in the U.S., your application will be processed in about one year," said Phil Mooney, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants. "But if you live in Africa or the Middle East, the best you can hope for is four years. Asia is even worse. Why is there such a disparity?"

The department has pledged $109 million over five years to bring the backlog down and to send out "SWAT teams" to speed up processing in places, like China and India, with agonizingly slow wait times. Also letters will soon go out to some 50,000 people in the backlog list asking them to consider withdrawing their applications.

Immigration experts say that if it wants to get serious about the backlog, the government must do two things: inject additional resources and vastly expand the yearly targets to let more people in.

Canadian immigration lawyer Tim Leahy said Canada could also "paper-screen" skilled worker applicants and, for those who meet the minimum criteria, issue open work permits, allowing them to finish the process inside Canada.

To avoid a future backlog, Ottawa could control intake by raising the pass mark prospectively.

Finley has repeatedly complained that the point selection system responds too slowly to satisfy changing labour market needs.

Unlike in Canada where applications are "warehoused" in the queue, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom require applicants to get their professional credentials and English skills assessed before they even apply. It automatically eliminates many who might otherwise apply as immigrants.

Legal experts say all Canada may need to do is to similarly readjust its point system.

For example, Australia has a flexible, micromanaged system that awards bonus points to applicants who have earned a degree inside the country and/or had their professional skills pre-recognized by the appropriate regulatory body, such as a college of physicians in the case of a doctor trying to gain entry.

Their skilled immigrants tend to hit the ground running. Initial employment rates for degree-holding immigrants in Australia was 83 per cent in 2005, with 63 per cent working in their professional field. In Canada, only 66 per cent got jobs right away, and only 33 per cent did so in a field they trained for.

"Employers can give or withhold jobs and regulatory bodies, not the government, control who gets certification," explains renowned migration policy researcher Lesleyanne Hawthorne, of the University of Melbourne. "In Canada, there is no correlation between the point system and the reality. Your skilled migrants don't meet the expectations of the employers."

New Zealand immigration lawyer Mark Williams agrees the emphasis on accreditation saves time on screening, though it also ends up closing the doors to many prospective migrants. But these stringent standards allow authorities to control intake.

In the United Kingdom, prospective immigrants can apply for work permits under the Highly Skilled Migration Programme, a point system similar to Canada's. But it is a "probationary" system where an applicant has up to five years to earn permanent residency if he or she achieves a certain income level.

Laurentiu Dragan, 32, who was an immigration applicant when he won a lawsuit against Immigration Canada in 2002 after it raised the pass mark retroactively, said Canada appeals to prospective migrants by virtue of the fair chance it gives everyone who wants to come here.

"Trying to clear the backlog is a good thing," said the computer programmer from Romania, who got landed status in 2004 and lives in London, Ont. "But from the applicants' perspective, it's a bit unfair if you still get rejected when you meet all the basic requirements."

What was noteworthy immediately after the pass mark was raised in June 2002 was that new applications dropped off quickly, down by 75 per cent within eight months, compared to the same period a year before. Critics say this case proves the government can control intake by adjusting the pass mark.

شبکه اینترنتی ایرانیان مقیم تورنتو (ایرانتو) – دولت کانادا ، یک تیم ویژه به برخی کشورهای خارجی ارسال کرده تا در خصوص موضوع ازدواج های ساختگی اتباع آن کشورها جهت گول زدن مأموران مهاجرتی تحقیق کنند.
این اقدام به دنبال افزایش متارکه زن و شوهرهای مهاجر و تنها ماندن زنان در سال های اخیر انجام می شود.
گفته می شود گروهی از افراد خلاف کار که با اصطلاح wedding spy نام دارند ، با نفوذ در دستگاه های دولتی کشورهای خود ، گذرنامه های و اسناد ازدواج جعلی برای متقاضیان صادر می کنند تا آنان بتوانند از این طریق به کانادا مهاجرت کنند.
در عین حال عدم آگاهی مأموران مهاجرتی با آداب و رسوم بعضی از ملیت ها در زمینه ازدواج مجدد ، باعث برخورد های نادرست با افراد دارای چند همسر قانونی شود.
هم اکنون افسران مهاجرتی برای انجام مصاحبه دقیق تر با زوج ها ، متناسب با ملیت و اعتقاداتشان، آموزش می بینند.
اخیرا برخی از مهاجران با دریافت پول از متقاضیان ازدواج، آنان را به کانادا دعوت می کنند ، اما باوجود اینکه طبق مقررات می بایست تا 10 سال از همسر خود حمایت مالی کنند، با اینوجود از همان سال های اول آنان را رها کرده و دولت مجبور به تأمین معاش آنان می گردد. نوع دیگر آن مربوط به افرادی است که بدون دریافت پول و صرفا با انگیزه تشکیل خانواده و ادامه زندگی با هموطن خود، نسبت به ازدواج و دعوت از او اقدام می کنند و فرد مذکور پس از اتمام مراحل مهاجرتی ، همسر خود را ترک می کند.
بیشترین ازدواج های ساختگی مربوط به کشورهای هند، چین و ویتنام بوده است.
مشکلات مربوط به این موضوع آنقدر جدی شده که اخیرا گروهی با نام جمعیت قربانیان ازدواج های ساختگی (Canadian Marriage Fraud Victims' Society) تأسیس شده تا به اشخاصی که فریب خورده اند کمک کند.
اضافه می شود هم اکنون مهاجرت از طریق ازدواج، آسانترین و سریع ترین راه برای ورود به کاناداست و بسیاری افراد ترجیح می دهند بجای انتظار 6 تا 7 ساله برای مهاجرت عادی، با پذیرفتن ریسک ازدواج قلابی، در عرض یک سال این مسیر را طی کنند

An interesting development is taking place at an Ontario college -- people who have immigrated to Canada will now have the opportunity to get language training and post-secondary educational qualifications that will assist their integration into Canadian society.

While Canada is an extremely popular destination for migrants (almost 20 percent of the population was born abroad, the highest foreign-born population in 75 years), some individuals have a hard time finding work in their respective fields due to language barriers and lack of recognized qualifications.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada has been addressing this issue with funding to local areas of Canada through agreements with its provinces and territories.

The latest round of funding -- CAD $5.5 million -- will go towards language training and post-secondary education opportunities for local immigrants at Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. This will allow individuals a chance to get a qualification from a recognized Canadian educational institution.

People taking advantage of the new services will have access to career centers, as well as other areas that students of the college enjoy, such as the computer lab and library.

"Finding a job is one of the most significant challenges facing new immigrants to Canada," said Immigration Minister Diane Finley, who announced the funding.

"We want newcomers to succeed, and we want to help them find good jobs. Through this funding and the efforts of Sheridan College, newcomers will have the opportunity to develop the skills to find work in their fields. Their success is our success," she added.

Joyce Wayne, Director of the Sheridan Centre for Internationally Trained Individuals, said her organization could now respond to the needs of its local immigrants through programs designed specifically for people trained overseas.

"These programs will not only enhance the language capabilities of our immigrants, but will also offer our internationally trained students diplomas and certificates from a recognized college in Canada," Wayne said.

Foreign direct investment in Canada surged in 2007, while Canada's direct investment in the rest of the world dwindled, Statistics Canada says.

Foreign direct investment climbed 14.4 per cent from 2006, the largest gain in eight years, as foreign investors snapped up Canada's factories, and oil and gas interests, Statscan said.

(Direct investment is defined as a lasting interest of more than 10 per cent in a given company, by a resident of another country.)

Much of the increase of foreign involvement in Canada last year came in the form of takeovers of Canadian firms, the statistical agency said. Indeed, foreign takeover activity was more active last year than during the high-tech bubble of 2000.

But the takeovers weren't led by Americans. The United Kingdom and European countries accounted for most of the new takeover activity in 2007, Statscan said, although U.S. corporations still account for 58 per cent of the foreign holdings in Canada.

Still, Canada managed to buy more outside its borders than foreigners bought here. Canada's net direct investment position was $13.7-billion, down from $92.2-billion the previous year.

For years, Canada was a net recipient of foreign investment, but that switched in 1997, when Canada's direct investment abroad surpassed foreign direct investment in Canada. But with last year's surge in foreign activity in Canada, that surplus shrank to its lowest level since 1997.

