Immigration Canada

Ottawa: Immigrants need minimum language skills

2012-01-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

CALGARY — A program which allows provinces to tailor immigration to fit local labour needs may look fine on the surface but a federal government evaluation has uncovered what it says are some troubling trends.

The program allows participating provinces and territories to nominate potential immigrants who they believe will meet particular economic and labour market requirements. It is the second-largest source of economic immigration to Canada and an estimated 42,000 to 45,000 people will be allowed to apply this year.

The evaluation by Immigration and Citizenship Canada says the majority of workers selected by the provinces are succeeding. More than 90 per cent declared employment earnings after one year in Canada and 70 per cent held a job in line with their skills.

But Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says there are problems. One is that less than one-quarter of nominees who moved to the Atlantic provinces stayed there compared with a 95 per cent rate in British Columbia.

Deborah Bayer of Nova Soctia’s office of immigration pointed out that the retention rate in the province is 68 per cent.

Kenney said another problem is that too many of those coming to Canada have little or no proficiency in either official language. He wants a minimum language standard for all provincial nominees and stronger links between their occupations and local job needs.

"It’s a partnership, not an Ottawa-knows-best situation, but at the end of the day we are going to be quite assertive in saying that we do think it’s best to have a standard, national language benchmark," Kenney said in Calgary on Thursday.

He said some provinces don’t seem to care whether their nominees speak the language at all.

"I guess what we’re saying to them is it doesn’t make a lot of sense to invite someone to Canada who doesn’t speak any English ... and some of the provinces have been, I would say, undervaluing language proficiency in their selection," he said.

Fraudulent immigration applications are significant, and there is a correlation between provinces that don’t enforce a language requirement and a higher rate of fraud, Kenney added.

"Some of the people who have little or no language proficiency come in through these investor schemes that we’ve had to shut down because they were quite dodgy. There were some provinces allowing consultants to run fast and loose to attract people who had a lot of money but no language proficiency."

Kenney said there are always "people around the world, particularly in the industry of bottom-feeding, unscrupulous immigration agents and consultants, who are willing to cut corners in order to make money to get people to Canada."

In November, New Brunswick stopped accepting applications under a Chinese immigration pilot program after an internal review. The auditor general there has also flagged concerns after finding that the province accepted about 5,000 immigrants during a 10-year span but didn’t track where they ended up living.

In Prince Edward Island, a former civil servant has alleged she saw senior provincial officials accept bribes to expedite immigration applications. Immigration Canada has forwarded that allegation to the RCMP, who are deciding whether to investigate.

In Nova Scotia, the government had to pay a $25-million settlement to immigrants who paid thousands of dollars for the promise of middle-management jobs which they never received.

Kenney said problems in Atlantic Canada can partially be blamed on a higher unemployment rate. As well, there may not be a strong established immigrant community to provide guidance and support.

"We need to work with the Atlantic provinces. They have benefited from this program. I don’t want to be too critical of the program."

Kenney pushes for more skilled immigrants to 'grow the economy'

2012-01-28T17:10:00.001-08:00

BY CAM FORTEMS
DAILY NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney happened to ride in the same elevator in a downtown building Friday with local entrepreneurial success story Ron Mundi.

And Kenney said Mundi — who bought and sold a half dozen hotels here and now owns the Coast Kamloops in Aberdeen — is the kind of immigrant the Conservative government wants to see more of in Canada as it shifts away from bringing in family members of those already here.

"The focus will be on economic immigrants who can help grow the economy," Kenney told reporters.

"I was just in the elevator with one of those folks (Mundi) who came to Canada like 20 years ago and he now owns millions of dollars of hotels in Canada. He started with nothing and now he's a huge entrepreneur. Those are the kinds of people we need."

Kenney was in Kamloops Friday meeting with local business representatives seeking input on the federal budget. He also toured the Ord Road Sikh temple and met with members of the Kamloops Sikh Cultural Society.

Pav Gill, secretary for the society, said members agree with the Conservative government's shift toward skilled immigrants.

"As a business owner I feel it's important we try and get the best. If they bring a skill set with them, it's better for our economy and country."

Gill said members are also satisfied with assurances from Kenney that sponsoring family members will still be possible as well as details on a crackdown of bogus marriages involving immigrants from Southeast Asia.

Kenney also met with representatives from TRU World. The immigration minister said the country is becoming home to an increasing number of foreign students — the Canadian experience class — who graduate and choose to remain here.

"It was slow starting…. (But) now we've had our ten thousandth foreign student on a fast-track basis."

A new class has also been created for PhD graduates who complete degrees here.

Kenney, who met with local business representatives in a round table session, said focus of the budget will be on economic growth and job creation.

And he echoed recent comments from Prime Minister Stephen Harper warning budget cuts are coming.

"We have to get to a balanced budget. There's going to be appropriate fiscal restraint… To be honest there's been very large growth in federal spending in the past few years."

Peter Aylen, past president of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce, said members recognize lack of spending room.

"We've got a big deficit and it doesn't look like that's going to change. But there's things we can do to generate a little more economic development."

From C to C: Chinese Canadian Stories of Migration, a Documentary Review

2012-01-28T17:09:00.001-08:00

by Ed Sum

In the documentary, “From C to C, Chinese Stories of Migration,” the ‘C’ can mean anything. It is not just about coming from China to Canada, but it is about what some Chinese people did to contribute to Canadian society—some became war vets—while others faced scrutiny. Most of these immigrants were ostracized. They were denied their basic civil rights during the turn of the 19th century.

They arrived in this country during the two economic booms of the Pacific Northwest in the search for their ‘Gold Mountain.’ The families and a few survivors of that time recount their tales of racial inequality, survival and injustice. When compared to today’s immigration laws, some people may be shocked. This film skillfully dodges any political commentary and simply looks at how secluded one particular nationality felt.

After the gold rush boom of the Fraser River, the governments thought the Chinese migrants would leave, but they didn’t. They created new lives, sent money back to family and sought success instead of going home and losing face. Honour is everything amongst the Chinese, and this film certainly reflects that.

When the contrasts are made, to look back at life in China, this film creates a somber mood that is mesmerizing to watch. The rustic urban decay wrapped around foliage is wonderfully captured on film. It suggests a deeper meaning, where one infrastructure is on the verge of despoiling another. The shanty conditions of the stone villages are a reminder of those left behind by most immigrants. Younger Chinese-Canadian born viewers may well wonder about the world their grandparents lived in. A few members of today’s youth reveal their response, but more voices from this crowd could have helped hammer the point home.

With the aging and the current generation, like Karin Lee (filmmaker), Bill Wong (Tailor), and Frank Wong (WWII Vet), offering their memoirs, this documentary doesn’t simply get sentimental. It strives to mend fences. No matter how bad some things were, in life or with the clothes one wears, it can be patched up, as Bill Wong points out. With his bright smile, that’s one wonderful message this film makes.

Viewers interested in more stories, videos, and photos can go to the official From C to C website

Prime Minister Harper unveils grand plan to reshape Canada

2012-01-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

JOE FRIESEN AND BILL CURRY

TORONTO AND OTTAWA— From Friday's Globe and Mail

Published Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 10:05PM EST

Last updated Friday, Jan. 27, 2012 10:51AM ES

After five years of minority governments, Stephen Harper finally has the freedom to act.

He’s no longer looking at the limited horizon of the next budget or the next election. He’s planning on transforming Canada for a generation or more. This is Stephen Harper’s blueprint for reform.

Although short on details, Mr. Harper’s speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday made clear the sweep of his ambition. He will change how Canadians finance their retirement. He will overhaul the immigration system. He will make oil and gas exports to Asia a “national priority” and aggressively pursue free trade in India and Europe.

Several times in his speech, Mr. Harper portrayed his agenda as a fix for a generation – a fix he claimed is necessary to confront the challenges of an aging population. Canada’s demographics, he warned, pose “a threat to the social programs and services that Canadians cherish.” Preserving those social programs will likely mean cuts elsewhere.

“Western nations, in particular, face a choice of whether to create the conditions for growth and prosperity, or to risk long-term economic decline. In every decision, or failure to decide, we are choosing our future right now,” Mr. Harper said.

“We’ve already taken steps to limit the growth of our health-care spending. … We must do the same for our retirement-income system.”

