Immigration Canada

Canada Looks to Lure Away Skilled U.S. Workers

2013-05-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

English: Population distribution of Canadians (Stats Canada 2006) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Paul Thomas could hardly believe it when a Canadian recruiter called about a position as a mechanic in British Columbia. His annual income had dropped to $40,000 a year from $100,000 as business slowed at the Atlanta car dealership where he worked. He’d filed for bankruptcy, and his house was in foreclosure when the headhunter saw his résumé online. “My wife and I were excited,” says the 45-year-old. “Auto mechanics don’t get approached by recruiters, so it was sort of nice being catered to.”

The headhunter sent Thomas online videos about the heavy-truck dealership that wanted to hire him, and his prospective employer flew him in for four days for a fuller picture of life in Prince George. Last March the company hired him under an immigration program for skilled workers. Scoring the job, which pays about $90,000 a year and comes with government-provided health care, seemed like “I scratched a lottery ticket,” says Thomas. Within a month he had a work permit.

Canada has a high rate of unemployment—12.3 percent in some regions. It also has tens of thousands of open jobs nationwide for plumbers, electricians, and other skilled workers. Employers have a hard time getting potential hires to go where the work is. “Canadians just aren’t willing to leave their provinces,” says Kathleen Kischer, who recruited Thomas. So companies, particularly in Western Canada, are tapping headhunters to scourMonster.com (MWW), LinkedIn (LNKD), and even Craigslist in search of Americans and other foreigners with the right résumés—a task made easier by the national government.

This past winter it launched a fast-track immigration program for 43 trades, promising to process work papers within 12 months for applicants who speak English or French and have two years’ experience in their field. Among the most wanted: ironworkers, welders, oil and gas well drillers, and heavy-duty equipment mechanics. “We always point out to Canadians that even though there are too many unemployed Canadians, there are also too many unfilled jobs,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said during a speech in April.

Canada is opening the door to Americans at the same time the U.S. Congress is battling over whether to let in more skilled workers. In Canada last year, 160,617 immigrants were granted permanent residency because of the economic value they brought, while 64,901 became residents via family ties, according to the government. In the U.S., with a population about nine times as big as Canada’s, 680,799 immigrants became residents through family sponsorships in fiscal 2012, and only 143,998 obtained residency based on their employment, federal data show.

It can take a decade for an employed immigrant to get a U.S. green card; in Canada a skilled worker can obtain permanent residency within 18 months, says Richard Kurland, an immigration lawyer in Vancouver. Foreigners can also apply for residency on their own, without an employer’s help—another big difference from the U.S. Word of the perks has spread all over the world. In 2011 the U.S. was only the fourth-largest source of immigrants to Canada, behind the Philippines, China, and India.

Kael Campbell, a headhunter in Victoria, says Canadians are benefiting from the influx of foreigners. “The hiring of one American John Deere (DE) or Caterpillar (CAT)mechanic with 10 years of experience can result in the direct employment of eight to nine Canadians” that are less skilled, Campbell says. His firm landed jobs in the mining and equipment industries for 30 immigrants last year, up from 18 in 2011.

Going north solved Thomas’s financial problems. His wife is now a cashier at a Costco (COST). They’ve made friends. “Home will always be the States,” says Thomas. That won’t stop the couple from applying for permanent residency in their new country. “Canada was my saving grace,” he says. “I believe I will stay here for a while.”

The bottom line: Canada gives preference for visas to immigrants who’ll add to its economy—a contrast with the U.S., where family ties trump employment.

Louis is a reporter for Bloomberg News in Washington.

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-05-16/canada-looks-to-lure-away-skilled-u-dot-s-dot-workers

Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification: Phase II

2013-05-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

English: A grandfather teaching his little granddaughter how to ride a kick scooter. Simmering, Vienna, Austria, June 2006. Photo by KF. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With the backlog and wait times being cut in half, Phase II of that Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification will build on that success with further backlog reduction and even faster processing times.

First: Maintain high admissions

In 2012 and 2013, Canada will admit 50,000 parents and grandparents. This represents the highest level in 20 years. In 2014, Canada will maintain high levels of admissions for parents and grandparents.

This will help reunite more families and enable further backlog reduction.

Second: Make the Super Visa a permanent program

The Super Visa will become a permanent program and will continue to provide flexibility for families who can access the 10-year multiple-entry visa that allows parents and grandparents to remain in Canada up to two years at a time. The Super Visa is very popular. Over 1,000 Super Visas are issued each month, with over 15,000 Super Visas issued since its launch in December 2011 and approval rates remain high at 86 percent.

Third: New qualifying criteria for permanent residency sponsorship

New qualifying criteria ensure that sponsors have the financial means to support parents and grandparents, while reducing the net costs to Canadian taxpayers by leading to less reliance on health care and social programs.

The new qualifying criteria include:

Increase minimum necessary income (MNI) for sponsoring parents and grandparents equivalent by 30 percent: The current MNI does not accurately reflect the increased costs associated with being financially responsible for elderly parents and grandparents. The modest increase in the MNI will ensure sponsors are able to meet the financial needs of their sponsored parents and grandparents, which will reduce the net costs to Canadian taxpayers.
Lengthen period for demonstrating the MNI from one year to three years: Individuals who seek to sponsor their parents and grandparents and their accompanying family members will be required to demonstrate that they meet the new income threshold for the three consecutive tax years prior to submitting the sponsorship application. Requiring prospective sponsors of parents and grandparents to provide evidence of income over a three-year period, as opposed to 12 months, will help ensure sponsors have income stability and the financial means to provide for the basic needs of their parents and grandparents. It will also guarantee that prospective sponsors are contributing to the public services their sponsored family members are likely to use (for example, provincial health care, public transportation, etc.).
Evidence of income confined to documents issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA): Individuals who seek to sponsor their parents and grandparents and their accompanying family members will be required to demonstrate that they meet the new income threshold for three consecutive years using CRA notices of assessment. This will mean that officials could spend less time reviewing and verifying documents and could help speed up processing times even further. It will also guarantee that prospective sponsors are contributing to the public services their sponsored family members are likely to use (for example, provincial health care, public transportation, etc.).
Extend the sponsorship undertaking period to 20 years instead of 10 years: The current sponsorship undertaking period for parents and grandparents is 10 years. Individuals who seek to sponsor their parents and grandparents and accompanying family members will be required to commit to a lengthened sponsorship undertaking period of 20 years. This means sponsors and co-signers (if applicable) will be responsible for repaying any provincial social assistance benefits paid to the parent and grandparent and their accompanying family members for 20 years. A lengthened sponsorship undertaking will protect Canadian taxpayers and ensure sponsors assume more financial responsibility for the basic needs of their parents and grandparents over a longer period of time, as well as for health care costs not covered by provincial health care (for example, eye care, dental care, mobility aids, etc.).
Changing the maximum age of dependents: The maximum age of dependents will be set at 18 years of age and under for all immigration programs, including the Parent and Grandparent program. This is in line with the standard age of majority in Canada. Those over the age of 18 can apply to visit or immigrate to Canada independently. There will be an exception for individuals, regardless of age, who are financially dependent on their parents due to a mental or physical disability.

Fourth: Accepting 5,000 applications in 2014

By accepting 5,000 applications in 2014 while maintaining high levels of admissions of parents and grandparents, the government will be able to further reduce the remaining backlog so that families can be reunited even more quickly. Opening the program to an unlimited number of applications as was done in the past will grow the backlog again and increase wait times, undoing the progress made to date.

For additional information on the proposal to redesign of the PGP program, please consult the draft regulatory package.

New Parent and Grandparent program re-opens January 2, 2014

2013-05-10T19:35:00.001-07:00

Matti (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mississauga, May 10, 2013 — Citizenship and Immigration Canada will re-open the Parent and Grandparent (PGP) program for new applications on January 2, 2014, by which time the backlog and wait times in the program are expected to have been cut in half.

“The Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification is on track to meet the goals of cutting in half the backlog and wait times in the Parent and Grandparent program,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “It is very important that we continue to make progress and not return to the old broken system with wait times as long as a decade—that would be unfair to families.”

Phase II of the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification will provide even faster processing times, reduce the backlog further, prevent future backlogs, ensure that families have the financial means to support those they sponsor, and protect the interests of taxpayers.

First – In 2012 and 2013, Canada will admit 50,000 parents and grandparents as permanent residents. This represents the highest level of parents and grandparents admitted in 20 years. In 2014, Canada will maintain high levels of admissions for parents and grandparents.

Second – The Super Visa will become permanent and will continue to provide flexibility for families who access the 10-year multiple-entry visa, allowing visa holders to remain in Canada up to two years at a time. Over 15,000 Super Visas have been issued since the program’s launch in December 2011 with approval rates averaging 86 percent.

Third – New qualifying criteria for permanent residency sponsorship of parents and grandparents will increase the financial responsibility of sponsors to ensure they have the means to support those they sponsor, while limiting the program’s cost to taxpayers and Canada’s strained health and social programs.

Fourth – 5,000 new sponsorship applications will be accepted in the program in 2014. By accepting 5,000 applications in 2014 while maintaining high levels, the government will be able to further reduce the remaining backlog so that families can be reunited more quickly.

