Canadian Immigration News

The government of Canada is considering ways to prevent migrant smuggling because of the arrival in August this year of a ship with almost 500 Sri Lankan asylum seekers on board; however, the Canadian refugee determination process was designed to deal with people seeking asylum by landing on Canada's shores, fleeing for their lives.

In the last year, almost 50% of population growth in the province of Saskatchewan can be attributed to immigration. Statistics Canada is showing a record-breaking increase in Saskatchewan’s population, which now sits at just under 1,050,000. Saskatchewan's increase rate (+0.47%) was the second highest among all the Canadian provinces. It was Saskatchewan largest growth in population since the third quarter of 2007.

The Government of Canada announced yesterday it is launching the Federal Internship for Newcomers program designed to assist newcomers gain valuable Canadian work experience. Through this program, immigrants to Canada now have the opportunity to acquire some temporary work experience in fields they are qualified to work in based on their skills and previous work experience.

Ontario is helping skilled newcomers prepare to get jobs that match their education, qualifications and experience. The Ontario provincial government is investing $3.6 million in three Ontario cities to support programs designed to train new skilled immigrants to find employment in their professions and areas of expertise.

Canada intends to work domestically and internationally to eliminate the crime and fraud associated with the often dangerous journey some immigrants make to Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney met earlier this week with the Australian Minister of Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen, to talk about potential solutions to address the problem of migrant smuggling and human trafficking.

Earlier this week, Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger and Rosalinda Baldoz, Secretary of the Philippines Department of Labour and Employment, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to extend an existing partnership that connects Filipino workers with employment opportunities in Manitoba. This partnership also makes the immigration process more efficient and helps prepare Filipino workers for a new life in Manitoba.

Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Jason Kenney, was in Bejing last week to meet with Chinese officials. China is one of the most important source countries for Canadian immigration. Now, more Chinese visitors and students are also coming to Canada than ever before.

Yesterday, the Government of Manitoba announced changes to the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program that will make it faster and easier for international students to apply for a Canadian Immigration (permanent resident) visa to stay and work in the province.

Ontario aims to attract and retain highly-skilled international students who will ultimately help Ontario, and Canada, compete in the global economy. Since April 2010, international graduates from Ontario PhD programs have been eligible to apply for a Canadian Immigration (permanent residence) visa without a job offer through the Opportunities Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This week it has been announced that the program has been expanded to also allow international students graduating from Ontario master’s degree programs to apply for Canadian permanent residence without a job offer.