The province of Saskatchewan, which has been enjoying an increase in immigrants over the last few years, has created a portal for newcomers to help them find the settlement services they need. The web portal was launched this week.

On Friday, Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced a special visa application program for business visitors from Mexico. Called the Business Express Program, this initiative will allow Mexican nationals employed by a pre-approved list of businesses to receive priority processing of their Canadian visa applications. Visas for qualified individuals are expected to be processed within 24 hours.

The Canadian government announced today that it is renewing its immigration agreement with the province of British Columbia. The new agreement is intended to formalize and build on the existing cooperation between the federal and provincial governments regarding immigration and settlement issues.

The Province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) is set to introduce new Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) categories in the near future.

Canadian citizens who apply for passports will receive enhanced passports containing an electronic chip in the near future. The chip is being introduced to increase security by reducing the risk of fraud and tampering.

The Canadian economy is faring better than expected, as Canada’s Gross Domestic Product grew at an annual rate of more than 6 per cent in January.

Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced proposed changes to Canada’s refugee system that he says will provide more protection to those who need it and will deter those who do not need Canada’s protection from taking advantage of the system.

A new immigration portal for newcomers to Canada was launched today by communities in Northwestern Ontario. The portal provides information on settling and working in Northwestern Ontario cities and towns, such as Thunder Bay and Kenora.

Hire Immigrants Ottawa, a group that helps employers integrate skilled immigrants into the labour market, has been presented with an award for its work by Carleton University, a respected Canadian educational institution.

On Tuesday, Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced that the Canadian government has begun the process of reviewing current Canadian immigration procedures, with a view to further streamlining application processing under the Federal Skilled Worker category.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced today that the Canadian government will reduce application processing delays by streamlining language proficiency assessment for Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class applications.

Statistics Canada (StatsCan) released a report today that projects that by 2031, almost a third of the country’s population will be foreign-born.

Earlier today, a conference was held in the Waterloo, Ontario region in order to help Internationally-Educated Professionals (IEPs) enhance their skills and learn how to build a professional network in Canada.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced today the expansion of their online resource for newcomers that will enable them to locate government services easily.

New Brunswick Health Minister Mary Schryer announced today that immigrants will no longer have to wait three months after moving to the province to become eligible for provincial healthcare coverage.

Yesterday, the city of Kingston in Ontario announced the introduction of a new web portal aimed at attracting new immigrants to the city.

The Conference Board of Canada is predicting that Saskatchewan will experience a 2.5 per cent growth in GDP in 2010. In addition, the province expects to welcome more immigrants this year thanks to its popular Provincial Nominee Program.

The government of Ontario is introducing a new pilot project that will help more than 1800 immigrants get local training in their professional fields.

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney announced today that the Canadian government is expanding the Canadian Immigration Integration Project (CIIP) by providing more funding for existing services and setting up another office in London, United Kingdom by the fall of 2011.

Last summer, we reported on a new, fast-track immigration program for the province of Quebec that would allow some individuals who had lived or studied in Quebec to immigrate to the province. As of Sunday, February 14 2010, the new Quebec Experience Class program is finally in effect and those who qualify can now submit their applications.

Internationally renowned business magazine Forbes praised the Canadian banking system and economy this week, listing the top ten reasons Canadians should be encouraged about the economic future.

The Canadian government announced today that it is supporting a project to help newcomers integrate into the Canadian workforce through an initiative with Canada's environmental sector.

This week, the province of New Brunswick made modifications to its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) to allow it to attract a greater number of immigrants.  Family members of current residents of New Brunswick are now eligible to apply under this PNP if they possess work skills that are in demand in New Brunswick.

A new reciprocal agreement between the province of Ontario and Australia makes exchanging a driver's license much easier for Australians in Ontario.

Earlier today, Quebec's immigration minister, Yolande James, announced that the province will be implementing special humanitarian immigration measures in response to the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. These measures come in addition to the measures already implemented by the federal government.