Canada’s population grew faster in 2008 due to an increase in net international migration

As of October 1, 2008, Canada's population was estimated at 33,441,300, up 335,900 people, or one per cent, from January 1, 2008. All provinces and territories, except Northwest Territories, recorded population increase but demographic growth remained higher in Western Canada.

Based on 2006 Census counts, the Canadian Statistics Agency confirmed that this advance in population growth was mainly due to a rise in net international migration which, at 240,700, reached its highest level since the end of the 1980s.

This upward movement in net international migration was due to an increase in both the number of permanent and non-permanent residents.

Since the beginning of the year, Canada has received 194,600 new immigrants, 12,900 more than last year for the same period.

The number of non-permanent residents in Canada also rose by more than 79,500 from January to September. Higher net numbers of non-permanent residents were observed in almost every province and territory, especially in Quebec and in the four western provinces, where the levels topped 2008 highs.

The rise of net population inflows resulting from international migration from January to September 2008 has affected population dynamics in almost all regions of the country, except Northwest Territories. Every province saw their demographic growth increase compared with the same period of 2007.

However, demographic growth remained higher in Western Canada. Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon all had growth rates higher than the national level. East of Manitoba, only Prince Edward Island outpaced the national level.

For a fourth consecutive quarter, Alberta led all the other provinces in demographic growth, posting a rate of 0.72 per cent, nearly twice the national rate. The province's growth was mainly attributable to a resurgence in interprovincial migration and a strong increase in its number of non-permanent residents. Alberta's rate of growth in non-permanent residents has been the highest of all the provinces since the fourth quarter of 2006.

Saskatchewan had the highest net interprovincial migration rate in Canada in the third quarter of 2008. Its population has been growing at a faster rate than the national level since the second quarter of 2007.

Manitoba and British Columbia both posted demographic growth above the national level in 2008. Manitoba posted its highest quarterly increase between April and July since the third quarter of 1982.

In Eastern Canada, all Atlantic provinces recorded population increases for a second consecutive quarter. Prince Edward Island continued to lead the region in demographic growth with an increase of 0.67 per cent, mainly the result of the highest net international migration rate in Canada. In the third quarter of 2008, the population of Newfoundland and Labrador experienced its highest growth rate since the second quarter of 1991, primarily as a result of strong net interprovincial migration.

For a fourth quarter in a row, Ontario's demographic growth, +0.37 per cent, was below the national level, even though the province registered its lowest net outflow in interprovincial migration since the first quarter of 2007.

Quebec's demographic growth was its highest since the second quarter of 1991. An increasing number of births and a third-quarter record in net international migration more than offset the province's large net outflow in interprovincial migration.

Yukon led the northern territories in demographic growth for a third consecutive quarter. Since the beginning of 2008, Yukon has been the only territory with net inflows in both interprovincial and international migration.

Canada's rate of natural increase in 2008 remained relatively stable compared with the same period of 2007, with the number of births and deaths increasing in a similar fashion.

Canada invests in employment programs to facilitate social participation of newcomers and unemployed workers

To help newcomers participate in the workforce and contribute to their communities, government of Canada delivers necessary training, skills and opportunities in partnership with communities and stakeholders, and provides them essential funding to support these initiatives.

Now to help 3,700 newcomers to Canada, unemployed workers aged 45 or older aiming to re-enter the workforce, as well as assist employers in addressing local skills shortages in Lower Mainland area of British Columbia, federal government has initiated three S.U.C.C.E.S.S. projects.

One project, Tomorrow’s Workplace, aims to generate an understanding of skills shortages issues among employers and involve them in creating solutions by offering employer outreach and networking opportunities. This project is delivered through the Labour Market Partnerships program.

The Employment Resource Centre project will enable S.U.C.C.E.S.S. to help unemployed recent immigrants, who are legally entitled to work in Canada, prepare for and find employment through access to a self-serve resource centre, workshops, and the development of individual work plans. Through the Experience for Hire project, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. will provide unemployed workers aged 45 or older with employment counseling on labour market trends, job search techniques and career goals that will allow them to obtain employment or become self-employed. Both of these projects are delivered through the Employment Assistance Services program.

