By Ian Austen
Prime Minister Stephen Harper is among many Canadians these days who are boasting about the strength of the country’s banking system.
During the credit crisis, no Canadian banks failed, and none required government capital infusions. And last week when Canada’s major banks issued their quarterly statements, all but one were profitable. Even that exception, a second-quarter loss of 50 million Canadian dollars (on 6.8 billion Canadian dollars in revenue) at the Royal Bank of Canada, was largely related to a write-down in the value of its American operations.
Mr. Harper, a Conservative who generally favors limiting government influence in markets, credits Canada’s regulatory system for the banks’ good fortune and suggests that it should be a model for the world.
He’s not alone. Julie Dickson, the superintendent of financial institutions, has gone from being an obscure bureaucrat to something of a minor celebrity. A recent cover story in The Report on Business Magazine, which is published by The Globe and Mail newspaper, said she was “integral to the policy that is being credited with keeping the nation afloat during a financial storm that saw banks just about everywhere else in the world pushed to the brink because they had taken on too much leverage and excessive risk.”
Canada’s regulatory system, of course, is not perfect. And Mr. Harper’s enthusiasm aside, the health of its banking industry may have more to do with its structure than its watchdog.
Ms. Dickson’s office is known to be risk-averse. When the market for Canadian structured debt products collapsed because the banks, apparently at the suggestion of the regulator, declined to support it, Ms. Dickson rejected criticism from investors.
“Our primary job is to protect the interests of depositors,” she said at a news conference.
Her office also requires Canadian banks to maintain relatively large capital holdings. Brenda Lum, the managing director for Canadian financial institutions at DBRS, a debt rating agency in Toronto, said that Canadian banks have an average Tier 1 capital level of 10.8 percent.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation calculated the similar number for all American banks at 10.74 percent as of March 31. But unlike banks in Canada, some large American banks fall far from that figure. Wells Fargo, for example, was at 8.3 percent on that date, and Bank of America stood at 4.5 percent, although it has since raised more than $26 billion in capital to improve that ratio.
Helping Ms. Dickson with her job were other government policies that ensured that subprime mortgages accounted for only a tiny portion of Canada’s housing market. And because Canadian tax rules never allowed mortgage interest deductibility, home purchases in Canada are not effectively subsidized by the government.
But looming above all of those factors is the scope and market power of Canadian banks within their home market. While many foreign banks have subsidiaries in Canada, Ms. Lum estimates that Canadian banks hold 80 to 85 percent of their home market. Most of that business, in turn, is concentrated in the five largest banks.
The big five are also one-stop shopping banks offering everything from retail services (a particularly profitable line of work) to investment banking through networks of branches and offices spanning the country. On top of that, government rules prohibit anyone or any company from owning more than 20 percent of a Canadian bank, effectively making it impossible for foreign competitors to enter the market through an acquisition.
All that makes for what Ms. Lum described as “an orderly market.”
Arriving In Canada With The Permanent Residence
by invited blog: Correr es mi destino. Author:Zhu
So, you received the great news: “decision made”, you have just obtained the permanent residence in Canada! What’s next now?
Before you arrive
If your permanent resident application is approved, you will be asked to submit your passport to the Canadian visa office where you applied in order to receive your permanent resident visa.
You will get two important documents:
* The confirmation of permanent residence (with identification information, photograph…)
* An entry visa
The confirmation of permanent residence has an expiry date by which you must arrive in Canada. This doesn’t mean you have to settle in Canada by that date, but it does mean you must travel to Canada and become a landed immigrant before the confirmation of permanent residence expiry date. After that, you may come back to your home country and prepare your actual arrival if you wish.
You must have your Confirmation of Permanent Residence and your visa with you when you arrive in Canada.
When landing in Canada
When you arrive in Canada with the permanent residence, you become a landed immigrant. This is a very important step.
Whether your arrive by air or by land, you will first meet an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
The officer will ask to see:
* Your passport
* Your valid permanent resident visa
* Your confirmation of permanent residence
* If you immigrate through a category that requires you to prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself (for example, the skilled worker category), the officer will need to see the supporting documents, such as a recent bank statement.
There are a few routines questions to establish your identity and to make sure you gave correct informations that match your application, but this usually only take a few minutes.Make sure you have all your documents with you and everything will be fine!
Be aware that you will be asked to declare items you bring in Canada. Take a moment to check out what you can and can not bring in Canada, and what you must declare. You may want to check “How to I bring my belongs with me?” as well.
After that, the officer will authorize you to enter Canada as a permanent resident. He will also confirm your Canadian mailing address. Your permanent resident card will be mailed to you at this address.
The permanent resident card
A permanent resident card is a small wallet-sized card and a very valuable document, which allows you to prove your status in Canada or when traveling in and out of the country.
Permanent residents cards are not issued on the spot when you arrive in Canada. They are mailed to your Canadian address within a few weeks. If you do not have a Canadian address at the time when you land in Canada, you must supply one to CIC within 180 days (plenty of time!). There is not fee for the permanent resident card applied for at the time of the landing process. It usually takes about 30 days to receive the permanent card after you land in Canada, but it varies (you can check the current processing time here).
The permanent residence card is normally issued for 5 years. It can be renewed if you wish to remain a permanent resident, or you may not need it anymore if you apply for Canadian citizenship after three years of residency!
…And then what?
After landing in Canada, some people decide to go back to their home country for a little while to finalize their move and settle their affairs. Some have houses to sell, some have to finish their work etc. This is perfectly acceptable. Once you become a landed immigrant, your are free to travel in and out of Canada!
However, if you leave Canada before you receive your permanent resident card, you may need to apply for a single-use permanent resident travel document to return to Canada. If you hold a passport from a country that does not need a visitor visa to come to Canada (such the an American or a U.E passport), you should be able to enter Canada without your permanent resident card. See the list of countries which require visa to visit Canada or read the article I need to leave Canada but I do not have my PR card yet for more informations.