“These new criteria ensure sponsored family members are well supported by their sponsors throughout their time in Canada,” said Minister Kenney. “The redesigned Parent and Grandparent program reunites families faster while respecting Canadian taxpayers and the limited resources for health and social programs.”

Canada has one of the most generous family reunification programs in the world. The United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand do not allow grandparents to be sponsored at all or only in very limited circumstances, and they have very restrictive criteria for the sponsorship of parents.

The amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations that are being proposed will be pre-published in theCanada Gazette (Part I) and the public will be able to comment for a 30-day period.

Canada reforms temporary immigration visa regime

2013-05-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

English: The Montreal head office of the Royal Bank of Canada is the Place Ville-Marie's largest tenant (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Canadian government ministers have announced a U-turn in their policy on temporary foreign workers. The announcement comes after two high profile cases which seemed to show abuse of the system have caused negative headlines for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

Last year, Canada introduced several changes to the TFWP aimed at stimulating the economy. It allowed employers to pay foreign temporary workers 15% less than the median pay in any sector and also speeded up the system for gaining work permits. The Accelerated Labour Market Opinion (ALMO) allowed employers to get work permits for foreign staff in about ten days. Both these measures have been reversed because of cases which seem to show that they are encouraging employers to employ foreign workers instead of Canadians.Temporary foreign workers who work in Canada under the Canadian Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) must now be paid at the same rate as Canadian workers, there will be greater enforcement of the requirement that temporary foreign workers should not displace Canadians and English and French will be the only languages which can be specified as a requirement for employment. The changes will take place with immediate effect.

Temporary workers must be paid 'the prevailing wage'

On 29th April 2013, Jason Kenney, the Canadian Minister for Immigration and Multiculturalism, and Diane Finley, the Human Resources Minister, gave a joint press conference in Ottawa to announce the changes which are as follows.

All temporary foreign workers must now be paid 'the prevailing wage' for the job that they are doing.
The Accelerated Labour Market Opinion (ALMO) process will be suspended.
The government will have greater powers to suspend and revoke work permits where the system has been abused
Employers will need to show that they are not replacing Canadian workers with foreign workers.
Employers which rely heavily on foreign workers will need to show how they intend to employ more Canadians in future
The government will raise the fees for applications to employ foreign workers.
Employers will no longer be able to specify that employees must speak language other than English and French (Canada's national languages) in order to take a job.

The ministers were responding to two recent, high profile cases which, unions allege, show that the TFWP is being abused by employers.

In November 2012, unions launched a court case against HD Mining, a mining company which imported 200 Chinese miners into a mine in British Columbia. The unions said that there were plenty of available Canadian miners to do the job and the Chinese miners were being paid CAN$10 an hour less than the market rate. The company said that this was because the mine was using the 'long wall' mining technique which was not used in Canada so there were no suitably qualified miners available locally. HD Mining is 55% owned by a Chinese company.

Unions allege abuse of the system

Unions alleged that the Chinese miners were also being forced to make illegal payments to that company in order to work in Canada. The unions said that it was an abuse of the system to bring in workers and pay them less than the market rate when there were plenty of unemployed Canadian miners living locally. They said that the employer was only employing Chinese speaking miners, further disadvantaging Canadian workers.

The second case was even more damaging to the reputation of the TFWP because it involved the flagship Canadian bank, The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). It also involved allegations that existing staff were being made redundant and replaced by foreign temporary workers.

Unions allege that RBC subcontracted certain functions to Indian outsourcing firm iGate. iGate then applied to the Canadian government for permission to bring in temporary workers. This was granted and once the temporary workers arrived, existing Canadian staff were instructed to train them and were then made redundant. The iGate staff were paid less than their Canadian counterparts.

iGate: 'Authorizations are properly issued under existing law '

When the news of this arrangement broke in early April, iGate spokesman Prabhanjan Deshpande said that the company was doing nothing wrong; 'For any engagement requiring foreign workers, appropriate immigration applications are filed by iGate and all work authorizations are properly issued under existing law and policy'.

However, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Go Public investigative TV programme claims that iGate has yet to respond to allegations that it did not inform the Canadian government that its workers would take the jobs of Canadian staff when applying for Canadian work permits.

At the time, a Canadian government spokesman said 'We recently learned of allegations that RBC could be replacing Canadian workers by contracting with iGate, which is filling some of the roles with temporary foreign workers. If true, this situation is unacceptable'.

Even before these latest cases, unions in Canada were complaining that Canadian employers were replacing indigenous workers with cheaper temporary foreign workers on work permits. They say that foreign workers are not being used as a last resort, as the law requires, but were, instead, being used as an alternative to Canadians and to drive down wages.

Number of temporary foreign workers has more than doubled since 2002

The unions point to the fact that the number of temporary foreign workers with short term work permits (usually lasting either one or two years) has risen from about 185,000 in 2002 to around 447,000 in 2011. Meanwhile, the Canadian unemployment rate has remained higher than 7%.

But Sharaf Sultan, a lawyer at Canadian law firm Heenan Blaikie says that the TFWP contains many protections for Canadian workers and 'thoughtfully assesses the potential impact of the entry of a foreigner in the Canadian labour market. Contrary to the accusations of several commentators, the TFWP is already geared, first and foremost, at protecting local labour markets'. He adds 'Canada faces serious labour shortages across various regions and sectors of the economy'.

In order to employ a foreign worker under the TFWP, a Canadian employer (or international employer like iGate) must receive a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), the Canadian government's department for employment.

Accelerated LMO procedure reduced protection

An LMO is a certificate which assesses the likely impact of employing a foreign worker on the Canadian economy. In order to be allowed to employ a foreign worker, employers must show that this will have a neutral or a positive effect on the Canadian jobs market. This is done by showing that the job has been adequately advertised to Canadian workers. However, after the government had introduced the Accelerated Labour Market Opinion (ALMO), it became easier for employers to get approval without showing that they had advertised. The unions say that this resulted in reduced protection for Canadian workers.

The joint announcement by Mr Kenney and Ms Finley will, seemingly, make it harder to get LMOs for foreign workers. Ms Finley told the press conference 'The purpose of the TFW program is to help fill genuine and acute labour needs and we have been reviewing the program to ensure that goal is met and Canadian workers are never displaced.'

Even so, the overall trend towards the employment of more workers on temporary work visas, both in Canada and globally, looks set to continue.

Workpermit.com is a specialist visa consultancy with nearly twenty-five years of experience dealing with visa applications. We are OISC registered. We can help with a wide range of visa applications to the UK or your country of choice. Please feel free to contact us for further details.

Source: http://www.workpermit.com/news/2013-05-03/canada-reforms-temporary-immigration-visa-regime

Working in Canada Just Got Tougher: Changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program Coming

2013-04-30T07:11:00.001-07:00

Posted on April 29th, 2013 in Canada Work Permit

As I’ve mentioned in the past, if you want to immigrate to Canada and you qualify, you should begin the process immediately, as rules seem to change often these days, and it seems increasingly more difficult to qualify.
Following the public outcry after the Royal Bank hired foreign workers from India to replace Canadians. Some of those workers were in Canada to train for jobs that would be outsourced to India. Canadians lost their jobs at the Royal Bank and the public backlash was fierce.
The government has moved quickly and today announced a series of reforms that will be introduced through legislation, regulation and through practise and administrative process directives.
So how exactly will it be more difficult to work Canada? The government is taking aim at both employers and temporary workers. The new provisions include:
Requiring employers to pay foreign workers at the prevailing wage
This replaces the wage flexibility employers used to enjoy in hiring foreign workers. The loss of this flexibility may make it more difficult for employers to justify hiring someone from abroad.
Suspending the Accelerated Labour Market Opinion Process
This program allowed employers who had previously issued a positive Labour Market Opinion (“LMO”) and who complied with all requirements to obtain a new LMO is just over a week. This program is no longer available so employers will have to go through the entire LMO process which can be lengthy. It also means they can’t hire foreign workers as quickly as before.
Government authority to suspend and revoke work permits
The government now has discretion to intervene where the foreign worker program is being “misused”. We don’t have a definition of “misused” yet, but I suspect this provision was aimed at the RBC scenario described above.
Adding questions to the LMO application to ensure outsourcing is not on the table
Employers will have to confirm that they are not using foreign workers to outsource jobs to a foreign country by training them in Canada. Again, this is aimed squarely at the RBC case above.
Ensuring there is a transition plan to hire Canadian workers
Employers will have to provide a plan on how they will transition from using foreign workers to Canadian workers over time. This is an administrative burden that some employers may not be able to address fully. For example, if there is a chronic shortage of Canadians with certain specialized skills, it is going to be tough to make a plan to transition to Canadian workers.
Fees for LMO’s and increasing fees for workers
In past, applying for an LMO was free. Not any longer. It’s going to cost employers to apply for an LMO with no guarantee it will be accepted. This could be a big disincentive. Work permit fees will also increase.
English and French as the only languages used as a job requirement
In my view, this will be one of the biggest challenges to overcome. In past, employers could state that a worker required a foreign language (such as Spanish or Mandarin or whatever), because that employer did business in those parts of the world, and needed a worker with those language skills. As a result, finding a fluent Canadian with those language skills was difficult, and often a positive LMO was issued and a foreign worker hired.
No longer. With only English and French as language requirements for a job, a great number of employers simply won’t be able to hire foreign workers for their language skills (among other technical skills of course). In a global economy, I simply can not understand this requirement – this will hurt our employers who do significant business overseas in different languages and who can’t find Canadians with the right technical and language skills to do the job.
So there you have it – the new changes in a nutshell.
I’ll post further details as we get them.