Established in 1973 and incorporated in 1974 as a non-profit charitable organization for the purpose of promoting the well-being of Canadians and immigrants, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is now a multi-service, multicultural immigrant serving agency in British Columbia. With a network of 11 branches in Lower Mainland area, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is delivering program in culturally sensitive ways to meet the needs of new immigrants and unemployed workers. Approximately 70 per cent of the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. annual operating fund comes from the three levels of government. In 1979, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. became a member of the United Way of the Lower Mainland. In 1994, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. received the Citation for Citizenship Award for its contribution to new immigrants’ settlement and integration. S.U.C.C.E.S.S. was accredited by the Council on Accreditation in January 2004 for the achievement of best practice standards.

Canada announces substantial increase in annual settlement funding to provinces and territories other than Ontario and Quebec

To help newcomers settle, adapt and integrate into Canadian society, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), in partnership with provinces, territories and settlement providers, has been delivering programs and services to migrants of more than 40 nationalities for over 16 years, and providing stakeholders necessary funding to support these initiatives.

To continue this collaboration, CIC has released details of federal annual funding to its primary partners to help increase the uptake of immigrant settlement programs in the coming year.

According to this annual support, provinces and territories, other than Ontario and Quebec, will be allocated more than $240 million in federal funding during the financial year 2009-10, which represents an increase of over $40 million, or more than 20 per cent, over the previous year.

This annual allocation is part of CIC’s five-years, $1.4 billion "additional settlement funding package" to provinces and territories, other than Quebec, since 2006-07, and used for the development and continuation of important programs and services, such as language training and employment services, that help newcomers integrate and succeed in Canada.

The allocations for 2009-10 also reflect a funding formula that is based on the number of newcomers, and which gives additional weight for refugees to account for their unique settlement needs. For example, the Prince Edward Island will be receiving nearly $2 million in funding which represents an increase of 43 per cent over the previous year, while British Columbia will be receiving more than $120 million in funding but it represents an increase of only 13 per cent over the previous year. The formula also provides a capacity-building amount for each jurisdiction, recognizing that jurisdictions are at different places in terms of settlement service provision.

Funding for Ontario is provided under the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA). Through this Agreement, the Government of Canada has increased funding for Ontario by a total of $920 million over five years. This covers basic settlement services, enhanced language training, portal and administration costs.

For Quebec, the Canada-Quebec Accord (CQA) provides the government of Quebec with an annual grant, the amount of which is calculated using a formula set out in the Accord. Quebec has responsibility for all settlement services. For 2009-10, the estimated amount is $234.2 million.

Nova Scotia unveils a new business loan program to help newcomers start, expand or buy small businesses

Nova Scotia has introduced a simplified business loan program for newcomers to the province who wish to establish their own small businesses and generate jobs.

The new Immigrant Small Business Financing Program (ISBFP) is a joint initiative of the Nova Scotia Cooperative Council, the Credit Union Council of Nova Scotia, local Credit Unions, the Department of Economic Development and the Office of Immigration. Administered by the Nova Scotia Cooperative Council, the pilot project will be available solely through credit unions across Nova Scotia to offer up to $150,000 loan to immigrants, who have lived in Nova Scotia for less than five years, to help start, expand or buy a small business.

Local credit unions will begin taking applications for this purpose in mid of January next year.

This simplified approach will not only help ensure immigrant entrepreneurs have the opportunity to become small business owners in Nova Scotia and generate jobs, but also help getting business loans in a timely manner, which is usually difficult in Canada as banks and other lending institutions generally do not recognize international credit history of many new immigrants.

"Access to economic opportunities are key factors in a new immigrant's decision to stay or leave the province," said Immigration Minister Len Goucher. "By setting up businesses, new immigrants will also establish stronger roots in local communities, roots that will help newcomers integrate and, ultimately, settle in Nova Scotia."

