Current Canadian Immigration News Stories

As of today, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) has removed certain occupations from its list of qualifying occupations for the popular U.S. Visa Holder category.  Eight Information Technology (IT) occupations are no longer listed as "occupations under pressure" in Alberta.  Applicants with work experience in these occupations are no longer qualified for the program.

A recent study by Manpower Inc, which assessed people's willingness to move for work, found that Canada is a top destination of choice for workers around the world.  Canada ranks in fourth place, behind the United States, the United Kingdom, and Spain. 

In 2002, the Government of Canada officially designated the month of May as Asian Heritage Month.  Since then, celebrations and festivals highlighting Asian arts and culture have been held across Canada throughout the month of May.

A Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee report on illegal and temporary foreign workers has recently been tabled in the House of Commons, offering dozens of recommendations to improve Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program. 

A recent Statistics Canada report reveals growth in Canada's employment numbers in April, surprising economic expectations.  Though economists had predicted a drop of 50,000 jobs throughout the month, overall employment instead grew by 35,900.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has launched an awareness campaign to inform immigrants about how to protect themselves from dishonest and unethical immigration consultants and representatives.

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney is currently finalizing a new policy to help Afghans who have become endangered through their associations with the Canadian military and Canadian diplomats.  Afghans who have been seriously injured as a result of working with the Canadian military and those who face threats from insurgents because of they have assisted foreigners, will be eligible for fast-track Canadian immigration.

According to Mediacorp's 2009 list of "Canada's Best Employers for New Canadians," a growing number of Canadian companies are more interested in the skills and abilities of newcomers than in where they received their education and work experience.  Many featured Canadian employers now have programs in place to recognize foreign credentials and help employees obtain the Canadian certification they need, where applicable.

With new citizenship regulations recently put into effect, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney has been vocal about improving the immigrant integration and citizenship processes so that newcomers can better integrate into the Canadian mosaic.

Thanks to new funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto will be able to provide better access and improved services to newcomer families in the region.