About the author

Gianpaolo Panusa is a Canadian immigration lawyer, writer, and founder of the PanCanadian Immigration Law Group based in Vancouver, Canada.Google+ Profile

The new Skilled Trades Program

2013-04-23T23:27:00.000-07:00

““The new Skilled Trades Program will address serious labour shortages that some regions of the country are facing, and will help grow Canada’s economy,” said Minister Kenney. “These long-overdue changes are part of the government’s plan to build a fast and flexible immigration system that is responsive to the needs of Canada’s economy. Canadian employers have long been asking for ways to get the skilled tradespeople they need to meet demands in many industries across the country. We’ve listened to their concerns and created this program in response.”

In the program’s first year, CIC will accept applications from up to 3,000 people in specific trades. The occupation list was designed to reflect current labour market needs and ensure the program delivers a diverse range of skilled tradespeople to fuel Canada’s economy. Within the 3,000, there will be no limit on 26 in-demand occupations, while 17 occupations will be subject to sub-limits of 100 applications each. In total, there are 43 occupations eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Applications are expected to be processed within 12 months.

In addition to being qualified for an eligible occupation, Federal Skilled Trades Program applicants must demonstrate basic language proficiency in either English or French at the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 for speaking and listening, and CLB 4 for reading and writing. This is due to the overall importance of language as a determinant of immigrant success and general health and safety reasons. CLB 4 is considered basic proficiency while those with CLB 5 can more effectively participate in and understand routine conversations.

Other criteria include: a valid offer of employment in Canada or a certificate of qualification from a province or territory in a qualifying skilled trade; at least two years of work experience in the occupation within the last five years; and meeting the employment requirements set out in the National Occupational Classification system, with the exception of licensing requirements, which are addressed separately.

“The Federal Skilled Trades Program is yet another tool in the Canadian employer’s toolkit to find the workers they need to build Canada’s future economy,” said Minister Kenney. “This new program, along with all other changes we are introducing, will help us move towards an immigration system that better supports Canada’s economic growth and long-term prosperity.”

Application forms for the Federal Skilled Trades Program can be found on the CIC website.

To avoid backlogs and ensure fast processing times, we will accept no more than 3,000 complete federal skilled trade applications to process in the first year (from January 2, 2013 to January 1, 2014).

Within the 3,000 cap, no more than 100 new applications for each job under Group A below will be considered for processing. There is no sub-cap for jobs under Group B.

Group A includes 17 jobs with a moderate labour market need. Group B includes 26 in-demand jobs. In total, 43 jobs will be eligible to apply under the Federal Skilled Trades program in the first year of the program. The specific codes from the 2011 version of the NOC are provided below as you must include this in your application form.

The caps apply whether or not people have a qualifying offer of employment or a certificate of qualification from a provincial or territorial apprenticeship authority.

Applications will be processed in the order we receive them.

Group A – Jobs with sub-caps of 100 applications each (and their corresponding 2011 NOC code)

7202 Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
7204 Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
7205 Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
7271 Carpenters
7301 Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
7302 Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
8211 Supervisors, logging and forestry
8221 Supervisors, mining and quarrying
8222 Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling services
8241 Logging machinery operators
8252 Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
9211 Supervisors, mineral and metal processing
9212 Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities
9214 Supervisors, plastic and rubber products manufacturing
9231 Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing
9241 Power engineers and power systems operators
9243 Water and waste treatment plant operators

Group B – no sub-caps (2011 NOC code)

7231 Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
7233 Sheet metal workers
7235 Structural metal and plate work fabricators and fitters
7236 Ironworkers
7237 Welders and related machine operators
7241 Electricians (except industrial and power system)
7242 Industrial electricians
7243 Power system electricians
7244 Electrical power line and cable workers
7245 Telecommunications line and cable workers
7246 Telecommunications installation and repair workers
7251 Plumbers
7252 Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
7253 Gas fitters
7311 Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
7312 Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
7313 Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
7314 Railway carmen/women
7315 Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors
7318 Elevator constructors and mechanics
7371 Crane operators
7372 Drillers and blasters - surface, mining, quarrying and construction
7373 Water well drillers
8231 Underground production and development miners
8232 Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers
9232 Petroleum, gas and chemical process operators

You must complete your applications according to the requirements in place at the time you apply.

List of Priority Occupations and Organizations Designated to Conduct Educational Credential Assessments for Federal Skilled Worker Program Released

2013-04-18T10:01:00.000-07:00

English: Langevin Block, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ottawa, April 18, 2013 —The list of 24 occupations that are eligible under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) when it re-opens on May 4, 2013 was released today.

In addition, four organizations have been designated to provide the now-required independent third party assessments of foreign educational credentials for applicants who studied outside of Canada. These assessments, which must be completed before an application is submitted, are aimed at helping newcomers through the FSWP to get off to a better start and into the Canadian labour force more quickly when they arrive.

“The government’s focus remains on jobs, economic growth, and long-term prosperity,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Kenney. “Under the new Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canada will be able to attract the skilled immigrants our economy requires, who are the most likely to succeed and contribute their full skill set to the Canadian economy.”

With the re-opening date approaching, future applicants should be aware of several key elements that will have an effect on the application process:

A new eligible occupations list, with a total of 24 occupations;
An overall cap of 5,000 new applications for all eligible occupations, including a sub-cap of 300 new applications for each eligible occupation;
Four organizations have been designated to conduct educational credential assessments (mandatory for applicants submitting foreign educational credentials); and
Applicants must show proof that they meet the minimum threshold of Canadian Language Benchmark 7 in all four language skill areas: speaking, reading, writing and oral comprehension.

“As a result of the actions taken by the Government to deal with the massive backlogs and unacceptably long wait times, FSW applications will be processed in approximately one year,” said Minister Kenney. “We will not be able to remain competitive and attract the skilled immigrants we need if we allow backlogs and wait times to grow again. That’s why we are capping application intake and focusing on specific occupations that are experiencing labour shortages in Canada. This will also help us transition nicely into the just-in-time immigration system of the future.”

Applications under the new FSWP will be accepted starting May 4, 2013. Until then, however, the FSWP application process does not change – only individuals with qualifying job offers or those applying under the PhD stream are eligible for processing.

All applicants who are considering applying on or after May 4 are invited to consult the Backgrounder. It outlines some of the steps that can be taken now to prepare and includes the eligible occupations list and the organizations designated to conduct educational credential assessments.

Backgrounder: Information for Applicants to the New Federal Skilled Worker Program

twitter.com/CitImmCanada

Information for Applicants to the New Federal Skilled Worker Program

2013-04-18T09:56:00.001-07:00

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) selects immigrants based on their ability to succeed economically in Canada. After meeting eligibility requirements, applicants are assessed against selection criteria, also known as the “points grid.” There are 100 points available to applicants, with points awarded for official language abilities, age, education, work experience, employment already arranged in Canada, and adaptability. The current pass mark is 67.

After a thorough review of relevant research, an extensive program evaluation, stakeholder and public consultations, research and study of best practices in other immigrant-receiving countries, improvements to the FSWP were announced in December 2012. These improvements will come into force on May 4, 2013.

A pause on the intake of most new FSWP applications has been in place since July 1, 2012, except for those with a qualifying job offer and those who applying under the PhD stream. The pause will be lifted and an eligible occupations stream re-established on May 4, 2013.

While Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will not be accepting applications for the 24 eligible occupations until May 4, 2013, there are some new requirements that applicants can start preparing for, such as language tests and foreign educational credential assessments. The complete application process, featuring the new selection criteria, will be available on CIC’s website by May 4, 2013.

All individuals who are considering applying on or after May 4 should be aware that if their application does not meet the new criteria, it will not be processed. A prospective applicant should ensure they meet at least one of the following requirements:

They have at least one year of continuous work experience in one of the 24 eligible occupations;
They have a qualifying offer of arranged employment (*note changes to the arranged employment process were previously published in this web notice); or
They are eligible to apply through the PhD stream.

If prospective applicants are confident that they meet at least one of the above requirements, they must also meet the minimum language threshold and obtain an educational credential assessment (if submitting a foreign educational credential).

Eligible Occupations List

The eligible occupations stream will have an overall cap of 5,000 new applications and sub-caps of 300 applications in each of the 24 occupations on the list.

Eligible occupations (with their corresponding 2011 National Occupation Classification code):

0211 Engineering managers
1112 Financial and investment analysts
2113 Geoscientists and oceanographers
2131 Civil engineers
2132 Mechanical engineers
2134 Chemical engineers
2143 Mining engineers
2144 Geological engineers
2145 Petroleum engineers
2146 Aerospace engineers
2147 Computer engineers (except software engineers/designers)
2154 Land surveyors
2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers
2243 Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
2263 Inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety
3141 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
3142 Physiotherapists
3143 Occupational Therapists
3211 Medical laboratory technologists
3212 Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists' assistants
3214 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
3215 Medical radiation technologists
3216 Medical sonographers
3217 Cardiology technicians and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c. (not elsewhere classified)

Minimum Language Threshold

All prospective applicants to the FSWP should first determine whether they meet the new minimum language threshold: Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in all four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). To prove language proficiency, a prospective applicant must take a third-party language test from an organization designated by the Minister and submit their test report along with their application to CIC.