To support this business loan program, department of Economic Development will invest $2 million in a loan guarantee, which will be reviewed annually, while the Office of Immigration will provide $100,000 a year for operating and other costs, such as business counselling, administration, technical services and legal costs.

The ISBFP is an extension of the existing Small Business Financing Program, which is also administered by the Nova Scotia Enterprises Cooperative and delivered through credit unions. It has helped more than 350 companies create and maintain 2,300 jobs.

"We've helped establish new businesses and empower entrepreneurs with the support they need to create employment for themselves and others," says Dianne Kelderman, chief executive officer of the Nova Scotia Cooperative Council. "We have had great success and now, with a program for immigrant entrepreneurs, we see the opportunity for even greater growth."

In Nova Scotia, there are more than 30,000 small businesses, representing 92 per cent of all businesses in the province. In 2007, more than 150 newcomers interested in starting a new business sought assistance from the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association.

Canada's electricity sector needs to hire 25,000 engineers and skilled trades people within the next six years

A new report reveals that Canada’s electricity industry is facing serious labor shortages that could power down an industry which fulfills Canada’s energy demands and employs some 100,000 people.

In its current release of workforce planning report, Canada’s Electricity Sector Council (ESC) has showed that electricity industry faces an immediate shortfall of 1,300 positions every year for the next three years and needs to replace nearly 30 percent of industry positions, or approximately 25,000 people within the next six years, to meet Canada's energy demands – currently rising by one percent each year. More importantly, the rate of workforce retirement will reach 29 per cent within the next four years alone, especially the retirement of transmission system workers is expected to jump more than sevenfold next year and nine fold by 2012.

Report warned that an aging workforce, coupled with low recruiting numbers and a continual increase in demand from domestic and export markets, are converging to create a problem that could impact the supply, transmission and distribution of power in Canada.

"Retirements are likely going to stay high for another four to five years and then take another couple of years to stabilize," says Damon Rondeau, a human resource planner at Manitoba Hydro and chair of the ESC's labor market information project's steering committee. "Part of the problem is the traditionally stable nature of the electricity industry, a long-service, low-turnover segment of the economy. The entire electricity sector grew substantially in the 1960s and 1970s in response to growth in the Canadian economy and these people are all retiring now."

"We do forecast some (more) retirements," says Erin Kurchina, vice-president of human resources for Calgary-based energy distribution, supply and service company Enmax. "They're not excessive and we've been able to manage our staffing levels through redeployments and the succession planning (for all staffing levels) that we've done. We've also partnered with the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society to help us explore the recruitment of international immigrants."

The workforce planning report suggests that the industry must to do a better job promoting itself as a career path at a time when enrolment in electrical engineering programs is falling and competition for skills from other industries is rising. This is includes working more closely with post-secondary institutions to develop programs relevant to the sector. An emphasis on recruiting foreign-trained workers and underemployed groups, such as women and visible minorities, would also help alleviate the crunch, it recommended.

The ESC is also working on a number of initiatives to ensure that the sector has enough employees to meet the retirement crunch. For example, it's partnering with associations, labor organizations and educators in the energy sector and has provincial working groups in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia working directly with the energy ministries in each of those provinces. The ESC’s Electricity First work program also provides wage subsidies to small and medium-size companies that offer employment to recent engineering and technical graduates. It's further working to create a national HR strategy and is developing sector-specific online tools, such as templates and tracking forms, to help organizations prepare for the radical demographic shift in the electricity workforce.

The Electricity Sector Council is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada with support from participating sector communities of business, labor organizations, educators and stakeholder associations. The Council provides human resource and workplace development support to workers employed by the electricity, renewable energy industries and related cogeneration, energy efficiency, and manufacturing and service/consulting industries. Through its research and work with industry employers, the Council is resolving issues such as recruiting and retraining workers, facilitating school-to-work transitions and developing sector and career awareness strategies.

Canada announces new funding to help under-represented labor groups facing barriers to employment

Canadian federal government has announced new funding for an innovative employment program aimed at helping under-represented people prepare for jobs in high-demand occupations in the Surrey, a fast-growing urban area in the British Columbia with a diverse population and increasing labor requirements.