While the figures will no doubt give plenty of fodder to those who fear a “hollowing-out” by foreign interests, Statscan also points out that the decline in Canada direct investment abroad was mainly related to the appreciation of the Canadian dollar. The stronger dollar prompted a $67-billion downward revaluation of foreign holdings, Statscan said.

Overall, Canadian direct investment holdings totalled $514.5-billion in 2007, down $15.4-billlion from 2006. It was only the second decline since 1986, and the last decline occurred in 2003.

“On both occasions, the appreciation of the Canadian dollar played a significant role,” Statscan said.

Canadian direct investment abroad slid in all major geographical areas, Statscan said.

Canadian ownership in the United States was little changed last year, but down significantly from a decade ago.

Canadians were mainly active in acquiring foreign interests in the financial, insurance and management industries, Statscan said.

A big surge was noted in Canadian inter-company investment in Caribbean countries that are often considered tax havens. Investment in Barbados, Bahamas, Bermuda and the Cayman islands totalled 16.5 per cent of total Canadian FDI abroad, up from just 5.4 per cent of holdings in 1997.

شبکه اینترنتی ایرانیان مقیم تورنتو (ایرانتو) – بر اساس آخرین گزارش اداره آمار کانادا، متوسط درآمد خانوارها از سال 1980 تا 2005 بیش از 11 درصد افزایش یافته است.
این گزارش همچنین می افزاید، متوسط درآمد خانوارها حتی بعد از محاسبه و کسر مالیات نیز ، رشد صعودی داشته است.
در سال 2006، متوسط درآمد سالانه هر خانواده ، بالغ بر 58،300 دلار اعلام شده که نسبت به سال قبل آن 2.1 درصد افزایش داشته است.
این برای سومین سال پیاپی است که چنید رشد درآمدی اعلام می شود.
بر اساس این گزارش متوسط درآمد خانواده های مسن ( 65 سال به بالا) ، 42،400 دلار ، خانواده های فعال و در حال اشتغال ، 62،000 دلار و افراد تنها 22،800 دلار در سال برآورد شده است.
در عین حال درآمد خانواده های ساکن در ایالت نفتی آلبرتا همچنان از سایر مناطق کانادا بیشتر گزارش شده است.
طبق آمار مذکور، متوسط درآمد آلبرتایی ها 70،500 دلار، و به دنبال آن انتاریویی ها و بریتیش کلمبیایی ها هر یک به ترتیب با 62،400 دلار و 60،300 دلار در رتبه های دوم و سوم قرار دارند.
طی سال های اخیر، دولت با حمایت مالی بیشتر از خانواده های دارای فرزند، متوسط درآمد آنها را افزایش داده است.
هم اکنون 7 درصد خانواده های کانادایی یعنی 633،000 خانواده با درآمدی در حدود 7،000 دلار در سال زیر خط فقر قرار دارند. این در حالیست که در سال 2005 ، متوسط درآمد آنان 8،000 دلار بود.
اضافه می شود در گزارش اداره آمار کانادا ، اشاره ای به میزان افزایش هزینه های زندگی در سال های مذکور نشده است. ضمن اینکه بسیاری از مردم در مورد متوسط درآمد 58،300 دلاری برای یک خانواده دچار تردید هستند.

All immigrants applying to come to Canada as skilled workers – even those who grew up speaking English or French – could soon be required to take a mandatory language test to prove proficiency in one of Canada's official languages, the Star has learned.

Until now, English- and French-speaking applicants – including immigrants from the U.S. and England – could bypass the test by submitting a letter testifying to their language skills. Officials say the proposed change will make language assessments more transparent. But immigration lawyers say the change would only increase delays at a time when the federal government is introducing dramatic changes to reduce an immigration backlog, especially to smooth the way for those most likely to succeed in the job market.

Critics say the extra hassle and fees would discourage applicants.

"Say you are French and want to take a job in Quebec and you are asked to write a French test. I see it as an insult to most people," said lawyer Alex Stojicevic, chair of the Citizenship and Immigration Section of the Canadian Bar Association, whose executives plan to meet Monday to write a group response.

"Same for those from the United Kingdom. English is called English for a reason. (Testing them) is just silly and embarrassing."

Currently, applicants in the skilled-worker class with good language skills can earn up to 16 "points" either by taking the International English Language Testing System test or with a written submission. The policy change wouldn't be applied to applications already in the system, or to those in the family category.

To qualify as a skilled immigrant, an applicant needs at least 67 points out of a possible 100 awarded for education level, work experience and family connections to Canada, among other factors.

While immigration officers have the discretion to decide if testing is warranted, high school graduates from Britain, the United States, Australia and the like generally get the full 16 points by testifying to their abilities in a letter.

"Written submissions are lengthy to assess and visa officers are not language experts," said department spokesperson Danielle Norris, who emphasized that the change is still just a proposal. "This makes it difficult to be fair and consistent in assessing language ability."

While immigration officials claim a significant number of people who are not native English or French speakers are also choosing to bypass the language test, no statistics to back that up were available.

But lawyers warn the proposal will be off-putting to people most likely to integrate easily in Canada's labour market, such as the 17,000 Brits and Americans who come each year. "They would say, it's not worth the effort for me to take the test, I'm not going to take the step. I have better things to do with my time," said Vancouver immigration lawyer Catherine Sas.

Stojicevic said the rule would force a client of his from Austin, Texas, to pay $200 and drive more than four hours to the state's lone English-language test centre in Houston to take the exam. It's not even available in every state. And scheduling issues could cause further delays, he added.

The general English-language test, which has a maximum score of 9 in each of the writing, reading, speaking and listening components, is available in 500 locations in 120 countries. Under the proposal, a skilled immigrant would need to score a 7 in each part of the test to claim the full 16 points allocated for language proficiency. (International English Language Testing System has a higher-level test for university entrance that's used, for example, by the London School of Economics.)

Toronto lawyer Robin Seligman said the rule would also affect applicants from English-speaking countries who use the language mark to make up for points lost due to their lack of higher education, for example tradespeople and truck drivers.

"The language test is counterproductive to what the immigration minister has said she's going to do in the (recent) amendments," said Seligman, adding that it's not fair to use the same benchmark for applicants in different job categories.

In Australia, trades need a lower language test score than non-trades. The U.K. exempts applicants from its former Caribbean colonies from testing because they speak English.

This tool provides individuals with credentials and experience obtained overseas with information about working in Canada.

It will tell you what the current prospects are for your profession right across Canada. It offers information on essential skills, job descriptions, and work conditions and opportunities. It will also tell you whether your occupation is a regulated profession in Canada.

Explore the Working in Canada Tool at the following address, to obtain information and referrals to help you prepare to work, specific to where you live (or plan to live) in Canada.

http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/welcome.do?lang=en&template=fcro

Please be advised that the Business Immigration Section of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade is planning a "Doing Business in Ontario" seminar in Farsi on Thursday, May 8, 2008 from 8:30am to 5:00pm. This is a full-day orientation on topics relating to business start-up for new business immigrants. CAPIC (Canadian Association of Professional Immigration Consultants) has invited speakers from private sector and government agencies to speak on such topics as franchising, business opportunities, Canadian banking and accounting for small business, services of the Canadian Revenue Agency, overview of the Employment Standards Act, information and services that Business Centers provide and how to have Entrepreneur terms and conditions removed.

We invite all business immigration applicants and landed immigrants, who speak Farsi or Persian to register for this event. Attendance will be limited to recently landed business immigrants who have come to Ontario under the Entrepreneur, Investor or Self-Employed categories. Overseas business visitors who are in Ontario on exploratory visits and have applied to the federal Business Immigration Program may also attend but need to confirm eligibility with our office before registering.

This seminar is for business clients only and we as your representative may not attend on your behalf. Family members may be permitted to attend; however, they must also confirm their eligibility with our office prior to registration.

We believe your clients will benefit from the opportunity to learn about business in Ontario as the seminar can be a great place for newly landed business immigrants to network with one another and share ideas, problems, and successes.

Please do not hesitate to contact us, if you would like to attend the seminar or if you have any further questions .

Ottawa, April 8, 2008 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, released today the principles that would guide implementation of proposed changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The aim of the changes is to modernize Canada’s immigration system and significantly reduce the time it takes to bring newcomers and their families to Canada. Under proposed changes to the Act, the Minister would have the authority to issue instructions to immigration officers related to the processing of applications, including in relation to the jobs available in Canada, so that people with those skills and experience can be brought to Canada more quickly.