Be aware that to keep your status as a permanent resident in Canada, you must meet the residency requirement. This means that you must live in Canada for at least two years within a five-year period. If you don’t, your will lose your permanent residence status (and yes, it does happen a lot).
If you stay in Canada right away after becoming a landed immigrant, you can start applying for Canadian IDs (such as your SIN card), looking for a job, a place to live etc.
About being a permanent residence
As a permanent resident in Canada, you have both rights and responsibilities.You can:
* Live, work or study anywhere in Canada
* Receive most social benefits that Canadian citizens receive, such as health coverage
* Be protected under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Your responsibilities include paying taxes and respecting Canadian laws.
Note that as permanent resident, you can not vote or hold certain jobs that have a high security clearance.
You may lose your permanent status if you don’t meet the residency requirements or if you are convicted of a serious crime.
After three years in Canada as a permanent resident, you may choose to apply for Canadian citizenship if you meet the requirements.
So, you received the great news: “decision made”, you have just obtained the permanent residence in Canada! What’s next now?
Before you arrive
If your permanent resident application is approved, you will be asked to submit your passport to the Canadian visa office where you applied in order to receive your permanent resident visa.
You will get two important documents:
* The confirmation of permanent residence (with identification information, photograph…)
* An entry visa
The confirmation of permanent residence has an expiry date by which you must arrive in Canada. This doesn’t mean you have to settle in Canada by that date, but it does mean you must travel to Canada and become a landed immigrant before the confirmation of permanent residence expiry date. After that, you may come back to your home country and prepare your actual arrival if you wish.
You must have your Confirmation of Permanent Residence and your visa with you when you arrive in Canada.
When landing in Canada
When you arrive in Canada with the permanent residence, you become a landed immigrant. This is a very important step.
Whether your arrive by air or by land, you will first meet an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
The officer will ask to see:
* Your passport
* Your valid permanent resident visa
* Your confirmation of permanent residence
* If you immigrate through a category that requires you to prove that you have sufficient funds to support yourself (for example, the skilled worker category), the officer will need to see the supporting documents, such as a recent bank statement.
There are a few routines questions to establish your identity and to make sure you gave correct informations that match your application, but this usually only take a few minutes.Make sure you have all your documents with you and everything will be fine!
Be aware that you will be asked to declare items you bring in Canada. Take a moment to check out what you can and can not bring in Canada, and what you must declare. You may want to check “How to I bring my belongs with me?” as well.
After that, the officer will authorize you to enter Canada as a permanent resident. He will also confirm your Canadian mailing address. Your permanent resident card will be mailed to you at this address.
The permanent resident card
A permanent resident card is a small wallet-sized card and a very valuable document, which allows you to prove your status in Canada or when traveling in and out of the country.
Permanent residents cards are not issued on the spot when you arrive in Canada. They are mailed to your Canadian address within a few weeks. If you do not have a Canadian address at the time when you land in Canada, you must supply one to CIC within 180 days (plenty of time!). There is not fee for the permanent resident card applied for at the time of the landing process. It usually takes about 30 days to receive the permanent card after you land in Canada, but it varies (you can check the current processing time here).
The permanent residence card is normally issued for 5 years. It can be renewed if you wish to remain a permanent resident, or you may not need it anymore if you apply for Canadian citizenship after three years of residency!
…And then what?
After landing in Canada, some people decide to go back to their home country for a little while to finalize their move and settle their affairs. Some have houses to sell, some have to finish their work etc. This is perfectly acceptable. Once you become a landed immigrant, your are free to travel in and out of Canada!
However, if you leave Canada before you receive your permanent resident card, you may need to apply for a single-use permanent resident travel document to return to Canada. If you hold a passport from a country that does not need a visitor visa to come to Canada (such the an American or a U.E passport), you should be able to enter Canada without your permanent resident card. See the list of countries which require visa to visit Canada or read the article I need to leave Canada but I do not have my PR card yet for more informations.
Be aware that to keep your status as a permanent resident in Canada, you must meet the residency requirement. This means that you must live in Canada for at least two years within a five-year period. If you don’t, your will lose your permanent residence status (and yes, it does happen a lot).
If you stay in Canada right away after becoming a landed immigrant, you can start applying for Canadian IDs (such as your SIN card), looking for a job, a place to live etc.
About being a permanent residence
As a permanent resident in Canada, you have both rights and responsibilities.You can:
* Live, work or study anywhere in Canada
* Receive most social benefits that Canadian citizens receive, such as health coverage
* Be protected under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Your responsibilities include paying taxes and respecting Canadian laws.
Note that as permanent resident, you can not vote or hold certain jobs that have a high security clearance.
You may lose your permanent status if you don’t meet the residency requirements or if you are convicted of a serious crime.
After three years in Canada as a permanent resident, you may choose to apply for Canadian citizenship if you meet the requirements.
Institute of Wellbeing issues first report, creates index on quality of life
Jun. 10, 2009 Get Medbroadcast Health News via RSS Feed
Provided by: The Canadian Press
Written by: Anne-Marie Tobin, THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO - A new index is being created to measure the well-being of Canadians, which will go beyond what we learn about ourselves from economic indicators like the GDP.
The new Canadian Index of Wellbeing will measure eight areas of life, including health, education, state of the arts and standard of living, says Roy Romanow, chair of the non-partisan and independent institute that will produce the index.
In addition, it will tally figures on participation in the democratic process, quality of environment, the way Canadians use their time and the vitality of communities - including volunteer activities.
Romanow, a former premier of Saskatchewan and commissioner on the future of health care in Canada, described the project as "absolutely necessary."
"Right now in Canada, the one measuring stick, if I can use that phrase, that we have - that dominates everything - is the GDP, gross domestic product, sometimes called the gross national product," he said in an interview prior to the launch Wednesday.
It has become a surrogate for telling Canadians whether they're better or worse off, Romanow said, but in reality all it does is measure goods and services produced. But not all things that are produced are good for our lives, communities or health, he added.
