Canadian Immigration News

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced that the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) for Canadian immigration is scheduled to reopen on January 2, 2015. The PGP allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to bring their foreign parents and grandparents to Canada as Canadian permanent residents.

The Chilean Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heraldo Muñoz, has announced that Chilean citizens wishing to visit Canada as tourists or in transit to a third country will no longer require visas. Citizens of Chile will only require a passport in order to enter Canada.

A two-day conference hosted by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) began in Ottawa this morning, with federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Chris Alexander, giving the opening address.

The employment figures for October have shown a decrease in Canada’s national jobless rate, which now stands at 6.5 per cent. This is the lowest rate since November, 2008.

The number of international students choosing to study in Canada at third-level education institutions has increased by 26 per cent since 2012, it has been revealed. 103,999 study permits were issued from January to September of 2014, an 11 per cent increase from the same period in 2013 (93,717) and a 26 per cent increase for the same period in 2012 (84,207).

The Canadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Chris Alexander, has announced that the government will ban people who have taken part in practices that are “incompatible with Canadian values” — such as those in polygamous or forced marriages — from immigrating to Canada.

On the first day of Canada’s annual Francophone Immigration Week, the federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Chris Alexander, has reaffirmed that francophone immigration to all regions of Canada remains a priority of his department.

The Albertan Minister of Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour, Ric McIver, has lauded the government of Canada’s immigration plan for 2015. The plan, which aims to increase the annual number of new permanent residents accepted by Canada to between 260,000 and 285,000, was announced last Friday.

The 2015 immigration plan unveiled by the government of Canada on Friday sets a target of between 260,000 and 285,000 new permanent residents next year, an increase of about 20,000 people over last year's goal.

The 2015 immigration plan unveiled by the government of Canada on Friday sets a target of between 260,000 and 285,000 new permanent residents next year, an increase of about 20,000 people over last year's goal.