Current Canadian Immigration News Stories

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is in Guadalajara, Mexico, meeting with President of the United States Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon in the annual North American Leaders Summit. A major issue the leaders are discussing this year is Canada’s recent decision to impose Temporary Resident Visas on Mexican nationals.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) named three members to the Indo-Canadian Advisory Committee for the Community Historical Recognition Program (CHRP) on Saturday.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced that the Northwest Territories will now have its own provincial nominee program (PNP) as part of an immigration agreement with the Canadian government. The three-year pilot program, which will allow the Northwest Territories to nominate individuals to immigrate to and settle in the territories, came into effect today.

Last week, the government of British Columbia (BC) announced a new, $7.2-million pilot program that offers young refugee children in BC and their families safe and comfortable places where the needs of the children can be assessed, and where their parents and caregivers can share experiences and learn about early childhood development and learning.

The Canadian government introduced a new program that will facilitate travel through Canadian airports yesterday. Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan and International Trade and the Pacific Gateway Minister Stockwell Day announced the Transit Without Visa program, which will allow certain international travelers en route to the United States to pass through Canadian airports without a Canadian transit visa.

A primary concern for most newcomers to Canada is finding employment in their new cities and towns after their arrival. Across Canada, both government and privately-funded organizations recognize the importance of employer-based initiatives in helping new immigrants integrate into the Canadian workforce.

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney said that the Conservative government is open to creating a refugee appeal board, and that he wants to work with the opposition parties to develop a new model that will alleviate the backlog in the processing of refugee claims.

The provinces of Alberta and Ontario have each recently announced pilot projects that will allow working-age dependent children of temporary foreign workers in those provinces to obtain Open Work Permits.

A detailed report on Canada’s immigration policies, and their impact on the Canadian economic and social landscape, was released on Wednesday by the Maytree Foundation, a Canadian policy research organization.

Small communities across Canada are striving to attract more newcomers, and are working to provide settlement facilities to encourage immigrants to choose smaller communities as opposed to larger metropolitan areas.