Current Canadian Immigration News Stories

Sponsored to come to Canada as a nanny, Elenor Diaz immigrated to Canada from the Philippines in 2006 and became a Canadian permanent resident in 2009. She has been working three jobs to save enough money to bring her family to Canada for Christmas and to begin a sponsorship application to permanently settle her family in Canada.

Due to higher numbers of immigrants settling in the province of Alberta, the government of Canada has decided to increase funding for settlement agencies in the province. It is expected that Alberta will receive over $64 million in order to assist immigrants settle into their new Canadian communities.

According to Statistics Canada, the population of Canada has grown by more than 129,300 people from July 2010 to October 2010. More than 65% of those people were new immigrants to the country. Within those 3 months, 84,200 new immigrants arrived in Canada. This growth in immigration can be attributed to the strengthening Canadian economy. As new jobs are being added to the market, Canada is looking for skilled workers to immigrate to the country. The Government of Canada is expecting to issue approximately 265,000 Canadian visas by the end of this year.

 

As Canada’s economy continues to strengthen, more jobs are being added every day. While the service industry continues to dominate the Canadian economy, there are other sectors that will be adding even more jobs in the coming year.

 

Recent statistics reveal that the number of applicants applying for a Canadian student visas from India has quadrupled in the last 3 years. It is estimated that over 20,000 student visas will be issued to Indian students in 2011.

The Government of Canada has recently introduced new legislation in order to protect immigrants against fraudulent immigration consultants, sometimes known as “ghost” consultants. This legislation aims to ensure that only authorized lawyers, notaries, and consultants who are in good standing with a Canadian provincial or territorial law society may charge fees for immigration applications. If a consultant who is not authorized attempts to provide immigration advice or represent a client for a fee, this “ghost” consultant can face criminal charges.

Many French-speaking immigrants choose to settle in the province of Quebec as French is widely spoken throughout the province. French-speaking immigrants who choose to settle in other provinces often have difficulties integrating into a mainly English workforce.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, Canada now has around 350,000 regulated nurses across the country. Since 2005, approximately 30,000 nurses joined the Canadian work force. About 75% of those nurses are registered nurses, followed closely by licensed practical nurses, who have experienced the highest growth rate in the nursing workforce.

Over 1,000 new immigrants from China are expected to arrive in Calgary in the coming year. Today, there are approximately 75,000 people of Chinese origin settled in Calgary. This influx of Chinese immigrants is strengthening political, cultural, and commercial relations between China and Canada and in particular, Alberta.

According to a survey of international schools conducted by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, Canada was found to have some of the highest performing students in the world. Students from countries such as China, Australia, Finland, Japan, Canada and more were tested on mathematical and reading skills and their knowledge of the sciences.