Ontario introduces the full-fledged version of its pilot PNP with significant improvements and increase in annual quota

To improve the understanding of its nominee program, Ontario government has modified the name of its Pilot Provincial Nominee Program (Pilot PNP) and made several enhancements in order to attract investment and help businesses grow and compete in the changing global economy.

The modified program, called "Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program", will give the province the ability to fast-track a limited number of skilled workers through the federal immigration system. "Opportunities Ontario", which is more reflective of the province and program’s immigration purpose, will allow employers and investors to hire foreign skilled workers for any managerial, professional, or skilled trade occupations (listed as Skill Type 0 or Skill Level A and B in the National Occupational Classification) with an increased cap of nearly 1,000 nominees in 2009.

However, the new process will remain employer-driven and candidates will need a genuine offer of permanent and fulltime job from an approved Ontario employer to apply.

Opportunities Ontario has also been reclassified into two broad categories: General for employers and investors who wish to recruit and hire foreign skilled workers and individuals in Canada on work permit, and International Student for those employers looking to recruit international students graduate from a publicly-funded Canadian college or university.

To qualify for nomination as a foreign skilled worker in the General category, applicants must have an approved permanent fulltime job offer in any managerial, professional, or skilled trade occupations. They need to be qualified for the position and have at least two years of work experience. To apply for Provincial Nomination, candidates need to have received an Employer Pre-Screen Approved Position Form, along with the nominee application package from the Ontario employer who has extended them the job offer. The offered wage must meet the prevailing wage level for the intended occupation. If the applicants are currently residing in Canada, they need to have valid legal status.

Under the General category, Ontario employers also have the option to invest in the province. These employers will bring over key foreign employees to be nominated for Canadian Permanent Residency, by making an investment of $3 million to establish or expand operations in Ontario. The investment must create at least 5 new jobs for Ontario residents as well. These requirements have been revised down from the original Ontario PNP requirements of $10 million and 25 new jobs created.

Potential nominees under the International Student category must have graduated within the past two years (or will soon be graduating) from an eligible publicly-funded Canadian university or college. Previously, their offer of fulltime permanent employment had to be in their field of study. Now, this restriction has been removed so that the job offer can be in any managerial, professional, or skilled trade occupations. International student candidates do not need to have any previous work experience to qualify, unlike the federal Canadian Experience Class category. To apply, they too need to have received the Employer Pre-Screen Approved Position Form and application package. The offered wage for the position must meet the entry-level standard for that occupation. If still residing in Canada, applicants need to have valid legal status.

Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program is mandated under the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA).

Alberta slightly modifies the application process of its fast-track route for U.S. H-1B visa holders

The province of Alberta has made an adjustment in the application process of its "U.S. Visa Holder Category", which facilitate the entry of U.S. visa holders currently working temporarily in the United States on H-1B, into Alberta’s permanent labor force without requiring them to arrange employment from an Alberta employer.

Added last year into the Strategic Recruitment Stream, the U.S. Visa Holder Category of Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) was previously required a candidate to first submit a basic application. After a review of this basic application, AINP issued an invitation to qualified candidates only to submit a full application. If an assessment of candidate’s full application resulted positive, the AINP issued a certificate of nomination to the candidate. The nominee will then be directed to forward a federal permanent residence application to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) visa office abroad.

As of January 2009, the modified process of U.S. Visa Holder Category has eliminated the initial invitation portion of the application. Applicants are now required to submit their full application along with necessary supporting documents right away for an assessment.

The U.S. Visa Holder Category of AINP’s Strategic Recruitment Stream was originally created to help fill skill shortages in priority sectors and build Alberta’s skilled workforce for the long term. This category targets professional workers with specialized skills and North American experience to apply directly to AINP providing they meet the criteria for the program. To be eligible, an applicant must be currently employed in the U.S. on an H-1B (or H1-B1, H-1C and E-3) visa and have been working there for at least one year in an occupation where there are skill shortages in Alberta [PDF]. On average, those nominated for permanent residency by AINP obtain it in 6-18 months.

The U.S. Visa Holder Category also allows applicants to start working in Alberta immediately, if they find employment in their field in Alberta just after being approved as a Provincial Nominee but prior to their application for permanent residence with CIC being finalized.