He said he plans to make Canada’s old-age security program sustainable. What that means is unclear. He did not spell out whether seniors will have to wait longer to receive the benefit or whether clawbacks would be increased for higher income earners.

Unlike the Canada Pension Plan – which is supported by a separate and well-financed pool of savings – there is no pot of cash to support the OAS program, which is paid out of government revenues. A recent actuarial report pointed out that the cost of OAS will climb 32 per cent between 2010 and 2015, and OAS payouts to retirees will rise to $108-billion in 2030 from $36.5-billion in 2010.

While future changes to OAS were not explained, Mr. Harper said current retirees will not be affected. The major policy reforms are in addition to looming spending cuts, which Treasury Board President Tony Clement said on Thursday could be as much as $8-billion, twice the $4-billion target announced last year.

Mr. Harper further outlined the blueprint for his government by ticking off a list of policy priorities. He said Canada’s investments in science and technology had produced poor results and were a “significant problem for our country.” He said he intends to pursue free trade with the European Union and India and find new energy markets beyond the United States. Regulatory delays for mines and energy projects are also being targeted.

Mr. Harper said he intends to tackle immigration reform, a thorny issue in a country where one in five is an immigrant. Canada’s humanitarian obligations and its family reunification objectives will be “respected,” he said, but the needs of the labour force and the economy will now be central.

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has been working on significant reforms to the immigration system for several months. Mr. Kenney has said he wants to speed immigrant integration in the labour market by changing the emphasis of selection criteria. He intends to reward applicants who speak English or French, have job offers, Canadian work experience or postgraduate degrees, all of whom tend to fare better economically. The increased emphasis on economic immigrants could lead to reductions in the family class.

As the Canadian population ages, immigration is increasingly the major source of population growth. At the moment, more than 60 per cent of population growth comes from immigration, but that will approach 100 per cent by 2030. If Canada wants to maintain its population structure, or at least the proportion of the population that’s over 65, it would have to start admitting about three to four times its annual intake of roughly 250,000 immigrants, experts say.

As for OAS, previous Liberal and Conservative governments have tried – and failed spectacularly – to make the program financially sustainable. Both Brian Mulroney, and Paul Martin when he was finance minister, were forced to back down in the face of public pressure.

C.D. Howe Institute president Bill Robson said he believes the public will support changes if they see MPs and the public service scaling back their benefits as well.

“As seniors get more numerous, it’s clearly more difficult for politicians to take them on,” he said. “But I’m encouraged to think Canadians can get together on things like this.”

Susan Eng, vice-president of the non-profit retired persons advocacy group CARP, predicts a strong negative reaction to OAS changes, which were never discussed during the election campaign.

Ms. Eng said her group’s surveys show strong opposition to changing the OAS.

With reports from Jane Taber in Ottawa and The Canadian Press in Davos, Switzerland

Immigration minister says immigrant language proficiency must be a requirement

2012-01-27T20:04:00.001-08:00

BY CLARA HO, POSTMEDIA NEWS JANUARY 26, 2012

STORY

Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.

Photograph by: Nick Procaylo, edmontonjournal.com

CALGARY — Canada's immigration minister is calling for minimum language proficiency standards, which could help minimize immigration fraud cases emerging mainly out of the eastern provinces.

"Some of the people who have lower language proficiency have come in through these investor schemes that we've had to shut down because they were quite dodgy, and some provinces were allowing consultants to run fast and loose and attract people who had a lot of money but no language proficiency," Jason Kenney told reporters Thursday, while providing an update on the federal government's Provincial Nominee Program.

Kenney recommended that the Canadian government work more closely with provinces to step up fraud prevention efforts and eliminate "bottom-feeding, unscrupulous immigration agency consultants," many of whom use fake documents and line up fake jobs to take advantage of the system.

By setting language proficiency standards, the nominees selected are also more likely to better serve themselves, to succeed in their employment and, in turn, benefit provinces and territories economically.

Meanwhile, Kenney also highlighted the successes of the Provincial Nominee Program, which authorizes provinces to nominate individuals for permanent residence who meet specific regional labour market needs, such as engineers or tradespeople.

The Provincial Nominee Program, now the second largest economic immigration program after the Federal Skilled Worker Program, has grown nearly sixfold since 2004 and currently accounts for more than 36,000 new permanent residents per year in Canada.

A recent study, which looked at nominees admitted between 2005 and 2009, revealed that more than 90 per cent declared employment earnings after a year in Canada, and after three years, had an average income that ranged between $35,200 and $45,100. About 70 per cent found a job that matched their skill set.

As well, the program was able to spread nominees outside of the major metropolitan areas of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, with 26 per cent of all economic immigrants destined for provinces outside of Ontario, Quebec and B.C. compared with 11 per cent in 1997.

However, provincial retention rates varied significantly across the country, from 23 per cent in the east coast compared with 95 per cent in B.C., Kenney said, adding: "This issue merits further attention."

The report also recommended that the federal government work closer with provinces and territories to get businesses involved in the recruitment of people from overseas and to have jobs lined up for people when they arrive.

Alberta Human Services Minister Dave Hancock said the province doesn't have set language proficiency standards in its program, but he's confident most if not all nominees in Alberta have the necessary language skills to work here.

He added Alberta doesn't really have a problem with fraud cases within the nominee program here.

However, he said his main concern with the program is that Alberta's allotment has been capped at 5,000 for the last few years, which will remain the same this year. But he estimates Alberta needs up to 10,000 positions to deal with the province's labour crunch.

"We're going to have a skills shortage and this is one of the best programs from an immigration perspective to ensure we have a targeted way of bringing people needed in Alberta for the economic growth that's happened," he said, adding the province is facing a shortage of 114,000 skilled workers over the next 10 years.

Hancock said his department has been discussing with the federal government to have the cap lifted. But at the very least, he'd like to see the allotment raised to a minimum of 6,000.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada plans to admit 42,000 to 45,000 immigrants through the Provincial Nominee Program, including spouses and dependents, and has given provinces and territories the same overall nomination allotments from 2011.

With files from Chris Varcoe, Calgary Herald

Rmore:http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Immigration+minister+says+immigrant+language+proficiency+must+requirement/6058296/story.html#ixzz1kiqcj5ST

P.E.I. lags in immigrant retention

2012-01-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

P.E.I. has one of the worst records in the country for retaining immigrants from the provincial nominee program, says a report from Canada Immigration.

Just 37 per cent of PNP immigrants who arrived on P.E.I. before 2008 were still living on the Island at the end of that year. Newfoundland and Labrador was the only province with a worse record: 23 per cent. Retention rates in Alberta and British Columbia were over 95 per cent.

The retention issue for PNP immigrants was particularly problematic for P.E.I., which relied on the program for 95 per cent of its immigrants. Nationally immigrants arrived through a broad range of programs, with PNP making up just 17 per cent of immigrants.

The report concludes employment may be a factor in immigrant retention.

Just over half of P.E.I.'s nominees were earning a wage in their first year on the Island, and those who were earning were averaging just over $20,000 a year.

In Alberta and British Columbia, more than 80 per cent of PNP immigrants had been employed in Canada on work permits before being accepted to the provincial nominee program. On P.E.I., that number started at a high of 10 per cent in 2005 and had fallen to five per cent by 2009.

Province's workforce continues to shrink

2012-01-27T19:58:00.001-08:00

MLA says retirements will see B.C. lose one million workers; only 650,000 on hand to fill the need

BY WALTER CORDERY, DAILY NEWS JANUARY 27, 2012

As the baby boomers retire and leave the workforce, British Columbia will need hundreds of thousands of skilled immigrants to replace them.

That need is one of the reasons why the provincial government has established an immigration task force that is travelling throughout the province to determine the needs of individual communities, said RichmondSteveston MLA John Yap, who leads the task force.

"There's no doubt B.C. needs more economic immigrants," Yap said, following a presentation at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre on Thursday.

"Our workforce is shrinking right now because people are retiring. We are losing one million people from the workforce in the near future due to retirement and we only have 650,000 people to fill the need," Yap said.

He leads a 10-member task force that recently started to criss-cross the province, seeking input from employers and others who are worried about the dwindling work force.

He started his consultation with local business and political leaders as well as other interested stakeholders in Fort St. John. "The immigration task force is part of the B.C. Jobs Plan. A strategy aimed at preparing for the expected economic boom," Yap said.

