Canada finally releases shortage occupations list and instructions on processing federal skilled workers

Based on the immigration amendments of June 18, 2008, CIMC Minister Kenney has finally announced the Action Plan for Faster Immigration includes instructions to CIC’s visa officers outlining a set of eligibility criteria that apply to all new federal skilled worker applications received on or after February 27, 2008.

According to these ministerial instructions, applications under the Federal Skilled Worker Class will be eligible for priority processing if they are in 38 high-demand occupations such as health, skilled trades, finance and resource extraction. Skilled worker who has at least one year of continuous fulltime or equivalent paid work experience (within the last 10 years) under one or more of the following 38 occupations should receive a decision within six to 12 months:

Management Occupations

· Financial Managers (0111)
· Computer and Information Systems Managers (0213)
· Managers in Healthcare (0311)
· Restaurant and Food Service Managers (0631)
· Accommodation Service Manager (0632)
· Construction Managers (0711)

Business, Finance and Administration Occupations

· Financial Auditors and Accountants (1111)

Natural and Applied Sciences and Related Occupations

· Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists (2113)
· Mining Engineers (2143)
· Geological Engineers (2144)
· Petroleum Engineers (2145)

Healthcare Occupations

· Specialist Physicians (3111)
· General Practitioners and Family Physicians (3112)
· Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists (3141)
· Occupational Therapists (3143)
· Physiotherapists (3142)
· Head Nurses and Supervisors (3151)
· Registered Nurses (3152)
· Medical Radiation Technologists (3215)
· Licensed Practical Nurses (3233)

Social Science, Education, Government Services and Religion Occupations

· University Professors (4121)
· College and Other Vocational Instructors (4131)

Skilled Sales and Service Occupations

· Chefs (6241)
· Cooks (6242)

Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators and Related Occupations

· Contractors and Supervisors, Pipefitting Trades (7213)
· Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades (7215)
· Contractors and Supervisors, Heavy Construction Equipment Crews (7217)
· Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System) (7241)
· Industrial Electricians (7242)
· Plumbers (7251)
· Steamfitters, Pipefitters and Sprinkler System Installers (7252)
· Welders and Related Machine Operators (7265)
· Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics (7312)
· Crane Operators (7371)
· Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction (7372)

Energy, Natural Resources and Agriculture Occupations

· Supervisors, Mining and Quarrying (8221)
· Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service (8222)

Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities Occupations

· Supervisors, Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing and Utilities (9212)

Federal skilled worker applications that would include an offer of arrange employment or are from a foreign national living legally in Canada for one year as a temporary foreign worker or international student will also be eligible for priority processing under the ministerial instructions and shall be placed into processing immediately upon receipt.

New federal skilled worker applications that would neither be in 38 high-demand occupations nor included an offer of arrange employment or filed from a legal temporary resident in Canada will not be processed now, resulting return of their applications along with case processing fee.

All applications made before February 27, 2008, will be processed according to the rules that were in effect at that time.

The ministerial instructions will also identify other immigration applications and requests that will be given priority processing. These will include all Economic Class applications, except federal skilled worker applications, including:

· Canadian Experience Class
· Investors
· Live-in Caregivers
· Quebec economic applicants, and
· Provincial nominees

Applications which would not be affected by these instruction will include:

· Family Class applications
· Applications from refugees or protected persons
· Requests on humanitarian or compassionate grounds from within Canada, and
· All applications for temporary residence, including temporary foreign workers, foreign students and visitors

These types of applications will be processed in the same manner and with the same priorities as usual.

Overseas requests for humanitarian and compassionate consideration that accompany a federal skilled worker application not identified for processing under the ministerial instructions will not be processed.

Because the eligibility criteria outlined in this Action Plan for Faster Immigration’s instructions for processing federal skilled worker applications are meant to reflect Canada’s labor market needs, it is expected that it would be adjusted over time as the labor market changes.

It is further expected that this new priority procedures will make Canada’s immigration system more efficient and competitive. It will also help manage future growth in the inventory of applications, improving service and reducing wait times.

The new Action Plan for Faster Immigration will come into force on its date of publication in Canada Gazette.

Twelve RBC Royal Bank scholarships for new Canadian won by students of different nationalities

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has recently awarded its second annual RBC Royal Bank Scholarship for New Canadians to twelve students from across Canada during a special dinner at the Ontario Heritage Centre in downtown Toronto.

RBC launched this scholarship program last year to recognize the important role immigration plays in Canada's cultural, social and economic development. This program is aimed at individuals who have been through the immigration experience, graduated high school or CEGEP, and are planning to pursue full-time studies at an accredited Canadian college or university this fall.

The winners of the award were selected from over one thousand applicants based on academic achievement (at least a 70 per cent average in their previous year of study), and their responses to three, 250-word essay questions about how immigration has shaped Canada, along with their personal experiences and advice to others going through similar experiences. Applicants for this scholarship program must also have been born outside of Canada, and be either permanent residents or citizens of Canada.