In this way, newcomers will have more opportunities to find work sooner, to provide a better life for themselves and their families and to benefit more from life in Canada.

“These principles will ensure that ministerial instructions today and in the future remain fair, open and transparent,” said Minister Finley. “The instructions are about making the immigration system more responsive. Our objective is to continue to ensure that families are reunited and that qualified workers get here sooner, while respecting the fundamental principle of fairness.”

Ministerial instructions on prioritizing and processing immigration applications received after February 27, 2008, will:

Identify priority occupations based on input from provinces and territories, the Bank of Canada, Human Resources and Social Development Canada, employers and organized labour.
Ensure fairness by making decisions on cases faster, while meeting immediate labour market needs.
Respect the goals of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which are to support Canada’s economy and competitiveness, support family reunification and uphold Canada’s humanitarian commitments.
Comply with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which prevents discrimination based on factors such as race, country of origin and religion.
Respect commitments to provinces and territories regarding the Provincial Nominee Program and the Canada-Quebec Accord.
Complement commitments made in Advantage Canada, the Government of Canada’s economic plan, to align the immigration system with labour market needs.
Be published in the Canada Gazette and Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s annual report, which is tabled in Parliament.
All instructions issued by the Minister to immigration officers must adhere to these principles. Immigration officers would select from among new applications based on the instructions. They will continue to make decisions about individual applications. The Minister cannot reverse the decisions of immigration officers or influence them in any way other than what is clearly outlined in the instructions.

The instructions are part of Budget 2008 commitments to modernize the immigration system to respond to Canada’s labour-market needs, reduce wait times for new applicants and reduce the backlog of immigration applications.

“We’ve allocated $109 million over five years to help meet these goals,” said Minister Finley. “And we’ll hire and train more visa officers to act as SWAT teams to speed up processing in parts of the world where wait times are the longest.”

To help alleviate immediate pressures, resources will be allocated to missions where there is a high volume of applications. As a start, some missions, such as Delhi and Manila, will receive additional resources to help improve wait times for permanent residence applications, international students and temporary foreign workers. Ongoing funding will help build capacity to meet future levels and increasing demand, and will introduce administrative improvements such as centralized processing and data entry.

For more information on CIC’s programs, consult our website at www.cic.gc.ca.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Tim Vail
Press Secretary
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064

Karen Shadd-Evelyn
Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650

On March 14, 2008, the Government of Canada introduced legislative amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to modernize the immigration system, to ensure that families are reunited faster and skilled workers arrive sooner.

One of the challenges facing our immigration system today is the large number of people waiting in the queue. This is especially a problem in the skilled worker category which makes up most of the backlog.

Under the proposed measures, Citizenship and Immigration Canada would have greater flexibility in processing new applications, especially from skilled workers.

The legislation is intended to provide greater flexibility in addressing a range of labour market needs. It will not apply to refugees and does not affect our objectives related to family reunification.

Ultimately, this will result in reduced wait times and improved service. It will also help manage the growth of the backlog of applications.

Once passed, the new measures will apply to applications received on or after February 27, 2008.

Those who applied prior to February 27, 2008, will not be subject to the new measures and will be dealt with fairly under the existing rules.

This past weekend the federal government released notice that they are proposing amendments to the provincial nominee regulations under the Immigration Act. The proposed changes were published in draft on Saturday, March 8, and provide for 30 days for public input.

The changes deal with how the investments under a nominee program must be structured in order to qualify and will make it much more difficult for investments to qualify under a nominee program. The transition rule on this allows for any file nominated prior to Sept 2, 2008 to be processed under the current regulations.

Due to the public consultation process, it is possible that the new regulations could be amended further or even delayed. However, if the changes do go through as is, they will have very little impact on the current PEI PNP qualifications required in terms of personal net worth, management experience, education etc. or on the process in terms of processing steps, residency requirements, and residency and language deposit requirements. The changes relate only to how the investment is structured.

We are confident we will be able to come up with a new investment structure that meets the proposed new rules, however it will take some time and will likely be a more difficult structure than the one being currently used in PEI. Therefore, while PEI will continue to have a program under the new regulations, it would be a good idea to try and get files in process done under the existing rules prior to Sept 2, 2008 in order to avoid delays and the uncertainty around the new rules and how the feds are going to apply them.

We will continue to keep you updated on the status of the proposed regulations. In the meantime, we suggest that if you are interested in applying under this program, you should complete your application as quickly as possible in order to be submitted to PEI and allow for nomination by the proposed Sept 2, 2008 cut off date for the current program.

Our staff at ITC is happy to assist in getting these files reviewed and in to PEI for processing and nomination as quickly as possible.

If you have any questions on this please do not hesitate any of our staff at ITC.

Toronto, February 8, 2008 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), today announced funding to help 16 organizations deliver settlement services to an estimated 10,000 immigrants in Toronto.

The funding of over $30 million is expected to help newcomers to Canada access settlement services in the city including language training, translation and interpretation, referrals to community resources, and counseling.

“The Government of Canada is committed to helping newcomers succeed,” said Minister Finley. “Toronto has long been an important destination for immigrants. With this funding, thousands of new immigrants, particularly internationally trained immigrants, will have access to language training, community services, and help with finding a job. Their success is good for Toronto and good for Canada as a whole.”

“Thanks to the support from CIC, through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement we are able to provide internationally trained newcomers with real employment options for theirfuture,” said Jane Cullingworth, Executive Director of Skills for Change. “This new funding allows us to offer increased services for those newcomers who choose the Toronto area as their new home.”

Settlement services are an essential part of the federal government’s immigration program. Through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA), the Government of Canada has increased settlement funding for Ontario by a total of $920 million over five years. Under COIA, Citizenship and Immigration Canada works with the province and immigrant-serving agencies to make a real difference in the lives of immigrants.

Newcomers to Canada can also look to the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO), which helps internationally trained individuals find the information they need to get their credentials assessed and recognized more quickly. The FCRO was established in 2007 to provide information, path-finding and referral services to help internationally trained individuals use their skills in Canada. There are now 320 Service Canada Centres across Canada offering in-person services to newcomers.

CIC funds a number of programs that help newcomers settle, adapt, and integrate into Canadian society. These programs are delivered in partnership with provinces, territories and service-providing organizations and include the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program, which provides orientation, referral and counseling services; Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada, which provides basic language training for adults; and the Host Program, which helps newcomers connect with volunteers who help them access services, establish contacts in their field of work and participate in the community.

We have invited Mr. Kenneth Clark and his Iranian associate to visit
you at our Tehran office. Mr. Clark from Island Business Initiative Inc.
is our partner in PEI Nominee Program. They will be our guests from
January 19th to January 24th. If you wish to have a meeting with them
regarding Immigration to Prince Edward Island, Canada, under investor
program, please feel free to contact us. Please call early as seatings are
limited.

This is also a reminder that the deadline for receiving $1000 discount
and other free valuable services is January 31th (10 Bahman). Please
contact our office in Tehran to reserve your place. You can find contact
information at the bottom of this email.

We are proud of being at your service and as always wish your
satisfaction with our service and your success in your immigration application.

Yours truly,

Elaheh Hashemi

Authorized Agent, Managing Director
ITC Tehran Office

Unit 8, # 5, 15th Ghandi St.,

Tel/Fax: (+9821)88872666
(+9821)88661277-8
(+9821)88648727-28

Email: elahe.hashemi@itc-canada.com

In 2008, a new stream of Canadian immigration will be available to certain temporary foreign workers and international student with Canadian degrees and Canadian work experience. First announced in the 2007 budget, the Canadian Experience Class will fill gaps the country's labour force shortage. Once the class is established and for the first time, individuals meeting specific criteria will be able to apply for permanent resident status from within Canada.

A report by the Canadian Bureau for International Education states that the international student talent pool could add up to 30,000 skilled immigrants every year if Canada were to implement a national strategy on international students. Foreign workers and international student are considered to fit well in the Canadian society because they already have the right skills in obtaining the job in Canada. They are also better accustomed to the Canadian culture.