Language test results will be accepted by CIC for two years from the date that they were issued by the designated organization.

CIC-designated language testing organizations include: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP),International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and Test d’évaluation de français (TEF).

Third-party language tests are scored differently by each of the three organizations. Here are the scores on each of the tests that correspond to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 or higher:

English

Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)

An FSWP applicant must score at least 4L on the CELPIP-General test in each of the four skills to meet the minimum language threshold.

A score of 4L on the CELPIP-General test corresponds to CLB 7. A score of 4H corresponds to CLB 8, and a score of 5 or higher corresponds to CLB 9 or higher.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

An FSWP applicant must score at least 6.0 on the IELTS General Training test in each of the four skills to meet the minimum language threshold of CLB 7.

French

Test d’évaluation de français (TEF)

An FSWP applicant must score at least 206 in reading, 248 in listening, and 309 in both speaking and writing on the TEF to meet the minimum language threshold of NCLC 7.

Arranged Employment

Previously, employers have applied for an Arranged Employment Opinion (AEO) from Human Resources Skills Development Canada when they wished to hire a foreign national on a permanent, full-time basis and support their employee’s application for permanent residence through the FSWP.

Starting on May 4, 2013, CIC will no longer accept AEOs in support of an FSWP application. Instead, most offers of arranged employment will require a Labour Market Opinion.

Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

Another important change that takes effect on May 4, 2013, is the introduction of the educational credential assessment (ECA). Prospective applicants may start the process of getting an ECA before May 4 if they are planning to submit a foreign educational credential. However, applicants should keep in mind the other program eligibility requirements listed above, i.e. whether they have a qualifying offer of arranged employment or are applying under the PhD stream or eligible occupations stream; and if they meet the minimum language threshold through a designated third-party test. Applicants who have Canadian educational credentials do not need to get an ECA, unless they are also submitting a foreign educational credential in support of their application.

The ECA process will help determine if the foreign educational credential is authentic and equivalent to a completed credential in Canada. For prospective applicants, the ECA can provide a realistic understanding of how their foreign educational credentials are likely to be recognized in Canada.

As of April 17, 2013, four organizations have been designated by the Minister to provide ECA reports for purposes of immigrating to Canada under the FSWP. Additional organizations may be designated by CIC in the future. The designated organizations are:

The Medical Council of Canada has been designated only for those principal applicants who intend to apply with specialist physician (2011 National Occupation Classification [NOC] code 3111) or general practitioner/family physician (2011 NOC code 3112) as their primary occupation in their FSWP application. Neither NOC code 3111 nor 3112 is on the eligible occupations list that takes effect on May 4, so this will only affect those applying under the PhD stream or with a qualifying job offer based on those NOC codes.

Applicants should contact the designated organizations directly for further information on their documentation requirements, processing times and fees.

CIC will only accept ECA reports issued after the date the organization was designated by CIC to provide ECA reports for immigration purposes (i.e. April 17, 2013). An ECA report will be valid for immigration purposes for 5 years from the date that it was issued by the designated organization.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CIC will update application kits and web materials before the new FSWP is launched on May 4, 2013. Prospective applicants who wish to get a head start on their application can proceed with the steps and information outlined above but should check the CIC website for new FSWP application forms.

Top 10 jobs by projected demand in 2020

2013-04-18T06:49:00.001-07:00

Job	Median annual salary	Projected # of job seekers in 2020	Projected job openings in 2020	Projected job openings for every person looking in 2020
Mining, oil & gas supervisor	$74,880	567	1,302	2.3
Pilot	$69,846	832	1,298	1.56
College instructor	$66,560	3,552	5,146	1.45
Railway & transportation supervisor	$60,320	1,159	1,531	1.32
Power systems operator	$70,720	834	1,075	1.29
Health-care managers	$86,674	5,313	6,545	1.23
Education administrator (all levels)	$90,002	5,313	6,545	1.23
Head nurse	$74,880	13,325	16,388	1.23
Railway conductor & brakemen/women	$61,214	339	416	1.23
Dental hygienist	$69,992	1,021	1,224	1.2

Top 10 best jobs in Canada

2013-04-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

KAIST Aerospace engineering (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

10. Aerospace engineer

Median Salary: $75,004

Change in salary (2006–2012): +11%

Total employees: 8,500

Don’t be fooled by the “space” part. Most aerospace engineers work with planes, not rocket ships. The field includes everything from airplanes to helicopters, missiles and satellites. In Canada, the aerospace sector is dominated by Quebec-based companies, like Bombardier, although Ontario and the West also have significant aerospace clusters.

Money: Aerospace engineering salaries vary heavily. Newcomers who haven’t yet earned their professional engineering certification can expect to start off earning somewhere between $45,000 and $60,000 a year. After 10 years in the field, though, six figure salaries are the norm.

How to qualify: To become an aerospace engineer, you need an engineering degree, full stop. There are no shortcuts. You can get specialist aerospace degrees from Carleton or Ryerson Universities, or try to break into the field with a mechanical engineering degree.

Opportunity: The cyclical aerospace sector is picking up again following a slow decade precipitated by Sept. 11, the rising Canadian dollar and a surge in global competition. Should the tide turn, it can be tricky finding a job in another field: some general engineering firms don’t understand what an aerospace engineer is qualified to do.

What it’s like: Navreet Saini, an associate technical specialist at Bell Helicopters, works in avionics, doing test plans for a new helicopter. The work itself can involve steady 40-hour weeks, but those ramp up when big orders are due. To give an idea of how hot the aerospace field is right now, consider this: Saini didn’t even apply for her current job. She was recruited based on her LinkedIn profile. “I didn’t believe it myself until I came in on my first day.”

Top 10 best jobs in Canada

2013-04-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

The Chemical Engineer (Photo credit: thekevinchang)

9. Chemical engineer

Median Salary: $78,000

Change in salary (2006–2012): +20%

Total employees: 9,200

One of the biggest advantages of being a chemical engineer is that your skills can be applied in a wide range of different industries, from energy to manufacturing to food products and beyond. In their first few years, most chemical engineers do lab work, but after that there’s opportunity to manage a lab, consult for other companies, or start your own business.

How to qualify: You’ll need to have a bachelor of applied science or a chemical engineer degree, says Nadeem Pirani, a chemical engineer working in the aerospace sector in Mississauga, Ont. You’ll also need to have four years of engineering experience working under another professional chemical engineer before you get certified.

Money: Salaries start at $50,000 to $60,000 for a graduate fresh out of university, but can rise quickly with experience—especially if you specialize in an in-demand niche. Academic and pure research positions can fetch up to $235,000.

Opportunity: The job market is quite focused on the growing environmental sector right now, says Pirani, with chemical engineers doing everything from site assessments and soil remediation to waste audits and air-quality modelling.

What’s it like: It’s a job that requires precision, and being up to date on the latest industry standards and specifications. Pirani, who oversees nickel-plating processes for aircraft engine parts, spends a lot of time reading up on specification updates. But she’s also “out on the floor talking to the guys running the tanks making sure things are OK. So my day is pretty involved. There’s always something new.”

Top 10 best jobs in Canada

2013-04-18T06:36:00.000-07:00

The entrance to Canada's Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

8. Senior government manager

Median Salary: $95,992

Change in salary (2006–2012): +23%

Total employees: 11,600

Top-level government bureaucrats translate legislation—whether provincial, federal or municipal—into actual practice. Directors, deputy ministers and managers control the non-partisan public servants that make governments work, in fields as diverse as fisheries, advanced education and municipal garbage collection.

How to qualify: To enter the bureaucracy, you usually need a university degree. At the federal level, it helps to be bilingual. A graduate degree—in public administration, or a similar field—can be a good way to jump up several rungs.

Money: Entry-level government workers can earn between $30,000 and $60,000 a year, depending on experience, education and location. By the time employees reach a senior position, though, the money can be impressive. In Ontario, the number of public servants making more than $100,000 a year climbed 11% in 2013 to more than 88,000, and some make $500,000 a year or more.

Outlook: The winds of austerity are blowing across Canada, and the good times for government workers may not last long. Cutbacks are looming in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Ottawa. And, as the private sector moves away from defined benefit pensions, the pressure to curb public-sector benefits will likely increase.

What it’s like: Simon Farbrother, the city manager in Edmonton, says civil service is no longer a nine-to-five world. “I’m at my desk by 7:30 in the morning. I don’t have lunches and coffee breaks,” he says. “And I have evening work as well.”

The reward for all that work is a chance to build a great city. The downside, however, is that everything you do is in the public eye. “Our decision-making is not behind closed doors.” That means everyone is your boss—and not everyone is nice about it.