The recipients of the RBC Royal Bank Scholarship for New Canadians for 2008 represent a cross-section of nationalities from all over the world. Here is the list of program winners:

Ms. Brahamjot Moondi, age 18
Country of Origin: Newport, United Kingdom
Hometown: Brampton, Ontario
Program: Business Management and Organizational Studies, University of Western Ontario
Ambition: Chartered Accounting, followed by a career in business leadership

Ms. Chibeze Ojukwu, age 18
Country of Origin: Sydney, Australia
Hometown: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Program: Political Studies with a minor in Anthropology, University of Saskatchewan
Ambition: Work with Doctors without Borders, followed by a career in medicine

Ms. Janet Xu, age 18
Country of Origin: Shanghai, China
Hometown: Surrey, British Columbia
Program: Science, University of British Columbia
Ambition: A career in medicine

Ms. Jenny Duong, age 17
Country of Origin: Hong Kong, China
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Program: Humanities with double minor in English Literature and French, University of Toronto
Ambition: Graduate studies, followed by a career in teaching or journalism

Mr. Karanbir Gill, age 18
Country of Origin: Chandigarh, India
Hometown: Surrey, British Columbia
Program: Bachelor of Applied Sciences (Engineering), University of British Columbia
Ambition: An MBA followed by a career at a technology company

Mr. Kevin Zhou, age 18
Country of Origin: Beijing, China
Hometown: Calgary, Alberta
Program: Engineering, University of Western Ontario
Ambition: An MBA followed by a career in finance or engineering

Mr. Paul Mou, age 18
Country of Origin: Taiwan
Hometown: Stouffville, Ontario
Program: System Design, University of Waterloo
Ambition: A doctorate in computer science followed by a career in robotics

Ms. Serena Chin, age 18
Country of Origin: Dagenham, United Kingdom
Hometown: Markham, Ontario
Program: International Bachelor of Business Administration, Schulich School of Business, York University
Ambition: An MBA followed by a business leadership role

Mr. Toby Woerthle, age 18
Country of Origin: Heilbronn, Germany
Hometown: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Program: Computer Science, University of Waterloo
Ambition: Owning a software business

Ms. Yelin Yang, age 18
Country of Origin: Shanghai, China
Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario
Program: Health Sciences, McMaster University
Ambition: A career in pediatrics

Ms. Yili Wang, age 18
Country of Origin: Panjin, China
Hometown: Brampton, Ontario
Program: Life Sciences, University of Toronto
Ambition: A career in medicine

Mr. Ashkan Pishvaei, age 18
Country of Origin: Tehran, Iran
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia
Program: Bachelor of Arts, followed by Commerce in Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia
Ambition: Owning an accounting firm

Canada makes regulatory amendments concerning passive investment resulting in closure of Partner Categories of NL-PNP & PEI-PNP

The Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island (PEI) have immediately discontinued the Partner Category of their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) due to a regulatory amendment made by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) on June 25, 2008 concerning passive investment. The new Regulations have gone into effect September 2, 2008.

The Partner Category of both provincial nominee programs was intended for prospective immigrants with business and/or entrepreneurial skills and expertise who wish to "partner", in a limited manner, with other prospective immigrants in establishing a new business to be located in respective province, or invest in an expanding existing company within his/her province of choice. In both situations, the immigrant partner was required to take an active role in the new or investee company through his/her participation in the day-to-day operations and decision making activities of a company, as a director or senior manager, with a meaningful managerial role.

The problem that has been identified by the CIC was that the previous Regulations have proven to be worded in such a way that they allowed the use of PNPs Partner Category to attract passive investments in exchange for the promise of permanent residency. This wording suggested that any involvement, even minor, satisfied the exclusion because it did not define a minimum level of involvement by an entrepreneur in the active management of business in which they invested under the PNPs Partner Category. It was never intended that province and territories select passive investors under their PNPs Partner Category because the selection on the basis of ability to invest capital without involvement in the management of recipient business or organization is exclusive to the Federal Immigrant Investor Program (Federal IIP). Further Studies show that passive investors under PNPs Partner Category often move away from the region in which they originally settle.

For a better understanding of the issue it was important for CIC to distinguish the Federal Investors, who bring capital, from the provincial business immigrants who seek to come to Canada to become involved in the operation of a business. Also, this distinction was extremely relevant to the objectives of the PNP.

The Regulations amended subsections of the IRPR which set out excluded investment proposals under the PNP. The Regulations strengthen and clarify existing rules regarding the PNP and the passive investment of capital in Canadian businesses. The purpose of these Regulations is to prevent abuse of the PNP via passive investment schemes (as well as circumvention of the Federal IIP) while retaining flexibility so that a province can nominate a foreign national who makes an active investment in the province.

After the implementation of these Regulations, both provinces are consulting with immigrant and business organizations to implement a new "Entrepreneur" stream under their PNPs. Until then, any business plans and/or applications under the discontinued Partner Category will remain suspended and may be considered under the new proposed Entrepreneur Category.

