Canada Immigration Newsletter
Monthly newsletter from www.canadavisa.com

• November 2007
  1. New Category of Canada Immigration - Canadian Experience Class 2. Citizenship and Immigration Canada\'s Annual Report for 2007 3. Provincial Nominee Programs - New Brunswick 4. Foreign Credential Recognition Services Now More Readily Available 5. Occupations Under Pressure Lists Fast-Track Temporary Foreign Worker Hires 1. New Category of Canada Immigration - Canadian Experience Class In 2008, a new stream of Canadian immigration will be available to certain temporary foreign workers and international students with Canadian degrees and Canadian work experience. First announced in the 2007 budget, the Canadian Experience Class will help address the country\'s labour force needs by better focusing on these candidates for Canadian Permanent Residency. Citizenship and Immigration Canada\'s goal for 2008 is to admit between 10,000 and 12,000 under the new Canadian Experience category of immigration. Canada\'s current international student talent pool has the potential to add up to 30,000 skilled immigrants every year. The thousands of Temporary Foreign Workers currently in Canada are also first-rate immigration candidates, having already settled into Canadian society and the Canadian labour force. Under this new category of immigration, individuals in these two groups can apply for Permanent Residency from within Canada. Details are expected early in the new year. In 2008, the Canadian Experience Class will add to other initiatives aimed at easing Canada\'s labour force shortages. The Provincial Nominee Programs, in which Canadian immigration applicants are nominated for priority processing by the province in which they plan to live, have been expanded for next year. Additionally, Foreign Credential Referral Office (FCRO) services have been increased and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program has been enhanced. 2. Citizenship and Immigration Canada\'s Annual Report for 2007 Tabled earlier this month, the 2007 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration tells the story of Canadian immigration in 2006, provides a mid-year update about Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) activity in 2007, and describes plans and targets for 2008. 2006 was a busy year, with 251,649 new Permanent Residents and 1.2 million Temporary Residents being welcomed to Canada. Of the new Permanent Residents, more than half were admitted under the Economic Class as skilled workers, professionals, and business people, providing some relief to Canada\'s current labour shortage. Nearly a third of newcomers were sponsored by family members in Canada, and most of the remainder was admitted under Canada\'s refugee system. The top source countries for Canadian immigrants in 2006 were China and India, followed by Philippines, Pakistan, and the United States. Several improvements were made to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, under which 112,658 Work Permits were issued throughout 2006. The big story so far for 2007 is the federal-provincial/territorial collaboration on immigration. First-ever immigration agreements were signed by the federal government with Alberta in May and with Nova Scotia in September. Both cooperation agreements were designed to increase settlement supports for newcomers, increase the number of immigrants that can be nominated through Provincial Nominee Programs, and to facilitate the entry of Temporary Foreign Workers. At the end of 2006, CIC renewed its provincial collaboration agreement with Newfoundland and Labrador and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ontario and Toronto to help improve immigrant outcomes. The Canadian government also confirmed $1.3 billion over five years in settlement funding to help immigrants succeed. As of this June, immigration numbers were on track for 2007. For next year, CIC is gearing up to welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 newcomers. Canada\'s 2008 immigration plans balance the country\'s labour market needs with family reunification and the humanitarian principles of refugee protection. In response to growing demand, the national target for Provincial Nomination in 2008 is between 20,000 and 22,000. This is up considerably from 2006 targets, which were 9,000 to 11,000. 3. Provincial Nominee Programs - New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) are now a key element to Canadian immigration - and with good reason. Upon arrival, most nominees already have a Canadian job. They are therefore poised to make a speedy entry into the Canadian workforce and thus are likely to transition into Canadian society smoothly. In addition, PNP\'s allow provinces to hand select the immigrants that can fill regional skill shortages, allowing them to exert more control over provincial economic growth. Provincial Nomination for Canadian Permanent Residency has seen tremendous growth over the past few years with 13,300 newcomers arriving in Canada under these programs in 2006 - up threefold from 2003. By allowing provincial governments some control over selecting their new immigrants, the integration process is smoother for both newcomers and provincial business and society. First introduced in the province of Manitoba in 1998, the program is a fast-track option for Canadian Permanent Residency, following a two-step process. Applicants must first pass provincial background and qualification screening before the province will nominate them for Permanent Residency to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The second step involves federal medical and security clearances through CIC. Each provincial program has its own qualifying criteria and its own process; most revolve around a permanent job offer or plans to invest in the province. Manitoba is the clear leader among Provincial Nomination Programs, admitting 6,661 nominees in 2006 - nearly half of the national total. The Philippines was the top source country for Provincial Nominees last year with 887, followed by China, Korea, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program is featured this month with a fairly straightforward qualifying process. To be considered for Provincial Nomination by New Brunswick, applicants must either have a guaranteed job offer from a New Brunswick employer or an approved plan to operate a business in the province. Applicants can qualify as either Job Offer Applicants or Business Plan Applicants. Job Offer Applicants - As the name implies, applicants must have a guaranteed job offer from a New Brunswick employer. Additionally, they must satisfy minimum requirements for age, language, education, work experience, and adaptability and must have the intention to live and work in the province. Business Plan Applicants - In addition to meeting requirements for age, language, education, work experience, and adaptability, Business Plan Applicants must submit a preliminary Business Immigration Evaluation form. Upon an exploratory visit to New Brunswick, applicants, must research the business environment and consult with economic development agencies before meeting with a New Brunswick Program Officer. Following a positive interview, applicants will submit a Business Plan outlining the details of their new business in New Brunswick. 4. Foreign Credential Recognition Services Now More Readily Available Canadian provinces are stepping up their efforts to integrate newcomers into the workforce. Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario have announced increased funding for provincial foreign credential recognition services, to facilitate the placement of internationally-trained skilled workers and professionals in labour-tight industries. Given current Canadian immigration requirements for education and work experience, recent groups of newcomers are more skilled than previous generations. As they arrive in Canada in search of employment, government policy for regulated occupations requires that many of these newcomers first have their education and work credentials assessed. Work force shortages around the country have provincial governments scrambling to help newcomers become accredited quickly so that their skills can contribute to economic growth. Within the past month, British Columbia (BC) has announced $500,000 for foreign credential recognition; Ontario has implemented in-person services across the province; and Alberta announced $740,000 to support the Immigrant Access Fund (IAF) program. Alberta\'s Immigrant Access Fund helps newcomers to become certified to work in Canada in their desired occupation by issuing small loans to cover accreditation expenses. Loans of up to $5,000, repayable within four years, help foreign-trained workers to cover tuition and e