Showing posts with label Government of Canada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Government of Canada. Show all posts

Each immigrant costs Canada $450 per year: report

Description: A train of Vancouver's Skytrain (...Image via Wikipedia
By: Jon Woodward, ctvbc.ca
Date: Tuesday Jul. 26, 2011 9:49 AM PT
A team of B.C. economists has cut a conservative think-tank's estimate of the cost of immigration down to size.
Two months after the Fraser Instituteestimated that each immigrant on average costs the Canadian government $6,051 per year – a total cost of as much as $23 billion – Mohsen Javdani and Krishna Pendakur of Metropolis British Columbiatook another look at their numbers.
Using a wider sample size of immigrants, correcting calculation errors, and using data where it was available rather than estimates, the pair found a far lower annual cost of about $450 per immigrant, or about $2 billion per year.
"We find that there's a significant fiscal effect of immigration," Javdani said. "But we do not conclude that immigrants are a burden to the Canadian economy."
Javdani added Canada needs to find programs that benefit new arrivals to improve immigrants' labour market potential and performance, which would inject money into the Canadian economy.
The authors are both economists at Simon Fraser University.
Taxes vs. benefits
Both studies attempted to figure out whether immigrants fully pay for in taxes the public services that they use, like health care or education.
The Fraser Institute's study was an attempt to gauge whether our system should move to select for would-be immigrants who already have job offers, according to co-author Patrick Grady.
"Canada has to develop a much better system of assessing immigrants coming in," Grady told CTV News in a phone interview. "They can't seem to tell if a person is going to be able to find a job at a good salary or if they'll find employment at their profession and skill."
The Fraser Institute study looked at immigrants arriving after 1987 – about 4 million people – and compared them to average Canadians in the same time frame. The result was a report sharply critical of immigration.
It recommended that Canada only allow immigrants with employment lined up, and keep citizenship only if the immigrants hang onto their jobs.
The Metropolis study, which was given to CTV News before it is to be publicly released, at first set out to correct calculation errors in the Fraser Institute report, which it said were "apparently typographic in origin." Corrected calculations reduced the difference to $5,473.
Where the Fraser Institute estimated property taxes paid by immigrants – 72 per cent of the Canadian average -- the Metropolis team dug up data on immigrant households to find they actually pay about 96 per cent of the Canadian average.
"We prefer data to guesses," the report noted dryly.
The pair also widened their sample size, going back to 1970, which would capture more immigrants in their prime earning years.
"If you look at the longer term, these immigrants are going to contribute through earning higher incomes and paying higher taxes," said author Javdani.
That change reduced the estimated cost to $2,470 per immigrant, the report said.
Instead of comparing the immigrants to the average Canadian – which would include immigrants as well – the Metropolis study compared the immigrants to the Canadian-born, and found immigrants took $554 less in benefits.
They also ignored "public good" government expenditures that are less directly related to the size of the population, such as national defence – a difference of $,1692 per immigrant.
The end result was a much lower annual total cost of $450 per immigrant – about seven per cent of the Fraser Institute figure, and a very different conclusion, said Javdani.
Immigrants tend to be poorer
Javdani said the lesson is that immigrants tend to be poorer than Canadians, and that means we need programs that can help them succeed.
Kanako Heinrichs runs Queensberry Flower Company located in Granville SkyTrain Station. She said when she came from Japan in 2007 with her new Canadian husband, it was difficult to get a job.
"Most immigrants can relate to that," she said, adding that the hardest part was bouncing around through low-paying, dead-end jobs. "It's tough."
She contacted immigrant services agency SUCCESS, and they helped her develop an idea of bringing a Tokyo-style flower shop into a subway station. The project has been a huge success, to the point that she is opening another shop in the Yaletown subway station, which will employ more people.
"Everybody has a different background. In my case, I brought what I know very well over here," she said. "That's what immigrants can do. Brand new ideas, brand new products, new concepts that make the city more exciting."
Javdani said her story is a good example of how difficult it is to filter immigrants. "If you limit settlement in Canada to the people who have a job offer, you limit opportunities that immigration may bring," he said.
SUCCESS CEO Thomas Tam said the $450 per immigrant is an investment that pays off in the connections that immigrants make with the world, and the ideas and opportunities they bring Canada.
"We see thousands of immigrants, they settle down, they find a job, some create jobs for other people," he said.
Grady of the Fraser Institute said the institute stands by its report, with some corrections that he said don't dramatically change the final cost.
He rejected the Metropolis team's choice to go farther back than 1987, because immigrants from before that time largely came from developed countries. Since then, a court decision has required the government to accept applications from all over the world.
"Canadian taxpayers are going to be subsidizing future generations of immigrants if they keep coming at the rate they're coming. It's going to exacerbate the problems that we're going to get with respect to the aging of the population, and it's not going to solve the problem," Grady said.
 

Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants sues Federal government to protect consumers of immigration consulting services


TORONTOApril 5 /CNW/ - The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) stood up for consumers today by taking legal action to halt the Federal government's proposal to replace CSIC with a new immigration consultant regulatory organization that has no experience in consumer protection and will require more than 3.6 million taxpayer dollars to get off the ground.
"It is astonishing that the Federal government has turned its back on consumers by choosing a new and inexperienced group, the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC), to regulate immigration consultants. This group has no plans and no ability to resolve the 99 outstanding complaints and 155 open investigations that CSIC is currently seized with," said CSIC Chair Nigel Thomson. "CSIC also has serious concerns about the 21 ongoing disciplinary hearings. For all intents and purposes, the government has given the people who are the subject of CSIC's disciplinary process a free pass and this is unacceptable."
In June 2010 the Federal government established criteria for the review of the national regulator of immigration consultants. In December CSIC made a detailed submission that demonstrated that it met all of the government's criteria for confirmation as the regulator, most notably due to its significant experience in protecting consumers by holding its members accountable to strict standards.
"Consumers have effective protection and only CSIC has the policies, rules, expertise and disciplinary processes to provide that protection. The council will take years and millions of dollars to reach the same level of sophistication that CSIC currently possesses and in the meantime consumers will be put at risk," said Thomson. "CSIC believes that the process followed by the Federal government is biased, unreasonable and unfair. This decision defies logic and CSIC is standing up for consumers by challenging the fairness and practicality of the selection process."
The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants is the professional regulatory body for Certified Canadian Immigration Consultants. Established in 2004 it currently has 1,900 fully accredited members located throughout Canada and the world. CSIC's mandate is to protect consumers of immigration consulting services. Consequently, it is responsible for ensuring the education, competency testing and the discipline of its members. CSIC also requires its members to carry errors and omissions insurance and to contribute to a compensation fund in order to protect consumers. The best way to find a Certified Canadian Immigration Consultant (CCIC) is via CSIC's toll free referral line, 1-877-311-7926.
For further information:
Nancy Tibbo, 416-572-2800, Toll Free: 1-866-308-CSIC (2252), 416-294-0030 or ntibbo@csic-scci.ca

Canada could lead developed world in growth: RBC head

The Royal Bank Plaza building in Toronto, OntarioImage via WikipediaMONTREAL — Canada could enjoy a "breakaway decade" of economic growth if businesses invest more to improve productivity, the head of the Royal Bank of Canada said Monday. Gordon Nixon told a Canadian Club audience in Montreal that Canada has the potential to significantly outperform the developed world in terms of economic growth and social leadership.
"Our economy has been resilient, the housing market is up, past federal surpluses have provided flexibility, the banking system is stable and corporate tax rates are low," he said.
But Nixon said the country's promise can only be realized by tackling several key shortcomings.
They include reducing provincial and federal deficits, increasing immigration and tackling Canada's Achilles heel of low productivity.
In particular, he challenged businesses to spend more on innovation, noting that over the last 30 years the productivity gap between Canada and the United States has more than tripled.
"Innovation-fuelled productivity is the lever we can pull to increase the economic pie we all share and, in doing so, improve our standard of living and gain competitive clout in the global marketplace."
Governments have helped by cutting regulatory and tax burdens, but Nixon says they must now work aggressively to balance their budgets.
Meanwhile, Canada should gain a competitive advantage as other countries are forced to boost taxes and cut spending.
"Canada today is an attractive place to live, work and build successful businesses. And, with continued fiscal responsibility, we should be able to avoid the current plight of many countries that will be forced to undergo painful restructurings to address their systemic failures," he said.
"It's our turn as business leaders to say thanks to the government for the tax reform and now we are going to use it to invest and (make) innovation part of our agenda."
Meanwhile, he said Canadian governments at both the federal and provincial levels must continue to put their financial houses in order after the recent recession.
"We cannot let the advantage gained through 15 years of fiscal responsibility slip away," he said.
"Notwithstanding the political challenges of fiscal restraint, it is essential that the provinces and the federal governments aggressively work their way back to fiscal balance."