He has until March to consult with communities across the province and then submit his

report to Premier Christy Clark. "Based on the findings we have found so far, we realize that this is a growing problem," Yap said.

"What appears to be happening is businesses that hire new immigrants are seeing a high turnover rate because the immigrants take entry-level jobs when they first arrive and then look around for better work."

B.C. appears to be leading the other provinces in attracting immigrants but it still needs to do more, he said.

Yap praised the provincial nominee program because it accelerates the permanent resident application process for skilled workers, experienced business persons and their family members who want to settle in B.C. permanently. It allows nominees to apply for permanent resident status through Citizenship and Immigration Canada under the fast-tracked program.

Hilde Schlosar, executive director of the Central Island Multicultural Society, was at the meeting, which was closed to the public. Schlosar applauded B.C.'s plan to assist new immigrants and develop the workforce.

"This kind of thinking has worked well in other provinces, like Alberta. They have been able to maintain their workforce through immigration and there's no reason that I can think of why B.C. should be any different."

WCordery@nanaimodailynews.com 250-729-4237

Feds want to tackle troubling trends in immigration program

2012-01-27T19:57:00.000-08:00

The Canadian Press

The program — which allows participating provinces and territories to nominate potential immigrants who they believe will meet particular economic and labour market requirements — is under fire for its lack of documentation and standards.

Topics :: RCMP , Atlantic Canada , CALGARY , British Columbia

[CALGARY, AB] — A program which allows provinces to tailor immigration to fit local labour needs may look fine on the surface but a federal government evaluation has uncovered what it says are some troubling trends.

Another is that too many of those coming to Canada have little or no proficiency in either official language. Kenney wants a minimum language standard for all provincial nominees and stronger links between their occupations and local job needs.

"It's a partnership, not an Ottawa-knows-best situation, but at the end of the day we are going to be quite assertive in saying that we do think it's best to have a standard, national language benchmark," Kenney said in Calgary on Thursday.

He said some provinces don't seem to care whether their nominees speak the language at all.

"I guess what we're saying to them is it doesn't make a lot of sense to invite someone to Canada who doesn't speak any English ... and some of the provinces have been, I would say, undervaluing language proficiency in their selection," he said.

Fraudulent immigration applications are significant, and there is a correlation between provinces that don't enforce a language requirement and a higher rate of fraud, Kenney added.

"Some of the people who have little or no language proficiency come in through these investor schemes that we've had to shut down because they were quite dodgy. There were some provinces allowing consultants to run fast and loose to attract people who had a lot of money but no language proficiency."

In Nova Scotia, the government had to pay a $25-million settlement to immigrants who paid thousands of dollars for the promise of middle-management jobs which they never received.

Kenney said problems in Atlantic Canada can partially be blamed on a higher unemployment rate. As well, there may not be a strong established immigrant community to provide guidance and support.

"We need to work with the Atlantic provinces. They have benefited from this program. I don't want to be too critical of the program."

Ontario missing benefits of ‘nominee’ immigrants, report says

2012-01-26T22:03:00.001-08:00

Nicholas KeungImmigration Reporter

Ontario is lagging behind in reaping the benefits of a program that brings in skilled immigrants more quickly and more successfully, a new government report shows.

A review of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which allows provinces to select their own immigrants based on local economic needs, found that 80 per cent of the selected immigrants are employed in the first year — most of them in their area of expertise. The program fast-tracks immigrants with the right skills, bringing them to Canada in less than a year.

Their average income, depending on province, ranges from $29,600 to $41,700 in the first year, and rises to between $35,200 and $45,100 after three years.

Although newcomers selected through the standard federal skilled immigrant program have a similar employment rate initially, they lag behind the provincial nominees by a full 10 per cent after three years. About 87 per cent of the federal skilled immigrants are employed then, compared with 97 per cent among the nominees.

The federal immigrants tend to earn less than the provincial nominees for the first three years, but do catch up and surpass them after five years.

“PNP has grown a great deal, representing 20 per cent of the total economic class immigration in 2009,” says the Citizenship and Immigration Canada report released Thursday.

“For some provinces, such as Manitoba, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan, the program is the primary vehicle through which they attract immigrants to their province.”

Ontario doesn’t benefit to the same extent, even though it’s still Canada’s top destination for immigrants with almost 120,000 — or 42 per cent of all immigrants — settling here in 2010.

The province was a late-comer to the program, launching its own nominee procedure only in 2007. Between 2005 and 2009, only 1,247 — or 1.2 per cent of the total nominees — came to Ontario.

Ontario Immigration Minister Charles Sousa said the evaluation report “does not fully capture our high retention rates or the high calibre of PNP immigrants coming to Ontario. This is because they used data predominantly from the years before our program was fully up and running.”

Sousa pointed out that the province’s nominee target of 1,000 is set by Ottawa and “has been unilaterally frozen for this year.”

“This is just another reason why Ontario needs a stronger say on immigration selection, to ensure we have the right immigration mix that continues to support our economic prosperity,” he said.

But the highly touted program isn’t without problems.

Thanks to the pre-screening done by the provinces, immigrants coming in through PNP get approved at a rate of 96 per cent, compared with just 50 per cent under the usual federal application program.

But the report raises concerns over the lack of “systematic collection and reporting” of program information and the need for a “strong emphasis on program integrity.”

Serious allegations of corruption and mismanagement have been raised about the program in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

“There are differing levels of rigour applied by provinces and territories when confirming applicants’ adherence to eligibility criteria and, as a result, fraud and misuse can occur,” said the report, which surveyed federal and provincial officials and external groups representing unions, employers and immigrant nominees.

“But the general perception was that it was no more likely that there would be fraud (mainly related to jobs) on PNP applications than on any other economic program applications.”

The report calls for the establishment of minimum language standards for all nominees and stronger links between their occupations and specific local labour market needs. It also recommends a monitoring and reporting mechanism to boost the program’s accountability and integrity.

Good news for Intra-company Transfers to Canada

2012-01-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

January 2012

Author Yusra Siddiquee

We are pleased to announce that there has been a positive change to Canadian immigration policies to benefit employees holding Intra-company Transfer work permits who travel frequently outside Canada.

Limit to the duration of Intra-company Transfer (ICT) work permits

The rule previously was the following: After ICTs have reached their maximum work permit duration (five years for specialized workers, seven years for senior management), they would have to complete one year of full-time employment with the company outside Canada if they wished to re-apply as an ICT. If they were unable to complete one year outside Canada, then the foreign worker would have to obtain a work permit under the Labour Market Opinion category, a very long and cumbersome process.

New rule

Recaptured Time — Normally, the duration of the work permit is used to calculate the maximum time limit that an ICT is allowed to work in Canada. However, time spent outside Canada during the duration of the work permit can now be “recaptured.” For example, if an ICT worker has a work permit for one year and spends two months over the course of the 12 months working in the US, then only 10 months would count against his or her five- or seven-year limit as an ICT. In summary, documented time spent outside Canada can be recaptured to allow the ICT full years of physical presence in Canada.

This is great news for cross-border employees. For your employees to benefit from this change, we recommend that a travel chart of entry/exit dates be maintained. We also recommend that employees retain copies of travel itineraries/ airline tickets, hotel stays, etc., showing precise lengths of stay in Canada each year. With such information, your employees will be able to recapture the time spent outside Canada when extending their work permits.

Ottawa moves to tighten provincial immigration program

2012-01-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

ANNA MEHLER PAPERNY

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Published Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 8:16PM EST

Last updated Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 8:23PM EST

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is setting out more stringent standards for the way provinces pick immigrants, even as he lauds the strategy as a success and economic boon.

The Provincial Nominee Program, which allows provinces to select their own quota of immigrants based on local economic needs, has received plaudits for turning Prairie provinces into migrant magnets.

But its record is far spottier out east: Incarnations of the program in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have been beset by allegations of corruption, scathing auditors-general reports and multimillion-dollar settlements paid to immigrants claiming they’d been bamboozled by misleading claims. Concerns around investor streams of the program spread to Manitoba, where the Auditor-General is conducting her own review pre-emptively.

The program has expanded significantly and is changing the face of immigration in Canada, sending newcomers to regions in need of tradespeople rather than urban hubs where highly skilled immigrants often can’t get a job.

An evaluation of the nominee program, to be released Thursday, indicates Ottawa wants to have a more direct hand in ensuring the initiative works the way it wants it to.