This program will be delivered through the Surrey Community Services Society (SCSS), which is a not-for-profit, accredited organization offering case-management services for the past nine years, and has been delivering a variety of other successful employment programs since 1985.

SCSS will be provided $3.4 million in funding under the Government of Canada’s Employment Assistance Services (EAS) program to launch and run Whalley Employment Resource Centre project between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010. During this period, the project will help almost 10,000 unemployed persons in under-represented labor groups, such as Aboriginal people, people with disabilities, youth and immigrant communities, and other people facing barriers to employment, to acquire the skills, knowledge and experience they need to obtain and maintain fulltime employment in specific high-demand occupations in retail, wholesale, trade and construction, information technology, recreation, professional and technical businesses.

"Canada is built on a promise of opportunity; the chance to work hard, raise a family and make a better life regardless of cultural background, gender, age, disability or official language," said Ms. Dona Cadman, MP for Surrey North. "In supporting this project, the Government of Canada is helping these participants share in that promise by removing barriers to finding employment."

Government of Canada’s EAS program provides funding to organizations that offer employment services to help clients re-enter the labor market. Funding for the EAS program was provided for in the March 2007 federal budget. All unemployed Canadians have access to a range of services under the EAS program. However, some EAS offerings are available only to clients who are eligible to receive Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, or who have recently been receiving EI benefits.

Employment Assistance Services include providing clients with information about the labor market, helping to prepare résumés, career-planning services, employment counselling, diagnostic assessment, help with job-search skills, job-finding clubs, and job-placement services.

Eligible recipients of EAS funding are businesses (including federal Crown corporations and provincial/territorial Crown corporations), organizations, individuals, public health and educational institutions, municipal governments, and band/tribal councils, as well as some provincial/territorial government departments and agencies. These entities act as employers or service coordinators under the program.

This project has been reviewed to ensure compliance with Service Canada’s administration of its grants and contributions programs, and is subject to review under the Financial Administration Act.

Filipinos mark the highest rank in permanent residents and temporary workers combined in 2007

For the first time, the Philippines has become Canada's largest source in providing the highest number of permanent residents and temporary workers combined in 2007.

A recent analysis of Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) quarterly statistics on new permanent residents and foreign workers by the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) showed that the Philippines has surpassed China and India by sending 19,064 immigrants and 15,254 temporary workers (total 34,318) to Canada in 2007.

The change in the Philippines’s ranking is mainly due to a significant rise in number of Filipino temporary workers in Canada between 2006 and 2007 that soared from 8,466 to 15,254. This over 90 per cent upsurge was the highest single year increase in the number of Filipino temporary workers in Canada since 1998. In 2007, the Philippines was positioned second within the top source countries for temporary foreign workers after the United States.

On the other hand, a 10 per cent decline in the permanent residents to Canada between 2005 and 2007 was reflected in the drop of number of immigrants entering Canada from major source countries. For example, immigration from China, still the top source, decreased by one-third between 2005 and 2007, dropping to a 10-year low, while immigration from India, the second-largest group, also dropped by 20 per cent in the same period. Amongst other significant declines in source countries were Pakistan which declined by over 20 per cent over the previous year. On the contrary, immigration from the Philippines, the third-largest group, gone up nearly 9 per cent over the same two year period and have more than doubled in the past decade. The Philippines has also been among the top five source countries for permanent residents for over 25 years.

Filipino immigrants have also showed the strongest labor market performance in a study of all immigrants who had landed in Canada between 2001 and 2006, compared with immigrants, aged 25 to 54 and born elsewhere in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Oceania and Asia. The study used the results from the Labor Force Survey (LFS) that was made possible through a partnership with Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), CIC and Statistics Canada. It showed that in 2006, many very recent immigrants in the core working-age group (aged 25 to 54) had experienced some difficulties in the labor market, compared with the Canadian born. Only those born in Southeast Asia, particularly those from the Philippines, had unemployment rates, employment rates and participation rates more or less at par with the Canadian-born population of core working age. In fact, very recent Filipino-born immigrants had an unemployment rate of 5.4 per cent, which was only slightly higher than 4.9 per cent for the Canadian born.