Federal Funding to the Bridge Training Program Works for Skilled Immigrants

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - March 25, 2011) - The Government of Canada is providing $22 million to help skilled immigrants in Ontario find jobs, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.
The Bridge Training program helps skilled immigrants enter the Canadian labour market and find employment that matches their education and skills. The program funds regional projects in Ontario that help skilled immigrants get a Canadian license in a regulated profession, or the training they need to get work in regulated and non-regulated careers. The program also funds initiatives that reduce barriers to the integration of foreign-trained workers.
"This program helps skilled immigrants in Ontario enter and integrate into the Canadian labour market," said Minister Kenney. "It is absolutely critical to engage employers in this process, and this program does just that."
The Bridge Training program has been co-funded since 2007-08 by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario. Given the success of this program, the Government of Canada is continuing its contribution with $12M in 2011-2012 and $10 million in 2012-2013.
To date, over 200 projects have been funded and over 35,000 immigrants in Ontario have benefited from the program.
The Government of Canada is committed to attracting, retaining and integrating immigrants into Ontario communities. Federally funded settlement services have enabled significant expansion and enhancement of both language training and settlement services. Since 2006, the Government of Canada has tripled funding for settlement services in Ontario.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Ottawa sets up new agency to regulate immigration consultants, deal with fraud

Government Convention Centre (formely Ottawa U...Image via Wikipedia
TORONTO - A new regulatory body for immigration consultants is in the works as part of the federal government's crackdown on scam artists who prey on would-be newcomers to Canada, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced Friday.
The aim of the proposed agency is to protect immigrants from shoddy or dishonest operators, Kenney said.
"There are people who sometimes seek to unethically make a profit by exploiting the hopes and dreams of newcomers," Kenney said. "These unlicensed, unregistered, unscrupulous consultants give the profession a black eye by taking thousands of dollars from individuals — often in cash — and all too often providing nothing in return."
Ottawa has faced a barrage of complaints over the years about so-called "ghost" consultants, who provide bad or fraudulent advice and counterfeit documents, or take cash up front.
Until now, the industry has been self-policing without formal recognition from Ottawa.
The proposed Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council, which will be responsible to Ottawa and regulate immigration consultants, is slated to be up and running by the summer.
It will be charged with ensuring consultants are properly licensed and policed.
The agency is part of a broader federal crackdown on immigration consultants initiated in the form of Bill C-35 last June.
The bill, expected to become law next week, would require — under threat of criminal sanction — that those who act as consultants for pay be licensed, and includes stiff penalties for bogus operators.
Consultants operating abroad would also have to be licensed by the new regulatory council.
While the new law would help deal with scam artists in Canada, Kenney conceded a big part of the problem exists with fraudsters in source countries who are beyond the reach of Canadian justice.
Kenney said he's been talking to his counterparts in immigrant-source countries — he recently was in India and Pakistan — urging them to strengthen their relevant laws.
Imran Qayyum, chairman of the Canadian Migration Institute, said little appears to have come from Kenney's efforts abroad.
"The federal government's been missing in action when it comes down to trying to address this issue," Qayyum said. "How many 'ghosts' have they put out of business? As far as I know zero."
Currently, bona fide immigration consultants belong to the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, with almost 2,000 members across Canada and overseas.
However, Ottawa has not formally recognized the group, which is not accountable to the federal government and has faced criticism for not dealing with bad apples.
The Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants said it was "considering its options" in light of Kenney's announcement.
"We are saddened and surprised that the government has put more than 1,900 accredited consultants and 38 staff members of CSIC in limbo," the society said in a statement.
"The government has opted to designate a third party with no regulatory experience — it could be years before this group can build up the regulator sophistication that CSIC has today."
The government has also launched an advertising blitz at home and abroad in hopes of educating would-be immigrants, in part pointing out that they don't need consultants to apply to Canada.
The campaign also notes that no one can guarantee a successful immigration application.
Opposition critics have said Ottawa is going to have to ensure the new law is properly enforced to have any effect.
— With files from Terri Theodore in Vancouver