In coming weeks, a sharp boost in the U.S. Visa Holder Category is expected. A recent bill introduced in the United States Senate, if passed, would prohibit American firms that receive federal bailout money from hiring H-1B workers to protect the jobs of Americans by minimizing the number of foreign workers in the country during the current economic troubles. Should the bill pass, Canada, and particularly the province of Alberta, will be an attractive option for these professional workers.

New Democrats demand immediate change to CIC’s spousal sponsorship policy

New Democrats have demanded Immigration Minister for immediate changes to CIC’s current spousal sponsorship policy, which allows officials to deport the spouse if their application decision is delayed beyond the allowable grace period of 60 days resulting in separation of married couples.

Last week, New Democrat immigration critic Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina) has brought a motion into the Parliament to stop the deportation of spouses sponsored by Canadians. The motion was adopted by the Parliament’s Immigration Committee and it will be debated in the House of Commons following voting by all MPs in the spring.

"Instead of wasting resources to track down spouses of Canadians who are not guilty of any wrong doing, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) should focus more on deporting the criminals," says Chow. "Before, a spouse could be deported during the application process even though they are being sponsored by a Canadian. Now, this will not happen."

The wording of Olivia Chow’s motion is as follows:

That the Committee recommend that the government allow any applicant (unless they have serious criminality) who has filed their first in-Canada spousal or common law sponsorship application and the accompanied permanent residency application to be entitled to an automatic stay of removal and a temporary work permit until a decision is rendered on their application.

"This practice was cruel and wasteful of public dollars. When an applicant had to file paperwork all over again while overseas, it delayed the family being reunited," said the New Democrat’s West Coast Citizenship and Immigration critic, Don Davies (Vancouver-Kingsway). "I am glad that common sense prevailed at the Immigration Committee. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, let’s hope Immigration Minister Jason Kenney can bring love back to these needlessly divided Canadian families by enacting a small change in policy."

Canadian government pledges to improve the labor market outcomes of under-represented groups

Canadian federal government has set aside an extra $50 million for the development of a common framework across Canadian provinces and territories to address the important issue of foreign credentials recognition by September 2009.

Announced in Budget 2009, this extra $50 million over the next two years tops up the $73 million allocated in 2003-2004 for the Foreign Credential Recognition Program. The increased funding will not only go towards the improvement of continuing foreign credentials recognition process but also help develop a common approach across Canadian provinces and territories to provide timely assessment and recognition of foreign qualifications by September 2009.

First Ministers and Territorial Leaders have already endorsed the full labor mobility pact at their January 16 meeting, which will, if implemented, ensure newcomers better access to jobs in their field of specialization.

"Our government created a Foreign Credentials Referral Office that helps foreign-trained workers succeed and put their skills to work in Canada more quickly," said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. "We are committed to fulfilling our promise to new Canadians to work with the provinces to address the important issue of foreign credentials recognition."

Budget 2009 also launches the "Canada Skills and Transition Strategy". This strategy will provide significant financial resources to a range of programs that will help Canadians weather the economic storm, and provide them with the necessary training to prosper in a changing economy. Resources are being provided for short- and long-term skills upgrading, investments to improve the labour market outcomes of under-represented groups, and to allow workers more time to find the right job and get the training they need.

The new budget further includes measures to increase job growth, consumer confidence, and other economy boosting measures over the next two years. Projections would have a surplus of $700 million by the 2013-2014, which is positive news indeed for all Canadians, current and prospective.

Canada’s first ministers endorse full labor mobility across the country by April 1, 2009

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Provincial Premiers and Territorial Leaders have finally endorsed an amendment to the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) at the First Ministers’ Meeting on January 16, 2009, which marks a significant milestone toward enhancing labor mobilitiy in Canada.

Under the agreement, any worker certified for an occupation by a regulatory authority of one province or territory is to be recognized as qualified for that occupation by all other provinces and territories.

The Committee on Internal Trade (CIT), comprising Canada’s provincial/territorial labor and trade ministers, has already approved full labor mobility pact that, effective April 1, 2009, will allow Canadian citizens and permanent residents to move freely and take advantage of job opportunities across Canada without going through province- or territory-specific accreditation and/or licensing process.

After first ministers’ endorsement, governments have set a goal whereby any foreign trained worker who submits a full application to be licensed or registered to work in their profession, would be informed of a decision within one year of the application. At that point, the worker would learn whether their qualifications will be recognized, or advised about any additional requirements deemed to be necessary to be fully recognized or directed to alternative pathways or related occupations that would use their skills and experience.