At present, nearly half a million Filipinos living in Canada while most Filipino temporary workers are teachers, nurses and caregivers in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, of them two-thirds are women.

"Despite their numeric significance, Filipinos have a low profile in Canada. They are primarily focused on sending their salaries to their families back home," said Flordeliz Dandal, executive director of the Kababayan Community Centre in Toronto, a newcomer-settlement group. "They don't care about politics, and they don't yet have time to engage in Canadian political life unless they have been here a long time."

The Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan are especially interested in recruiting temporary foreign workers from the Philippines and have forged agreements with the Philippines government for this purpose.

Alberta has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Philippines government in October 2008 to help fill labor shortages in its oil and gas industry as well as construction sector for its infrastructure projects with 10,000 highly skilled Filipino workers and professionals. British Columbia has also signed a two-year memorandum of understanding with the Philippine government in January 2008 to help fill provincial labor shortages in the tourism, hospitality, retail, and construction sectors with skilled Filipino workers. British Columbia employers have also participated in the Province’s first ever job fair in the Philippines in October 2008, provided Filipinos with the opportunity to explore employment opportunities in British Columbia’s hospitality/tourism and transportation sectors. In 2008, Western Canada has recruited between 30,000 and 40,000 skilled Filipino workers.

Canada increases initial period of stay for NAFTA professional workers from US and Mexico

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced to increase the maximum validity of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) work permits for American and Mexican professionals seeking to work in Canada.

This change in key immigration rule will extend the initial period of admission for NAFTA professionals from one to three years before seeking readmission or obtaining an extension of stay. Eligible professionals may now be allowed to receive extensions of stay in increments of up to three years instead of the prior maximum period of stay of one year.

The Canadian NAFTA work permit is a visa category available to eligible Americans and Mexicans with at least a bachelor’s degree or appropriate professional credentials who work in certain qualified fields pursuant to the NAFTA, and have a pre-arranged employment in Canada in some relevant field or profession. However, a pre-arranged employment for this purpose does not require a Labor Market Opinion (LMO) from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC). This visa classification also does not allow for self-employment in Canada, even for those who otherwise meet the requirements of an eligible occupation.

In addition to the requirements stated in the provisions of NAFTA agreement, strict definitions of eligible occupations are also applied by immigration officials considering these work permits. Qualified professions for this visa classification identified within NAFTA include, but are not limited to, accountants, architects, systems analysts, engineers, attorneys, scientists, teachers, and many medical/allied professions such as dentists, dietitians, nutritionists, pharmacists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, medical lab technologists and others.

Canada grants about 5,150 NAFTA work permits every year to the citizens of USA and Mexico. Permanent residents of these countries are not eligible to apply for Canadian NAFTA work permits.

Although the Canadian NAFTA work permits are not intended to assist in immigration to Canada, but as a matter of fact, a holder of a work permit issued under NAFTA may be able to obtain up to 15 points for Arranged Employment as an Independent Skilled Worker. The holders of such work permits may also benefit from Canadian Experience Class.

With the exception of the Investor and Trader categories of NAFTA provisions, cases of the professionals are processed exclusively at Canadian ports of entry, although some locales do allow for pre-approval of such cases (1-3 days delay).

This change in NAFTA work permit rule will not only ease administrative burdens and costs on North American workers but also expected to add extra practical flexibility for those U.S. and Mexican nationals who are seeking Canadian permanent residency. It will also benefit Canadian employers by increasing the amount of time NAFTA non-immigrants will be able to work for them before having to seek an extension of status. Spouses and unmarried minor children of NAFTA non-immigrants in their corresponding non-immigrant classifications will also benefit from the new regulation. This proposed rule would also increase such dependents’ maximum period of stay from one year to three years but they may not work.