Provinces will need to provide evidence they need the workers they pick and they’ll have to more closely monitor visa offices abroad, “including [for] fraud detection,” according to a summary provided to The Globe by a government source.

The summary also states that nominated immigrants will need to meet minimum language standards before immigrating. It recommends putting a “monitoring and reporting framework” in place to ensure provinces meet “agreed-upon performance indicators.” The suggestion is that failure to do so would have consequences on those provinces’ programs.

Mr. Kenney hinted at this leash-tightening in an interview with The Globe late last year. The program is a success, he said, but “we do have some concerns.”

“We want to make sure the provinces are managing the program with proper due diligence and proper integrity. We need to continue working with the provinces in that respect,” he said, making special reference to immigration consultants in Maritime provinces’ investor streams as a cause for concern.

“They’re approaching people overseas who have no intention of settling in Atlantic Canada,” he said. “That’s the kind of thing that we need to be mindful of and that’s one of the reasons we are not going to continue with the rate of growth in the program over the past few years until we’re able to sit down with the provinces and make sure our concerns are addressed.”

International students at Ottawa

2012-01-25T05:31:00.000-08:00

The Canadian capital is enjoying an economic boost thanks to the almost 500 international students currently attending Ottawa high schools.

The number of foreign students at Ottawa high schools has been rising rapidly since 2000, as increasing numbers of high school students from all over the world discover the advantages of pursuing a high school diploma in Canada.

Canada is an attractive destination for foreign students because of its high quality of education at affordable rates. In addition, many international students who have studied in Canada find that some Canadian immigration options become open to them once they complete their program of study.

It is estimated that the international students at Ottawa high schools bring an average of $30,000 dollars per person into the Ottawa economy. This money can be used to improve the schools even further, by hiring more teachers and enhancing the programs.

These students are part of the 90,000 international students that arrive in Canada each year to pursue educational programs at various levels of study.

Source: http://www.canadianimmigration.net/news/

Aging Boomers, Immigration To Boost Demand For Housing In Canada

2012-01-25T05:27:00.000-08:00

by Jim Adair

Canada's rate of homeownership is expected to increase and the future for condominiums looks bright according to an updated analysis of future Canadian housing demand.

By 2036, there will be more one-person households in Canada than any other category, due to the aging of the baby boomer generation. But the country is counting on immigration to be the main driver of household growth in the next 20 years, says a recent report from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC).

The report is part of this year's 184-page Canadian Housing Observer, an annual report on the state of Canada's housing by the federal government's housing agency.

The report says the growth of housing stock in Canada is driven by household formation, which is linked to changes in the size and composition of the population. It grew faster in 2008, 2009 and 2010 than at any other time since the early 1990s. In 2010, 271,000 immigrants landed here – the highest total in 40 years.

International migration now accounts for about two-thirds of the population growth in Canada, compared to about 40 per cent in the early 1990s.

"During the 1990s, natural increase (the difference between births and deaths) shrank considerably as baby boomers aged," says CMHC. "Although births rose from 2001 to 2010, the number of births per woman (1.66 in 2007) is still well below replacement level (2.1)."

Most immigrants to Canada settle in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, which is why population growth differs across the country. But the report says immigration is increasing in smaller Canadian urban centres. From 2008 to 2010, Saskatoon had the fastest rate of population growth in the country, followed by Vancouver, Calgary, Regina and Edmonton.

Recent immigrants (in Canada less than five years) are about half as likely as non-immigrants to own a home, but as time goes on and their incomes improve, they are more likely to become homeowners.

"Immigrants' propensities to rent or own housing differ by place of origin," says the report. For example, 42 per cent of recent immigrants from Eastern Asia, the region that includes the People's Republic of China and Japan, owned their homes in 2006, compared to 11 per cent of recent immigrant households from Northern Africa.

"With immigration now the principal driver of population growth in Canada, immigrants are bound to be an important influence on housing demand, especially in cities that attract a disproportionately large share of new immigrants," says CMHC.

In Canada, the number of seniors (age 65 and older) will more than double by 2036, growing eight times faster than the number of people under 65. Seniors currently represent about 14 per cent of the population, but that share will be almost 24 per cent by 2036.

The city with the highest proportion of seniors in 2010 was Peterborough, Ont., where 19.4 per cent of the population was over 65. The lowest percentage was Calgary at 9.5 per cent. A recent bank survey asked which city in Canada people would most like to retire in, and the winner was Victoria. It currently ranks fourth for highest proportion of seniors, after Peterborough, Trois-Rivieres, Que. and Kelowna, B.C.

The leading edge of boomers started turning 65 in 2011, but the largest number of boomers won't reach 65 until 2024, and the youngest will turn 65 in 2030. The impact of the boomers will be felt on the housing market for many years, the report says.

"Aging households will support continued growth in condominium markets," it says. "Seniors have higher rates of condominium ownership than any other age group, and those rates have been rising. We can also expect to see growing demand for home adaptations and support services aimed at allowing aging residents to remain living comfortably in their homes."

Seniors are less likely to move than younger people. About 20 per cent of seniors moved between 2001 and 2006, compared to 44 per cent of non-senior households.

"The relatively low mobility rates of seniors are evidence of a preference on the part of many for staying in their current homes for as long as possible. Though behaviour could change in the future, mobility rates have historically been very stable," says the report.

The average age of the head of the household is rising – those aged 55 and older will make up half of all households by 2036. With the aging boomers will come a rise in one-person households, particularly women. MHC says one-person households will become the biggest single category of households by about 2021.

Alberta and B.C. are expected to see the fastest pace of household growth, while Newfoundland and Labrador will see the lowest.

Published: January 17, 2012

Senior Immigration Canada manager pleads not guilty in bribery scheme

2012-01-24T13:38:00.000-08:00

Case alleges accused received money for fast-tracking residency applications
BY ANDREW SEYMOUR, OTTAWA CITIZEN JANUARY 24, 2012

Secretly recorded telephone calls and undercover police surveillance will paint a portrait of a senior Citizenship and Immigration Canada manager taking cash in exchange for preferential treatment on permanent residency applications, a prosecutor said Monday on the first day of a trial into an alleged bribes-for-status scheme.

Assistant Crown attorney Mike Boyce said Diane Serre teamed up with Issam Dakik to take thousands of dollars from mostly Arab immigrants in exchange for fast-tracking their applications. Dakik would meet with the applicants and collect the money before contacting Serre who would use her influence as a manager and supervisor in Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Catherine Street office, said Boyce.

Serre, 41, pleaded not guilty to 28 charges Monday, including multiple allegations of fraud against the government and breach of trust of a public official. She is also charged with one count of bribery.

Dakik portrayed himself as someone who had inside information, Boyce added.

Dakik, who has pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme, along with credit card fraud, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison in 2006. At the time, Dakik admitted he paid Serre a portion of the proceeds of the scheme.

The scheme allegedly began in January 2003 and continued until December 2004, when Serre and Dakik were arrested by RCMP in an operation dubbed "Project Argon."

Nine applicants made the illegal cash payments, which the RC-MP said at the time of Serre's arrest ranged from between $4,000 and $25,000.

In an opening address, Boyce outlined Crown evidence that will be presented over the six-week trial, including wiretap evidence that the prosecutor said proved that Serre was Dakik's "insider" at Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Police surveillance observed visits to Dakik's home by Serre that corresponded with wiretapped telephone calls to some of the applicants - calls where Dakik would often either put the applicants on hold or could be heard consulting with someone else in the room.

Boyce alleged when an undercover police agent approached Dakik, he was told the first $300 he paid would go to "the lawyer." Bills with the same serial numbers were recovered two weeks later from Serre's bedroom, said the prosecution.

Among the allegations is that Serre also handed over sensitive Citizenship and Immigration Canada documents to Dakik and made phone calls to outside government agencies, including CSIS, to see if some of the steps of the application process could be expedited.

Not all of Serre's actions would be improper when viewed in isolation, said Boyce, but when viewed in the context of Serre's relationship with Dakik, they equated to a breach of trust.

"She accepted or agreed to accept a benefit for her assistance in processing these claims," Boyce told Ontario Superior Court Justice Catherine Aitken.

Boyce said the Crown intends to prove Serre not only committed a breach of trust by taking money, but by the very fact she agreed to give preferential treatment to the claimants at all.