The first year for decisions will be 2010 for a limited number of high-priority occupations to be selected collaboratively with provinces and territories.

However, the new agreement has made clear that, before April 1 change, any exception to full labor market mobility will have to be clearly identified and justified as necessary to meet a legitimate objective, such as the protection of public health or safety, or its application in areas where there are significant differences in local practices, such as forestry.

The first ministers have also agreed to work on a common framework to recognize foreign credentials by September 2009, with an interim report on progress by June 2009.

"Our government created a Foreign Credentials Referral Office that helps foreign-trained workers succeed and put their skills to work in Canada more quickly," said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. "We are committed to fulfilling our promise to new Canadians to work with the provinces to address the important issue of foreign credentials recognition."

B.C. releases updated newcomers’ guide to settlement resources and services in 11 languages

Home to about 40,000 newcomers every year, British Columbia (B.C.) has updated and released its comprehensive guide to settlement resources and services across the province this week to support newcomers in adapting their new lives in this province.

The 2009 B.C. Newcomers’ Guide to Resources and Services will assist newly arrived immigrants in finding information and services to help them make the most of their decision to move to B.C.

The guide has general information that will help newcomers in their first few months after arrival and includes topics such as finding a place to live, money and banking, healthcare, education, cars and driving, employment and business, the legal system, government and citizenship, and much more. It will be distributed by mail to various immigrant-serving agencies and other key stakeholders and be available for online orders at WelcomeBC, where it could also be downloaded in PDF (4.36MB).

The guide was originally written in the early 1990s. It was last updated in 2002 and translated into five languages. The 2009 edition will be available in 11 languages: English, French, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Punjabi, Korean, Farsi, Vietnamese, Arabic, Russian and Spanish. The translated versions will be released throughout 2009. For the first time, the guide will include a brochure explaining the history and milestones of the Aboriginal peoples of British Columbia.

"The Government of Canada is committed to helping immigrants and their families succeed," said Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. "The B.C. Newcomers’ Guide is a useful tool for newcomers in their integration into Canadian society. It provides valuable information about the services available in their community to help them adapt better and quicker and make a success of their new lives in Canada. Our government is pleased to continue working in partnership with the Province of British Columbia in providing funding for the publication of this resourceful guide."

The Agreement for Canada-B.C. Cooperation on Immigration provides funding through the transfer of approximately $120 million per year from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to the B.C. government, which is responsible for administering settlement services for new immigrants.

Canada announces four community-based commemorative and educational projects to honor and celebrate Chinese-Canadians

Canada’s federal government has announced to launch four new community-based commemorative and educational projects to reach out to youths and the Chinese community, to raise awareness of the Chinese Head Tax and other measures that restricted Chinese immigration between 1885 and 1947, to honour the work of those who challenged discrimination and sought redress, and to celebrate the contributions of the Chinese-Canadian community that helped to build a strong and diverse Canada.

Funded under the Community Historical Recognition Program (CHRP), these projects will be delivered by the Simon Fraser University (SFU), the University of British Columbia, the Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, and the Toronto Community and Culture Centre.

Simon Fraser University will receive $200,000 for a one-year project to create a comprehensive and interactive education program for BC high school students. The program will examine the impact of the Head Tax imposed on Chinese immigrants and highlight the contributions of the Chinese-Canadian community to building Canada. SFU will distribute 100 educational DVD packages to 95 public secondary schools and 5 private schools in the Vancouver Lower Mainland. Another component of the program will be to air the video documentary on Fairchild TV, where it can be viewed by the Chinese-Canadian community and the general public.

The University of British Columbia will receive $50,000 to fund research and community workshops examining the Chinese Head Tax. "Remembering the Chinese Head Tax" is an educational project that will be undertaken in partnership with the Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies (INSTRCC). The aim of the project is to engage Chinese-Canadian students with members of their community, particularly elders, to conduct oral history research and create and preserve the history and experiences of Chinese-Canadians between 1885 and 1947 under the Chinese Head Tax and the Chinese Immigration Act. This project will run for three years.

The Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic will receive $50,000 for a one-year project to create a web-based educational program. The program, to be produced in English and Chinese, will concern the use of legislation in discriminating against Chinese immigrants in Canada, measures that included the Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Immigration Act. It will also recognize the historical contributions made by members of the legal profession who challenged the discriminatory laws. The website will reach a wide segment of Chinese-Canadian newcomers. At the same time, it will be made available for use as a teaching tool in law schools and other learning institutions across Canada.

The Toronto Community and Culture Centre will receive $50,000 for a one-year project aimed at increasing the understanding of Chinese-Canadian youth, particularly from the Mandarin community in the Greater Toronto Area, about the Chinese Head Tax and how this measure affected Chinese immigrants and the Chinese-Canadian community. The project is designed to engage youth in a dialogue about the lives of the early Chinese-Canadians in Canada, the Pacific Railroad history, and the use of legislation in the discrimination of Chinese immigrants in Canada, including the Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Immigration Act. The goal of this project is to broaden understanding and awareness of the Chinese Head Tax and of the contributions made by Chinese immigrants to the building of Canada, and to increase ethnic harmony, especially among Chinese-Canadian youth.

The CHRP was announced in June 2006 as part of the Government of Canada’s comprehensive historical recognition program. This program funds community-based commemorative and educational projects that recognize the experiences of communities affected by historical wartime measures and/or immigration restrictions applied in Canada; and that promote the contributions of these communities to building this country. Eligible projects can include monuments, commemorative plaques, educational material and exhibits.

Canada regulates the minimum advertisement requirements for overseas recruitment to protect local workers

As of January 1, 2009, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has implemented the same minimum advertisement requirements for all occupations (managerial, professional, technical or skilled trades) offered to overseas workers by Canadian employers.

As a general rule, Canadian employers wishing to hire foreign workers for any occupation (managerial, professional, technical or skilled trades) will now require to advertise the position on Canada’s national job bank over the Internet for at least 14 calendar days before it offers to an overseas worker. For all positions, advertising must have been carried out no more than three months before the employer seeks HRSDC permission to hire a foreign worker (i.e. Labor Market Opinion or LMO). The failure to comply with this minimum advertisement requirement will result in the application to HRSDC for LMO being denied.

In addition to this minimum advertisement requirement, HRSDC has also suggested an alternative approach for the positions (or skill sets), which are harder to find in Canada, while imposed few additional requirements for those positions, which could be filled locally.

Accordingly, employers who are offering positions in management or in occupations which usually require a university degree (i.e. positions described in Canadian National Occupations Classification (NOC) as skill type 0 or skill level A) can alternatively conduct similar recruitment activities consistent with the practices prevailing within that occupation. This can include advertising in professional journals, newsletters, national newspapers, or even consulting with unions or professional associations. However, these efforts must be made during the three months prior to the LMO application.

For occupations which usually require college education or apprenticeship training (i.e. positions described in NOC as skill level B) must not be advertised elsewhere except Canada’s national job bank. Additionally, the advertisement must include the employer’s name and address and must disclose the wage being offered, so existing employees will have access to the wages being offered to their foreign counterparts.

Lastly, employers who are recruiting those in occupations which require only high school education, occupation-specific training, or on-the-job training (i.e. positions described in NOC as skill level C and D) must also conduct other recruitment activities consistent with the practice in the occupation in question, all within three months of the LMO application. These employers must also demonstrate reasonable "ongoing" recruitment efforts in communities which face barriers to employment i.e. Aboriginals, seniors, and other disadvantaged groups like immigrants.

HRSDC makes it clear that these requirements are the minimum efforts that can be expended and reserves the right to impose additional requirements.

The B.C. and federal governments agree to expand Settlement Workers in Schools program in its 2nd year

To help newcomer students and their families settle in their school and community, the B.C. and federal governments have decided to expand Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) program to 10 more school districts in the province with an investment of $8.6 million.

Under the SWIS program, settlement workers help immigrant and refugee children, in the K-12 public school system, adjust to school culture. The workers also increase parent involvement in their children’s education, while helping to build awareness of community and government resources. As well, a valued component of the program focuses on increasing cultural awareness and sensitivity in schools.

The program has been of great benefits to the newcomer families that have unresolved first year settlement needs. More than 5,000 newcomer students and their families have availed the benefits of settlement counseling since it began. Families with long term settlement issues or who need intensive support are referred to settlement agencies and other community services.