"We'd like to have a complementary mechanism of measuring those things which the GDP does not, namely the quality of life."
The data being crunched will come from Statistics Canada, the CIBC employment quality index and a variety of other sources, he said.
On Wednesday, the newly launched Institute of Wellbeing, which is affiliated with the University of Waterloo, issued its first report dealing with three of the eight areas of life that will eventually be covered by the index.
Andrew Sharpe, executive director of the Centre for the Study of Living Standards in Ottawa, is the co-author of the living standards component, which looked at data from 1981 to 2008.
"Average incomes did fairly well in Canada, but what happened was much of the gains went to the top 25 per cent of the households, so median incomes - that's the middle family - actually only increased by around two per cent, over that whole period," he said. "That's very small."
The report said average real net worth in 2007 was up 73.3 per cent on a per capita basis and 51.7 per cent on a household basis from 1981.
As well, Sharpe said there's been a historic decline in the poverty rate - it was 9.2 per cent in 2007, down from 16 per cent around 1996. There were marked declines in child poverty and poverty among seniors, he noted.
"But the problem is, we're going to lose that. All this progress we've made through public policy and economic growth, we're going to unwind much of that with the next years to come because of this recession," he said.
The health portion of the report said Canadians' life expectancy rates are among the best in the world - a Canadian born in 2005 could expect to live to 80.4 years, up from 74.9 years in 1979.
But the health picture isn't all rosy, according to Romanow.
"If you plumb further down into that figure, you'll see some very disturbing aspects about life expectancies - for example, in the three territories - or life expectancies with aboriginal and native organizations," he said.
A child born in Nunavut in 2004 could expect to live only 70.4 years, the report said.
"These are circumstances where their health outcomes are worse, I suspect, because their incomes are also worse," Romanow surmised.
In terms of community vitality, the report said 61 per cent of Canadians were members of non-profit, voluntary organizations in 2003 compared with 51 per cent in the late 1990s.
And the number of people reporting six or more close friends dropped from 40 per cent to 30 per cent between 1996 and 2003.
Romanow said three more components that will comprise the index will be reported in the fall, and the other two will likely come in 2010.
As the eight domains are reported, researchers will concurrently be working at developing what they hope will be a single indicator, similar to the GDP, he said.
The composite figure "will be able to tell us as Canadians ... where improvements need to be made or where changes in policies should be implemented, or whether we just simply need a new initiative."
The idea originated about a decade ago when the Atkinson Charitable Foundation in Toronto was concerned about identifying scientific data that could tell us as a society whether Canadians are doing better or worse, Romanow said.
He came on board after filing his health-care report in 2002.
The advisory board is identified as the Institute of Wellbeing, and it's guided by experts who have been working on data for years, Romanow said.
There is a "virtual relationship" with the University of Waterloo, to give it an academic home.
"It's a citizens' group, not owned by any government. We're non-partisan - all we want to do is get the facts out there so that Canadians know and governments and communities respond accordingly."
Provided by: The Canadian Press
Written by: Anne-Marie Tobin, THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO - A new index is being created to measure the well-being of Canadians, which will go beyond what we learn about ourselves from economic indicators like the GDP.
The new Canadian Index of Wellbeing will measure eight areas of life, including health, education, state of the arts and standard of living, says Roy Romanow, chair of the non-partisan and independent institute that will produce the index.
In addition, it will tally figures on participation in the democratic process, quality of environment, the way Canadians use their time and the vitality of communities - including volunteer activities.
Romanow, a former premier of Saskatchewan and commissioner on the future of health care in Canada, described the project as "absolutely necessary."
"Right now in Canada, the one measuring stick, if I can use that phrase, that we have - that dominates everything - is the GDP, gross domestic product, sometimes called the gross national product," he said in an interview prior to the launch Wednesday.
It has become a surrogate for telling Canadians whether they're better or worse off, Romanow said, but in reality all it does is measure goods and services produced. But not all things that are produced are good for our lives, communities or health, he added.
"We'd like to have a complementary mechanism of measuring those things which the GDP does not, namely the quality of life."
The data being crunched will come from Statistics Canada, the CIBC employment quality index and a variety of other sources, he said.
On Wednesday, the newly launched Institute of Wellbeing, which is affiliated with the University of Waterloo, issued its first report dealing with three of the eight areas of life that will eventually be covered by the index.
Andrew Sharpe, executive director of the Centre for the Study of Living Standards in Ottawa, is the co-author of the living standards component, which looked at data from 1981 to 2008.
"Average incomes did fairly well in Canada, but what happened was much of the gains went to the top 25 per cent of the households, so median incomes - that's the middle family - actually only increased by around two per cent, over that whole period," he said. "That's very small."
The report said average real net worth in 2007 was up 73.3 per cent on a per capita basis and 51.7 per cent on a household basis from 1981.
As well, Sharpe said there's been a historic decline in the poverty rate - it was 9.2 per cent in 2007, down from 16 per cent around 1996. There were marked declines in child poverty and poverty among seniors, he noted.
"But the problem is, we're going to lose that. All this progress we've made through public policy and economic growth, we're going to unwind much of that with the next years to come because of this recession," he said.
The health portion of the report said Canadians' life expectancy rates are among the best in the world - a Canadian born in 2005 could expect to live to 80.4 years, up from 74.9 years in 1979.
But the health picture isn't all rosy, according to Romanow.
"If you plumb further down into that figure, you'll see some very disturbing aspects about life expectancies - for example, in the three territories - or life expectancies with aboriginal and native organizations," he said.
A child born in Nunavut in 2004 could expect to live only 70.4 years, the report said.
"These are circumstances where their health outcomes are worse, I suspect, because their incomes are also worse," Romanow surmised.
In terms of community vitality, the report said 61 per cent of Canadians were members of non-profit, voluntary organizations in 2003 compared with 51 per cent in the late 1990s.
And the number of people reporting six or more close friends dropped from 40 per cent to 30 per cent between 1996 and 2003.