A new top 20 listing shows which Canadian employer is struggling in hiring and integrating newcomers

Canada’s largest publisher of employment-related periodicals and online directories, Mediacorp, and the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers competition, in partnership with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC), have released a list of country’s Top 20 Employers who are setting the standards in hiring internationally trained immigrants, and ensuring their smooth transition into the Canadian workplace.

The Best Employers for New Canadians is an exceptional list of employers chosen out of 200 Canadian companies representing employment fields such as financial, high-tech, engineering, healthcare and academics. Large or small, all of these 20 employers are leading the way in opening their doors to newcomers.

Here are the top 20 best employers along with a brief overview of their policies for new Canadians:

i3 DVR International Inc. (Toronto, ON): i3 DVR hiring policy dictates that they hire the most qualified applicant by testing his/her technical skills, no matter what school, country or length of time in Canada. i3 DVR encourages new Canadian hires to develop their English skills on the job. The 50 per cent of i3 DVR head office workforce comprises of new Canadians.

Wardrop Engineering Inc. (Winnipeg, MB): Wardrop helps new Canadian employees obtain their professional engineering (P.Eng.) designation with formal technical mentoring and development programs.

University Of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, SK): UoS recently introduced an international medical graduate residency program to help new immigrant physicians obtain their licenses in Saskatchewan.

Toronto Transit Commission (Toronto, ON): TTC encourages internationally trained employees to have their credentials assessed by World Education Services (WES). TTC has recently joined TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program while conducts regular outreach employment presentations for community centers, programs and agencies that aid new Canadians.

TD Bank Financial Group (Toronto, ON): TD provides the largest number of relationships in TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program and has hired more than half of their Career Bridge interns since the program's inception in 2003. TD has also developed the financial services industry component of Ryerson University's new Professional Communication for Employment program, which helps new Canadians improve their soft skills. In TD’s management associate program, 50 per cent of trainees are internationally trained professionals.

St. Michael's Hospital (Toronto, ON): St. Michael’s runs in-house mentorship program, which provides internationally trained professionals with interview and communication skills’ training, and job shadowing opportunities in fields such as HR, laboratory technology, library science, IT and finance. St. Michael’s is a founding member of CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses, an agency that offers mentoring, job shadowing, work-related experience and exam preparation services to help foreign-trained nurses enter the nursing field more quickly. It also published mentorship guidebook called "Making Connections: A New Model of Mentoring or Internationally Trained Professionals."

Replicon Inc. (Calgary, AB): Replicon provides six-week work placements in a corporate training program, which helps immigrants gain Canadian work experience in their field of expertise. It also provides on-site testing during the hiring process to evaluate the practical skills of new Canadian candidates in addition to considering their international credentials.

Providence Health Care (Vancouver, BC): PHC encourages new Canadian hires to get their international credentials evaluated at point-of-hire by referring them to a provincially recognized evaluation service, and includes international work experience when determining the starting wage rate of new Canadian employees. PHC provides an intensive orientation and training program for internationally trained nurses, and provides ESL tutoring.

Manulife Financial Corp. (Toronto, ON): Manulife serves as a host employer with the Career Bridge internship program since its inception in 2003. It is currently hosting five Career Bridge interns and serves as a host employer in TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program.

MDS Nordion Inc. (Ottawa, ON): MDS Nordion serves as an inaugural member of the employer council of champions for Hire Immigrants Ottawa. It provides intercultural training and language programs to employees.

Keane Canada Inc. (Halifax, NS): Keane recognizes international education and work experience through local agencies, provides an English-in-the-workplace program for new Canadian employees in conjunction with the Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre and the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association. It also manages an employee buddy program to help new hires adjust to life in Halifax.

KPMG LLP (Toronto, ON): KPMG serves as a host employer with TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program for more than two years. It reimburses the cost of CA equivalency courses or assessments for new Canadian employees writing the CA reciprocity exam and operates a training pilot program on how to manage a culturally diverse workforce.

Island Hearing Services (Victoria, BC): IHS helps new Canadian employees obtain certification with Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (CASLPA) or other bodies through supervisory work agreements and pays the licensing fees for new Canadians seeking to gain certification in Canada. It also provides supplementary training to help new Canadians achieve Canadian equivalency.

Enbridge Inc. (Calgary, AB): Enbridge evaluates international credentials and education of new Canadian job applicants using services like WES and manages internal mentorship program that pairs new Canadian employees or interns with a mentor. Enbridge hired former Career Bridge interns to senior-level positions as project leaders, financial analysts, revenue analysts and IT and system support specialists. It also provides an on-site multi-faith room.

Ernst & Young LLP (Toronto, ON): Ernst & Young screens candidates on technical skills prior to interview in order to eliminate cultural barriers during the hiring process. It provides inclusiveness training workshops to all their recruiters and provides an in-house CA reciprocity exam for employees with international credentials. Ernst & Young also participates in TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program.