Brain Gain' Pilot Project Launched in Ontario

Canadian parliament from the Musée Canadienne ...Image via Wikipedia
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 30, 2011) - More Canadians working abroad could soon return home and contribute to Canada's economy, thanks to an innovative pilot project launched in Ontario, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.
"It's a reverse brain drain," said Minister Kenney. "We're making it easier for Canadians abroad to bring their skills home and contribute to the Canada of tomorrow."
For some Canadian workers living abroad, an obstacle to returning to Canada is that their non-Canadian spouse, common-law partner or dependent children may be unable to work until they are processed as permanent residents, which usually takes between six months and one year.
Since November 22, family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents returning to work in Ontario in the health care and academic sectors have been able to get temporary work permits immediately upon arriving in Canada. Ontario's health and academic sectors have faced significant skill and labour shortages in recent years and were identified as the most appropriate sectors for the pilot project.
"By encouraging highly-skilled workers to come back to Canada, we are laying the foundation for long-term economic growth," added the Minister. 
A pledge to establish this pilot project was included in the 2008 Temporary Foreign Worker agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario. It is operating on a trial basis until May 22, 2012. Upon completion of the pilot project, the government will evaluate the initiative's effectiveness.
For more details on this initiative, please see the Backgrounder.
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CitImmCanada 
BACKGROUNDER
Ontario Pilot Project for Spouses, Common-Law Partners and Dependents of Returning Canadian Workers
This pilot project in Ontario allows spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of certain Canadian citizens and permanent residents returning to Ontario, to receive open work permits that would allow them to accept any job with any employer in the province.
To be eligible to participate in the pilot, applicants must:
  • be a spouse, common-law partner, or dependent child of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident returning to work in Ontario,
  • have an application underway to immigrate to Canada through sponsorship in the family class,
  • be old enough to work in Ontario,
  • meet all admissibility criteria to come to Canada as a temporary resident.
The sponsoring spouse or parent must:
  • be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
  • have left Canada and be returning to work permanently in Ontario, as a health professional or an academic for post-secondary public institutions, in one of the specified occupations listed below;
  • with their employer, obtain a letter from the Province of Ontario confirming their employment, location and occupation and provide it as supporting documentation with the work permit application; and
  • have submitted an application to CIC to sponsor their spouse or dependent child.
List of specified occupations
Health Professionals
Post-Secondary Education (Academics) for Public Institutions
Enhanced by Zemanta

Immigration to Canada Through Family Sponsorship

Immigrant families tell their storyImage by United Way of the Lower Mainland via Flickr By Katherine at Legal Language
Posted 01/19/2011
In Immigration

Canadian citizens as well as permanent residents are eligible to sponsor most family members who wish to start the immigration process to Canada.
While the regulations governing family immigration to Canada are more lenient than the regulations surrounding family-based green cards in the United States, there are still plenty of rules to keep in mind before you start filling out legal forms.

Who Is Eligible for Family-Based Immigration to Canada?

Family members who are eligible to be sponsored include:
  • Spouses
  • Common-law or same-sex partners 16 years of age or older
  • Parents
  • Grandparents
  • Dependent children under the age of 22, including children to be adopted, if they are not married or in a common-law relationship
  • Children over the age of 22 if they are full-time students at accredited institutions of higher learning or if they are mentally or physically challenged
  • Orphaned relatives, including brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces

Who Is Eligible to Become a Sponsor?