Romanow said three more components that will comprise the index will be reported in the fall, and the other two will likely come in 2010.
As the eight domains are reported, researchers will concurrently be working at developing what they hope will be a single indicator, similar to the GDP, he said.
The composite figure "will be able to tell us as Canadians ... where improvements need to be made or where changes in policies should be implemented, or whether we just simply need a new initiative."
The idea originated about a decade ago when the Atkinson Charitable Foundation in Toronto was concerned about identifying scientific data that could tell us as a society whether Canadians are doing better or worse, Romanow said.
He came on board after filing his health-care report in 2002.
The advisory board is identified as the Institute of Wellbeing, and it's guided by experts who have been working on data for years, Romanow said.
There is a "virtual relationship" with the University of Waterloo, to give it an academic home.
"It's a citizens' group, not owned by any government. We're non-partisan - all we want to do is get the facts out there so that Canadians know and governments and communities respond accordingly."
Why Skilled Immigrants Are Leaving the U.S.
Source: Business Week
New research shows that highly skilled workers are returning home for brighter career prospects and a better quality of life
By Vivek Wadhwa
As the debate over H-1B workers and skilled immigrants intensifies, we are losing sight of one important fact: The U.S. is no longer the only land of opportunity. If we don't want the immigrants who have fueled our innovation and economic growth, they now have options elsewhere. Immigrants are returning home in greater numbers. And new research shows they are returning to enjoy a better quality of life, better career prospects, and the comfort of being close to family and friends.
Earlier research by my team suggested that a crisis was brewing because of a burgeoning immigration backlog. At the end of 2006, more than 1 million skilled professionals (engineers, scientists, doctors, researchers) and their families were in line for a yearly allotment of only 120,000 permanent resident visas. The wait time for some people ran longer than a decade. In the meantime, these workers were trapped in "immigration limbo." If they changed jobs or even took a promotion, they risked being pushed to the back of the permanent residency queue. We predicted that skilled foreign workers would increasingly get fed up and return to countries like India and China where the economies were booming.
Why should we care? Because immigrants are critical to the country's long-term economic health. Despite the fact that they constitute only 12% of the U.S. population, immigrants have started 52% of Silicon Valley's technology companies and contributed to more than 25% of our global patents. They make up 24% of the U.S. science and engineering workforce holding bachelor's degrees and 47% of science and engineering workers who have PhDs. Immigrants have co-founded firms such as Google (GOOG), Intel (INTC), eBay (EBAY), and Yahoo! (YHOO).
Who Are They? Young and Well-Educated
We tried to find hard data on how many immigrants had returned to India and China. No government authority seems to track these numbers. But human resources directors in India and China told us that what was a trickle of returnees a decade ago had become a flood. Job applications from the U.S. had increased tenfold over the last few years, they said. To get an understanding of how the returnees had fared and why they left the U.S., my team at Duke, along with AnnaLee Saxenian of the University of California at Berkeley and Richard Freeman of Harvard University, conducted a survey. Through professional networking site LinkedIn, we tracked down 1,203 Indian and Chinese immigrants who had worked or received education in the U.S. and had returned to their home countries. This research was funded by the Kauffman Foundation.
Our new paper, "America's Loss Is the World's Gain," finds that the vast majority of these returnees were relatively young. The average age was 30 for Indian returnees, and 33 for Chinese. They were highly educated, with degrees in management, technology, or science. Fifty-one percent of the Chinese held master's degrees and 41% had PhDs. Sixty-six percent of the Indians held a master's and 12.1% had PhDs. They were at very top of the educational distribution for these highly educated immigrant groups—precisely the kind of people who make the greatest contribution to the U.S. economy and to business and job growth.
Nearly a third of the Chinese returnees and a fifth of the Indians came to the U.S. on student visas. A fifth of the Chinese and nearly half of the Indians entered on temporary work visas (such as the H-1B). The strongest factor that brought them to the U.S. was professional and educational development opportunities.
What They Miss: Family and Friends
They found life in the U.S. had many drawbacks. Returnees cited language barriers, missing their family and friends at home, difficulty with cultural assimilation, and care of parents and children as key issues. About a third of the Indians and a fifth of the Chinese said that visas were a strong factor in their decision to return home, but others left for opportunity and to be close to family and friends. And it wasn't just new immigrants who were returning. In fact, 30% of respondents held permanent resident status or were U.S. citizens.
Eighty-seven percent of Chinese and 79% of Indians said a strong factor in their original decision to return home was the growing demand for their skills in their home countries. Their instincts generally proved right. Significant numbers moved up the organization chart. Among Indians the percentage of respondents holding senior management positions increased from 10% in the U.S. to 44% in India, and among Chinese it increased from 9% in the U.S. to 36% in China. Eighty-seven percent of Chinese and 62% of Indians said they had better opportunities for longer-term professional growth in their home countries than in the U.S. Additionally, nearly half were considering launching businesses and said entrepreneurial opportunities were better in their home countries than in the U.S.
Friends and family played an equally strong role for 88% of Indians and 77% of Chinese. Care for aging parents was considered by 89% of Indians and 79% of Chinese to be much better in their home countries. Nearly 80% of Indians and 67% of Chinese said family values were better in their home countries.
More Options Back Home
Immigrants who have arrived at America's shores have always felt lonely and homesick. They had to make big personal sacrifices to provide their children with better opportunities than they had. But they never have had the option to return home. Now they do, and they are leaving.
It isn't all rosy back home. Indians complained of traffic and congestion, lack of infrastructure, excessive bureaucracy, and pollution. Chinese complained of pollution, reverse culture shock, inferior education for children, frustration with government bureaucracy, and the quality of health care. Returnees said they were generally making less money in absolute terms, but they also said they enjoyed a higher quality of life.