CIBC (Toronto, ON): As an active participant in TRIEC's Mentoring Partnership program, CIBC have hired several former Career Bridge interns as senior financial analysts. It created newcomers to Canada internet portal on its careers website, which provides information on foreign credential assessment while works with WES to speed up foreign credential assessment and verification. CIBC also provides ESL classes to employees as part of the corporate training program.

Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc. (Waterloo, ON): Christie attends recruitment fairs and networking breakfasts specifically for internationally educated professionals and provides on-site ESL tutors to help internationally trained engineers develop their technical vocabulary. Christie has also revised interview process to accommodate cultures that have difficulty talking about their strengths.

CAE Inc. (Montreal, QC): CAE pays educational course fees for new Canadian employees looking to improve their skills or obtain Canadian equivalency, offers free in-house English- and French-language courses on weeknights, and recognizes international undergraduate degrees on par with Canadian undergraduate degrees.

Business Development Bank of Canada (Montreal, QC): BDC recognizes foreign credentials and experience when screening newcomers’ applications.

Associated Engineering Group Ltd. (Edmonton, AB): AE provides training and educational support to internationally educated employees obtaining their professional registration. It also provides mentoring so employees can receive Canadian experience to become registered.

Saskatchewan announces a major change to its immigration component for international students

To attract and retain qualified international students and assist employers to capitalize on their skills and experience, Saskatchewan has announced a major change in the Student Category of its Provincial Nominee Program (SINP) in alignment with Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP) for international students.

Effective immediately, the change will remove the "restriction on type of employment" for those international students who are working for a Saskatchewan employer under the federal PGWP and want to apply for Canadian Permanent Resident status through the SINP after having minimum of six (6) months work experience in a permanent full-time job. Previously they had to work in their field of study.

In order to qualify under the Student Category, international students must have graduated from a program of at least one academic year of full-time study in Saskatchewan and has received a certificate, diploma, or degree from a recognized Saskatchewan post secondary educational institution; have worked for a Saskatchewan employer for a minimum of six months under a CIC’s PGWP; and have a current permanent full-time job offer from their employer.

The expanded student category now accepts graduate applicants holding permanent full-time job offers in any occupation.

Since the inception of the SINP Student Category, 158 foreign students have been nominated to become permanent residents of the province. The most recent Department of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism statistics show that approximately 3,500 foreign students annually study in Saskatchewan.

To further help international students establish their careers and pursue their goals, Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Advanced Education, Employment and Labor announced the expansion of the Graduate Retention Program last month. This program offers tuition rebates as high as $20,000 over seven years to the graduates of approved programs, including international students, who live in Saskatchewan.

Minister Kenney outlines his government’s policy on immigration and recounts newcomers’ integration efforts

Canada’s newly appointed Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, has avowed his government’s commitment for delivering a "dynamic" immigration program and integrating newcomers successfully.

Speaking at his first presentation on "Immigration & Integration: Keys to Canada’s Future" to Winnipeg’s Canadian Club on Thursday, Minister Kenney outlined his government’s philosophy behind modernization of the immigration system and highlighted some of the recent efforts that government has undertaken to facilitate the successful integration of newcomers.

"Just as immigration has been essential to Canada’s economic development, it is an indispensable part of our future economy," Minister Kenney told the audience when describing the background of recent changes in Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) through Bill C-50 earlier this year. "But let me be clear: our government inherited some very serious challenges in the immigration system that must be fixed if we are to ensure that immigration works well for Canada, and for newcomers, in the future."

Minister Kenney declared these changes a big step to better aligning immigration with labor market needs, and to reducing the massive backlog and unacceptable wait times. He also disclosed that, in a little while, he is releasing a list of those professions and trades which are most urgently in need of new workers, so immigrants abroad who apply to come to Canada as Skilled Workers, and whose experience or training match these categories, will have their applications processed on a priority basis.

He also noted recently announced Canadian Experience Class and the improvements in Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program as part of his government’s modernization of the immigration system.

When recounting the range of actions his government has taken in recent years to help new Canadians succeed, Minister Kenney highlighted the (a) improvements made in Provincial Nominee Programs; (b) Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) established last year; (c) 50 per cent cut in Right of Permanent Residence Fee; (d) strategic plan to encourage immigration in Francophone minority communities; (e) five-year, $1.4 billion plan to improve settlement services across the country; and (f) reduction in taxes to allow both new and established Canadians to prosper and make the best choices for their families.

"Newcomers will continue to be a source of growth and strength. And we must keep up our end of the bargain by doing what we can to ensure their successful integration into Canadian society," Minister Kenney told the Canadian Club of Winnipeg. "I think we can all agree that our immigration policy is a success when newcomers choose to become Canadian citizens because they know in their hearts that we live in a great country."

At the end, Minister Kenney announced the creation of annual Paul Yuzyk Award, which will be presented each year to an individual or organization that has demonstrated excellence in promoting the multiculturalism in Canada.