"Just through acts of giving preferential treatment to those files would be a breach of trust by Ms. Serre," he said.

The nine applicants who paid Dakik are expected to be called as witnesses this week and next. Their evidence will include tape-recorded conversations and agreements they made with Dakik. Dakik is expected to take the witness stand in about two weeks, where prosecutors expect to confront him with the wiretaps and other surveillance.

The Crown will also introduce evidence that will show when Serre or others searched for the applicants' electronic files. Occasionally Serre would search the files within a day of discussing them with Dakik, Boyce alleged.

The prosecution spent much of the first day introducing many of the exhibits seized from searches of Citizenship and Immigration Canada office and Serre and Dakik's homes.

The trial continues Tuesday.

aseymour@ottawacitizen.com

Hot Jobs in Canada for 2012

2012-01-23T17:28:00.000-08:00

We Are Headed For Growth Despite Some Headwinds From Abroad

By Mark Swartz

Monster Senior Contributing Writer

What will the economy bring for Canada in 2012? Positive news overall, as energy prices and demand for our exports remain reasonably high.

Did you know, for example, that Canada is the largest single exporter of oil to the United States? Or that over 20% of the world’s entire supply of potash – a chemical used in various fertilizers – is produced right here?

While our natural resources are abundant, so are Canada’s manufacturing facilities, services sectors, and other job-generating areas across the country. Our banks are sound and our workforce is engaged. That’s what has made us so resilient despite headwinds from other parts of the globe.

Overall Growth Prospects For 2012

According to the Conference Board of Canada’s “Economic Insights” report from Autumn 2011, nearly 370,000 additional jobs are forecast to be added here for 2012. This amounts to a 2.1% increase over the previous year’s total. Not bad at a time when Europe and the U.S. are experiencing challenges of their own.

Where will all these new Canadian jobs come from? They’ll be created across a variety of sectors in provinces from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia. We take a look below at some highlights of the places where job growth in Canada is expected to be strongest.

The Atlantic Provinces

Newfoundland and Labrador is having an unprecedented energy and resources boom. With about $43-billion worth of projects in process, a shortage of skilled workers is foreseen.

View construction and mining related jobs in Newfoundland and Labrador

Over in Nova Scotia, one of the Halifax area’s largest employers won the contract to build $25-billion worth of combat ships for the federal government over the next 30 years. Initial production could start by late 2012.

View marine-related and manufacturing jobs in Halifax

Quebec

In the province of Quebec, Montreal is poised for jobs growth in aerospace - at such companies as Bombardier and Pratt and Whitney – as well as in video gaming.

For Quebec City, in 2012, Non-Commercial services is forecast to grow as a category by more than 5,500 jobs. This is a bright note for teachers, other educators, healthcare workers and those in social services.

Ontario

Hamilton, Ontario is seeing a modest rebound in housing construction. As a result, Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate are poised to add additional jobs. Also this Canadian center for steel production will create more manufacturing positions.

View finance, insurance and real estate jobs in Hamilton

View manufacturing jobs in Hamilton

Ottawa, Ontario – the capital of Canada – is normally known for its large number of government jobs. However in 2012 it is Construction that will expand. So will Non-Commercial services.

Toronto, Ontario should see a solid rise in banking and finance jobs, given that the city is an international finance hub. The Personal Services sector will show healthy growth as well.

Western Canada

In the province of Manitoba, it is projected that Winnipeg will produce more jobs in two particular Service sectors. One is Transportation. The other is Business Services.

Saskatchewan is primed for expansion due to an explosion in demand for natural resources such as potash, oil, and gas. You can see this in Saskatoon, where the Goods sector – which includes Manufacturing, Natural Resources, Utilities And Construction – is expected to produce 9.3% more jobs.

View construction trades, helpers and labourer jobs in Saskatoon

View transportation jobs in Saskatoon

Meanwhile in Regina, Saskatchewan, Construction is on the verge of creating 1,100 new jobs. Better yet is Wholesale and Retail Trade, which will be up 1,800 jobs.

Alberta is also benefiting from worldwide demand for oil and gas. This is evident in Calgary, a diversified city, where jobs in petrochemicals and resources will be plentiful. As employers in this field expand, they need additional IT people as well.

The Edmonton, Alberta region too will experience jobs growth along with Alberta’s primary resource sector. Accordingly the city should see a boost in positions for Transportation and Warehousing. Another growth area there will be Finance, Insurance and Real Estate.

British Columbia will be home to some impressive jobs growth in 2012. Victoria is the province’s capital city. There we will see above average increases in Non-Commercial services, as well as in Wholesale and Retail Trade.

Scenic Vancouver, British Columbia, with its proximity to the Pacific Rim, has some bright spots for employment growth for 2012. One of its local employers, Seaspan Marine Corp., will begin an $8-billion deal to build non-combat ships for Canada’s navy and coast guard. Film and movie production is a year-round job producer as well.

Potential Drags On Growth

Decreased demand for our natural resources is a possibility if countries such as China and the U.S. experience an economic slowdown. There may also be a tightening of the fiscal belt by our government. Moreover the European financial situation could negatively impact Canada’s economy.

For More Information

Details about employment statistics are available at Statistics Canada.

The Canadian undocumented?

2012-01-23T17:14:00.001-08:00

By Father Tom Joyce CMF

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January is the month of the refugee. The UN High Commission for Refugees estimates that in 2010 more than 30 million people sought asylum in other countries--264,000 in the United States and 165,000 in Canada--because of war or persecution. But that, doesn’t mean that they were welcomed to stay. After processing, some are denied and asked to leave.
Canada once had a reputation for being most accommodating. Not so anymore. The Conservative government has tightened its process of granting asylum and has reduced the number it accepts. This seems already to have created a new set of “illegals” or unauthorized immigrants according to the Los Angeles Times.
The phenomenon became more publically known couple of weeks ago, when the Los Angeles area experienced a series of arsons--mostly of parked autos. Harry Burkhardt, the suspect, was soon apprehended. He and his mother, Dorothee, were here on visitors’ visas and holding German passports. But they also entered the U.S. from Vancouver, after having been denied asylum.
Canada has revised its asylum process--ostensibly to quicken the pace of acceptance, but really to save money and to cut the number of asylums granted during hard economic times. Now asylum-seekers are to get a hearing in 90 days and, if rejected, are to be ushered back to their home country within 120 days. This is not enough time, immigrant advocates say, to gather the documentation to make the petitioner's claim of persecution-- before or after the hearing. Canada has 42,000 pending cases and 124,000 ready for deportation. The fear is that those rejected will travel as visitors on still valid passports, like the Burkardts. While the U.S. and Canada have an agreement to prevent asylum-jumping, as in case of the Burkhardts, once they're legally in the country, they have the right to present themselves to an asylum officer. If rejected, they won’t necessarily go home, but might just melt into the shadows among the other undocumented.
Many of those seeking asylum in Canada last year came from surprising places. The largest number is from Hungary. Now a member of the European Union, which insists on strong human rights policies, the former Communist country seems to be slipping back into one-party rule. The EU has charged Prime Minster Viktor Orban of extending his party’s control over the central bank, the judiciary, and the media. Critics speak oftransforming the county into a “Putin democracy” or a “Viktorarcy.”
It’s a shame that the plight of refugees should complicate the U.S.’s immigration problems further, or that Canada should temper its generous welcome to refugee. The number of refugees continues to be high. The UN High Commission estimates that every minute eight people flee their homes because of conflict or persecution. So there are millions more refugees than those that come to seek asylum. (Note that the Gospel of Matthew has the Holy Family seeking asylum in Egypt.)

Immigration trends — by the numbers

2012-01-23T17:13:00.000-08:00

By SALIM MANSUR, QMI AGENCY

The headline on my column last week read, “Immigration isn’t just about numbers.”

But numbers indeed tell the story of how the trend line for immigrants arriving in Canada over the past 25 years slopes upward. In 2010, some 280,681 immigrants — or new arrivals as permanent residents, in the language of the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Canada — entered the country. The figure for 1986 was 99,354.

The total number of immigrants arriving in this period (1986-2010) was more than 5.5 million, or an average of some 220,000 annually. During these years the total population grew from about 26 million in 1986 to 34 million in 2010.