The Canadian Experience Class adds to other initiatives to address labour market needs and to help in the successful integration of newcomers. These include establishing the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO), improving the Temporary Foreign Worker program and expanding the Provincial Nominee Program. The FCRO is working with the provinces and territories to help internationally trained individuals get their skills assessed and recognized. The Provincial Nominee Program allows provinces and territories to identify and nominate immigrants who will address their labour market needs.

These were highlighted in the Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration that Citizenship and Immigration Canada tabled this week. The report provided a detailed analysis of immigration to Canada in 2006, an update on 2007, and plans for 2008. In 2006, Citizenship and Immigration Canada admitted 251,649 Permanent Residents (more than half under the economic class) and over 1.2 million Temporary Residents. Canadian citizenship was granted to 259,802 Permanent Residents. The 2007 update showed CIC on track to meeting its goals for the year and highlighted the $1.3 billion in settlement funding to help newcomers over five years. It also focused on improved Federal-Provincial-Territorial collaboration on immigration. In 2008, the government plans to welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 new Permanent Residents, which is consistent with this year's targets. The 2008 immigration plan focuses on Canada's labour market needs, family reunification, and the humanitarian principles of refugee protection.

Mr. Ramin Asadi will be in Tehran office to meet with applicant from December 29, 2007 for two weeks.
To book an appointment, please call 021-88661277.

آقاي رامین اسدی از تاريخ 8 دی ماه به مدت دو هفته براي مشاوره و پاسخگويي به متقاضيان مهاجرت به کانادا در ايران حضور دارند.

براي گرفتن وقت مشاوره با دفتر ما در تهران 88661277 تماس بگيريد.

بر اساس آمار رسمی اداره مهاجرت کانادا که در نشریه Lexbase ماه نوامبر 2007 منتشر شده است، در سال 2006 تنها 55 درصد از افرادی که ار کشورهای مختلف جهان از طریق Skilled Worker برای مهاجرت به کانادا اقدام کرده اند، مورد قبول قرار گرفتند. این تعداد برای پرونده هایی که از طریق Business اقدام کرده بودند فقط 48 درصد بوده است!
نسبت قبولی افراد نسبت به دو سال قبل به میزان قابل توجهی کاهش یافته است. در سال 2004 نسبت قبولی پرونده های مهاجرتی از روش Skilled Worker و Business به ترتیب 79 درصد و 55 در صد بوده است که این افزایش نسبت مردودی ها حاکی از حساسیت و سختگیری بیش از پیش اداره مهاجرت در تایید متقاضیان مهاجرت میباشد.
طبق همین آمار در سال 2006 تعداد پرونده های Skilled Worker که در دفتر دمشق که مسئول پرونده های ایرانیان میباشد، مورد تایید قرار گرفته اند 58 در صد بوده است. از پرونده های Business که در سال 2006 در همین اداره مورد بررسی قرار گرفتند، تنها 48 درصد تایید شدند و بقیه مردود اعلام گردیدند.
آمار نه چندان امیدوار کننده فوق نشاندهنده این مطلب است که تعداد بسیار بالایی از افرادی که برای مهاجرت به کانادا اقدام می کنند، به علت نا آشنایی با قوانین و عدم ارائه یک پرونده صحیح و یا اشتباهات مختلف مورد قبول قرار نمی گیرند. دقت کنید که در طی دو سال این نسبت قبولی به شدت سیر نزولی داشته است. اگر تصمیم به مهاجرت دارید، این کار را به صورت حساب شده و با آگاهی کامل انجام دهید و با اطلاعت ناکافی و ناقص و یا توسط افرار غیر متخصص و نا آگاه اقدام نکنید که در این صورت نتیجه ای جز اتلاف هزینه و وقت ارزشمند شما و خانواده تان نخواهد داشت.
برای اطمینان از موفقیت خود در مهاجرت به کانادا شرایط خود را به صورت رایگان بررسی کنید و منتظر اعلام خبر و سرویس ویژه گروه خدمات مهاجرتی ITC که در تاریخ 10 دیماه 1386 اعلام خواهد شد باشید.
(Sign-in Required)

There is so much free information on the web, right?

Canada Immigration & Citizenship website www.cic.gc.ca has application forms, kits, and guides. You may find lots of information in Farsi from ITC's web site www.itc-canada.com too. And there are websites, chat Rooms, and newsgroups to get ideas about how to handle your immigration case. So you ask yourself, "Why do I need a consultant to handle my immigration case?"

The truth is, you don't need just any consultant. Most consultants specialize in a particular area of practice. You wouldn't go to a family doctor, or even a heart surgeon, if you have liver problem; you'd see a liver specialist!

In the same way, you don't want to go to a general lawyer, or a corporate lawyer to handle your Immigration matters; with diligent research, you may learn more about immigration procedures than the general lawyer you hire!

When hiring a consultant for your immigration case, you need one who knows the most up to date Immigration law and procedures. Who handles immigration cases all the time, and not "on the side". And whom you can trust your family's future with.
Consider these facts:

1- The stakes are high. It's not just money; it's the years of time, energy, and your future plans that are affected. You can't afford to make a mistake.

2- You've never done it before, and may never do it again. Canada's immigration laws are complex, and most lawyers don't even know all the new provisions. Do you really want to learn the law and procedures yourself, and use your family as a test case?

3- Immigration laws are in a state of flux. ...

4- You may not know if you've made a mistake, especially a fatal one, until many months later. ....

5- You need the right answers to your questions, which you can rely on. Information that you get from Canada Immigration's clerks is often inconsistent, and sometimes completely wrong! Also, while there are thousands of pages on Canada Immigration's website, you need to find answers to your questions, and how to apply them to your situation. At ITC we do the thinking for you....about the right questions, as well as the right answers.

6- There may be problems delaying your case, but you don't even know about them. We periodically search your Immigration file to see if there are problems with your case. Then, we will advise you as to the best solutions for these.

7- Increase your chance of an Interview Waiver: Often, we can help you get an interview waiver by providing additional documents which are not on Canada Immigration's "document lists". We consider the facts of your case, then advise you as to what could improve your chances of an interview waiver.

8- The cost is worth the benefit. ITC's legal fees are competitive, and are payable in instalments as your case progresses. The cost of failure is much higher.

اینترنت پر است از اطلاعات رایگان. اینطور نیست؟

در سایت مهاجرت و شهروندی کانادا www.cic.gc.ca شما میتوانید کلیه فرمهای تقاضانامه، اطلاعات مهاجرت و راهنماهای متعدد را بیابید. اطلاعات بسیاری را نیز میتوانید به دو زبان فارسی و انگلیسی در سایت www.itc-canada.com پیدا کنید.

حال ممکن است از خود بپرسید:
" چرا برای پرونده مهاجرت خود به کمک یک مشاور متخصص مهاجرت نیاز دارم؟"

حقیقت این است که شما به هر مشاوری نیاز ندارید. بسیاری از مشاورین در رشته های تخصصی خاصی مهارت دارند و در بعضی زمینه ها تخصص ندارند. شما برای درمان ناراحتی قلب خود به سراغ پزشک عمومی نمیروید. شما بایستی از راهنمایی و کمک متخصص قلب استفاده کنید.

به همین صورت شما برای انجام کار مهاجرت خود به سراغ یک وکیل عمومی نمیروید. مطمئن باشید که با تحقیقات و مطالعات خودتان میتوانید اطلاعات بیشتری در مورد مهاجرت در مقایسه با یک وکیل عمومی کسب کنید.

برای به کار گرفتن یک مشاور مهاجرت برای پرونده مهاجرتتان، کسی را نیاز دارید که به قوانین روز مهاجرت احاطه داشته باشد. کسی که دائما با پرونده های مختلف مهاجرت سر و کار داشته و این کار برایش کار فرعی و جانبی نباشد. و کسی که بتوانید برای آینده خود و خانواده تان به او اعتماد کنید.

برای این تصمیم بزرگ زندگی خود اصول زیر را مد نظر داشته باشید:

1- ریسک کار مهاجرت بالاست. این تنها مبلغی که پرداخت میکنید نیست که در خطر است، بلکه سالها وقت، انرژی و برنامه های زندگی و عمر شماست که تحت تاثیر قرار میگیرد. یک اشتباه کوچک ممکن است برایتان خیلی بزرگ تمام شود.