Top 10 best jobs in Canada

2013-04-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

BMO Capital Markets logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

7. Real estate & financial manager

Median Salary: $79,872

Change in salary (2006–2012): +15%

Total employees: 22,800

This broad category (as defined by Statistics Canada) covers a broad swath of professions, from real estate agents to underwriters to bond traders—jobs that have surged in recent years due to Canada’s twin booms: housing and commodities. The pace is now slowing in both areas. But in capital markets, which includes research, sales, and trading, the opportunity for an ample salary remains.

How to qualify: Any job in capital markets requires a deep understanding of finance. Those in sales will also need experience working with clients. Many financial institutions offer training programs to recruit graduates with business degrees. Many entrants aim for an edge by obtaining extra qualifications such as the Chartered Financial Analyst designation or an MBA, which help advance you to senior positions more quickly.

Money: Wages have been under a lot of pressure since the financial crisis. Still, employees can expect to break six figures, with salaries for senior positions heading north of $200,000. Performance bonuses can add to total compensation, too. Salaries at large foreign institutions, such as Barclays, are more generous.

Opportunity: Industry consolidation and the rise of high-frequency trading and exchange-traded funds are sparking worries about the future of active investing, but cash is coming back to the markets, and initial public offerings are picking up again. “We expect the pace to continue, which bodes well for employment in the industry,” says Lara Zink, managing director of global equities at RBC Capital Markets.

What it’s like: Zink is usually on the trading floor by 6:30 a.m. for a couple of conference calls to review recently published research. She’s in touch with clients throughout the day to discuss stock ideas. The hours for many of the positions in this field are dictated by the market’s hours. Zink, who has two children, says it’s rare for her to stay in the office much past 5 p.m., though it does happen. “The bottom line is, as long as we’re not in a highly critical deal situation on the desk at any given time, the work is very manageable.”

Top 10 best jobs in Canada

2013-04-18T06:27:00.001-07:00

6. Lawyer

Median Salary: $79,996

Change in salary (2006–2012): +14%

Total employees: 50,800

Once upon a time, lawyers fell into two groups: criminal and corporate. Today, the profession features a multitude of specializations, from tax and competition law to pensions and intellectual-property law.

How to qualify: Law students are increasingly combining the traditional law school degree with another more specialized degree, such as an MBA, to be able to better apply the law to a specialized niche.

Money: According to Canadian Lawyer’s 2012 salary survey, compensation for law firm associates and in-house counsel ranged from $72,500 to $108,000.

Opportunity: In Ontario, new grads are facing an articling bottleneck—last year, hundreds were unable to get the 10-month apprenticeship they need to become licensed. But the industry is exploring alternative ways for lawyers to get called to the bar. Overall, legal hiring is picking up in Toronto, according to a report by staffing agency Robert Half, especially for those with backgrounds in litigation and corporate law, and energy-sector employment remains high.

What it’s like: Mitch Frazer, a partner at Torys LLP in Toronto, says the first year of being a lawyer is the worst. “There’s never a distinction between a lawyer that’s been practising for a minute or 20 years—you’re expected to step up and do the job. You’ll learn more in that year than you will in your entire career—but I’d never want to be a first-year lawyer again.”

Top 10 best jobs in Canada

2013-04-18T06:23:00.004-07:00

Working with Somerset Head Teachers (Photo credit: Ewan McIntosh)

5. School principal & administrator

Median Salary: $90,001

Change in salary (2006–2012): +25%

Total employees: 32,300

These are the principals and vice-principals who see your kids at the office when they’re caught texting in class. This group also includes the deans and senior administrators of the universities Junior will one day make it to (if he could only stop texting).

How to qualify: Once they have spent some time in front of the classroom, teachers aiming for an admin position head back to class themselves—for a master of education degree or additional specialist and principal’s training, which varies depending on the province.

Money: Vice-principals start around $97,000 per year, and principals can go up to $115,000. As management, however, school administrators’ benefits are often worse than those of the unionized teachers they lead.

Opportunity: There will be nearly 7,000 available school administration jobs across the country each year through 2015—thousands more than there are candidates. Recent cuts to education in Ontario have slightly shrunk the prospects for elementary and secondary VPs in that province, however.

What it’s like: “I never know what my day will bring,” says Jennifer Zurba, principal of William Burgess Public School in Toronto. “A kid with a broken arm, an angry parent, a teacher.” The lengthy screening process and high applicant rate means it can take a while to advance, so networking is key: “Try to get out there and sit on different committees. The more superintendents who know your name, the better your chance of them placing you.”

Top 10 best jobs in Canada

2013-04-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

Construction Work (Photo credit: gullevek)

4. Electrical & telecommunications contractor

Median Salary: $72,800

Change in salary (2006–2012): +28%

Total employees: 20,600

For most contractors, success relies on the strength of the construction industry. Although 2012 wasn’t a great year for building, Bill Strain expects 2013 to be stronger. “The whole industry’s starting to gear up again,” says the president of Villa Electric in Surrey, B.C.

How to qualify: Contractors start by becoming certified electricians (a four-year apprenticeship that combines on-the-job training with classroom work). Strong math skills are a must. After that, you can start your own company or work your way up through an existing one.

Money: A typical journeyman electrician’s wage ranges from $30 to $38 an hour. Contractors are business owners, so their salaries vary. The owner of a successful one- or two-man operation can pull in around $70,000 to $80,000 a year.

Opportunity: Canada is expected to face a shortage of skilled tradespeople as many approach retirement. The average electrician is close to 50 years old, says Strain. “A huge amount of people will be leaving the industry.” That translates to high demand for workers, especially in provinces seeing lots of new construction, like Alberta.

What it’s like: “As an owner, I don’t do a lot of electrical work anymore. I’m a business manager and an entrepreneur,” says Strain, who has 25 employees.” Once his company gets a contract, it’s Strain’s job to keep customers happy. “If you’re running your own company, you’re on call 24 hours a day. If your customers have a problem in the middle of the night, you take the call and either you go or you send somebody.”

Top 10 best jobs in Canada

2013-04-18T06:18:00.000-07:00

English: Petroleum Engineering students in the field (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. Petroleum engineer

Median Salary: $93,516

Change in salary (2006–2012): +17%

Total employees: 11,900

Petroleum engineering encompasses three sub-specialties of the oil and gas sector: drilling, production and reservoir engineering. The job requires a detailed understanding of chemical systems, geological formations and computer modelling.

How to qualify: After completing an engineering degree, the majority of petroleum engineers receive technical and soft-skills training when they begin their careers with integrated oil and gas companies, service firms or in consulting outfits. Co-op programs may give job candidates an edge, since employers value hands-on learning.

Money: According to a survey by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, total compensation rose 9.3% last year. While the median salary is $93,000, it’s not uncommon to make $230,000 or more.

Opportunity: Following the intense skills shortages of the mid-2000s, Canadian demand for petroleum engineers is expected to slow somewhat, according to Engineers Canada. Global demand, however, is robust, especially in the U.S., with the continuing shale oil boom, and as many as 40% of the world’s petroleum engineers are expected to retire within a decade. Growing areas of demand: skills geared to unconventional sources, such as deep water, enhanced or improved oil recovery and heavy oil.

What it’s like: Ramez Hanna Alla, a petroleum engineer with EnCana, works at a natural gas field in northeast British Columbia. “This job has such a global impact,” he says. “That’s what excites me about it.” But the hours can be long: on-site days can last 16 hours, he says, though he’s encouraged to take time off when his schedule permits.

Top 10 best jobs in Canada

2013-04-18T06:14:00.001-07:00

Miss Haxby is holding a newborn baby that is in an incubator at the Toronto Western Hospital in Toronto, Ont (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Head nurse & heath-care manager

Median Salary: $74,880

Change in salary (2006–2012): +24%

Total employees: 25,600

By 2020, about 20% of Canadians will be over age 65, which means positions in nursing and health-care management—a wide swath of jobs that ranges from research lab managers to nursing-home administrators—can only grow.

How to qualify: For nursing specializations, such as head nurse and nursing supervisor, the obvious price of entry is a four-year nursing degree, followed by clinical experience and, increasingly, management training (an MBA or master of health administration). Most laboratory managers have a degree in science and subsequent training at a college, university or technical institute, although business management degrees are becoming increasingly valued.

Money: Salaries typically range from about $85,000 to $105,000, and some receive premiums for postsecondary education or working evenings and weekends.

Opportunity: Ottawa projects a 30% shortage of nursing supervisors (and nurses overall) by 2020. On the technical side of health management, one of the biggest areas of growth is genetic testing. Reports suggest that by 2017 genetic laboratory budgets will consume up to two-thirds of total laboratory budgets, with the rise of personalized medicine.

What it’s like: Angelo Fefekos, who manages Mount Sinai Hospital’s Division of Diagnostic Medical Genetics in Toronto, describes his work as making “tough yes-or-no decisions” to ensure the best delivery of laboratory services. “The biggest challenge is to constantly inspire a large group of staff towards a common goal.”

Top 10 best jobs in Canada

2013-04-18T06:11:00.000-07:00

1. Oil & gas drilling supervisor

Median Salary: $74,880

Change in salary (2006–2012): +39%

Total employees: 16,100

With oil and gas production surging over the past few years, it’s no surprise this job ranked as our No. 1 career. According to the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors, there are currently about 1,200 rig managers across Canada, and demand is skyrocketing. Rig supervisors typically oversee two to three crews (of four to six people), which operate oil drilling rigs around the clock.