To put the above numbers in perspective — all figures provided here come from government sources — Canada accepted some 4.4 million immigrants in the three decades between 1951 and 1981 at an average of about 146,000 annually. In 1951, Canada’s population was slightly above 14 million, and in 1981 the figure was close to 25 million.

The number for immigrants in 2010 was the highest for a single year during the past 60 years.

We might note in the period of 1986-2010 the spike in numbers occurred under the previous Conservative government of prime minister Brian Mulroney. In order to assure new Canadians or ethnic minorities that the Conservatives favoured increased immigration, the Mulroney government spiked the numbers upward, from less than 100,000 in 1986 to a record high of 256,641 in 1993.

This jump in immigration levels, while disregarding an economic downturn during the same period, was a transparent effort by the Mulroney Conservatives to woo ethnic votes. The irony is the effort failed as the Conservatives crashed to their worst electoral defeat in the 1993 election.

Immigration has contributed to population growth since Confederation. But during the past half-century, a dramatic shift took place in terms of the source-area composition of immigrants to Canada.

Until 1961 the origin of more than 90% of immigrants was from Europe, and non-European immigrants, primarily from Asia, barely registered at 3%. In the decades following the centennial year, these figures were significantly altered.

In the period of 1991-2001, immigrants of European origin entering Canada fell below 20%, and Asian immigrants soared to nearly 60% of the new arrivals. During the same period, immigrants from Africa accounted for nearly 8% of the total, while around 11% were those arriving from the Caribbean basin, Central and South America.

It is in this shift of source-area composition of immigrants that the demographic profile of Canada’s population as predominantly of European-origin has begun to change.

In 2010, for instance, the top three source countries for immigrants — their respective numbers are given in brackets — were Philippines (36,578), India (30,252) and China (30,197). Together these three countries provided nearly 35% of new arrivals in Canada.

The other noteworthy figure for 2010 is the total number of immigrants originating from Muslim majority countries, which amounted to 65,684 or approaching 25% of the new arrivals.

The cumulative effect of these numbers over time will be significant, and this is why immigration is the big issue politicians of all stripes want to avoid publicly discussing.

Diaspora bonds could help developing countries

2012-01-22T14:33:00.001-08:00

BY MARC AND CRAIG KIELBURGER, TIMES COLONIST JANUARY 22, 2012

In 1988, Naser Kaid left his home in Jimma, Ethiopia, to seek opportunity in Canada. His widowed mother stayed behind. Today, Kaid is her only lifeline.

What Kaid can afford from his wages as a Toronto taxi driver, he sends home to his mother. It's usually $50 to $100 each month and the only income she has. In November 2011, she needed surgery. Kaid scraped together the money to cover the operation. He considers it his responsibility.

"Life is hard here," Kaid says. "But at the same time, you have to remember those elsewhere."

In 2010, immigrants to Canada sent more than $12 billion to support the families they left behind. That's $4 billion more than all the money Canadians gave to charity, and over $6 billion more than Canada spent on international aid that same year.

When the world population passed seven billion in October 2011, the UN Population Fund dedicated an entire chapter of its State of the World Population report to issues around migration. It noted the absolutely staggering amount of money immigrants around the world send back home.

The World Bank estimates that, by 2013, more than $404 billion will be travelling around the world every year from immigrants back to their families. That's almost three times more than all the developed countries in the world put together spent on international aid in 2010.

The Hudson Institute, an American think tank, reports that these remittances play a key role in fighting poverty in developing nations. Those who receive money from family abroad tend to have a better quality of life and are better able to survive shocks like natural disasters.

With tough economic times forcing many donor countries to scale back on international aid, is there a way to turn the hundreds of billions flowing from immigrant communities into an even more effective tool against poverty? Yes, through diaspora bonds.

Canadians should be familiar with Canada Savings Bonds. You buy them from the Government of Canada in amounts as little as $100. When you redeem them months or years later, you get your money back with interest. It's a great way to save money, and it creates revenue our government can use to provide the services we rely on, like health care.

Diaspora bonds work the same way, except they are sold by countries like Ethiopia to their immigrant communities living abroad.

Diaspora bonds are not new. Israel was the first to issue them in 1951. Some African countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria have recently begun to issue bonds. Greek immigrants in Canada and other countries are now looking to diaspora bonds as a way to save their homeland from its massive debt crisis.

The World Bank offers one example of how diaspora bonds could be employed to aid development. There are more than 1.5 million Haitian immigrants living in Canada, the U.S. and France. If 200,000 of them each bought $1,000 in bonds, they would raise $200 million to support postearthquake reconstruction in Haiti.

It seems to us, Canada could support diaspora bonds as a cost-effective way to increase resources for fighting poverty. Here are few ideas that might be explored: Canada could act as an international guarantor for development-dedicated bonds. Our government could help promote these bonds to immigrant communities, or give tax credits to immigrants who purchase them.

There are risks in diaspora bonds. Because the money from bonds goes to governments in developing countries, there is potential for mismanagement or corruption. The Canadian Chapter of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad, for example, prefers that the European Central Bank or the International Monetary Fund control any funds from diaspora bonds. They believe the Government of Greece is in disarray and cannot responsibly manage the money.

Through partnerships, Canada could support bonds designated for specific approved projects. We can provide technical assistance to recipient countries, building their capacity to manage the bonds with accountability and transparency.

We see a creative opportunity with diaspora bonds to not only increase resources for development, but also empower our immigrant communities to help their families back home.

Naser Kaid thinks diaspora bonds are brilliant.

He's considering investing in the new bonds available from Ethiopia.

"It's one of the best ideas," he says. "Countries can use the money, it doesn't cost you much, and you get it back!"

Chef Salary Canada

2012-01-21T13:04:00.001-08:00

The table below details the hourly wages for Chefs. The Canadian national occupation classification code (NOC) for this employment is 6241.

Job titles and exact duties vary in this occupation and examples of some job titles are: chef, chef de partie, head chef, sous-chef, assistant chef and pastry chef.

The pay information below has been split into rough bands as follows:

Low pay: The bottom 10 percent of workers earn this.
High pay: The top 10 percent of workers earn this.
Average pay: The average wage in this sector after removing the bottom 10 percent and the top 10 percent of workers. Average pay is then calculated on the remaining 80 percent of workers' wages.

According to the latest figures, the highest hourly average wages are earned in Vancouver / Lower Mainland Southwest, British Columbia at $17.47 per hour and the lowest average wages are earned in Fredericton, New Brunswick at $12.84 per hour.

The largest sector of employment for chefs is accommodation and food services. The average weekly earnings for the accommodation and food services sector as a whole were $356.24 in February 2011, an increase of 3.1% on the previous year when average weekly earnings were $345.69. Assuming an average working week of 36 hours, hourly average earnings in this sector for February 2011 were $9.90.

Average Hourly Wages for
Chefs in Canada

Location	Low Wage $ per hr	Average $ per hr	High Wage $ per hr	Year
Calgary / Banff / Jasper / Rocky Mountain House - Alberta	11.68	17.35	30.98	2011
Edmonton - Alberta	9.00	16.78	33.00	2011
Vancouver / Lower Mainland Southwest - British Columbia	10.75	17.47	25.11	2011

Winnipeg - Manitoba	10.50	16.28	25.37	2011
Fredericton - New Brunswick	9.00	12.84	18.96	2010
Halifax - Nova Scotia	12.00	17.00	36.00	2010

Toronto - Ontario	10.50	15.94	23.47	2010
Ottawa - Ontario	11.00	16.26	23.30	2010
London / Woodstock - Ontario	10.25	15.07	20.36	2010

Kitchener / Waterloo / Barrie / Guelph - Ontario	11.00	15.64	22.57	2010
Prince Edward Island	9.55	15.45	25.45	2011
Montreal - Quebec	11.00	15.25	23.00	2008

Saskatoon and Rural West - Saskatchewan	11.80	16.50	22.30	2010

Cooks Wanted in Canada

2012-01-21T12:54:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in working as a Cook in Canada, you will be pleased to know that the job outlook for your occupation in Canada is extremely positive. You can use this overview of the Canadian employment prospects in your field to start planning your immigration and settlement in Canada.

Cooks are on the list of 29 eligible occupations under the Federal Skilled Worker program. A maximum of 500 applications will be accepted for processing in each of the 29 occupations, with an overall cap of 10,000 applications.