Family members who wish to be immigration sponsors must reside in Canada and have valid legal status as a citizen or permanent resident. Canadian permanent residents who are eligible to become immigration sponsors typically include students and workers.
Sponsors typically reside in Canada, while the family member being sponsored for the immigration process lives in his or her home country.  Only spouses or common-law partners of Canadian citizens or permanent residents can apply from within Canada.
If you are living in Canada with your spouse or partner and wish to begin the family immigration process, your partner faces some stricter rules governing whether or not he or she can be a sponsor. He or she must:
  • Have valid legal status in Canada as a visitor, student or temporary worker
  • Have lived with you for at least one year
  • Be living with you in Canada
  • Have a valid passport or travel document
  • Be 16 years of age or older
  • Be your bona fide spouse or common law partner for genuine reasons (not just for the purpose of receiving permanent residence in Canada)

Additional Family Sponsorship Requirements

Sponsors must make a pledge to the Canadian government that they will support their family members for at least three years so that they can establish themselves in Canada. Dependent children must be supported for 10 years or until they turn 25. This is similar to the United States’ I-864 Affidavit of Support that is required for family green card cases.
To be a sponsor, you must meet an income requirement. Like the US, the Canadian government does not want to be responsible for public charges — people who require government assistance. Medical documents must be obtained and included in the application, especially where adopted children are concerned.
If in the past you have sponsored a family member, and that relative is currently receiving money or other assistance from the government of Canada, you may not be eligible to sponsor another person.

What Is the Family Immigration Process?

One of the first things to do is download and read a guide to assist you in applying. Legal Language has the following three guides available:
Enhanced by Zemanta