2- قبلا هیچگاه هینکار را انجام نداده اید و ممکن است هرگز د.باره نیز این کار را انجام ندهید. قوانین مهاجرت کانادا پیچیده است و حتی بسیاری از وکلا نیز تمامی قوانین و تغییرات جدید را نمی دانند.

3- قوانین مهاجرت دائما در حال تغییر است.12

4- شما ممکن است که ندانید در پرونده خود مرتکب اشتباه شده اید ته ماهها بعد وهنگامی که دیگر خیلی دیر شده است.

5- شما احتیاج به دریافت پاسخهای صحیح به سئوالاتتان دارید. پاسخهایی که قابل اعتماد بلشند. حتی اطلاعاتی که از طریق تماس تلفنی با اداره مهاجرت ممکن است بدست آورید، متغیر، غیر قابل لعتماد و در بسیاری موارد نادرست میباشند. همچنین با وجود هزاران صفحه اطلاعات مهاجرتی در سایت اداره مهاجرت و سایتهای دیگر در اینترنت وجود دارد، شما نیاز به یافتن جواب سئوالهای خود و بر با در نظر گرفتن شرایط خاص خود دارید.

در ITC ما برای شما و به جای شما فکر میکنیم. در ارتباط با سئوال صحیح، و همینطور پاسخ صحیح.

6- مشکلاتی در پرونده شما ممکن است وجود داشته باشد که باعث تاخیر در رسیدگی به آن شود و شما از آنها بی اطلاع باشید. ما مرتبا پرونده مهاجرت شما را برای یافتن این مشکلات جستجو کرده و در مورد راهکارهای رفع آنها شما را راهنمایی می کنیم.

7- افزایش احتمال قبولی بدون نیاز به مصاحبه: در موارد بسیاری میتوانیم احتمال قبولی بدون مصاحبه را با توضیحات کتبی و ارسال مدارکی که در فهرست مدارک درخواستی اداره مهاجرت نیست، افزایش دهیم.

8- هزینه ها در برابر بهره ای که می برید ناچیز است. هزینه خدمات ITC مناسب است و طی اقساط متعدد قابل پرداخت می باشد. هزینه عدم موفقیت ولی بسیار بالاست!

خبر جدید برای ایرانیان مشتاق مهاجرت به کانادا

به زودی

اگر امروز برای مهاجرت به کانادا اقدام نکنید، ممکن است فردا پشیمان شوید!

1- به چه دلایلی امروز بهترین زمان برای اقدام برای مهاجرت به کاناداست؟
2- اطلاعیه مهم در مورد تصمیمات احتمالی دولت کانادا در مورد برنامه های آینده مهاجرت کانادا؛
3- تغییرات مهم جدیدی که احتمال قبولی شما را بالا میبرد؛
4- چگونه میتوانید امتیاز خود را برای مهاجرت به کانادا افزایش دهید؟
5- فاکتورهایی که شانس موفقیت شما را در هنگام ارسال پرونده بالا میبرد؛
6- به چه صورت از ایجاد تأخیر در روند بررسی پرونده جلوگیری کنید؟
7- به چه صورت از مزایای ویژه اعضا و هدایای رایگان شرکت ITC استفاده کنید؟ و
8- اطلاعیه مهم شرکت ITC برای علاقمندان به کشور کانادا و شهروندان آینده کانادا.

Halifax, September 19, 2007 — A new immigration agreement between the federal and provincial governments will make it easier to attract more skilled international workers to Nova Scotia.

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and the Honourable Carolyn Bolivar‑Getson, Minister of Immigration for Nova Scotia, signed the first ever Agreement for Canada‑Nova Scotia Co‑operation on Immigration, which includes a renewal of the Provincial Nominee Program, during a ceremony today, September 19, at Pier 21.

“Canada’s New Government is proud to make this long‑term commitment to Nova Scotia,” said Minister Finley. “We want to help Nova Scotia grow economically by attracting new immigrants. Today’s agreement will help Nova Scotia share in the benefits of immigration to Canada, and will make our shared immigration programs more responsive to Nova Scotia’s unique needs.”

“This co­operation agreement builds on an existing positive relationship with federal immigration authorities,” said Ms. Bolivar­ Getson. “Changes to the nominee program such as the removal of the restrictions on the number of individuals we’re able to nominate, and making it easier and faster for temporary foreign workers to enter Nova Scotia, are just two of the areas that will make our province more attractive to immigrants and help Nova Scotia businesses meet their labour­market needs.”

Through the nominee program, the province nominates individuals for acceptance to Canada based on several categories including skilled worker, family business worker, community identified, and international graduate.

The new agreement means:

Enhanced cooperation between Canada and Nova Scotia in overseas immigration marketing initiatives, including bringing temporary foreign workers and students to the province.
Nova Scotia will be able to nominate more immigrants possessing the skills needed in the province, for quicker processing by the federal government.
Nova Scotia will be able to address particular social, demographic, economic development and labour market needs.
Nova Scotia and Canada will collaborate on information sharing, developing and implementing strategies to better integrate immigrants into the labour market, including the recognition of qualifications.
The agreement formalizes and builds on the existing collaborative relationship between Canada and Nova Scotia on immigration matters, including the delivery of settlement and integration services. It also recognizes the importance of involving community stakeholders, including service providers, municipalities and the private sector, in welcoming newcomers.

Attracting more immigrants to Nova Scotia will help to counter declining population trends in communities and provide skilled workers who can meet the labour market needs of Nova Scotia businesses.

For an electronic copy of the agreements signed today, please visit www.cic.gc.ca or www.novascotiaimmigration.com.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Tim Vail
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064

Jon Stone
Director, Communications – Atlantic Region
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
902-426-1419

Mary Anna Jollymore
Director, Communications
Nova Scotia Office of Immigration
902-424-3742

Winnipeg, September 13, 2007 — Parliamentary Secretary Ed Komarnicki, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Diane McGifford, Manitoba Minister of Advanced Education and Literacy, and Nancy Allan, Manitoba Minister of Labour and Immigration, today announced the implementation of a pilot project that expands the Off-Campus Work Permit Program for international students to include selected private institutions in Manitoba.

As a result of this project, international students in qualifying programs at the Canadian Mennonite University, Providence College and Seminary and William and Catherine Booth College will be eligible to apply for off-campus work permits. Previously, only international students at public universities and colleges were able to apply.

“Canada’s New Government is committed to helping all newcomers to Canada, including those who are here to study,” said Parliamentary Secretary Ed Komarnicki. “This pilot will allow more international students studying in Canada to work off-campus, to contribute to our economy and gain Canadian work experience.”

“There are almost 3,000 international students attending post-secondary schools in Manitoba, many of them at private institutions,” said Minister McGifford. “The expansion of the Off-campus Work Permit program will mean more international students will bring their skills, knowledge and their own distinctive perspectives to our workplaces.”

“Manitoba pioneered a successful off-campus employment project and was the first Provincial Nominee Program in Canada to allow international students to apply for permanent resident status,” said Minister Allan. “We are proud to build on our partnership with CIC to provide more opportunities for international students to pursue post-secondary education and develop their career potential.”

“Since many of our international students come from the developing world, the Off Campus Work Program will allow them to have a degree of financial independence that has not been available to them previously”, said Booth College President, Donald Burke. “In turn, they will be able to contribute to our community by using the skills they already possess. This program will benefit international students, Booth College and our community-at-large.”

The pilot project is being implemented on a province-by-province basis. Following extensive consultations, the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba have agreed to implement the project for only those programs and institutions that offer degrees, as recognized or authorized by the Province of Manitoba. Discussions to implement pilots in other provinces are continuing with interested provinces.

For information, please visit the Off-Campus Work Permit Program.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Tim Vail
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064

Marina Wilson
Media Relations Spokesperson
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650

Diane Coble-Kendall
Communications Services Manitoba
204-945-3811

Calgary, May 11, 2007 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, the Honourable Ed Stelmach, Premier of Alberta and the Honourable Iris Evans, Alberta Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry, today signed a new Agreement for Canada-Alberta Cooperation on Immigration.

“Canada’s New Government is committed to working with Alberta and committed to helping newcomers,” said Minister Finley. “This agreement will help Alberta attract immigrants more quickly and ensure our immigration programs meet Alberta’s needs and the needs of newcomers.”