To view current number of applications received toward the cap, click here.

To find out if you qualify for a Canadian immigration (permanent resident) visa please fill out our ONLINE eligibility assessment.

NOC 6242 - Click here for a description of the occupation and duties for Cooks:

NOC 6242 - Click here for some other example job titles for Cooks:

Why your employment prospects in Canada are excellent:

This is a large occupational group and there will be many job opportunities arising in the next few years.
Prospects are especially good for fast-food outlets, which are the largest source of employment for Cooks in Canada.
Many cooks are expected to show artistic ability in food displays and participate in competitions. Continuous learning will thus be essential to cooks as they hone these skills through attending specialty seminars and learning from peers and experts.
According to the Canadian Federation of Chefs and Cooks, the best trained chefs and cooks are in very high demand.

Find out about the salary ranges for Cooks in different Canadian cities with our Canada Salary Calculator

Some areas in Canada where your occupation is in demand:

Vancouver Island and Victoria, British Columbia:

Employment prospects are very good in this area.
Individuals who are artistically creative are in very high demand.

Manitoba:

Employment prospects for cooks are expected to be good in the period over the next five years.
Employment is fairly evenly distributed across the province. Cooks are mainly employed in the Accommodation and Food Services sector and the Health Care and Social Assistance sector.

Saskatoon and Rural West, Saskatchewan:

There is a high demand for professionally trained cooks and foreign specialty food cooks in this area.

Prince Edward Island:

There is a shortage of trained cooks in Prince Edward Island.
Shortages are particularly high in the tourist area of Cavendish during the summer months.
The long range employment outlook for cooks in Prince Edward Island is expected to be good.
Employment is seasonal for many cooks in Prince Edward Island. The number of cooks employed is much higher in the summer months.
Previous experience in the food industry is preferred by employers. However, due to the severe shortages, some employers are willing to provide on-the-job training.
For example, the demand for line cooks is so great that some employers have partnered with the Tourism Industry Association of PEI to develop a line cook training course. This is a 12-week program where students are guaranteed a job upon completion.

New Brunswick:

The majority of cooks in New Brunswick work in the Accommodation and Food Service Industry.
Prospects are particularly good in the following New Brunswick areas: Saint John-Sussex-St. Stephen, Moncton-Shediac-Sackville-Richibucto, and Campbellton-Bathurst-Caraquet-Miramichi.

Muskoka Region, Ontario:

Local employment prospects are good for cooks, because this area is very touristic and there are plenty of resorts.
Demand for this occupation is at its highest during the summer months in resort communities such as the Muskoka District, Wasaga Beach and the Bruce Peninsula.
Resort communities such as the Town of Collingwood and The Town of the Blue Mountains would offer good employment opportunities in both the summer and winter months.

Niagara Area, Ontario:

Employment opportunities for cooks in the Niagara Area are very good.
Demand for this occupation remains high with an abundance of advertised vacancies. This is due in part to new establishments in this very touristic region.

Waterloo, Huron, Perth, Wellington, Dufferin, Ontario:

Local employment prospects are expected to be good for cooks.
Job vacancies in resort areas tend to fluctuate according to seasonal factors related to the local tourist industry.
Demand for this occupation would be at its highest during the summer months such as in the resort communities along Lake Huron.

Source: http://www.canadavisa.com

6 reasons to buy Canada

2012-01-21T02:18:00.001-08:00

By Eric St-Cyr

Time to invest in AAA America: Canada.

The select membership of the AAA rating club is shrinking rapidly. You will soon have enough fingers to count all the AAA rated countries around the world. Since the recent Standard & Poor's downgrade only 12 countries remain in this exclusive block: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

When we consider that Germany and the Netherlands will have to recapitalize their banks sooner rather than later, and that the economic situation in the UK doesn't seem to be getting better, I expect this élite group to shrink even further in the coming months. We will soon be left with a group of Scandinavian socialist countries, where individual taxation exceed 70%, Switzerland and Luxembourg, physical refuges of the wealthy, Singapore which is really a transit port for Chinese goods and the commodity producers that are Canada and Australia.

If I had to choose between which country presents the best risk/reward as an investment going forward, my vote would definitively go towards Canada. I am biased, being Canadian myself, however I should also state that I haven't lived there for years, avoiding the cold weather and prohibitive taxation levels. This doesn't stop me from seeing the appeal of Canada as an investment.

When Dr. Doom, Nouriel Roubini, described Canada as "a country with a relatively sound financial system, solid government balance sheet and a commodity sector that can withstand possible global economic risks" (Source:Huffington Post ) he was onto something. Canada will soon emerge as a safe haven for foreign investors and should play an important role in everyone's portfolio, on both the Fixed Income and on the Equity side.

6 reasons to invest in Canada:

Commodities: As you may be aware, for every death two people are born on earth today. Demand for commodities will continue to rise for the next 20 to 30 years. Of course, we will see set backs - caused by either a rise of the US dollar or a slow down in China's demand. As commodity demand increases Canada is positioned to profit from it.

Canada has the second largest landmass in the world behind Russia. In recent years Canada has been the world's largest producer of zinc and potash; the second-largest producer of nickel, asbestos and cadmium; the third-largest producer of platinum and titanium; the fourth-largest producer of aluminum and the fifth-largest producer of gold, copper, lead and cobalt (Source:Canadian Trade Commissioner ).

Canada is also one of the world's largest suppliers of agricultural products, being one important producer of wheat, canola, and other grains. With nearly half of Canada's entire land surface covered by trees, Canada is the third largest exporter of forest products. And I can go on and on...

Energy: Canada is one of the only developed nations that are net exporters of energy. According to the Canadian government website, Canada has the second largest proven reserve of oil in the world. Canada is also the seventh largest producer of electricity and the world's largest producer of Uranium. Remember that Canada has a population of less then 35 million; therefore most of the energy is destined to be exported, continuing to improve the trade balance going forward.

Composition of the Index: Be aware that an investment in a Canadian fund or a Canadian ETF may bring more volatility to your portfolio. The Canadian economy presents less diversification then the US economy. When we compare the MSCI Canada Index to the S&P 500, Canada has twice the weighting in financials, twice the weighting in energy and six times the weight in materials. However also remember that the Canadian banks, the largest component of the index, are in much better shape then their US counterparts. If you are of the view that the North American economy is muddling through then the sector mix of the Canadian index should outperform the US market.

Total debt to GDP: In 1992 Canada lost its AAA rating based on debt denominated in foreign currencies, this followed years of uncontrolled spending by the Liberal party. During that period we watched the Canadian dollar collapsing. I remember when the Bank of Canada had to increase interest rates by 2% overnight to defend its currency, sending money market fund net asset value into negative territory.

Ottawa recovered the AAA rating 10 years later, after reducing government spending, by a massive 8% of Gross Domestic Product, through a series of stringent spending cuts. Nothing was spared, not even education or healthcare. Today Canada is gradually reducing debt and now presents the lowest total debt to GDP ratio of the 10 largest developed economies. (Source:McKinsey&Company )

Currency : As we reach (or have passed) peak oil , and demand for other commodities continues to rise, the trade balance of Canada will continue to strengthen sending its currency higher. This is already happening. To the surprise of all, Canada generated a trade surplus in November last year. It is just a question of time before the Loonie trades 10 or 15% higher then the Greenback.

Political Stability : The biggest risk to the Canadian economy was, for a long time, the threat of separation from the Province of Quebec. The relative prosperity experienced by the country, change in mentality and important influx of immigrants into the province are all reasons to be positive. The cessation talk is fading away and the annihilation of the sovereign party, Le Bloc Québécois, during the last Federal election clearly illustrates this. In a recent poll, 63% of Quebecers said that they see no contradiction in being both proud Québécois and proud Canadians at the same time.

The Trade : Many trades are possible here, the simple ones available on a US exchange are: buy the index through the iShares MSCI Canada Index Fund EWC +0.04%, the currency through CurrencyShares Canadian Dollar Trust FXC +0.07% and for the more adventurous investors, I recommend the Guggenheim Canadian Energy Income ETF ENY -0.29% an interesting play on the oil sands, especially with the situation developing in Iran.

I have strong convictions that, long-term, the Canadian economy will continue to outperform other developed market economies without providing as much volatility as emerging markets. If you have been reading my column from the start, you know that I am optimistic , however in the case of a collapse of Europe ( 30% probability ), the Canadian dollar will drop like a stone, as will the price of oil, other commodities and financial sector stocks.