We may not need all these workers in the U.S. during the deepening recession. But we will need them to help us recover from it. Right now, they are taking their skills and ideas back to their home countries and are unlikely to return, barring an extraordinary recruitment effort and major changes to immigration policy. That hardly seems likely given the current political climate. The policy focus now seems to be on doing whatever it takes to retain existing American jobs—even if it comes at the cost of building a workforce for the future of America.
New research shows that highly skilled workers are returning home for brighter career prospects and a better quality of life
By Vivek Wadhwa
As the debate over H-1B workers and skilled immigrants intensifies, we are losing sight of one important fact: The U.S. is no longer the only land of opportunity. If we don't want the immigrants who have fueled our innovation and economic growth, they now have options elsewhere. Immigrants are returning home in greater numbers. And new research shows they are returning to enjoy a better quality of life, better career prospects, and the comfort of being close to family and friends.
Earlier research by my team suggested that a crisis was brewing because of a burgeoning immigration backlog. At the end of 2006, more than 1 million skilled professionals (engineers, scientists, doctors, researchers) and their families were in line for a yearly allotment of only 120,000 permanent resident visas. The wait time for some people ran longer than a decade. In the meantime, these workers were trapped in "immigration limbo." If they changed jobs or even took a promotion, they risked being pushed to the back of the permanent residency queue. We predicted that skilled foreign workers would increasingly get fed up and return to countries like India and China where the economies were booming.
Why should we care? Because immigrants are critical to the country's long-term economic health. Despite the fact that they constitute only 12% of the U.S. population, immigrants have started 52% of Silicon Valley's technology companies and contributed to more than 25% of our global patents. They make up 24% of the U.S. science and engineering workforce holding bachelor's degrees and 47% of science and engineering workers who have PhDs. Immigrants have co-founded firms such as Google (GOOG), Intel (INTC), eBay (EBAY), and Yahoo! (YHOO).
Who Are They? Young and Well-Educated
We tried to find hard data on how many immigrants had returned to India and China. No government authority seems to track these numbers. But human resources directors in India and China told us that what was a trickle of returnees a decade ago had become a flood. Job applications from the U.S. had increased tenfold over the last few years, they said. To get an understanding of how the returnees had fared and why they left the U.S., my team at Duke, along with AnnaLee Saxenian of the University of California at Berkeley and Richard Freeman of Harvard University, conducted a survey. Through professional networking site LinkedIn, we tracked down 1,203 Indian and Chinese immigrants who had worked or received education in the U.S. and had returned to their home countries. This research was funded by the Kauffman Foundation.
Our new paper, "America's Loss Is the World's Gain," finds that the vast majority of these returnees were relatively young. The average age was 30 for Indian returnees, and 33 for Chinese. They were highly educated, with degrees in management, technology, or science. Fifty-one percent of the Chinese held master's degrees and 41% had PhDs. Sixty-six percent of the Indians held a master's and 12.1% had PhDs. They were at very top of the educational distribution for these highly educated immigrant groups—precisely the kind of people who make the greatest contribution to the U.S. economy and to business and job growth.
Nearly a third of the Chinese returnees and a fifth of the Indians came to the U.S. on student visas. A fifth of the Chinese and nearly half of the Indians entered on temporary work visas (such as the H-1B). The strongest factor that brought them to the U.S. was professional and educational development opportunities.
What They Miss: Family and Friends
They found life in the U.S. had many drawbacks. Returnees cited language barriers, missing their family and friends at home, difficulty with cultural assimilation, and care of parents and children as key issues. About a third of the Indians and a fifth of the Chinese said that visas were a strong factor in their decision to return home, but others left for opportunity and to be close to family and friends. And it wasn't just new immigrants who were returning. In fact, 30% of respondents held permanent resident status or were U.S. citizens.
Eighty-seven percent of Chinese and 79% of Indians said a strong factor in their original decision to return home was the growing demand for their skills in their home countries. Their instincts generally proved right. Significant numbers moved up the organization chart. Among Indians the percentage of respondents holding senior management positions increased from 10% in the U.S. to 44% in India, and among Chinese it increased from 9% in the U.S. to 36% in China. Eighty-seven percent of Chinese and 62% of Indians said they had better opportunities for longer-term professional growth in their home countries than in the U.S. Additionally, nearly half were considering launching businesses and said entrepreneurial opportunities were better in their home countries than in the U.S.
Friends and family played an equally strong role for 88% of Indians and 77% of Chinese. Care for aging parents was considered by 89% of Indians and 79% of Chinese to be much better in their home countries. Nearly 80% of Indians and 67% of Chinese said family values were better in their home countries.
More Options Back Home
Immigrants who have arrived at America's shores have always felt lonely and homesick. They had to make big personal sacrifices to provide their children with better opportunities than they had. But they never have had the option to return home. Now they do, and they are leaving.
It isn't all rosy back home. Indians complained of traffic and congestion, lack of infrastructure, excessive bureaucracy, and pollution. Chinese complained of pollution, reverse culture shock, inferior education for children, frustration with government bureaucracy, and the quality of health care. Returnees said they were generally making less money in absolute terms, but they also said they enjoyed a higher quality of life.
We may not need all these workers in the U.S. during the deepening recession. But we will need them to help us recover from it. Right now, they are taking their skills and ideas back to their home countries and are unlikely to return, barring an extraordinary recruitment effort and major changes to immigration policy. That hardly seems likely given the current political climate. The policy focus now seems to be on doing whatever it takes to retain existing American jobs—even if it comes at the cost of building a workforce for the future of America.
Canada Recognises Indian Law Degree
Source: The Hindu News Update Service
Toronto (PTI): Broadening prospects for legal professionals coming from India and other Asian countries, Canadian authorities have decided to recognise their law degrees equivalent to that of the U.K. and Australia.
"The National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) has decided that three-year full-time law degrees from Common Law Countries including India, England and Australia should be treated equivalently regardless of their country of origin. It is a substantial reduction in barrier to entry into legal profession," Vern Krishna, outgoing executive director of the NCA, said on Sunday.
