Canada Immigration News

Quebec's department of immigration has announced a reform of the province's immigration system. In particular, the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) will be governed by new rules from August 1st 2013.

From that date, the QSWP will accept only 20,000 applications each year. Individuals who apply under the program but already have an offer of employment will not be subject to this cap. Successful applicants will be able to apply to the federal immigration authorities for a Canadian permanent resident visa.

As predicted by workpermit.com in June, Quebec's Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) is to reopen on 1st August 2013.

The QIIP will accept only 1,750 applications before it closes again. Applications will only be accepted between 1st August and 16th August 2013 by post. A maximum of 1,200 applications can come from any one country. In the event that more than 2,000 applications are received, there will be a ballot to decide which applications will be accepted for consideration.

Diplomats serving in Canada have warned that international visitors are avoiding Canada because the application for Canadian temporary resident visas is so complicated.

While visitors from the US, the UK and many EU countries do not need Canadian visas, citizens of most other countries do. There are fears that the over-complex visa forms are damaging Canadian trade by encouraging potential business investors and entrepreneurs to go elsewhere.

The Canadian immigration minister, Jason Kenney, has asked the Canadian public and a number of 'stakeholders' to submit their opinions about immigration in an extensive online consultation. The consultation opened on 21st June 2013 and will continue until 31st August 2013.

Continuing industrial action by the Canadian Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) is causing increasingly long waits for Canadian visa applicants who apply abroad. Particularly affected are applicants under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) as well as students and tourists.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently released its International Migration Outlook Report for 2013. The report contains subsidiary reports on all the 34 countries that make up the OECD including Canada.