Indian students turn to Canada following Australian backlash

Lambton College Residence FrontImage via WikipediaNEW DELHI—Vipin Sehajpal has worked for the past two years at a call centre on the outskirts of India’s capital, helping frustrated Dell computer owners solve technical problems.
But when he connects with a caller from Canada, the 26-year-old pauses before dispensing advice to pose a few questions of his own.
“I mostly ask about the weather, food and what life is like,” Sehajpal says.
It’s knowledge he plans to put to use in a few weeks.
Barring last-minute problems, Sehajpal will be leaving India in late December to enroll in a two-year website design course at Lambton College in Sarnia.
His pursuit of a Canadian education highlights a growing trend in India.
While Canada for years was regarded of as a sad-sack afterthought by India’s brightest college-aged students, that perception is changing fast. The number of Indian college and university students studying in Canada has surged fourfold over the past three years.
Canadian diplomats say they expect to issue student visas to as many as 14,000 Indian students this year and perhaps more than 20,000 in 2011.
In 2008, Canada approved just 3,152 visas to Indian students.
The increase comes as Canadian schools strengthen ties in India, which is among the world’s most promising markets for international students and higher education. Nearly one-third of India’s 1.2 billion population is under the age of 15 and the country’s 50 million strong middle class is expected to grow 10 times by 2025.
At the same time, the Canadian government has pledged to triple two-way trade with India to $15 billion over the next three years and adding international students will help. A recent Canadian government study showed the average international student adds $25,000 to the local economy.
David Manicom, a diplomat who heads the immigration department at Canada’s mission in New Delhi, said he was flummoxed when a group of Canadian university presidents recently toured India and spoke publicly about their efforts to coax Ottawa to increase its $1 million global budget for marketing post-secondary education. Australia, university officials pointed out, spends $20 million a year.
“The truth is that we’ve already come a long way in a very short time,” Manicom said. “The perception is that we’re trailing Australia still but that couldn’t be father from the truth.”
Manicom said there are several reasons for the dramatic increase.
For starters, unlike some other Western countries, many foreign college and university students who study in Canada gain credit towards becoming a permanent resident.
But Manicom and Canadian college officials say an overhaul of Canada’s student visa program is more responsible for the turnabout. For the past two years, the Canadian mission in New Delhi has partnered with 38 Canadian colleges to create the so-called Student Partners Program.
Under the program, colleges work more closely with the Canadian mission to understand which students will likely be approved for visas.
For instance, schools now insist students submit grades from the International English Language Testing System, or IELTS, which is run by a British group. In past years, students would provide results from a number of less reputable English proficiency testing agencies.
The mission also demands students provide financial guarantees from chartered Indian banks.
“We had cases where a student would say they had an uncle with fields of rice paddy who was willing to promise to cover their school costs and other instances where families had the value of their gold assessed as proof of their financial wherewithal,” Manicom said. “It was totally unreliable.”
Manicom said the high commission is also working more closely with schools to winnow out immigration agents who recruit under-qualified students.
Since the student visa program’s overhaul two years ago, the approval rate for Indian students applying to Centennial College has climbed to 87 per cent from 37 per cent and the number of Indian students at the Toronto school has climbed to 1,400 from 350.
“In past years, the biggest complaint we had was that it took too long for students to have their visas processed, but it’s much less cumbersome now,” said Virginia Macciavello, an official with Centennial.
Canada is also making inroads in India thanks to a public relations disaster for Australia’s educators.
While Australia has drawn more than 90,000 Indian students annually in recent years (the U.S. attracts about 105,000 Indian overseas students a year), the number of students here applying for visas to Australia has plunged by 80 per cent, Western diplomats say.
Over the past two years, Indian media have furiously chased stories about racial attacks on Indian students in Australia. There were 14 attacks during one five-week stretch in 2009, with TV channels running incendiary headlines such as “Curry Bashing” and “Australia, Land of Racists.”
Manicom conceded that Canadian officials “watched what was happening with Australia and we knew there would be some backwash.”
But Macciavello said she isn’t worried about a similar imbroglio in Canada.
“We’ve been recruiting overseas students for 30 years and we just haven’t seen any problems like that,” she said. “Canada’s just much more multicultural.”
Canadian schools also demand high IELTS test score, sometimes as high as 6.5 out of 9, to root out less qualified students who might drop out for a grey-market job. Some schools in the U.K., by contrast, demand a 4.5 IELTS score, meaning students would probably struggle to understand classes taught in English.
On a recent afternoon, Sehajpal and several other potential students crowded into an immigration agent Bhagirath Bhardwaj’s office in the heart of New Delhi.
Bhardwaj, who is paid a commission of about $150 for every student he sends abroad, said Canada is becoming a much more popular destination for students from the Indian capital region.
“I think there’s an understanding here that the Canadian economy is outperforming others and there’s a real opportunity there,” Bhardwaj.
“Immigrants have a real chance in Canada because you have such an aging population. The average Canadian is 44, which the average American is 34 and the average Indian is 26.”
Aayezah Jameel, a 30-year-old single mother, said she’s been researching Canadian schools for the past year and is now saving up, with the hopes of traveling to Canada for studies in the spring of 2012.
“When you’re a mother, planning like this takes time, nothing happens fast,” she said. “It’s a big commitment and a big deal for me because I’ll be asking my mother in Bhopal to watch my daughter for me while I’m overseas.”
Jameel, whose English was flawless, said considered schools like U.C.L.A. and the University of Texas before shifting her gaze to Canada.
“There’s really no difference with Canadian schools except they cost less,” she said. “The faculty and curriculum are just as good. I know. I’ve checked.”
Sitting next to his mother, Sehajpal, who also has a computer science degree from Agra University, said his parents forbid him from going to school in Australia. Instead, he considered schools in the U.S. and U.K. and Canada.
“Canada has a bright future and I’m excited about the possibility of staying there after school for a job,” Sehajpal said. “I’ve never seen snow before. What’s that like?”
Enhanced by Zemanta