How to qualify: Formal education isn’t critical—experience is. Supervisors typically work their way through the various drilling crew jobs, beginning as “roughnecks” and progressing up to drilling operator. Various safety certificates and some management training may also be required, and some may also obtain a petroleum engineering technology degree.

Money: Rig managers generally earn a day rate of about $1,000, which can drive annual income up to the $175,000 to $250,000 range in Alberta, where supervisors average 180 days in the field.

Opportunity: Oil and gas production levels vary. While most forecasts project steady growth for 2013, some observers note that the picture is muddied by the high dollar, low crude prices, booming U.S. natural gas production and ongoing uncertainty around major pipeline projects. Despite that, the Alberta government projects 2.6% average annual growth in this profession until 2016.

What it’s like: Rig manager Wayne Brown, 52, describes the job as intense. “As a rig manager, I have to guide and look after both crews, night and day,” Brown says. “We’re usually on location for 80 to 90 days. I work two weeks in and have one week home.”

The satisfying challenges come from dealing with complications like broken motors, he says. “Every day is different.”

Canada’s Best Jobs 2013

2013-04-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

English: Welcome to Fort McMurray sign in Fort McMurray, Alberta. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The latest Canadian labour-force report landed with a thud on the first Friday of April. Fifty-five thousand Canadians found themselves out of work in March, pushing the national unemployment rate up 0.2 percentage points to 7.2%. That’s more than one million able-bodied Canadians looking for work. Numbers like these are enough to make anyone simply thankful for having a job, any job, let alone one that pays a decent wage.

In these sectors, employers are hiring, workers are treated well and the pay is getting higher and higher. These are the jobs you’ll find listed in this, our 2013 edition of Canada’s Top 50 Jobs.But before you shy away from asking for that raise or taking a leap of faith to pursue that dream job, consider this: most of the jobs lost in March were a few specific sectors: accommodations and food services, public administration and manufacturing. All but public administration are sectors that have been shedding jobs for the past decade. Employment in all other industries was relatively unchanged, and in some sectors, there is still plenty of growth.

To create this year’s list, we started by combing through data provided by Statistics Canada on more than 600 job categories. Jobs earning less than $60,000 a year are dropped off our list. From there, we look for the top-paying jobs that have had steady growth in both the number of people employed, and in wages, since 2006. After all, a high-paying job is only useful if you can actually land it.

With that in mind, we also account for how much competition there will be for these jobs in the future using data from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, which projects future labour supply and demand to 2020. Not surprisingly, several of the top jobs on our list are in Alberta’s oilpatch, where the gap between openings and eligible candidates has already begun driving up salaries. Unemployment sits at less than 5% in the province and below 4% the closer you get to the oil-rich areas near Fort McMurray, which are experiencing huge demand for three of our 10 best jobs: oil & gas supervisors, petroleum engineers and chemical engineers. What’s more, each of these jobs carries a median annual salary of $75,000 and up. And the best news for job-seekers is that demand for these positions isn’t expected to drop off anytime soon.

Still, the oilpatch isn’t the only place to find a good job. In fact, the highest-paying jobs aren’t even in the private sector. They’re in government. Almost all of the public-sector jobs on our list have median salaries of $95,000 and higher. A recent study out of the Fraser Institute backs this up. The authors of the study found public-sector employees on average enjoy a 12% wage premium over their private-sector counterparts. And while you could argue that the public sector is a risky place to hold down a job, in terms of size it’s been relatively unchanged since the late 1990s, and accounts for about 20% of all employment in Canada.

If a career that’s always threatening cutsdoesn’t appeal to you but you still want a job that offers increasingly better pay, then prepare to get your hands dirty. Construction workers’ earnings jumped 6% over the past year, which is nearly double the national average pay increase. Construction managers, pipefitters and electricians are some of the top jobs on our list that offer great salaries, so long as you have the skills and you’re willing to put in a little elbow grease.

An aging population will certainly open up space for jobs in all categories in the years to come, but that change will have a double impact on the health-care sector. By 2020, nearly 9,000 nurses with a median wage of $72,000 will be retiring annually, as the demands of an aging population become more acute. It’s one of the main reasons health-care jobs feature prominently in our list.

Click column headers to sort by category

Overall Rank	Job	Growth in # of employees (2006-2012)	Change in salary (2006-2012)	Projected job openings for every person looking in 2020	Median annual salary (2012)
1	Oil & gas drilling supervisor	44%	39%	2.3	$74,880
2	Head nurse & heath-care manager	58%	24%	1.23	$74,880
3	Petroleum engineer	75%	17%	1.02	$93,517
4	Electrical & telecommunications contractor	87%	28%	1.09	$72,800
5	School principal & administrator	9%	25%	1.23	$90,002
6	Lawyer	33%	14%	1.19	$79,997
7	Real estate & financial manager	47%	15%	1.07	$79,872
8	Senior government manager	4%	23%	1.15	$95,992
9	Chemical engineer	46%	20%	0.82	$78,000
10	Aerospace engineer	49%	11%	1.02	$75,005
11	Audiologist & speech-language pathologist	29%	21%	0.93	$77,813
12	Natural & applied science researcher	73%	25%	0.8	$73,590
13	Construction manager	39%	21%	0.94	$72,800
14	Police officer	25%	21%	1.05	$72,800
15	Financial administrator	13%	22%	0.92	$79,997
16	Registered nurse	10%	24%	1.23	$72,072
17	Sales & marketing manager	–4%	20%	1.15	$75,005
18	Dental hygienist	30%	12%	1.2	$69,992
19	Civil engineer	38%	13%	0.82	$76,960
20	Industrial technician	13%	28%	1.02	$74,381
21	Metal-forming contractor & supervisor	41%	32%	1.09	$65,874
22	Transportation manager	31%	17%	0.94	$72,800
23	Pipefitting contractor & supervisor	46%	19%	1.09	$66,560
24	Utilities manager	3%	17%	0.91	$100,006
25	Software engineer	34%	8%	0.77	$79,997
26	Occupational therapist	34%	21%	0.93	$72,738
27	Pharmacist	12%	21%	0.71	$95,680
28	Computer engineer	19%	14%	1.02	$75,005
29	Psychologist	–9%	25%	1.04	$77,709
30	School and guidance counsellor	29%	32%	1.04	$69,326
31	Electrician	100%	22%	0.91	$69,493
32	Economic analyst (government)	–15%	16%	0.96	$100,277
33	Geologist, geochemist & geophysicist	9%	34%	0.7	$89,440
34	Petroleum, gas & chemical process operator	5%	28%	1.16	$69,992
35	Health & occupation inspector	37%	15%	1.09	$66,560
36	Human-resources manager	9%	14%	0.92	$79,997
37	Mechanical engineer	33%	17%	0.82	$72,800
38	University professor	22%	19%	0.54	$81,994
39	Pilot	0%	25%	1.56	$69,846
40	Engineering manager	–20%	9%	1.06	$87,131
41	Secondary school teacher	3%	24%	1.04	$74,152
42	Railway & transportation supervisor	34%	38%	1.32	$60,320
43	Mining supervisor	18%	23%	2.3	$64,480
44	College instructor	21%	12%	1.45	$66,560
45	Urban planner	26%	16%	0.91	$72,530
46	Banking & credit manager	10%	13%	1.07	$72,530
47	Health-policy researcher	124%	19%	0.8	$67,205
48	Construction inspector	42%	13%	0.91	$62,400
49	Power system operator	–6%	11%	0.78	$70,720
50	Probation & parole officer	11%	13%	0.96	$71,094

Methodology

By Mark Brown, Sarah Barmak, Jeff Beer, Joe Castaldo, John Lorinc, Alexandra Posadzki, Tim Shufelt and Richard Warnica. Photo in header by David Jones/Getty.

Source: http://www.canadianbusiness.com/companies-and-industries/canadas-top-50-jobs-2013-edition/

How mainland Chinese immigrants are transforming Vancouver

2013-04-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

English: This is currently the Vancouver School of Theology in the Vancouver campus of UBC in Canada. It was formerly known as the "United Church of Canada: Union College of B.C." This stone building was initially constructed in 1927 and additions to its wings were made in the 1930s. It is located at 6000 Iona Drive in Vancouver, BC, Canada. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ian Young in Vancouver

Life is good for Wei Fuqiang and Chen Qianhong.

Sitting on their 10-metre cruiser in Vancouver's exclusive Coal Harbour marina, the married mechanical engineers recount an unlikely trajectory from wartime China, to Tsinghua University at the height of the Cultural Revolution, to elite careers building particle accelerators in Europe at a time when few of their countrymen were even allowed to leave China.

Little about this remarkable couple is typical - yet as mainlanders they now typify a vast wave of immigration that is rapidly transforming Vancouver.

Wei, 70, and Chen, 68, retired to the west Canadian city from their most recent home, Switzerland, in 2010. Chen said: "They are very different, Europe and Canada. Canada has opened its arms to all people. It's very multicultural. But in Europe, they are always pushing you, they try to integrate you into their culture.

"In Canada, they respect your background, you feel you are the padrone," she said, lapsing into Italian for "master of the house". "You are not anymore a guest. This is really your home."