BC expands its provincial immigration program for semi-skilled occupations within the food processing industry

The provincial government of British Columbia (B.C.), in consultation with respective food, beverage and nutraceutical processing industry associations, has recently announced to expand its Provincial Nominee Program (BC-PNP) to address labor challenges faced by the food processing industry in B.C.

The Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled Pilot Project category of BC-PNP’s Strategic Occupations component will now allow employers in the food processing industry to select qualifying foreign workers to be considered for provincial nomination that are currently working in B.C. in one of the following categories:

- Process Control and Machine Operators, Food and Beverage Processing (NOC 9461);
- Industrial Butchers and Meat Cutters, Poultry Preparers and Related Workers (NOC 9462);
- Fish Plant Workers (NOC 9463);
- Testers and Graders, Food and Beverage Processing (NOC 9465);
- Laborers in Food, Beverage and Tobacco Processing (NOC 9617);
- Laborers in Fish Processing (NOC 9618)

Foreign worker must have been employed in an eligible occupation by the sponsoring company on a temporary work permit for at least 9 months immediately prior to the date of application to the BC-PNP and must be legally employed by the sponsoring company at the time of application. For those who were not hired through Service Canada's (SC) Temporary Foreign Worker labor market confirmation (LMO), employers will need to submit official records of remuneration for the nine month period preceding their application.

The BC-PNP will not accept applications to nominate individuals who have an unresolved refugee claim in Canada, or who are in Canada illegally, are under a removal order in Canada, or are prohibited from entering Canada.

To be approved, employers are required to meet the criteria of Service Canada. For example, they must offer wages within industry norms and demonstrate that they are unable to fill the positions locally. Employers must also submit a recruitment and settlement plan to the BC-PNP. Applicants must have completed formal education to a secondary level and have basic proficiency in English language.

The Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled category of BC-PNP’s Strategic Occupations component is a 2 year pilot project that was initially applicable to select occupations and eligible employers in the tourism/hospitality and long-haul trucking industries, and to qualifying foreign workers. It has now been expanded to include the food processing industry.

Food processing is B.C.'s second largest manufacturing sector, generating $6.7 billion annually and employing about 31,500 people.

The tourism/hospitality, food processing and long-haul trucking industries were selected for this pilot project as they play a key role in B.C.’s export-oriented economy, and are experiencing acute and persistent labor shortages. After the evaluation of pilot project, based on a number of criteria and factors, additional allocations may be made available.

In addition to the Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled Pilot Project, the BC-PNP have specific categories for foreign skilled workers, international students, designated health professionals, and entrepreneurs.

Canada announces implementation of new Citizenship Act to grant or restore citizenship to lost Canadians

The Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced to implement the pending changes in country’s existing Citizenship laws by or before April 17, 2009.

These amendments in Canada’s citizenship laws were proposed by the previous Conservative government at least a year earlier to retroactively grant or restore citizenship to those who have lost or never had Canadian citizenship because of several obscure provisions in existing and former legislation. These proposed amendments, or Bill C-37, were formally enacted by Canadian Parliament on April 16, 2008.

The need to overhaul country’s existing citizenship laws was first arose just after the Lebanon evacuation crisis in 2006 and following the introduction of US travel rule (WHTI) in the beginning of 2007, when many of the Canadians who were applying for passports for the first time found out that they were unknowingly stripped of their citizenship. Commonly knows as "Lost Canadians", these people either had their citizenship denied or unknowingly allowed to expire due to several little-known particularities in Citizenship Act, which was last replaced in 1977 after its introduction in 1947. The obscure provisions under the Citizenship Act were installed in 1977 to "safeguard the value of citizenship," but only began to potentially affect people as of February 15, 2005.

After its implementation, the new Citizenship Act will restore citizenship to the (a) people who became citizens when the first Citizenship Act took effect on January 1, 1947, including people born in Canada prior to 1947, war brides, and other British subjects who had lived in Canada for at least five years before 1947 and who then lost their citizenship; (b) people who were born in Canada or who became Canadian citizens on or after January 1, 1947, and who then lost their citizenship; and (c) people who were born outside Canada, on or after January 1, 1947, in the first generation born abroad, to a parent who was a Canadian citizen at the time of the birth.

The amended Citizenship Act will also grant citizenship to people who did not take the steps necessary to become citizens and who were born outside Canada on or after January 1, 1947, in the first generation born abroad, to a parent who was a Canadian citizen at the time of the birth.

However, the new Citizenship Act will not restore or grant citizenship to the (a) people who did not become citizens when the first Citizenship Act took effect on January 1, 1947; (b) people born in Canada to a foreign diplomat; (c) people who were born outside Canada to a Canadian parent, who are not already citizens or who lost their citizenship in the past, and who were born in the second or subsequent generation abroad; (d) people who were born outside Canada to a Canadian parent, in the second or subsequent generation born abroad, and who lost their citizenship because they did not take the steps needed to retain their citizenship; (e) people who renounced their citizenship as adults with the Canadian government; and (f) people whose citizenship was revoked by the government because it was obtained by fraud.