Canada Re-Opens Immigrant Investor Program

Latest series of Canadian BanknotesImage via Wikipedia
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Nov. 10, 2010) - Effective December 1, 2010, Citizenship and Immigration Canada will once again accept applications under the federal Immigrant Investor Program.
Under the new program criteria, investor applicants will need to have a personal net worth of $1.6 million, up from $800,000 under the old criteria, and make an investment of $800,000, up from the previous requirement of $400,000.
"These changes were necessary," said Minister Kenney. "The requirements had not been increased in more than a decade and we need to keep pace with the changing economy."
Canada's old immigrant investor criteria were the lowest when compared to other countries with similar programs. The new criteria now align it more closely with other immigrant-receiving countries.
The investor program was suspended in June, in part because the high volume of applications was leading to wait times that were too long. Raising the requirements will help reduce the flow of applications while ensuring we attract experienced businesspeople who can make a more substantial contribution to the economy. Higher personal net worth criteria mean the program is now better positioned to attract investors with valuable business links and the resources to make secondary investments in the Canadian economy.
"Higher investment amounts mean provinces and territories will receive more investment capital to put toward job creation and economic development projects," added the Minister.
Canada's Immigrant Investor Program offers several benefits to international investors, including permanent resident status up front and guaranteed repayment of the investment.
Under Canada's old criteria, the volume of applications submitted under the Program had grown exponentially and processing times had increased. By stopping applications between June 26, 2010, and December of this year, the government prevented further delays. Applications received on or after December 1 will be subject to the new criteria and will be processed alongside the old ones. In this way, Canada can begin to realize the benefits of the changes as soon as possible.
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CitImmCanada.
Backgrounder
New federal Immigrant Investor Program will bring to Canada more resources to fund economic development and job creation initiatives
Canada's Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) attracts experienced businesspeople who bring significant economic benefits to Canada. In order to keep pace with the changing global economy and keep Canada's program competitive, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has changed the program so that it makes an even greater contribution to the Canadian economy. The changes were prepublished in the Canada Gazette on June 26, 2010, for a thirty-day public comment period and will take effect December 1, 2010.
Benefits of the IIP
Investments made through the program take the form of a five-year, zero interest loan to the Government of Canada on behalf of participating provinces and territories. These funds are distributed to participating provinces and territories to fund economic development and job creation initiatives in their regions. While investment strategies vary, some examples to date include venture capital investments in clean technology, public sector infrastructure investments (e.g., expansion of broadband Internet access, and construction of post-secondary institutions), and loans to small and medium-sized Canadian businesses. The provinces and territories must guarantee repayment of the investments received.
The provinces and territories are currently managing almost $2 billion of five-year, revolving IIP capital. In 2009 alone, almost $500 million was allocated through the program. British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories participate in the program. Other provinces and territories have expressed interest in joining as well.
Research has shown that the IIP has a positive impact on Canada's economy. While the program is an important source of investment capital that can be used by provinces and territories, immigrant investors also make significant economic contributions by bringing to Canada business acumen, important links to global economies and an understanding of international markets.
Changes to the Program
The Government of Canada has established new eligibility criteria for the IIP. These regulatory changes now require new investors to have a personal net worth of $1.6 million, up from $800,000, and make an investment of $800,000, up from $400,000.
Higher investment amounts mean that provinces and territories will receive a greater amount of capital to put toward economic development within their regions. Higher personal net worth criteria mean that the program is now better positioned to attract investors with valuable global business links and the resources to make secondary investments into the Canadian economy.
How Canada's Program Compares to Other Countries
Canada's old IIP criteria had not changed since 1999 and were the lowest when compared to other countries with similar programs (see the chart below: International Immigrant Investor Programs). The new criteria now align Canada's program more closely with other immigrant-receiving countries, while still offering investors the competitive advantages of up-front permanent resident status and guaranteed repayment of their investment.
International Immigrant Investor Programs
  Minimum Net Worth Minimum Investment
Canada/Quebec* (old) CAD$800,000 CAD$400,000
Canada/Quebec (new) CAD$1,600,000 CAD$800,000
Australia CAD$2,157,525 CAD$1,438,350
(CAD$719,175 regional program)
UK CAD$3,331,400 CAD$1,665,700
New Zealand CAD$765,500 CAD$1,148,250
USA Not specified CAD$1,031,700
(CAD$515,850 regional program)
NOTE: Currency equivalents based on Bank of Canada nominal exchange rates, January 11, 2010.
* Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec is responsible for the selection of immigrants destined to the province, as well as the design and delivery of its own settlement services. The regulatory changes to the eligibility criteria also apply to Quebec-selected investors.
Managing Application Intake
Under the old IIP, the volume of applications grew exponentially in recent years. This surge in applications resulted in a rising inventory and longer processing times. As a result, the Department temporarily stopped accepting new applications when the changes were first proposed for public comment on June 26, 2010. These measures were put in place to prevent a flood of applications before the new criteria took effect, which would have stretched processing times even further. Once the new criteria take effect December 1, new applications will be processed alongside the old ones. In this way, Canada can begin to benefit from the changes as soon as possible.
Quebec announced its own moratorium on investor applications on October 15, and like the federal moratorium, this suspension will be lifted on December 1 when the regulatory changes to personal net worth and investment criteria take effect.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Canada further strengthens its Temporary Foreign Worker Program to better protect live-in caregivers