The scale and impact of the mainland Chinese influx to Vancouver was laid bare this month in a report for Canada's immigration department, titled "A New Residential Order?"

Author Daniel Hiebert, a social geographer with the University of British Columbia (UBC), projected how mainland migration would fuel the creation of "a social geography entirely new to Canada". Ethnic Chinese numbers in the city of 2.2 million were set to double to 800,000 by 2031, about a quarter of the projected total population, with the city increasingly divided into racial enclaves, and white residents becoming a minority group.

In Richmond, a city of 200,000 in greater Vancouver, mainland Chinese migration has already helped create what is probably the first majority-Chinese city outside Asia.

The mainland Chinese wave has fuelled a property boom that makes Vancouver the second least affordable city in the world - behind only Hong Kong.

There have also been major social shifts, with families divided between a wife and children in Vancouver and a husband working in China. The phenomenon of returnees and part-time residents means thousands of houses and flats are vacant.

Hiebert said there had been relatively little focus on the issue, given the scale of the city's unfolding Chinese transformation. "Are we fully reflective on these changes? No, I don't think we are," he said "But I think Canadians, more maybe than anyone else, have decided to trust the government and immigration policy to decide immigration issues. In Vancouver, we have come to a consensus that a global cosmopolitan society is what we are going to be."

There are both similarities and contrasts to the pre-handover wave of Hong Kong migration to Vancouver in the 1980s and 1990s, Hiebert said.

According to immigration data, mainland Chinese arrivals in Vancouver outstripped those from Hong Kong by 7,872 to 286 in 2012. But even this 27-to-one disparity does not adequately portray the scale of the demographic shift that is taking place, because while the mainlander population is soaring in Vancouver, the number of Hong Kong immigrants actually present in the city has been falling sharply.

Mainlander numbers in Vancouver increased 88 per cent to 137,245 between 1996 and 2006, according to the most recent full census data. But Hong Kong immigrants present in the city fell 12 per cent, to 75,780, with nearly all of those losses occurring in the latter five years.

Although 18,890 new Hong Kong immigrants arrived in Vancouver in the decade to 2006, the fall in the number of such immigrants present in the city suggests that 29,325 left Vancouver in the same period. Overall, Hongkongers seem to be leaving Vancouver by the thousands, just as mainlanders are arriving by the tens of thousands.

Real estate agent Julia Lau was part of the Hong Kong wave who stayed, and she now estimates that 80 per cent of her buyers are mainlanders. "I've been a real estate agent for eight years. In the beginning we had a lot of buyers from Hong Kong and Taiwan, but I think maybe they all went home. Now, they are all from [mainland] China," said Lau, at an open house for a home in the Oakridge neighbourhood, where potential buyers whispered in Putonghua as they inspected the luxury fittings.

Canada does not keep records on foreign ownership, but a Landcor Data analysis of all 164 homes sold for more than C$3 million (HK$23 million) in Vancouver's core Westside neighbourhood in 2010 showed that 74 per cent were sold to buyers whose names were mainland Chinese spelling variants and who did not have any Western legal name.

At C$3.58 million, Lau considered the new 4,458 sq ft home she was showing on a nondescript suburban street to be "quite affordable". "Right now, a lot of mainland buyers just want brand new homes or they want land so they can build … Usually, in Shaughnessy, or South Granville, or Point Grey, a house like this will be four or five million," said Lau, reeling off suburbs favoured by Chinese buyers. Lau sold a string of homes worth eight figures to mainland buyers last year.

With the benchmark price for a detached home on the Westside now more than C$2 million, why would a mainlander choose Vancouver? "They like the fresh air, it's a very beautiful environment, and the education system for their children," said Lau, of Homeland Realty. "Lots of buyers, the wife and children will stay in Vancouver, but the husband will still live and work in China."

That common scenario reflects the difference between Hong Kong and mainland government attitudes towards Canadian citizenship.

David Ley, author of the book Millionaire Migrants about modern East Asian migration patterns, said China's prohibition on dual citizenship made it less attractive for a mainland Chinese migrant than for a Hongkonger to go "all the way" and seek Canadian citizenship, a process he termed "passport insurance".

"For a mainland Chinese, if they want to go back to China with a Canadian passport, they are at a disadvantage, unlike people from Hong Kong who are able to hold both [Canadian citizenship and Hong Kong permanent residency]," Ley said. "The stakes are much higher. If they ... get a Canadian passport then they are taking a much bigger risk."

Anecdotal evidence suggests mainland Chinese wives commonly stay in Vancouver to provide a citizenship toehold for their absentee husbands.

Ley, also of UBC, added: "Around 2000 there was an almost complete transition in migration, switching to the PRC instead of Hong Kong and Taiwan. In other words, everyone [from Hong Kong or Taiwan] who wanted a passport got one."

Another key difference between the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese waves is their potential scale and duration. "We know for sure there is very deep wealth in the mainland, whose holders want to diversify. [A recent study suggests] that 20 per cent of those very rich wanted to come to Canada," Ley said. "We are talking about a substantial body of wealth that won't run out in the way that Hong Kong [migration] did. Over the years we are looking at an ongoing presence, depending on a variety of factors."

Mainlanders outnumbered Hongkongers in Vancouver some time between the 1996 and 2001 censuses. In that period there were 85,756 mainland arrivals to the city. But that only reflected the speed with which Canada's immigration authorities could process their applications. There is a vast backlog.

When asked whether she saw any downside to the mainland Chinese influx, real estate agent Lau agreed that local first-home buyers were struggling. But she added: "I see a lot of people here who bought in West Vancouver a long time ago. They can sell for a lot of money and move somewhere else. It's very good for them."

Hiebert said that when the Globe and Mail newspaper used the alarmist term "white flight" to describe what was happening in Vancouver's suburbs "they got hammered for it". "I'd use a different term to white flight," Hiebert said with a laugh. "I'd call it 'cashing in'."

There have been some tensions, in addition to grumbling about property prices. In Richmond, where the proliferation of Chinese-only business signage has upset some long-time residents, the city council was presented with a 1,000-name petition demanding an English component to all signage. "It [Chinese-only signage] has got progressively more noticeable," said Richmond resident Kerry Starchuk, who helped organise the petition. Richmond's council rejected the petition's demands.

Back in Coal Harbour, Wei said he saw no problem with the influx of his countrymen. "I'm happy if they come. These are not low-level people, they are very high-level in China, they are very educated."

After almost 30 years in Europe, Wei, one of nine children, said he once hoped to retire in China. "I wanted to come back. In China we have many friends, many relatives, and the food is good too. With our money, China would be very comfortable."

Chen shook her head: "He is crazy! Not many would agree with him." Chen wants to apply for Canadian citizenship - "Chinese should involve themselves more in the community," she said - although her husband, reluctant to give up Chinese citizenship, does not.

They agree, however, that their new city was the right choice. With their son, daughter-in-law and three-year-old granddaughter living nearby, Vancouver is their home. "Now, this is perfect," said Wei, waving an arm over the marina. "I never want to have regrets."

This article first appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition on Apr 14, 2013 as The maple leaf mainlanders

Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1213977/how-mainland-chinese-immigrants-are-transforming-vancouver

Canadian Investor Groups Ready and Eager to Drive Economic Growth through the new Start-Up Visa

2013-04-10T23:04:00.001-07:00

English: Diagram of venture capital fund structure for Venture capital (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The new start-up visa will link innovative entrepreneurs with private sector organizations in Canada that have experience working with start-ups and can provide entrepreneurs with essential resources. As a way to help these in-demand entrepreneurs fulfil their potential and maximize their impact on the Canadian labour market, they will require the support of a Canadian angel investor group or venture capital fund before they can apply for a start-up visa.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) worked with industry umbrella groups, namely Canada’s Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA) and the National Angel Capital Organization (NACO), to identify eligible private sector organizations to partner in this program.

The umbrella organizations relied on specific criteria to determine which of their members are eligible to participate in the Start-Up Visa Program.

To receive designation to participate in the Start-Up Visa Program, a venture capital (VC) fund had to be a full member in good standing of the CVCA. VC funds that met this criterion and manage over $40 million in capital were automatically eligible to participate. VC funds that manage less than $40 million had to apply to the CVCA to participate in the Start-Up Visa Program. A number of factors were considered, including referrals from current CVCA members and interviews that the CVCA conducted with the limited partners of the fund.

Angel investor groups seeking to participate in the Start-Up Visa Program applied to NACO, of which they had to be a member in good standing. They were then assessed according to a number of criteria which included the level of deal flow in the past year, evidence of a thorough due diligence process, and evidence that all members of the group are accredited investors.

Immigrant entrepreneurs will require investment commitments from a venture capital fund or an angel investor group in order to apply for permanent resident status through the Start-Up Visa Program. An applicant must secure a minimum investment of $200,000 if the investment comes from a designated Canadian venture capital fund or a minimum investment of $75,000 if the investment comes from a designated Canadian angel investor group. Applicants will also need to meet general program requirements, such as language proficiency and academic experience.