"This extension, along with our Action Plan for Faster Immigration, will greatly benefit the Canadian economy by helping ensure greater continuity and stability for both employers and workers," said Minister Kenney. "In a time of economic uncertainty, highly skilled migrants encourage innovation and economic growth, making us more competitive economically."

The Canadian rule change follows a similar one made in October by U.S. authorities that allow Canadian engineers, computer scientists and other professionals to obtain three year work permits (TN) in America. Mexico is considering such a change.

Canada, the U.S. and Mexico agreed on labor mobility standards for 63 different professional occupations when NAFTA was negotiated in 1993, allowing professionals from those occupations to work in another NAFTA country without having to re-qualify under local certification standards. In all cases, a professional must have a firm job offer before going to work in the other country.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said on several occasions that he believes a shortage of skilled labor is the biggest single long-term challenge for Canadian policy-makers. After a survey of its member companies earlier this year, Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, a trade organization, also says finding enough skilled labor should be one of Canada's top priorities.

Canada proposes improved opportunities for workers despite the current economic slowdown

To address the impact of global economic crisis on Canadians, the present Conservative government has presented a plan to stimulate the Canadian economy and to help workers and businesses in hard-pressed sectors such as manufacturing, the automotive industry and forestry.

Whereas the Economic and Fiscal Statement 2008 is basically a set of actions that government will undertake to strengthen Canada’s economic and financial fundamentals over the coming quarters, but this statement also announces a number of steps to improve the opportunities for workers and to encourage the full participation of immigrants and Aboriginals in the economy.

For example, it has been proposed that government will encourage the provincial premiers and territorial leaders to achieve their goal of amending the Agreement on Internal Trade by January 1, 2009 so as to achieve "full mobility for all Canadians" by April 1, 2009. Similarly, increasing labor market participation, especially of under-represented groups such as immigrants, continues to be a government priority. In particular, the government will seek opportunities to reach out to a growing Aboriginal population to match the demands created by resource development and the overall tightening of the national labor market over the next decade.

The government will also continue to explore ways to ensure the immigration program is aligned with labor market needs. These efforts will be in addition to Action Plan for Faster Immigration, which has been delivered recently and help improve the processing of immigration applications under the federal skilled worker category.

Efforts will also be made to improve the recognition of credentials that foreign workers bring with them, and for this purpose, it has been proposed that a comprehensive and consistent approach will be adopted across the country, starting with regulated professions where shortages are the most acute. Furthermore, efforts will also be done to attract top international students to Canada and to increase the uptake of immigrant settlement programs.

To improve the opportunities for workers, government is currently investing in education and training by providing long-term support for post-secondary education, introducing the new Canada Student Grant and modernizing the Canada Student Loans Program.

The government is also implementing a comprehensive labor market training architecture announced in Budget 2007, including the $3 billion over six years provided to provinces and territories for new Labor Market Agreements to address the gap in programming for those who currently do not qualify for training under the Employment Insurance (EI) Program.

Overall, the government has committed that it will continue to work in cooperation with the provinces and territories and Aboriginal leaders to reduce barriers to labour mobility, enhance skills development, and encourage the full participation of immigrants and Aboriginals in the economy despite the current economic slowdown.

Agreement between Canadian provinces and territories extends full labor mobility across Canada by April 2009

The Committee on Internal Trade (CIT), comprising Canada’s provincial/territorial labor and trade ministers, has finally 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.

Negotiated between the provincial premiers and territorial leaders during their two-day annual "Council of the Federation" meeting in Quebec City this July, the new full labor mobility pact aimed to amend a 12-year-old Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) that was supposed to remove economic trade and labor mobility barriers between the provinces and territories.

"Freeing up the enormous talent and enterprise of British Columbians and all Canadians by maximizing labor mobility is critical to building our economic strength, particularly during challenging economic times," B.C. Premier Campbell said. "This is an important step forward, and we need to continue to work on removing similar barriers to trade and investment, so we have full trade and labor mobility across the country."