Disclaimer: Clover is currently long EWC and long ENY in some of its client's accounts. Clover has no positions in FXC. Clover has not made any transactions in any security mentioned in the past 72 hours and will not make any purchases or sales in the 72 hours following publication of this article.

INFLATION IN CANADA IN 2011

2012-01-21T02:16:00.001-08:00

Inflation figures were released today by Statistics Canada. Figures are available for the country, by province and territory, by main expense group and some other classifications. The inflation presented is base on the Consumer Price Index. Here are some of the numbers.

NATIONAL INFLATION

Consumer prices increased 2.3% from January to December 2012. This inflation in the country can be compared to that in previous years:

· 2011: 2.38%

· 2010: 1.16%

· 2009: 1.32%

· 2008: 2.35%

· 2007: 2.30%

Also, compared with the inflation in the other NAFTA countries for 2011 (2.96% in the US and 3.82% in Mexico) we can see the price increase in Canada has been lower than in these countries.

INFLATION BY PROVINCE AND TERRITORY

· National 2.3%

· Northwest Territories 3.5%,

· New Brunswick 3.3%,

· Newfoundland and Labrador 3.2%

· Alberta 2.9%

· Prince Edward Island 2.9%

· Nova Scotia 2.8%

· Yukon 2.8%

· Manitoba 2.6%

· Saskatchewan 2.5%

· Quebec 2.5%

· Ontario 2.0%

· Nunavut 1.9%

· British Columbia 1.7%

INFLATION BY MAIN EXPENSE GROUP

· All ítems 2.3%

· Food 4.4%

· Transportation 3.3%

· Household operations, furnishings and equipment 2.3%

· Health and personal care 2.0%

· Shelter 1.8%

· Alcoholic beverages and tobacco 0.9%

· Clothing and footwear 0.3%

· Recreation, education and reading 0.2%

DEFINITION OF CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI)

The definition presented by Statistics Canada for the Consumers' Price Index (CPI) is the following:

"The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is an indicator of changes in consumer prices experienced by Canadians. It is obtained by comparing, over time, the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services purchased by consumers. Since the basket contains goods and services of unchanging or equivalent quantity and quality, the index reflects only pure price change.

The CPI is widely used as an indicator of the change in the general level of consumer prices or the rate of inflation. Since the purchasing power of money is affected by changes in prices, the CPI is useful to virtually all Canadians. Consumers can compare movements in the CPI to changes in their personal income to monitor and evaluate changes in their financial situation."

About Acus Consulting. This firm supports companies, organizations and government agencies in financial and strategic analysis, investment project evaluations, financial planning and decision making. It is based in Toronto.

Immigrant entrepreneurs can transform small, even dying, communities.

2012-01-18T06:33:00.000-08:00

An article by sarah No Comments

Not very long ago, the former mill town of Lewiston, Maine was a dying community, unable to reinvent itself after the mills closed. Yet an influx of entrepreneurial Somalis followed by other Africans with good trading connections has revived and reshaped its economy. As quoted in areport for the Ford Foundation (p. 15), the head of the local growth council said, “It’s been an absolute blessing in many ways…just to have an infusion of diversity, an infusion of culture and of youth.” The transformation of Lewiston appears to have been triggered by the arrival of a single family that in turn recruited other friends and families to settle in the town. The result has been an infusion of people and new businesses.

Most of Canada’s immigrants settle in large urban centres, but studies of immigrants in rural Canada show that many do prefer to live in smaller communities. Immigrants may enjoy various benefits of living in small communities. Indeed, a 2008 Statistics Canada study found that immigrants fared better in smaller communities in various ways:

immigrants in smaller areas quickly learn an official language because official language communication is more important in smaller areas than larger cities
immigrants with less education in smaller areas fare better economically than immigrants with less education in larger cities
refugees integrate quicker in smaller areas than in larger cities

At the same time, smaller communities are increasingly interested in attracting more immigrants: immigration is viewed as a means of countering population decline and revitalizing local economies. To attract and retain immigrants, smaller communities need to offer economic opportunities, services and supports that newcomers need, and amenities such as transit. Moreover, the communities must be welcoming of new cultures and new ideas.

In Nova Scotia, for example, the unemployment rate among immigrants was 7.4% in 2009, lower than for native Nova Scotians and immigrants to the rest of Canada. This is partially due to the larger incidence of immigrants creating their own businesses. As cited in an online article, Howard Ramos of Dalhousie University noted: “This is what I find interesting — a lot of the successful migrants are people who have come as entrepreneurial immigrants…. They open a hotel, kayaking outfitter or some value-added tourist element — they provide jobs for themselves, their families and a few people in the community.”

Click here to open a report on Immigrants in Rural Canada based on the 2006 Census.

Canada a safe haven for bond investors

2012-01-17T21:30:00.000-08:00

Zara McAlister Jan 17, 2012 – 12:26 PM ET | Last Updated: Jan 17, 2012 3:27 PM ET

Andy Clark/Reuters

Canada has long been considered a safe haven for immigrants and it is now one for bond investors with the European financial crisis worsening. The month of November revealed a massive increase of foreign inflows in Canadian securities, jumping to $15-billion from just $3.9-billion in October.

Most of the inflows came via bonds – both corporate and government of Canada – primarily from U.S. investors who bought $5.3-billion worth, according to Statistics Canada. Money-market instruments and equities also attracted more foreign investment in November. Japanese investors, on the other hand, reduced their holdings for a third consecutive month.

Nomura economist Charles-St Arnaud says strong inflows into Canadian markets over the past few months coincides with heightened global uncertainty, while inflows into Canada tend to be weak when risk sentiment is more positive. He thinks November confirms this trend.

Since many eurozone countries were downgraded last week, the economist believes Canada, which has an AAA rating, will continue to attract strong foreign inflows.

“This continues to point to some safe-haven flows going to Canada,” he says.

But National Bank strategist Krishen Rangasamy warns foreign investors that there is a limit to net inflows into federal government bonds. She says Ottawa plans to cap supply as part of the plan to balance the budget by 2015-16.

“With the limited supply of Canada’s being an issue, foreigners wishing to increase their Canadian exposure may increasingly turn to bonds from other Canadian issuers,” she says, suggesting provincial or corporate bonds as alternatives.

Source: The Financial Post.

Canadian website for foreign credentials launched

2012-01-17T21:26:00.000-08:00

by RAY CLANCY on JANUARY 17, 2012

IQN website to help immigrants with better intergration into Canadian labour market

It is now easier to work out if your foreign qualifications can be accepted in Canada with the launch of a new website to help people applying for work.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada has launched the International Qualification Network (IQN) for the assessment and recognition of foreign worker qualifications.

It serves as a virtual space for employers, regulatory bodies, governments and organizations to capitalize on promising qualification assessment and recognition practices.

‘The Government of Canada is committed to improving the process of recognizing foreign worker qualifications, and the IQN website will help find solutions that will allow immigrants to integrate better into the Canadian labour market,’ said Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

Through the IQN website, stakeholders can share effective evaluation tools and practices, studies, pilot projects, reports and videos and post information on events, such as workshops and conferences.

The website was created with the guidance of the IQN Advisory Council, a group of 20 partners and stakeholders who represent various provinces, employers and post secondary education institutions from across Canada. The information posted on the IQN will benefit everyone in all jurisdictions.

For example, The Registered Nurses Professional Development Centre in Nova Scotia has posted a profile of its programme to assist internationally educated health care professionals in getting their credentials recognized and integrating into the province’s labour market. The profile serves as a model for other nursing associations in other provinces to design their own programme.

The Multi jurisdictional Midwifery Bridging Project (MMBP) posted an outline of its eight month bridging programme for internationally educated midwives who want to practice in British Columbia, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. The outline provides valuable information to foreign midwives and organisations assisting immigrants.

With the creation of the IQN website, the Government of Canada is delivering on a two year commitment to support provincial, territorial and stakeholder efforts to improve international credential recognition through the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications.

The IQN website is administered by the Foreign Credentials Referral Office, a branch of Citizenship and Immigration Canada that offers referral services in Canada and overseas to immigrants, and develops tools for employers and regulatory bodies so they can help immigrants integrate into the Canadian workforce.