“This agreement fulfils my commitment to pursue a made-in-Alberta approach to immigration," said Premier Stelmach. “It sets out a framework for enhanced federal-provincial immigration cooperation and partnerships, and is a prime example of what can be accomplished by working together.”

“Since Alberta represents 10 per cent of Canada’s population, Alberta’s goal is to receive at least 10 per cent of immigrants to Canada,” said Minister Evans. “This agreement takes us one step closer to that goal as well as addressing our labour shortage.”

The new agreement means:

Alberta will be able to nominate more immigrants possessing skills needed in the province, for quicker processing by the federal government.
A new pilot project to speed up the entry of certain foreign health-care professionals who have applied to come to Alberta.
Enhanced cooperation between Canada and Alberta in overseas immigration marketing initiatives.
A commitment to establishing mechanisms that would make it easier and quicker for Alberta to get the foreign workers it needs to meet its growing labour force demands.
“Taken together, the agreement and the related initiatives speak to the strength and flexibility of our relationship,” said Minister Finley. “I look forward to continued progress as we build and expand our partnerships for the benefit of newcomers and Albertans alike.”

The agreement formalizes and builds on the existing collaborative relationship between Canada and Alberta on immigration matters, including the delivery of settlement and integration services. It also recognizes the importance of involving community stakeholders, including service providers, municipalities and the private sector, in welcoming newcomers.

For an electronic copy of the agreements signed today, please visit www.cic.gc.ca or www.alberta.ca.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Government of Canada

Philippe Mailhot
Press Secretary
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064

Marina Wilson
Spokesperson, Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650

Government of Alberta

Tom Olsen
Communications
Office of the Premier of Alberta
780-427-2251

Lorelei Fiset-Cassidy
Communications Director
Alberta Employment, Immigration and Industry
780-427-5649

This month Statistics Canada published the results of the 2006 national census, detailing the demographic shifts in the nation over the past five years. The tale told by the figures is one where immigration is key to Canada's future growth.

With the Canadian birth rate continuing a declining trend, immigration already accounts for a significant portion of Canadian population growth. Over two thirds of Canada's population growth (now having reached 31.6 million total residents) over the past five years can be accounted for by immigration. Thanks to the 1.2 million immigrants who have made Canada their home in that time, Canada benefited from the highest population growth among the Group of Eight (G8) industrial nations. This population growth has helped Canada to compete in the global economy, fuelling economic growth at a healthy rate.

Canada's reliance on immigration as a source of population growth is expected to become even greater over time. Canada's natural birthrate is at an average of 1.5 children per woman, well below the replacement rate - the birthrate that is necessary to keep the population stable - of 2.1 children per woman. By the year 2030, the census suggests that the entirety of Canada's population growth will come from immigration.

The importance of immigration to Canada's future is highlighted by ongoing skills shortages facing businesses across Canada. With growing businesses in Canada seeking employees at a variety of skill levels, immigration is an important source of Canada's competitive advantage. Driven by this demand, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) raised the target for new permanent residents to Canada by 15,000 for 2007, reaching 265,000 at the upper end of the range.

In order to encourage immigration to fuel growth in Canada, the Canadian government has developed several ways to speed the process of arriving in Canada for potential new Canadians. One such method is through temporary work permits, which allow the holder to arrive and work in Canada within a matter of weeks, in some cases for up to 24 months. Another path is through the Provincial Nominee Program, which allows individuals with job offers from Canadian employers in certain occupations in high demand to receive priority processing in their applications for Permanent Residency. Most of these opportunities are associated with finding a job in Canada.

One of the most common questions in the Canadian immigration application process is, “How long will it take for my Permanent Resident Visa to be issued?” The answers provided by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) are widely variable and based on historic information.

It is difficult for CIC to provide future processing times due to the annual variations in the number of applications in every immigration category and at each of the many overseas Canadian Immigration Visa Offices.

What CIC does provide as more concrete indicators of application processing activity, is the annual targets for each Canadian Visa Office. Included in these targets are Economic and Non-Economic sub-targets. The Economic category comprises skilled workers, investor immigrants, entrepreneurs, and provincially-selected applicants. The Non-Economic category is made up of spouses and dependants, parents and grandparents, refugees and humanitarian cases. The annual assignment of targets for each Canadian Immigration Visa Office is among the most important annual decisions that CIC undertakes.

In 2007, CIC aims to welcome somewhere between 225,000 and 265,000 new Canadian Permanent Residents. Of those, 66% will be economic immigrants, and will 33% be non-economic immigrants.

Highlights from the CIC 2007 targets by region

Africa/Middle East

Damascus will continue to be the leader in the number of Canadian Immigration Visas issued in the region with 10,190, up three per cent from last year. The most prominent increase in the region is at the Rabat visa office, where the number of visas issued in 2007 will be up by 46 per cent since last year to 4,315. Rabat will have the highest economic to non-economic ratio in the region at 3.71. Nairobi will be concentrating on non-economic immigrants, issuing visas to 2,300 refugees, the largest number of any Canadian visa office.

Asia/Pacific

Though the strongest growers since 2006 will be Taipei and Kuala Lumpur (at 33% and 17% respectively), New Delhi remains the front-runner at 22,380 visas to be issued. Next in line are Hong Kong and Manila, Manila being the visa office in the region where most applicants will take advantage of provincially-sponsored and live-in caregiver programs. Seoul and Taipei will have very strong economic to non-economic ratios at 10.51 and 8.73 respectively.

Europe

The region with the highest economic to non-economic ratio (at 4.12); London, Berlin, Paris, and Bucharest will be the strongest concentrations of economic immigrants with 7 or 8 economic visas issued for every non-economic. Vienna will have the largest growth in the region at 27 per cent, mainly due to non-economic immigrants. Paris, second in the number of visas to be issued after London, will issue 9,000 visas under the economic sub-category of provincially-sponsored immigrants, mainly due to immigration to Quebec.

Americas

Far and away the leader in this region, Buffalo, U.S.A. will issue 36,075 Canadian Permanent Resident Visas this year, 8,000 of which will be under the economic sub-category of provincially-sponsored programs. The Buffalo visa office's economic to non-economic ratio will be 9.09. The targets for Sao Paulo, Kingston, and Port of Spain will have the largest increases at 44%, 38%, and 26% respectively, Sao Paulo being the only one in which the majority will be for economic immigrants. Bogota will issue 1,550 refugee visas to Canada.

Though the CIC targets do not provide estimated waiting times for visa applications to be processed, the regional and global trends are useful indicators of what Canadian Visa Offices around the world are working with.

Vancouver, February 23, 2007 —The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSDC), and the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) today announced additional improvements to the Temporary Foreign Worker program. These improvements address challenges that Canadian employers face in filling labour shortages and so help Canada stay competitive and contribute to a strong economy.

"As part of the Advantage Canada strategy, Canada's New Government is making changes to our Temporary Foreign Worker program to make it faster and easier for Canadian employers to meet their labour force needs," said Minister Solberg. "Employers who have exhausted their search for Canadian workers often need to hire temporary foreign workers to work for a period longer than a year, and today's announcement will allow this to happen."

"The changes will reduce the time that employers have to wait to get the workers they need," said Minister Finley. "As well, extending the time that workers can stay in Canada provides more security and stability to the workers and to the employers."

The Honourable Colin Hansen, B.C. Minister of Economic Development, welcomed the improvements saying, "These additional changes to the Foreign Worker Program will help our employers by making sure they have the labour force to sustain our booming economy."

"The Foreign Worker Program requires that we demonstrate efforts to recruit in Canada, but sometimes Canadians are not available," said Wendy Swedlove, President of the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC). "In these situations, the improvements would help us to hire workers for these vacant jobs. The changes will make it easier for us to bring in temporary foreign workers so that we can continue to contribute to Canada's economy."

These measures are a good first step in dealing with some of the issues faced by small businesses, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). "With the shortage of labour at an all-time high, foreign workers are a more and more important resource for small businesses trying to deal with the issue," said Catherine Swift, President and CEO of CFIB. "However, CFIB research found that the immigration and temporary foreign worker process is cumbersome and complicated to navigate. Today's announcement shows the government is listening to small business' concerns and is beginning to address the issues," she added.

The Program allows employers to hire temporary foreign workers when there are no Canadian citizens or permanent residents available for the positions. Previously, temporary foreign workers with less formal training would have to leave Canada after twelve months, for four months, and then re-apply to come back. With these changes, they can stay for up to twenty-four months without having to request an extension.

