“Thousands of highly-skilled foreign nationals are working successfully in Canada on a temporary basis,” said Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “Expediting their transition to permanent residence would help Canada retain bright and talented people who already have Canadian work experience and the ability to communicate in English or French. In many cases, they already have a job lined up. Such newcomers are set for success”.

In an effort to better pinpoint those applicants who are “set for success”, CIC will be reducing the number of months of full-time work required for a temporary foreign worker to transition to permanent status. Currently, in order to be eligible under the temporary worker stream of the Canadian Experience Class immigration program, workers must possess 24 months of work in the past 36 months. This number is expected to be lowered to 12.

The Canadian Experience Class is one of the many immigration programs developed as a way for individuals to gain permanent residency status in Canada. Further details regarding how the new changes to this program will be introduced are forthcoming, and will be announced later in 2012.