"The Settlement Workers in Schools program is invaluable in assisting new students to integrate more quickly, while giving their parents a critical connection to the broader community," said Murray Coell, B.C. Minister of Advanced Education and Labor Market Development. "Students and their parents experience a smoother transition into the school system and the ability to more rapidly participate in Canadian society in a meaningful way."

Began in the fall of 2007 in 10 school districts across the Lower Mainland and Greater Victoria, the SWIS program has been expanded this fall to include an additional 10 districts in the Fraser Valley, the Okanagan, Nanaimo, West Vancouver, Langley, Coquitlam, and the North, based on the percentage of English as a second language students enrolled in school districts.

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper and our government are committed to helping immigrants and their families succeed in Canada. Schools are one of the first services that newcomers access in their communities and the SWIS program is an ideal way to assist newcomer students and their families on their path to integration," said Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. "We are very pleased to be working in partnership with the Province of B.C. to support the expansion of this program to more communities in the province."

The Agreement for Canada-B.C. Cooperation on Immigration provides funding through the transfer of approximately $109 million per year from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to the B.C. government, which is responsible for administering settlement services, including SWIS, for new immigrants through WelcomeBC. WelcomeBC, which supports immigrants and their families in succeeding both economically and socially, helps immigrants in B.C. access services under one umbrella to assist them in better adapting to life in their new communities and builds on the province’s history of welcoming newcomers and creating inclusive communities.

Canada seeks extended support and cooperation by Indian Punjab in fight against phony consultants and fake document vendors

At the end of his week long formal visit to India, the Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) Minister Jason Kenney called on Chief Minister Punjab Parkash Singh Badal and sought his support and cooperation to crackdown the "developing industry" of document vendors and phony consultants exploiting large numbers of Punjabis wanting to go to Canada.

According to an estimate, two of every three temporary visa applications are rejected by Canadian officials in Chandigarh due to the fake documents that are submitted with applications. These fraudulent documents include, but not limited to, counterfeit letters from MPs, identification papers, employment offers, university transcripts and diplomas, funeral announcements and even pictures of false wedding ceremonies.

Expressing concern over the issue, CM Punjab assured the Minister that Punjab Government would extent its fulsome support and cooperation to evolve a permanent solution to curb this illegal practice.

CM was apprised in the meeting that few owners of marriage palaces are involved in arranging fake marriages in connivance with travel agents/immigration consultants to provide photographs of marriage in support of proof for the purpose of Canadian visa to illegal persons. CM assured the visiting Canadian Minister that State Government would take stringent action against the erring travel agents involved in the exploitation of women in getting them married with the persons intended to seek Canadian Visa which ultimately result in broken marriages.

"Our Canadian officials in Chandigarh are regularly dealing with fraudulent documents produced by unregistered immigration consultants, including fake passports, fake endorsement letters from Canadian Members of Parliament, fake death certificates and many more," said Minister Kenney. "Although the approval rate for temporary visas has improved over the last year, the large number of unauthentic documents being submitted to the Chandigarh mission is a very serious problem for the integrity of Canada’s immigration system. I am pleased that the Chief Minister of Punjab says he will act on this commitment to crack down on unscrupulous immigration consultants, and I look forward to assessing the success of this promise later this year."

Kenney said unscrupulous consultants have been known to target a program, and then tailor the applications to that program. A recent example involved Canada's live-in caregiver program. A surge of applications for the program in 2007 raised eyebrows at the office in Chandigarh, largely because they were from men, who are not the traditional caregivers in India. Officials subsequently discovered many applicants presented documents that said they graduated from care-giving schools that did not exist.

Kenney said there has been a lack of interest in the past on the part of the Indian authorities to pursue visa fraud, but that he expects much closer cooperation between Canadian officials and Chandigarh police in the future.

Canada is the only country to operate a visa office in Chandigarh. The Chandigarh office of the Canadian High Commission opened in 1997 and first began issuing visas in 2004 after former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien attended the opening of the Consulate General of Chandigarh in 2003. About half of the Indo-Canadian community in Canada hails from Punjab.

A first of its kind immigration-specific social networking site launched on the Internet by David Cohen

Established only a few months ago, LoonLounge is a rapidly expanding online community and social networking website where established and prospective Canadians can meet and connect for the purpose of building a stronger Canada.