Two other measures are also being introduced which will save employers time. Employers will be able to apply online to HRSDC for a labour market opinion (LMO) (see attached backgrounder), and, upon request, CIC and HRSDC will process work permits and LMO's concurrently.

- 30 -

For media inquiries only please contact:

Lesley Harmer
Director of Communications
Office of Minister Solberg
819-994-2482

Philippe Mailhot
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
613-954-1064

Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559

Melanie Carkner
Media Relations Office
(CIC) 613-952-1650


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BACKGROUNDER
Canada's New Government makes additional improvements to the Foreign Worker Program.

In November and December 2006, Canada's New Government announced improvements to the Foreign Worker Program. These improvements included the development of Lists of Regional Occupations Under Pressure which cut recruiting time for employers. These lists are currently available in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario and will be announced in other provinces and territories as they become available. In addition a handbook for employers has been developed detailing exactly what steps they must take to hire a foreign worker. The November announcement also highlighted the ongoing work of two federal-provincial working groups in Alberta and B.C.

On February 23, 2007, Canada's New Government announced four additional changes to the Foreign Worker Program:

To extend the duration of the Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from up to 12 months, to up to 24 months in length where appropriate. A Labour Market Opinion (LMO) is an assessment of the likely impact a temporary offer of employment will have on the Canadian labour market.


Effective February 23, 2007 this extension affects those foreign workers working in Canada under the Pilot Project for Occupations Requiring Lower Levels of Formal Training (National Occupational Classification (NOC) C and D categories). The list of jobs requiring less formal training can be found under occupations NOC C and D on the National Occupational Classification website at:
http://www23.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/2001/e/generic/matrix.pdf


To enable employers to complete the "Foreign Worker Application (Application for a Labour Market Opinion)" formonline as of April 1, 2007 (see attached backgrounder). Employers will be able to access information about applying online by mid-March 2007, following this link: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/epb/lmd/fw/onlineappintro.shtml


To extend the duration of the LMO under the Live-in Caregiver Program from 1 year to a maximum of 3 years and 3 months when requested by the employer. Effective February 23, 2007 live-in caregivers will be eligible for work permits for the same time period. Therefore, most live-in caregivers who remain with the same employer will no longer have to apply every year to have their work permits renewed; and


To expedite the process for employers hiring a foreign worker by allowing work permit applications to be processed at the same time as the application for an LMO, if requested by the worker. Effective February 23, 2007 this concurrent processing of the employer's LMO and the foreign national's work permit should reduce the total processing time for these applications.

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BACKGROUNDER
"Application for a Labour Market Opinion" Online Form for Employers

The Foreign Worker Program (FWP) is jointly administered by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), HRSDC is required to provide an opinion to Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) or to an employer on the likely impact hiring a foreign worker will have on the Canadian labour market. This is called a "Labour Market Opinion" or LMO. In addition, most foreign nationals who wish to work in Canada temporarily require a work permit from CIC.

As of April 1, 2007, employers will be able to completely fill-in and submit their Foreign Worker Application (the "Application for a Labour Market Opinion" form) over the Internet at http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/epb/lmd/fw/onlineappintro.shtml. This is the only FWP application form which will be available to be submitted online at present. Employers will still be able to access the Adobe Acrobat "fill and print" version of the application form via the FWP forms page at: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/epb/lmd/fw/forms.shtml . All other FWP application forms (e.g. seasonal agricultural worker program, live-in caregivers) will also still be available in the Adobe Acrobat "fill and print" format via the FWP forms page.

For security reasons, when completing the online version of the "Application for a Labour Market Opinion", employers must fill out the entire on-line form at one time (in a single session) - it cannot be saved and returned to later. The online version of the form is in a questionnaire format and each question is accompanied by additional information and a "Help" button that provides specific instructions on completing each question.

Once all the questions have been answered and the form has been successfully submitted electronically, employers will receive confirmation of their submission and a tracking number for the employer to keep (for future reference). In addition to the online application, employers will be required to submit the following: a printed and signed copy of the "Declaration of Employer" page; a printout of the page showing the tracking number; and any additional supporting information. All these documents must be submitted to the Service Canada office before the application can be fully processed. This tracking number must be included on all supporting paper documents, or information that they submit regarding the application. To reduce processing time, employers are encouraged to submit all supporting paper documents using one method: either all by fax or all by mail.

Depending on the complexity of an application, completing and submitting the Foreign Worker Application (Application for a Labour Market Opinion) form online will save employers time and will reduce processing time in most cases.

For more information, visit www.hrsdc.gc.ca.

Mahdi Lotfinezhad, a PhD student in electrical and computer engineering, is torn between two loves.

Three years into his degree, having completing a Masters in Canada, he must decide whether to finish or go back to Iran to be with his wife. For despite repeated applications, she has been consistently denied a visa.

"About six or seven months ago my wife went to apply for a visa. The reason we applied late is because we heard bad news about visa rejection cases. So we figure it we wait a bit the situation will get better. But that turned out not to be true and it turned out to be worse."

The hurdles for international students from Iran were once limited to acceptance and funding for research. They now include international relations, and the problem for many Iranian graduate students is a combination of achieving visas for themselves and their loved ones.

Lotfinezhad illustrates the case of being caught in a global diplomatic struggle that is seemingly getting worse, as relations between the Iranian government and the international community continue to deteriorate.

Yaser Kerachian, another PhD engineering student at U of T, explained that student visas can normally be issued on a four-year basis, provided that requirements are met. But for many Iranian and Middle Eastern students, the four-year visa has been replaced with a visa that calls for annual renewal, annual reapplication, and an annual cost of about $100.

As a result, Iranian students studying in Canada have banded together to attempt to address concerns incoming overseas students might have. By establishing an online group, potential students in Iran can contact current students in Canada and assess the visa situation themselves.

"Between July and August we had between 20-30 emails a day, asking us questions about how to deal with this situation," Kerachian said.

The visa rejection problem is not limited to U of T, either. The number of Iranian students attending Canadian universities is falling elsewhere as well. According to a recent report in the Windsor Star, the University of Windsor now has eight Iranian students where there were 20. Dalhousie University had 12 Iranian students denied entry into the country.

Calls seeking comment from the University of Toronto's International Student Center, the Iranian embassy in Ottawa, and the Iran desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were not returned by deadline. The conclusion that many Iranian nationals seeking graduate degrees in Canada such as Kerachian have unfortunately come to, is that visa rejection is a systemic problem.

The deteriorating situation has been Canada's relations with Iran. The dispute over Iran's nuclear policy and confrontational posture with the international community is but a recent episode in a series of problems.

The shaky relations between the states were severely strained after Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was apparently tortured, raped, and killed in an Iranian prison in 2003. The Canadian government considers her death to have been a murder.

"Rates of rejection began to exponentially increase almost a year and a half ago and they are getting worse. After Zahra Kazemi's case, this increased this rejection rate, especially for spouses. I think that, of course this is more a political issue," said Lotfinezhad.

The situation spiraled downward further after Iranian-Canadian and former U of T professor Ramin Jahanbegloo was imprisoned in Iran on allegations of "relations with foreigners" and espionage. He was detained Tehran's infamous Evin prison, as Kazemi had been, but was released in late August with some pessimism as to his future status.

For Lotfinezhad, though, there may be one way out of the dilemma-moving south.

"I have a friend who studied here for three years. He tried two or three times and he couldn't bring his wife here. So he decided to do a wise thing and apply to a US university. So he got admitted and now he and his wife are enjoying a new life in the US," he said.