The new Citizenship Act will also change the rules for people born outside of the Canada. Individuals born outside Canada to a parent who was a Canadian citizen at the time of the birth will only be Canadians at birth if (a) the parent was born in Canada; or (b) the parent became a Canadian citizen through the process of naturalization. This means that children born in another country after the new law comes into effect will not be a Canadian citizens by birth if they were born outside Canada to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent.

This limitation will also apply to foreign-born individuals adopted by a Canadian parent.

There are, however, exceptions to these rules. The limitation will not apply to a child born or adopted abroad in the second or subsequent generation if, at the time of the child's birth or adoption, their Canadian parent is working outside Canada for the Canadian government or a Canadian province or serving outside Canada with the Canadian forces.

The government has no estimate on the number of people who will take advantage of this legislation after it becomes law, but it has been estimated that new legislation should take care of 95 per cent of those people who either lost their citizenship or shouldn't have, or who never had it in the first place but should have, while others will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Canada’s largest business association demands for "just-in-time" immigration system to tackle skills crisis

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, one of Canada’s largest business associations, has released a new strategy to bring focus to growing skilled labor shortage in the country and recommended actions including a robust and just-in-time immigration system like Australia.

Drawing upon extensive staff research and surveys of local chambers of commerce and their members, as well as business members of its own, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has launched a new report, Building a Twenty-First Century Workforce: A Business Strategy to Overcome Canada's Skills Crisis, at the Durham Economic Prosperity Conference 2008 on November 7, 2008.

The report views skills shortage as a critical economic issue that impacts Canadian productivity and competitiveness. It analysis that labor shortages exist throughout the economy and the reasons for this shortages are equally wide-ranging – economic competition, shortages of affordable housing, high rates of pay in different regions, changing demographics, fewer skilled trades apprentices, change in job skills requirements and lack of mobility of existing workers.

According to the report, by 2010, 75 per cent of all new jobs created will be highly skilled, meaning that those without skills will be hard pressed to find work. By 2010, only 6 percent of jobs will be open to those with less than a high school diploma.

This report's recommendations call on the federal, provincial and territorial governments, as well as business, to act quickly to combat this real threat to Canadian prosperity, especially in light of current global economic turmoil. Surveys of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's business/corporate members and local/regional chamber managers - along with research conducted by the Canadian Chamber's staff - identify actions in four key areas in this report that, if acted upon now, will do much to build and maintain a competitive workforce for Canada's businesses and economy.

Along with adjusting the Canadian pension regulations, removing inter-provincial barriers to labor mobility and developing measures to encourage greater investment in training by employers, the recommendations of this report call on the federal government to continuously improve Canada’s immigration system to keep Canada competitive in the world competition for skilled workers by (a) benchmarking Canada’s immigration system against other nations strongly competing for immigrants (e.g., Australia and the UK); (b) reviewing and streamlining current processes to ensure that applications are processed within 6-12 months, starting with economic and business applicants; (c) giving priority to applicants who possess skills that are in short supply in the Canadian labor market; and (d) examining ways to do a better job of matching supply and demand for immigrants.

The report recognizes immigration as an important source of net labor force growth in Canada and appreciates federal government for its efforts in recent years to align Canada’s immigration policies more closely with the needs of the labor market including modifications in Temporary Foreign Worker Program, creation of Foreign Credentials Referral Office, enactment of Canadian Experience Class and changes in the Post-Graduation Work Permit program.

Finally, the report emphasizes the need to design and sustain an efficient immigration system that gives Canada a competitive edge in the battle to attract and retain the skills country need to ensure a healthy economy.

Just a few weeks earlier, a coalition of business groups, unions and colleges has called on federal election candidates to debate solutions for the acute shortage of skilled labor in Canada, and recommended various policy initiatives including a complete revamp of the immigration system and additional investment in skills training and post-secondary education.

British Columbia builds a regional, multi-sectoral alliance to address immigrant employment issues

To find and implement local solutions for addressing the immigrants’ employment issues in metro Vancouver area of British Columbia (B.C.), a new Employment Council has been created.

The B.C. Immigrant Employment Council will carry out a coordinated action strategy for creating a longer-term and sustainable vision on immigrant employment issues that help break down the barriers immigrants face when looking for work in the region. Employers also face challenges dealing with applicants or new employees from other countries or cultures, including language barriers, adaptation to North American workplace culture and integration of immigrants into work teams.

To achieve this goal, the Council will focus on three objectives: (a) Increase access to and availability of services that help immigrants gain access to the labor market more efficiently and effectively; (b) Change the way stakeholders value and work with skilled immigrants; and (c) Change the way governments relate to one another in planning and programming around this issue.