Prof. Krishna, who will retire on June 30 after 27 years of his service, said that the new decision that came in force from March 1 and again revised on May 1, 2009 would pave the way for Indian lawyers and other foreign trained professionals quicker integration into the mainstream.
"Law degrees from India, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, the U.S., Wales and West Indies are being treated equivalently," Prof. Krishna said.
He, however, said that professionals from these countries willing to practice law in Canada have to qualify exams in about six subjects depending upon the subjects they studied and grade obtained in order to achieve equivalence. Besides, they will have to write bar exams to practice as a lawyer here, he added.
The exams will test ability of foreign aspirants about their knowledge of law, how they apply it and their competence that allow them to serve public, he said.
Prof. Krishna said that Canada is offering vast opportunities for South Asian Legal professionals as trade and investment between Canada and South Asia are expected to grow significantly in years to come.
Welcoming the NCA's decision, Bhausaheb Ubale, former chief of Canadian Human Rights Commission, said that the step removed biggest barrier faced by Indian legal professionals and demanded similar provision in other professions also.
Foreign credentials recognition - or, more aptly, its non-recognition - is a "systemic problem" that continues to exist in Canada, said Canadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney.
He said his government has tripled its fund allocations to the foreign credential recognition programme.
"We're creating a national framework and hope to be able to present it in a year for now," he said, adding that it will enable the newcomers to have their credentials assessed quicker and paving the way towards their integration into the mainstream jobs market.
Toronto (PTI): Broadening prospects for legal professionals coming from India and other Asian countries, Canadian authorities have decided to recognise their law degrees equivalent to that of the U.K. and Australia.
"The National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) has decided that three-year full-time law degrees from Common Law Countries including India, England and Australia should be treated equivalently regardless of their country of origin. It is a substantial reduction in barrier to entry into legal profession," Vern Krishna, outgoing executive director of the NCA, said on Sunday.
Prof. Krishna, who will retire on June 30 after 27 years of his service, said that the new decision that came in force from March 1 and again revised on May 1, 2009 would pave the way for Indian lawyers and other foreign trained professionals quicker integration into the mainstream.
"Law degrees from India, Australia, Bangladesh, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, the U.S., Wales and West Indies are being treated equivalently," Prof. Krishna said.
He, however, said that professionals from these countries willing to practice law in Canada have to qualify exams in about six subjects depending upon the subjects they studied and grade obtained in order to achieve equivalence. Besides, they will have to write bar exams to practice as a lawyer here, he added.
The exams will test ability of foreign aspirants about their knowledge of law, how they apply it and their competence that allow them to serve public, he said.
Prof. Krishna said that Canada is offering vast opportunities for South Asian Legal professionals as trade and investment between Canada and South Asia are expected to grow significantly in years to come.
Welcoming the NCA's decision, Bhausaheb Ubale, former chief of Canadian Human Rights Commission, said that the step removed biggest barrier faced by Indian legal professionals and demanded similar provision in other professions also.
Foreign credentials recognition - or, more aptly, its non-recognition - is a "systemic problem" that continues to exist in Canada, said Canadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney.
He said his government has tripled its fund allocations to the foreign credential recognition programme.
"We're creating a national framework and hope to be able to present it in a year for now," he said, adding that it will enable the newcomers to have their credentials assessed quicker and paving the way towards their integration into the mainstream jobs market.
Recession Makes the Frozen North More Appealing By Tamar Lewin
Source:http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/canada/?hp
With American college costs rising, and the American dollar strong against the Canadian currency, more and more high school students are looking to Canadian universities for their college education.
Canadian and U.S. dollarsAP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, The Canadian Press
According to the Canadian embassy, more than 9,000 U.S. students are studying at Canadian universities and colleges, up from 2,500 12 years ago.
The cost advantage is enormous. Because Canadian universities are publicly financed and heavily subsidized by the government, even the higher tuition for foreign students is only about $15,000 — about half as much as at a selective American liberal-arts college.
Not surprisingly, given the recession, American interest in top Canadian universities has been particularly strong this year. A Boston Globe article in December found that in many Massachusetts high schools, universities like McGill, in Montreal, Dalhousie, in Halifax, and the University of Toronto, were very much on students’ radar.
The Canadian press, too, has carried recent stories about the trend, like this one from The Globe and Mail, in which a recruiting official at the University of Toronto, where applications from American students have tripled in seven years, said that when she tells American parents to expect to pay about $30,000 for tuition, books and housing, they often ask if that is for a term or for the whole year.
A Canadian government Web site, helps guide prospective students through the simpler-than-in-the-United-States admissions process.
With American college costs rising, and the American dollar strong against the Canadian currency, more and more high school students are looking to Canadian universities for their college education.
Canadian and U.S. dollarsAP Photo/Ryan Remiorz, The Canadian Press
According to the Canadian embassy, more than 9,000 U.S. students are studying at Canadian universities and colleges, up from 2,500 12 years ago.
The cost advantage is enormous. Because Canadian universities are publicly financed and heavily subsidized by the government, even the higher tuition for foreign students is only about $15,000 — about half as much as at a selective American liberal-arts college.
Not surprisingly, given the recession, American interest in top Canadian universities has been particularly strong this year. A Boston Globe article in December found that in many Massachusetts high schools, universities like McGill, in Montreal, Dalhousie, in Halifax, and the University of Toronto, were very much on students’ radar.
The Canadian press, too, has carried recent stories about the trend, like this one from The Globe and Mail, in which a recruiting official at the University of Toronto, where applications from American students have tripled in seven years, said that when she tells American parents to expect to pay about $30,000 for tuition, books and housing, they often ask if that is for a term or for the whole year.
A Canadian government Web site, helps guide prospective students through the simpler-than-in-the-United-States admissions process.
Indian students flock to study in Canada
June 01 2009 by Ranjan Chakraborty
Canadian immigration is taking measures to attract Indian students with a new pilot project which will enable students who want to study in Canada to gain student visas within just seven to ten days.