Geopolitical map of CanadaImage via Wikipedia
This month, the Government of Canada announced it is implementing stricter regulations with the aim of further improving the working conditions for temporary workers and live-in caregivers in Canada. According to the federal government, consultations held over the past two years revealed that employers were exploiting some live-in caregivers because the system made them vulnerable.
“Temporary foreign workers come to Canada in a very vulnerable position because they are dependent upon their employer,” said Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC) Chair Nigel Thomson. “These new rules will help ensure that employers play by the rules.”
To address this, the federal government is tightening the regulations affecting live-in caregivers and temporary foreign workers, as well as the people who hire them. “The government is taking action to protect temporary foreign workers, including live-in caregivers, from potential abuse and exploitation,” explained Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
New regulations came into effect in April 2010 that required employers to provide contracts that specify wages, benefits, accommodation, duties, hours of work, and holiday and sick leave entitlements.
Starting in April 2011, new rules will apply a more rigorous assessment to jobs for live-in caregivers and temporary foreign workers before the employers are given the authorization to hire. The assessment will address whether the employer has followed the rules in the past and has honoured their commitments to workers with respect to wages, working conditions and occupation. Failure to meet the commitments will result in a two-year prohibition on hiring foreign workers.
Other countries that host foreign temporary workers and live-in caregivers, including Hong Kong, Germany, Israel and other nations in Europe and the Middle East, do not allow these types of workers to become citizens. They are meant to stay in those host countries for years as temporary guest workers and any of their children born there are not considered as having rights to citizenship.
Under Canada’s innovative program, foreign live-in caregivers may become citizens of Canada. They are “fast-tracked” and can apply for permanent-resident status after completing 24 months of employment. Under the new Citizenship and Immigration Canada regulations, live-in-caregivers have four years, instead of three, to complete the required 24 months of full-time work. There will also be more flexibility with respect to the amount of time given to meet the requirements needed for permanent residence status. Any overtime worked may now be used to apply for permanent residency more quickly. Under the law, it will be possible for a person who works a lot of overtime to apply earlier, or the deadline may be extended if the person works less than full-time hours or needs time off due to illness, for example.
“We owe it to them, their employers and all Canadians to ensure that the program is fair and equitable. After all, they are an essential element of Canada’s economic success,” said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program helps address temporary labour shortages by allowing employers to hire foreign workers when sufficient numbers of Canadian workers are not readily available. Without access to temporary foreign labour, many small businesses in Canada would not be able to function and would be forced into insolvency.
These new regulations are seen as important because it demonstrates Canada’s position that temporary foreign workers and live-in caregivers should be encouraged to apply for permanent resident status and that they may become citizens in a timely fashion and move on to other forms of employment if they choose.

Source:http://www.cicnews.com/2010/08/canada-strengthens-temporary-foreign-worker-program-protect-livein-caregivers-08796.html 
Enhanced by Zemanta

Leave us a message

Check our online courses now

Check our online courses now
Click Here now!!!!

Subscribe to our newsletter

Vcita