چند ماهي است كه سفارت كانادا در صدور ويزا براي ادامه تحصيل دانشجويان فوق ليسانس و دكترا اشكال تراشي هاي بي مورد مي كند. سفارت از صدور ويزا براي همسران آنان خودداري مي كند. مدتي است كه سفارت صدور ويزا به خانواده هاي ايرانيان مقيم كانادا را به شدت كاهش داده است. بهانه ها هم يكي است. دلايل كافي براي برگشتن شما به ايران در دست نيست.
مهدي دانشجوي دكتراي مهندسي الكتريك كه چهارمين سال تحصيلش در دانشگاه تورنتو را ميگذراند، مي گويد، به همسرش در خرداد امسال ويزا ندادند. با اين كلي گويي كه دلايل شما را براي برگشت به ايران نمي توانيم تاييد كنيم.
امير، حميد،‌ فريد و ده ها دانشجوي ديگر ايراني با اين مشكل روبرو هستند.
دانشجويي كه در رشته تخصصي سخت افزار كامپيوتر از دانشگاه كارلتون پذيرش گرفته بود در ماه مرداد نتوانست از سفارت كانادا در تهران ويزا بگيرد عليرغم اينكه سند خانه به اسم خودش بود.
دانشجويان ايراني دوره تخصصي در نامه اي كه اخيرا براي روساي دانشگاههاي كانادا نوشته اند از آنان خواسته اند كه با توجه به اثرات رواني اين محدوديت ها بر روي جامعه ايراني در كانادا و به طور مشخص تر بر روند تحصيلي دانشجويان كه همسران و يا پدر و مادرانشان از ديدن آنها محروم شده اند،‌ از سفارت كانادا در تهران بخواهند كه به اين روند تبعيض گرايانه پايان دهند.
متن كامل اين نامه كه به امضاي بيش از 600 دانشجو رسيده است را مي توانيد در تارنماي زير بخوانيد.

http://www.petitiononline.com/VisaSubj/petition.html
در مورد ديگري خانمي كه همسرش حاضر به ماندن در كانادا نبود و زن و فرزند 8 ساله اش را تنها گذاشت و به ايران برگشت، بعد از چند سال طلاق كانادايي اش را گرفت، ولي شوهر به قصد انتقام جوئي، قصد دادن طلاق شرعي يا اصطلاحا ايراني را ندارد و اين خانم اگر به ايران برود ممنوع الخروج خواهد بود. به همين دليل براي مادرش كه از وضعيت مالي مناسبي برخوردار است و اتفاقا اصلا هم قصد اقامت در كانادا را ندارد، دعوتنامه فرستاد که به او ويزا ندادند. نامه نماينده مجلس از ريچموند هيل هم براي مرتبه دوم كاري از پيش نبرد و ويزا صادر نشد.
در همين ماه گذشته دعوتنامه مادر دكتر داروسازي با حقوق 100 هزار دلاري در تهران رد شد.
بهترين پاسخي كه بايد به تصميم گيران سفارت كانادا در تهران كه اتفاقا فارسي را هم خوب بلد هستند، داد اين شعر است كه شاعرش را به ياد نمي آورم.
اين شهر عظيم است ولي شهر غريب است
اين خانه قشنگ است ولي خانه من نيست
هرجا كه روم ، روي به هر سوي كه آرم
فكريم بجز فكر وطن، ذكر وطن نيست

Burnaby, August 22, 2006 — The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and the Honourable Colin Hansen, Economic Development Minister, British Columbia, announced today the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will help speed up the process for immigrant entrepreneurs to get to British Columbia.

“It is a pleasure to announce this new memorandum of understanding between Canada’s government and the Province of British Columbia,” said Minister Solberg. “This pilot project will help British Columbia get the entrepreneurs it needs faster, and is another important step toward our goal of making immigration work for Canadians.”

The pilot project outlined in the MOU will allow B.C. and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to identify people who have applied to come to Canada as entrepreneurs. CIC will then contact applicants who have indicated an intention to settle in B.C. and steer them toward the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This step will speed up the application process significantly since PNP processing can fast track applicants with specific skills that could benefit the province’s economic development.

“As B.C.'s economy keeps gaining strength, we need to attract more skilled workers and business people,” said Minister Hansen. “Since creating the business skills category in 2002, business immigrants have invested over $351 million in our province, creating more than 1,300 new jobs.Today’s agreement will help us to attract more applicants who are looking to invest in our province, create new jobs and contribute to economic growth.”

B.C. business owners are equally supportive of the new MOU. Allen Born, Chairman of Tekion, a North American fuel cell company, stated: “ British Columbia is considered to be the fuel cell capital of the world. The B.C. PNP played an instrumental role in our decision to start a company here. As a result, we have created Tekion, a micro fuel cell company now employing 75 people.”

Since 2001, more than 2,000 skilled and business immigrants and their dependants have made British Columbia their home through the B.C. PNP. Last year, through the PNP, over 800 skilled workers and entrepreneurs moved to B.C. from around the world.

To learn more about immigration to Canada, visit the CIC Web site at www.cic.gc.ca.

For more information on B.C. government services, visit the province’s Web site at www.gov.bc.ca.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAMS



هم اکنون از طریق دو برنامه موفق و سریع استانهای ITC شرکت

New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island

به عنوان متولی سرمایه گذاری در این CICI ( Canadian International Capital Inc.)با همکاری شرکت
استانها متقاضی می پذیرد.



PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

• انجام مصاحبه سریع در کانادا و کوتاه بودن کل پروسه مهاجرت نسبت به سایر روشها
• برگذاری تور سه روزه در استان و آماده سازی برای مصاحبه از طرف شرکت
• حد اقل دارایی 400000 دلار و حد اقل سرمایه گذاری 110000 دلار کانادا
• داشتن سابقه مدیریت
• آشنایی ابتدایی به زبان انگلیسی یا فرانسه و داشتن دیپلم دبیرستان


NEW BRUNSWICK

• انجام مصاحبه سریع در کانادا و کوتاه بودن کل پروسه مهاجرت نسبت به سایر روشها
• برگذاری تور پنج روزه در استان و آماده سازی برای مصاحبه از طرف شرکت
• حد اقل دارایی 350000 دلار و حد اقل سرمایه گذاری 104000 دلار کانادا
• داشتن سابقه مدیریت
• آشنایی ابتدایی به زبان انگلیسی یا فرانسه و داشتن دیپلم دبیرستان


مدیران عزیز جهت کسب اطلاعات بیشتر با دفتر نمایندگی ما در تهران تماس بگیرید و با تعیین وقت قبلی به این دفتر مراجعه فرمایید.

اطلاعیه مهم

برنامه های مهاجرت سریع از طریق استانهای کانادا

(PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAMS)



هم اکنون از طریق دو برنامه موفق و سریع استانهای ITC شرکت

New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island

به عنوان متولی سرمایه گذاری در این استانها متقاضی CICI ( Canadian International Capital Inc.)با همکاری شرکت
می پذیرد.


PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

• انجام مصاحبه سریع در کانادا و کوتاه بودن کل پروسه مهاجرت نسبت به سایر روشها
• برگذاری تور سه روزه در استان و آماده سازی برای مصاحبه از طرف شرکت
• حد اقل دارایی 400000 دلار و حد اقل سرمایه گذاری 110000 دلار کانادا
• داشتن سابقه مدیریت
• آشنایی ابتدایی به زبان انگلیسی یا فرانسه و داشتن دیپلم دبیرستان


NEW BRUNSWICK

• انجام مصاحبه سریع در کانادا و کوتاه بودن کل پروسه مهاجرت نسبت به سایر روشها
• برگذاری تور پنج روزه در استان و آماده سازی برای مصاحبه از طرف شرکت
• حد اقل دارایی 350000 دلار و حد اقل سرمایه گذاری 104000 دلار کانادا
• داشتن سابقه مدیریت
• آشنایی ابتدایی به زبان انگلیسی یا فرانسه و داشتن دیپلم دبیرستان


مدیران عزیز جهت کسب اطلاعات بیشتر با دفتر نمایندگی ما در تهران تماس بگیرید و با تعیین وقت قبلی به این دفتر مراجعه فرمایید.

Calgary, July 31, 2006 — The Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced the creation of temporary foreign worker units in Calgary and Vancouver on a pilot basis, effective September 1, 2006.

“We will help facilitate the entry of temporary foreign workers into Canada where they are needed by working with the companies and sectors most affected,” Minister Solberg said. “Not a day has gone by since I was appointed Minister that I have not heard about labour market shortages threatening to hold up Canada’s economic growth. We’re taking the first steps to addressing those needs.”

The temporary foreign worker units will provide advice to employers who plan to hire temporary foreign workers who are exempted from the labour market confirmation process. The units will also prescreen supporting documents from employers to streamline the application process of such workers.

“Temporary foreign workers help support economic growth and prosperity, and I’m pleased that CIC is working with provinces and communities to address labour shortages in Alberta and British Columbia,” said Minister Solberg.


For further information (media only):

Minister’s