The Council will engage employers and other stakeholders to come up with solution-based actions, champion the labor market integration of immigrants, and influence related government policy and program development. The Board of Directors of the Council will be composed of 10 to 12 leaders from business, labor, service providers, post-secondary institutions and regulators.

The Provincial Government, along with a start-up grant from the Maytree Foundation, will support the work of the B.C. Immigrant Employment Council toward finding and implementing local, practical solutions on immigrant employment issues, which will ultimately contribute to city’s economy and prosperity in the long run.

Instead of delivering direct service to immigrants, the B.C. Immigrant Employment Council will develop various programs in partnership with key organizations, agencies and corporate partners. It will create new opportunities to match the skills, knowledge and experience of immigrants with the demands of the Vancouver region labor market. Through the development of a range of new initiatives, design and champion by its members, the Council will offer a unique and exciting opportunity to build the capacity of stakeholders to work more effectively individually and collaboratively to integrate immigrants into the labor force.

The genesis of the Council began in October 2008 with the Leaders Summit, a conference of leaders representing the various sectors and communities of the region, held at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The one-day Summit was held to assess the Vancouver region's strengths and challenges, and shape future directions by identifying strategies to form a regional, multi-sectoral alliance.

The Leaders Summit was convened by the Vancouver Mayor's Task Force on Immigration and Vancouver Foundation, with support from the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education and Labor Market Development. Participants include leaders from employers, labor, education, government and service providers.

Alberta introduces plan to better recognize the foreign-earned qualifications of skilled immigrants

The Employment and Immigration Ministry of Alberta has released a new plan to streamline the recognition process of foreign-earned qualifications, trainings and experiences, which will help newcomers put their skills to work in Alberta.

Released on Friday, this Foreign Qualifications Recognition Plan for Alberta (FQR) has been developed in consultation with Alberta employers, educational institutions, professional regulatory organizations and immigrant-serving agencies, and involving several provincial government ministries.

Through this plan, government and stakeholders will not only work together to clarify and shorten the path skilled immigrants take to join the workforce but also incorporate and recognize the critical role of over 50 professional regulatory organizations including over 25 educational institutions, a number of industry councils or non-government organizations, and numerous employers (small, medium and large), which are responsible for assessing foreign-earned qualifications to determine labor market entry of skilled immigrants.

By establishing a $1-million fund to promote innovative and flexible approaches to foreign qualifications assessment, FQR plan will include (a) enhancing information and resources for employers, immigrants and potential newcomers; (b) developing International Educational Guides to provide comprehensive information on educational systems and credentials in other countries and comparisons to standards in Alberta; and (c) developing occupational profiles detailing the licensing, certification or assessment process. In general, the 10 actions in the plan focus on three areas including specialized information, assessment standards and resources, and bridging the gap.

Progress of the actions will be reported based on the performance measures developed in the plan - an interim report on progress of actions will be compiled for May 2009 followed by a progress report containing baseline data in April 2010. This plan is expected to help expand Alberta’s labor market, strengthen economy and provide opportunities for immigrants to make the most of the skills they earned outside of Canada.

This plan is publicized after a government-led series of roundtable discussions in May 2007 on issues and challenges related to foreign qualification recognition with 70 participants representing immigrants/immigrant-serving agencies, employers, professional regulatory organizations and educational institutions. Given the global competition for skilled labor, many stakeholders felt that Alberta is primed to develop and establish a competitive position for the province by "defining the path for immigrants and making it straighter and shorter."

In an Assessment Services related recent study by Alberta Employment, Immigration and Industry, skilled immigrants in Alberta reported that they did not have employment related to their previous education (45%); that they were overqualified for their current job (49%) and that their home country education and/or work experience was not recognized (64%).

Another recent statistic by Alberta’s Occupational Demand and Supply Outlook for 2007-2017 warned that Province may experience a labor shortage as high as 111,000 workers in the next 10 years. Although the labor is expected to grow 441,000 while 330,000 workers are expected to join the labor force during this period but it is clear that unless provincial government and industry start finding new ways to attract workers, the statistical prediction of 111,000 worker shortage in the province will become a reality. The province is currently between 30,000 to 40,000 workers short in all fields of employment.

Canada introduces a questionnaire for Indian visitors to probe their political, religious and social ties

Canada has recently implemented a new measure for the visitors from India to probe their political, religious and social ties after the reports about a militant who managed to get visitor visa to come to Canada just a six weeks earlier.

This 3-page document requests Indian visitors for information about their association with political, religious or social organizations, and details of their services in armed forces (police, paramilitary, etc.), if any, as well as details of their previous trips abroad. It also demands visitors to answer some intrusive questions such as whether they, or any of their relatives around the world, have ever had links to militant groups or done fundraising, and about any arrests or criminal charges laid against the applicant or any family members.

The questionnaire is implemented by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) as a result of few weeks earlier incident when a controversial former Sikh high priest, convicted in India for killing a rival religious leader, arrived at Vancouver International Airport with a visa before being sent back to India by the CBSA. In October 2006, the mother of a convicted assassin was also granted a visa to travel to Ontario to accept an honor for her son at the Rexdale temple. The visa was revoked after a report in the Vancouver Sun about the event.