A brainchild of prominent immigration lawyer David Cohen, LoonLounge facilitates the creation of social and professional connections through community membership. The concept behind LoonLounge is based on the knowledge that communities create an informal social assistance system, which could help newcomers in their settlement process, affording them the opportunity to more rapidly contribute to Canada both economically and socially.

Being a global network of online communities, the LoonLounge will help prospective migrants learn from the experiences and advice of newly settled Canadians. While settled Canadians would benefit from developing new relationships with prospective migrants – whether for business or personal motivations – prospective migrants would enjoy the advantages of seamless integration into the Canadian community and economy.

Along with these contacts, services provided on LoonLounge include a job search function, online forums, blog posts, salary survey, immigration assessment, facts about Canada, success stories, access to experts, and links to organizations and more resources. The site lets users join communities based on common ties such as home country or occupation, and can host subgroups for, say, cricket. The new Citizenship and Immigration Canada list of 38 priority jobs and language testing are the two hottest topics on LoonLounge.

"Governmental initiatives just can't provide the kind of support that LoonLounge offers to new Canadians," says David Cohen. "People need a support system. They need a community to get them started in a new life, and they need it before and after they get here."

Although LoonLounge is launched officially this week, the Canadian immigration online community has already made an impact. Nearly 15,000 members from 191 countries have registered, indicative of a social movement over the net. And it is not just immigrants benefiting from this social networking tool, established Canadians and recently-landed immigrants also find the site beneficial.

Though a recent analysis of what works for immigrants by the think-tank Public Policy Forum didn't study LoonLounge in particular, author Winnie Wong points out that the few websites that are effective tools for newcomers involve Canadians rather than just immigrants, and are community-based rather than top-down.

Cohen, who spent two years working on LoonLounge, keeps a low profile on the site, which is run by six people in his Montreal office and doesn't charge any fees or accept advertising.

Immigration is the future of Canada and LoonLounge is your invitation to become involved. Watch a brief animated clip and join the LoonLounge online community today.

Kenney visits Pakistan to review and discuss immigration, manpower and investment issues with key Pakistani officials

On a two-day visit to Pakistan, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) Minister Jason Kenney held official bilateral meetings with Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and heads of key ministries to discuss Canada-Pakistan relations with regards to immigration, employment of Pakistani citizens in Canada, and Canadian investment in Pakistan.

During these meetings, Prime Minister Gilani and Minister Kenney discussed regarding enhancing recruitment of Pakistani manpower by the Canadian entrepreneurs involved in development of new agricultural lands in Canada’s labor scarce provinces, and creating ways for employment of different categories of workforce from Pakistan. Minister Kenney assured Prime Minister that he will look at the possibility of making use of the skilled and semi-skilled labor from Pakistan for development of agriculture, construction and industrial sectors in some provinces of Canada.

Prime Minister hoped that Canada would also provide Pakistan with technical and financial assistance for upgrading the universities and vocational training institutions to train Pakistani manpower for this purpose. He stressed on the MOU to be drawn up between the two countries for development and up gradation of professional and technical institutes to maintain the standards that Canada desires.

The Prime Minister also took up the issue of inordinate delay in the processing of immigration cases of Pakistani nationals by the Canadian authorities. He urged that Pakistanis should be treated at par with immigrants from other countries. Minister Kenney agreed by the Prime Minister and assured that he will discuss with visa officers at the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad to review operations as well as facilitating the visa process for business travelers and international students.

The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the Canadian Government for doubling its economic assistance (CIDA) to Pakistan from $30 million to $60 million. Canada recently announced this increase, which will be used to strength local government institutions, basic health care for girls, and primary education for Pakistani children. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister also praised Canada’s continued assistance to Pakistan for human resource development and capacity building.

Minister Kenney informed Prime Minister Gilani that a Parliamentary Forum in Canada would be established next month to promote exchanges between elected representatives in Canada and Pakistan.

Before returning to Canada January 18, 2009, the Minister will also travel to Mumbai, where he will express Canada’s condolences for the terrorist attacks in November 2008, and visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar, and sites of importance particularly to the Jewish and Ismaili communities. In New Delhi He will be visiting the office of the Canadian Immigration Integration Project (CIIP) and addressing the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber. In Mumbai,

At the close of his visit to Pakistan, Minister Kenney said that the purpose of his visit to Pakistan was to look at the possibility of establishing a more close and friendly relations between the two countries.