Canadian Immigration News

Punjabi is set to become the fourth most widely-spoken language in Canada by 2011, after English, French and Chinese, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney said on Friday.

The Saskatchewan Minister of Advanced Education, Employment, and Labour, Rob Norris, recently announced that $2.59 million has been allocated to support immigrant service providers across the province.

The Quebec provincial government has announced $68 million over the next three years to help newcomers find work in their fields more quickly. $22 million has been allocated for the next 12 months.

Over the past ten years, Manitoba's Provincial Nomination Program (PNP) has been the most successful of all Canadian provinces' and territories', making Manitoba the leading destination in Canada for immigrants on a per capita basis.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest recently met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy to discuss a proposal for a Canada-European Union free trade agreement. Put forward by Charest at the World Economic Forum meeting last January, Charest hopes that such an agreement would strengthen ties between France and the province of Quebec.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada Minister Diane Finley recently announced measures to help people from Iraq and surrounding countries who have close family members in Canada.

Prince Edward Island (PEI) is the latest in a string of provinces to benefit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada funding to go towards online tools. Over four years, PEI will receive $808,000 to promote the province as an immigration destination through the development of online services, content, and tools for prospective immigrants as well as those who have already arrived.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest hopes to establish a new system to help foreign students stay in Quebec to pursue their careers upon graduation. Charest says that more international students would help Quebec meet its demographic challenge caused by a low provincial birthrate.

The Government of Canada plans to give the provinces more independence and autonomy on the world economic stage. It suggested this week that Ottawa is prepared to shift some traditionally federal economic power to the provincial governments; citing Quebec’s proposed labour mobility deal with France as an example.

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney recently announced that Canada is considering a cut in the number of immigrants to be welcomed to Canada in 2009, citing economic uncertainty and rising unemployment numbers in the country.