The scheme follows problems involving false documentation, with many Indian students being rejected for Canadian student visas after being duped by bogus immigration agencies. In light of this, the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi is piloting a scheme that will check for fraudulent documentation and boost the number of Indians going to study in Canada.
Jagdeep Singh, from International Educational & Career Consultants, says the Canadian High Commission is hoping to attract more Indians to move to Canada to study this year following a high rejection rate in 2008. He says the new scheme will be simplified and is intended to quickly ascertain an applicant’s “correct financial status.”
Singh says that Canada is now hoping more Indian students will choose Canada rather than going to study in the US or in Australia. He says that Canada has high quality universities and that it wants to generate more money for its economy by boosting the number of foreign students it welcomes.
Advice to students looking to obtain a Canadian student visa includes: [1] using a bona fide, reputable immigration agency with an excellent track record; [2] choosing the right course at the right educational establishment; [3] be truthful at all times and show genuine documentation. If the application is rejected because of fraudulent documentation, the chances of reversing a refused visa are very slim.
Canadian immigration is taking measures to attract Indian students with a new pilot project which will enable students who want to study in Canada to gain student visas within just seven to ten days.
The scheme follows problems involving false documentation, with many Indian students being rejected for Canadian student visas after being duped by bogus immigration agencies. In light of this, the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi is piloting a scheme that will check for fraudulent documentation and boost the number of Indians going to study in Canada.
Jagdeep Singh, from International Educational & Career Consultants, says the Canadian High Commission is hoping to attract more Indians to move to Canada to study this year following a high rejection rate in 2008. He says the new scheme will be simplified and is intended to quickly ascertain an applicant’s “correct financial status.”
Singh says that Canada is now hoping more Indian students will choose Canada rather than going to study in the US or in Australia. He says that Canada has high quality universities and that it wants to generate more money for its economy by boosting the number of foreign students it welcomes.
Advice to students looking to obtain a Canadian student visa includes: [1] using a bona fide, reputable immigration agency with an excellent track record; [2] choosing the right course at the right educational establishment; [3] be truthful at all times and show genuine documentation. If the application is rejected because of fraudulent documentation, the chances of reversing a refused visa are very slim.
How Much Does Immigrating Really Cost?
Let's welcome another interesting blog article from Zhu. She is the blogger behind Correr es mi destino blog.
Are you eligible to immigrate to Canada? Are you filling up the paperworks? Awesome! But wait… do you have enough money?
Sure, you though of the processing fees. But did you realize there were also a lot of fees associated with immigrating to Canada? In this post, I’m going to try to sum up how much do you really need to paid to immigrate to Canada.
The processing fees
Depending on the category you applied in, you will be charged different fees:
* In the skilled worker category: it’s $550 for the principal applicant, $550 for the spouse, and $150 per children under 22 years old.
* In the sponsorship category: the sponsor application is $75, the person sponsored is charged $475.
Applicant who plan to settle in Quebec must apply for a Certificat de Selection du Quebec (CSQ). It costs $390 for the principal applicant, $150 for a spouse, and $150 for each child.
All landed immigrants in Canada must paid the right of permanent residence fee, which is $490 per person.
Citizenship and Immigration has a handy table to help you calculate your application fees.
Fees associated with the application
* If your documents (such a degrees, work documents etc.) are not in French or English, you must provide a translation of these documents. This has to be done by a authorized translator.
* You must include several photographs and the rules are quite specific (yes, Canadians are weird with passport pictures!). Depending where you live, it adds up. In Canada, it cost about $12 for two pics — not cheap if you immigrate as a family!
* You may need to have your foreign degrees recognized in Canada. This is called a credential evaluation, and it’s done by specific organization, such as World Education Services. A basic official evaluation cost about $115 and up.
* If you are from a country where nor English nor French is the official language, you will have to prove your language abilities. This is one of the 6 selection factors for skilled workers. The language proficiency test must given by an organization that is approved by Citizenship and Immigration, for example IELTS ($265) and CELPIP f($250) for English, or the TEF for French ($250). No cheap!
* A medical exam is compulsory for each applicant and their dependents (spouse, children) and must be made by a physician on Canada’s list of designated medical practitioners. Usually, you paid twice: once for the exam itself, and once for the X-rays that have to be taken. Fees vary by country, and even by geographic location within a country. Doctors fees vary, so shop around! I remember paying $100 for the medical exam and another $100 for the X-ray, in 2005, in Ottawa.
Don’t forget to consider miscellaneous fees!
* Traveling expenses: you may have to travel from your city to your local Canadian visa office (typically, in your home country’s capital, with some exceptions). Why would you need to travel? Well, if you need to be interviewed for your application. Sometimes, your city won’t have a designated medical practitioner, so may have to travel to another city for your medical exam.
* Passport application: a lot of people don’t realize they need a passport from their home country to immigrate to Canada. You have to apply for one before you start the immigration process, and chances are, it will cost something, although it varies by country.
Don’t forget…
And don’t forget the settlement funds. If you apply in the skilled worker category, you will have to prove that you have enough funds to support yourself and your family for the first few months following your arrival in Canada. For one person, it’s roughly $10,000, and up to almost $23,000 for a family of five.
Canadian immigration successfully integrates newcomers says expert
May 27 2009 by Ranjan Chakraborty
Canadian immigrants
Canada, idealistic melting pot?
William Kymlicka, a leading expert on Canadian immigration and the research chair of political philosophy at Queen’s University, says that Canada has been more successful than most countries at integrating immigrants into society.
Kymlicka points out that most immigrants who move to work in Canada become citizens and their children outperform non-immigrants’ children in education, a trend which is unique among Western democracies.
He also argues that visible minorities, both first and second generation, claim to feel a great sense of pride in Canada, which is on par with that felt among white Canadians.
Political integration is also an area where Canadian immigration is succeeding. Kymlicka says that political parties try hard to reach newcomers and the political system makes it easy for them to become involved in politics and the democratic process.