According to the CBSA, this new requirement is in line with Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and immigration applications of concern are vetted on a case-by-case basis by the CBSA to prevent people who have committed crimes against humanity, war crimes, or who are members of a terrorist organization from reaching Canada.

Critics termed this measure "intrusive and useless", and said that tens of thousands of Indian visa applicants may not even know how to answer some of the questions. It is important to note that Canada demands some special documents from the nationals of few selected countries where applicants might have been involved in a conflict. But the questionnaires in those cases are given only to people whose cases have raised other red flags.

Indian community in Canada, especially the Sikh-Canadians, has shown their mix concerns over the issue. Abbotsford's Kalgidhar Darbar Sikh Temple president Swarn Singh Gill said there has been a crackdown on visas coming out of Punjab for some time. "We have trouble getting visas for all the jathas (preachers) coming here," he said. He has raised the issue with his local MP.

But Kashmir Singh Dhaliwal, president of Vancouver's Ross Street Temple, says he agrees with the tougher regulations. He said Canada has seen violence related to extremists and should make sure anyone with those associations does not come to visit.

Canadian provinces develop a labor mobility pilot project for the recruitment of workers from Mexico

Mexico, Canada and four participating provinces including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec are developing a pilot project for the recruitment of Temporary Foreign Workers from Mexico to Canada within two industry sectors: construction and tourism/hospitality.

The pilot is expected to be launched late fall with the first workers arriving early in the New Year. The unique feature of this particular pilot project is that Mexico’s national employment service will play a role in identifying the eligible candidates for employers, who would then make the final decision regarding potential workers.

In the first year, the objective is for 2,000 workers to be identified through this initiative and split evenly among the four provinces. Each province can expect to receive approximately 500 workers divided between the two sectors. Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba have confirmed the following occupations for Mexico’s recruitment: within the hotel and lodging industry: front desk clerks and housekeeping attendants; within the food and restaurant industry: cooks, kitchen helpers, food counter attendants and food and beverage servers (Manitoba only).

The pilot project will allow for workers to receive up to a two-year work permit, consistent with the Labor Market Opinion (LMO). Employers will still be required to seek a positive LMO from HRSDC/Service Canada, and workers will still need to apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for a work permit. Employers in Alberta and British Columbia will be asked to absorb the costs of English testing, medical assessments and work permits in exchange for their participation in the pilot.

Alberta and Manitoba officials would like to limit participation to a few employers with foreign worker recruitment experience who are willing to apply for groups of employees in the designated occupations in order to help ensure the pilot is successful.

Provincial Tourism Sector Council organizations – go2 in British Columbia and MTEC in Manitoba – have agreed to coordinate the pilot project on behalf of the Tourism and Hospitality industries in British Columbia and Manitoba. They are currently developing application processes for employers.

Alberta government officials want to move quickly and are hoping to meet with Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) and small group of interested employers in the coming weeks to discuss next steps in the process. Manitoba officials will be setting up a similar meeting shortly.

Quebec unveils a comprehensive strategy for integrating immigrants and promoting common values

Effective January 2009, the Quebec government is making mandatory for new immigrants to the province in the economic and family reunification categories to sign a declaration affirming their commitment to learn French and respect the "common values of Quebec society" before they are allowed to settle in the province.

In addition to pronouncing French as the province's official language, and the primary language of public institutions, commerce and social life, the declaration characterizes Quebec as a free, democratic and socially pluralistic society that maintains a separation of church and state and respects the rule of law, including laws that uphold gender equality and equal freedoms for all individuals.

Since the implementation of this policy, Immigration department plans to add a section on Quebec values to immigration forms filled out overseas along with an explanatory pamphlet and a DVD on shared values. Immigrants will also be directed to a new website whose name translates as "shared values of Quebec." Information sessions on shared values will be offered to immigrants after they arrive.

The government's purpose for this new declaration on common values might be to facilitate integration by providing immigrants with some guidance as to what will be expected of them as citizens in their new society.

The proposal was immediately denounced by critics who correctly identified it as a pre-election issue to undermine the opposition Parti Quebecois (PQ) and the Action democratique du Quebec (ADQ) by Liberal Premier Jean Charest. This pre-election strategy is also expected to appease those insecure elements of Quebec society who are worried that new immigrants will change Quebec in undesirable ways. Mr. Charest first raised the notion of forcing immigrants to sign a declaration last May when the Bouchard-Taylor commission released its report on reasonable accommodation. The issue of integrating cultural and religious minorities had been an emotional topic in Quebec since late 2006.

Under the Canada-Quebec Accord on Immigration, Quebec establishes its own immigration requirements and selects immigrants who will adapt well to living in Quebec. Each year, Québec welcomes an average of some 45,000 immigrants from over 100 countries who actively participate in its economic, social and cultural development.