Because of different accreditation and licensing requirements across provinces and territories, it has been estimated an about 25 per cent of jobs (in healthcare and engineering sectors, for example) have serious mobility constraints in Canada. These province- or territory-specific accreditation and licensing processes are not only making inter-provincial labor mobility challenging but also barricading a most stimulating labor market developing.

Dozens of classifications of workers currently need to re-qualify when they cross provincial boundaries for work. British Columbia has more than 250 occupations that are regulated, from chartered accountants to lifeguards, midwives and welders.

At their next meeting in August 2009, the premiers and territorial leaders will sit again and work out to harmonize the different provincial requirements for job credentials.

However, a similar agreement is already exists between the governments of British Columbia and Alberta known as British Columbia – Alberta Trade, Investment, and Labor Mobility Agreement (TILMA), which essentially recognized education credentials in each province, allowing workers to move freely across the B.C.-Alberta boundary and work in either province.

The new full labor mobility pact has critics, who argue that such deals can restrict governments' ability to protect health and the environment. It is also unclear how the deal will apply in areas where there are significant differences in local practices, such as forestry.

Some professional organizations question how such a deal will work, as well.

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA), in a report last month, said it supports labour mobility generally, but raised several questions about what the deal will mean in practice. Some of its concerns highlight how many details remain to be worked out before the April 1, 2009 change. The CMA paper asks, for example, how provinces will deal with doctors working on restricted licences and whether it will undermine existing certification standards.

Saskatchewan communities receive $2.59 million in funding for immigrant settlement and integration services

To help newcomers settle, adapt and integrate into the province, the government of Saskatchewan, in partnership with community-based organizations and other agencies, has been delivering programs and services to migrants, and providing stakeholders necessary funding to support these initiatives.

Recently, the province has provided approximately $2.59 million in funding to support immigrant service providers across the province. Funding will support English language training and settlement services provided by organizations in Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, the Battlefords, Lloydminster, Tisdale, Hudson Bay, Humboldt, Yorkton, Estevan, Weyburn, Gravelbourg, Swift Current and other surrounding communities. Funding will also support English language training provided by the Carlton Trail, Cumberland, Great Plains, Parkland, North West and Southeast Regional Colleges. Saskatchewan Association of Immigrant Settlement and Integration Agencies (SAISIA) and the provincial council of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress will also receive funding.

"As immigration to Saskatchewan increases, providing effective English training and integration services to immigrants will become increasingly vital to the strength of our communities and the prosperity of our province overall," Advanced Education, Employment and Labor Minister Rob Norris said. "This funding will help to ensure that newcomers to Saskatchewan have greater access to the supports they need, allowing them to participate more fully in the community and build their lives here."

Approximately 25 per cent (or $664,300) in funding will go to immigrant serving organizations in Regina: For English language training and labor market integration services, Regina Open Door Society, Beth Jacob Synagogue, Regina Immigrant Women Centre and the Regina Public School Division will receive approximately $318,600 for the 2008-09 fiscal year; Under the Saskatchewan Nominee Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Enhanced Assessment and Referrals Program (EARP), the Regina Open Door Society will also receive approximately $121,950; Under the Community Capacity Building Fund, the Beth Jacob Synagogue, Regina Immigrant Women Centre, L'Assembleé communautaire fransaskoise and the Regina Branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress will receive approximately $140,430 for 2008-09 to deliver settlement services; while remaining $83,320 will cover support for smaller projects, core funding to Regina Open Door Society, grants to Regina Immigrant Women Centre and Uganda Canadian Association of Saskatchewan, and the seven per cent lift to community-based organizations announced by the government in September 2008.

Approximately 35 per cent (or 894,500) in funding will go to immigrant serving organizations in Saskatoon: For English language training and labor market integration services, Saskatoon Open Door Society, Global Gathering Place, International Women of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Intercultural Association and the Saskatoon Branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress will receive approximately $378,000 for the 2008-09 fiscal year; Under the Saskatchewan Nominee Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Enhanced Assessment and Referrals Program (EARP), the Saskatoon Open Door Society will also receive approximately $114,460; Under the Community Capacity Building Fund, the City of Saskatoon, Global Gathering Place, International Women of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Intercultural Association, Global International Community Help Association, the Filipino Canadian Association of Saskatoon, the German Canadian Concordia Club and the Saskatoon Branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress will receive approximately $325,290 for 2008-09 to deliver settlement services; while remaining $76,750 will cover support for smaller projects, core funding to Saskatoon Open Door Society, and the seven per cent lift to community-based organizations announced by the government in September 2008.