The following is a list of the venture capital funds and angel investor groups that will participate in the Start-Up Visa Program:

Venture Capital Funds

BDC Venture Capital
Blackberry Partners Fund II LP (doing business as Relay Ventures Fund II)
Celtic House Venture Partners
- Celtic House Venture Partners Fund III L.P.
- Celtic House Venture Partners Fund IV LP
DRI Capital Inc.
Golden Opportunities Fund Inc.
iNovia Capital Inc.
New Brunswick Innovation Foundation Inc.
Northwater Intellectual Property Fund
OMERS Ventures Management Inc.
Pangaea Ventures Fund III, LP
PRIVEQ Capital Funds
- PRIVEQ III Limited Partnership
- PRIVEQ IV Limited Partnership
Quorum Group
- Advantage Growth (No.2) L.P.
- Ontario SME Capital Corporation
- Quorum Investment Pool Limited Partnership
- Quorum Secured Equity Trust
Rho Canada Ventures
Summerhill Venture Partners Management Inc.
Tandem Expansion Management Inc.
Vanedge Capital Limited Partnership
Version One Ventures
Wellington Financial LP
Westcap Mgt. Ltd.
Yaletown Venture Partners Inc.

Angel Investor Groups

Top employers for Canadians over 40 for 2013

2013-04-10T07:17:00.000-07:00

English: Tour CIBC in Montreal. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Special to The Globe and Mail

Published Tuesday, Apr. 09 2013, 5:00 AM EDT

Mediacorp awards acknowledge companies that offer innovative programs to assist older workers as they transition to life after work.

Agriculture Financial Services Corp. (AFSC), Lacombe, Alta. Credit intermediation; 550 employees. Actively seeks experienced adjusters for their knowledge, with the average age for adjusters being 55 years. Helps employees prepare for life after work with retirement planning courses tailored to employees under and over 45, phased-in retirement work options and contributions to a defined benefit pension plan.

Bank of Montreal (BMO), Toronto. Banking; 28,686 employees. Offers an enlightened sick-day policy through which employees can apply for personal days off, called People Care Days, that may be used for everything from moving to extended family responsibilities. Helps older workers with retirement planning assistance, phased-in retirement work options and health coverage that extends into retirement (with no age limit.)

Bombardier Inc., Montreal. Aircraft manufacturing; 24,147 employees. Offers retirement planning assistance services as well as phased-in retirement work options.

Business Development Bank of Canada, Montreal. Banking; 1,958 employees. In addition to three weeks of vacation to start, employees can purchase additional vacation days (up to five days) through the flexible health plan. Gives phased-in work options to older employees and contributes to a defined benefit pension plan.

Cameco Corp., Saskatoon. Uranium mining; 3,033 employees. Retiring employees enjoy a health benefits plan that extends into retirement with no age limit. Helps employees plan for retirement.

Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Ottawa. National security; 3,311 employees. Established the “intergenerational working group” on attraction and retention of employees to better understand expectations and needs across all generations in the workplace. Holds retirement planning workshops.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Toronto. Banking; 33,965 employees. Helps ease the transition into retirement with phased-in work options. Supports a retiree advisory committee that represents the views and concerns of retired employees.

Dalhousie University, Halifax. Colleges and universities; 3,328 employees. Retired employees can stay active through the Association of Dalhousie Retirees and Pensioners, which organizes social events and represents retiree interests on the university’s pension and benefits committees.

EllisDon Corp., Mississauga, Ont. Building construction; 1,164 employees. Profit-sharing and share purchase plans are available to all employees. Offers retirement planning assistance, phased-in retirement work options and contributions to a defined benefit pension plan.

Enbridge Inc., Calgary. Natural gas distribution; 4,681 employees. Considers previous work experience when establishing vacation entitlements for experienced applicants. Helps older employees prepare for life after work, contributes to defined contribution or defined benefit pension plans (depending on the employee group) and offers a health benefits plan that extends into retirement (with no age limit.)

HP Advanced Solutions Inc., Victoria. Computer system design; 403 employees. Offers phased-in retirement work options, assistance with succession planning and a defined benefit pension plan.

Manitoba Hydro, Winnipeg. Hydroelectric power generation; 5,980 employees. Subsidizes a retiree social club called Hydro-X that operates across the province; helps prepare older workers for life after work with retirement planning workshops.

SaskTel, Regina. Telecommunications; 3,131 employees. Offers an academic scholarship program available to employees’ older children pursuing postsecondary education; helps employees prepare for life after work and is in the process of introducing a phased-in retirement work program for employees nearing retirement.

Union Gas Ltd., Chatham-Kent, Ont. Natural gas distribution; 2,192 employees. Financial rewards include signing bonuses for some, generous year-end bonuses and a share purchase plan available to all employees; helps older workers prepare for life after work with retirement planning assistance.

University of Toronto, Toronto. Colleges and universities; 8,485 employees. Maintains a family care office that provides resources and hosts workshops and discussion groups on a range of family issues; offers a variety of alternative work options including flexible hours, telecommuting and reduced summer hours and phased-in retirement work options.

Canada to spend $10M to woo foreign students.

2013-04-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

University of British Columbia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

BY KARL KOFMEL, POSTMEDIA NEWS MARCH 30, 2013

The Canadian government is hoping to corner the market on foreign students by making a significant investment into Canada's education brand.

The recently tabled federal budget directs $10 million over the next two years to the effort - a large increase from the funding it set aside for marketing education from 2007 to 2012, when it budgeted $1 million each year.

Efforts will focus on strengthening the "Imagine Education au/in Canada" brand, a program that aims to promote the high quality of a Canadian education to international students.

Foreign Affairs spokesman John Babcock said the extra funding is a "very positive signal," and that the federal government will continue cooperating with the provinces to strengthen the international education strategy.

Canada is already a top destination for foreign students. According to the budget, some 239,000 students in 2010 contributed $8 billion to the economy, making them a rich vein for colleges and universities to tap.

The University of British Columbia, for instance, has almost 4,000 students from 120 different countries. Foreign students' tuition is, on average, five times higher than what Canadian students pay.

"It's a lot more than about economics," said UBC president Stephen Toope. "They really bring a richness to the educational experience that all Canadian students benefit from."

Jennifer Humphries, vice-president of membership, public policy and communications for the Canadian Bureau for International Education, said the Canadian education strategy to attract these students has several facets.

"The brand is all the things Canada does," said Humphries, adding that immigration regulations, tourism campaigns, the schools themselves and even the Vancouver Winter Olympics are all a part of the marketing effort.

"I still think, and the government seems to agree with us, there needs to be more investment and more work on establishing a brand, because we aren't where we need to be," she said.

The budget also included $13 million for Mitacs Globalink, a Vancouver-based program that matches international research students with schools.

"We're unique in being able to make sure that students are being put into labs that will be really interesting to them," said Arvind Gupta, CEO of Mitacs Globalink. "They know that when they come to us that we will have a good project for them."

The Imagine Education campaign has only been around a short time, so it remains to be seen how it affects recruitment.

Helping Immigrants Integrate and Succeed

2013-04-08T08:55:00.001-07:00

The Centre Block on Parliament Hill, containing the houses of the Canadian parliament (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Vancouver, April 2, 2013 — A new, more comprehensive guide and a new web tool to help newcomers settle and integrate in Canada were unveiled today by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

CIC’s new flagship publication, Welcome to Canada, is intended to be the official handbook to assist immigrants in preparing to come to Canada and to help them navigate their way during their first months in Canada.

“Our Government is committed to ensuring newcomers to Canada integrate and succeed in the Canadian economy and society as soon as possible,” said Minister Kenney, speaking at the MOSAIC settlement service centre. “The new edition of Welcome to Canada shows our commitment to helping the citizens of tomorrow experience a smoother transition into their new community and into the Canadian workforce.”

Twice as long as the previous edition, the new guide’s content has been built on the foundation of academic research, in consultation with several federal partners and experts in the field of integration, and has been reviewed by new immigrants. The guide features practical information on many different topics including how to access language classes, basic information about Canada’s education system, laws and the justice system, the labour market and much more.

For the first time, the Welcome to Canada guide includes examples of immigrants to Canada who have successfully integrated. The guide was enriched by advice and anecdotes from Nick Noorani, himself an immigrant and an expert who specializes in immigrant integration and career outcomes.

“It is a huge honor and privilege for me to have had a chance to work on this publication,” said Mr. Noorani. “Canada has given me more than I could ever have dreamed of and through my experiences I can help future immigrants succeed in Canada and this guide is a big part of that.”

This is the first time the Welcome to Canada guide has been revamped since it was first introduced in 1997. Like ourDiscover Canada citizenship study guide, Welcome to Canada is available in PDF or E-book format at cic.gc.ca/publications.

In addition, following the resounding success of the Come to Canada Wizard, the online immigration assessment and application tool, Minister Kenney today launched another interactive tool, this time intended for newcomers who have recently arrived in Canada.

The Living in Canada Tool produces a semi-customized settlement plan filled with tips, next steps, and useful links based on user responses to the initial questionnaire. Users can also find local immigrant-serving organizations with the integrated Find Services map, and can bring with them their customized settlement plan for additional, personalized support.

“To help newcomers integrate, the Government has tripled settlement funding since 2005-06 and remains committed to ensuring the distribution of settlement funding is fair, that immigrants receive the same level of service, regardless of where they choose to settle,” said Minister Kenney. “The new Living in Canada web tool helps newcomers find and access language and settlement services quickly upon arrival.”

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