Canada Immigration News

Canadian immigration has started a consultation process on revamping their Immigrant Investor Program, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced on 13 April 2012. Currently, you cannot apply anyway for the Immigrant Investor Program. The immigrant investor visa cap of 700 has already been reached and the immigrant investor program will be closed at least until 1 July 2012. It is interesting to note that the Canadian entrepreneur visa scheme is currently suspended.

Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced this week that in order to more quickly meet Canada's labour market needs, the immigration department will make changes to allow highly-skilled temporary foreign workers to transition to permanent residence more quickly.

Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced 11 April that the government would introduce changes to the country's provincial immigration programs. From 1 July 2012, most Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applicants for semi- and low-skilled professions will be required to undergo mandatory language testing. The test will determine applicant's listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities and they will be required to meet a minimum standard across all four of these categories.

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced the department's plans on 10 April to fill Canada's growing labour shortages in skilled trade occupations. He explained that the changes were expected to result in an assessment system that will make it easier for badly needed skilled tradespersons to immigrate to Canada."Our Government recognizes that our country faces a critical shortage in certain skilled trades," said Kenney. "That's why we are taking concrete steps to address this problem at a national level."

Canadian province, British Columbia, has announced a new pilot project to bring more immigrant workers to its Peace River Regional District. They hope the plan will help fix the region's severe worker shortage.The new initiative, designed to expand British Columbia's Provincial Nominee Program, will be called the Northeast Pilot Project. The British Columbia government hopes that it will attract foreign workers to jobs of all skill levels.

A new study released this week questions whether Canadian governments should continue to maintain high immigration levels in tough economic times.