Approximately 40 per cent (or $1.03 million) will be provided to organizations in other communities across the province.

The province is also providing $37,216 in new funding to the Yorkton Branch of Saskatchewan Abilities Council for a new "Partners in Settlement and Integration (PSI)" project. The PSI project will refer new immigrants to appropriate community services and agencies within the East Central region, and will facilitate matches with local community volunteers to assist with broader community integration. Since 2006, approximately 130 newcomers have settled in East Central Saskatchewan.

During 2008-09 fiscal year, the provincial government of Saskatchewan has set an aggressive immigration target of 2,800 nominations for the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), which actually represents more than 8,000 newcomers including nominees, their spouses and families.

Canada plans to admit more than a quarter of a million new permanent residents in 2009

In tabling the 2008 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, the federal government has committed to admitting between 240,000 and 265,000 permanent residents in 2009, which are on par with last year and are among the highest for Canada over the past 15 years.

The 2009 plan includes up to 156,600 immigrants in the Economic Class; 71,000 in the Family Class; and 37,400 in the Refugees and other categories.

Under the Economic Class, Canada intends to take in 72,000 Federal Skilled Workers, 29,100 Quebec-selected Skilled Workers, 12,000 Federal/Quebec Business Immigrants, 10,000 Live-in Caregivers, 26,000 Provincial/Territorial Nominees, and 7,500 temporary workers and foreign students with Canadian degrees and Canadian work experience through the recently introduced Canadian Experience Class.

Under the Family Class, government intends to take in up to 52,000 spouses, partners and dependent children, and 19,000 parents and grandparents.

Under the Refugees Class and other categories, Canada intends to take in 7,500 Government-assisted Refugees, 4,500 Privately Sponsored Refugees, 9,000 Protected Persons in Canada, 6,200 Dependents Abroad, 200 Permit Holders, and 10,000 individuals and families based on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations, or for public policy reasons.

The 2009 levels plan sets the upper range of admissions under the Economic Class (1.6 per cent) higher than in 2008 in order to reflect growth in several economic streams, such as Federal Skilled Workers, Quebec-selected Skilled Workers and Provincial/Territorial Nominees. However, the distribution of admissions across categories in the Economic Class has changed to reflect the changing mix of economic immigration. For example, the 2009 levels plan committs nearly 3 per cent increase in Federal Skilled Worker category and 18 per cent in Provincial/Territorial Nominees in comparison of 37 per cent decrease in Canadian Experience Class and 7.5 per cent in Federal/Quebec Business Immigrants.

The 2009 levels plan, combined with $109 million funding from Budget 2008-09, will help the Department boost overall capacity to process more applications, enabling it to meet annual target levels, reduce the current backlog, and manage the inventory today and into the future. As a result, it will help reduce wait times, better respond to evolving labour market needs and support the Government of Canada’s immigration objectives.

In addition to providing a summary of Canada’s immigration levels plan for 2009, this report presents an overview of the current context of Canada’s immigration program, a review of some of the key challenges facing the Department and the initiatives it has developed in response. It further focuses on CIC’s partnerships with the provinces and territories; summarizes activities and initiatives regarding the selection of permanent and temporary residents; provides key statistics relating to permanent and temporary residents admitted in 2007; outlines Canada’s commitment to its humanitarian traditions and to the protection of refugees and others in need of protection and resettlement, including a statistical overview of the refugees and protected persons admitted in 2007; addresses settlement and resettlement programs and special initiatives to facilitate the economic and social integration of newcomers; and discusses activities related to Canadian citizenship.

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.