Social integration is also, generally speaking, succeeding, with the vast majority of Canadians feeling comfortable with immigrants as neighbours and co-workers. According to research, Muslims feel more welcome in Canada than in other countries, says Kymlicka.
He defends the fact that immigrants often chose to live within their own communities, arguing that, unlike in other countries where such areas are becoming ghettos, the behaviour does not lock people into poverty or breed anti-Canadian feeling.
Canadian immigrants
Canada, idealistic melting pot?
William Kymlicka, a leading expert on Canadian immigration and the research chair of political philosophy at Queen’s University, says that Canada has been more successful than most countries at integrating immigrants into society.
Kymlicka points out that most immigrants who move to work in Canada become citizens and their children outperform non-immigrants’ children in education, a trend which is unique among Western democracies.
He also argues that visible minorities, both first and second generation, claim to feel a great sense of pride in Canada, which is on par with that felt among white Canadians.
Political integration is also an area where Canadian immigration is succeeding. Kymlicka says that political parties try hard to reach newcomers and the political system makes it easy for them to become involved in politics and the democratic process.
Social integration is also, generally speaking, succeeding, with the vast majority of Canadians feeling comfortable with immigrants as neighbours and co-workers. According to research, Muslims feel more welcome in Canada than in other countries, says Kymlicka.
He defends the fact that immigrants often chose to live within their own communities, arguing that, unlike in other countries where such areas are becoming ghettos, the behaviour does not lock people into poverty or breed anti-Canadian feeling.
Canada's 10 hottest jobs:
Find out the trades and professions that are most in demand, PLUS websites to get you started on your new job search.
By Yuki Hayashi
Canada's 10 hottest jobs: skilled trades, pharmacist, finance, dental hygienist and more
From the skilled trades to college professor, check out our list of top 10 hot jobs and discover the positions that are in demand across Canada. If you're stuck in a part-time job and want a real career, are deciding what to study, or are even considering a change in work, read on! These trades and professions are booming, so if you have the training and aptitude for one of these gigs, you can expect good money, a relative amount of job security and the knowledge that companies are vying to hire you (you hot commodity, you!). And remember, the average worker changes careers -- not jobs, but careers -- three to seven times. So don't be afraid to take the plunge into something new.
1. Financial manager
Demand for money managers is increasing as the private and government sectors are looking for whizzes who know the complexities of financial management.
What to expect: An unemployment rate half that of the Canadian average.
Tip: If you have knowledge of foreign finance or are fluent in a foreign language, consider yourself doubly attractive -- and pack your bags for a potentially jet-set international career.
Getting started: Visit the international Financial Management Association's website at fma.org.
2. Skilled tradesperson
If you don't want an office job, but do want a salary that pays above the national average, this is the sector for you. Unfortunately (or fortunately for you, depending on how you look at it), the skilled trades have suffered stigmatization for a generation. As a result, a shortage of tradespeople is looming in the service (chefs, horticulturalists), construction (electricians, carpenters, plumbers), transportation (aviation technicians, automotive service technicians) and manufacturing (industrial mechanics, tool and die makers) sectors.
Tip: In the next two decades, 40 per cent of new jobs are supposed to be in the skilled trades and technologies.
Getting started: Visit careersintrades.ca for information on training (including paid apprenticeships).
3. College or vocational school teacher
The boom in skilled trades means there's also a need for instructors at community colleges, Quebec's CEGEPs, technical institutes and other vocational schools.
What to expect: The number of job openings exceeds the number of candidates, especially with retirements expected over the years to come, plus increased government funding.
Tip: If your discipline is new technology or the skilled trades, your prospects are particularly good.
Getting Started: Go to Service Canada's website, jobfutures.ca, for more info.
4. Dentist or dental hygienist
Dentistry is a field you can really sink your teeth into, whether you've got the stamina to stick it out through three years of undergrad university studies plus four to five years of dentistry school or want to get working in this field sooner by becoming a dental hygienist.To obtain a diploma in dental hygiene, you can attend a private educational institution for a minimum of 16 months, or a 2 year program at a community college, or at the University of Manitoba and Dalhousie University. Also, dental hygiene degree programs are offered at the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta. For more information on how to become a hygienist in your province, check out the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association's website.
What to expect: There are currently more job openings than there are qualified people to fill them, in both positions.
Tip: the industry will continue to grow as Canada's aging population requires more care, more Canadians enjoy dental coverage, and the booming demand for adult cosmetic dentistry continues (thank you, Hollywood!).
Getting started: The Canadian Dental Association's website has lots of info on the profession.
5. Computer and information systems managers
The 2001 slowdown in the computer industry didn't put a dent in this field. Wage growth is still better than average, as are actual wages (almost double the national average), while the unemployment rate is well below the national average.
Looking ahead: Overall, our reliance on computers at home and at work will continue to grow, meaning job security and continuous opportunities for training and growth.
Fun tip: Single gals, there are more men than women in this field, so industry conferences practically guarantee your BlackBerry will be full of new e-mail addresses of eligible bachelors.
Getting started: If you have experience as a programmer and a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related, field, you're in the running. Visit the government's CanLearn website for more info.
6. University professor
The Ivory Tower is also experiencing increased government spending on education and research, coupled with workplace demand for a highly trained and educated workforce.
What to expect: With below-average unemployment and above-average wages, plus a wave of retirements on the horizon, prospects are strong.
Getting started: Unless you've already got a Ph.D. in the closet, go online to research the post-grad university degree programs you'll need to embark upon if your heart is set on being a university professor.
7. Human resource specialist or manager
Demand for human resources specialists and managers is increasing and expected to stay strong, as companies place greater emphasis than ever before on human resources issues such as recruitment, training, employee relations and retention.
What to expect: There are more job openings than job seekers in this field, so prospects are great. Just like you always thought, being a people person does pay off.
Getting started: HR.com has lots of industry information with a North American perspective. Visit the sites of business schools for MBA programs with a special focus on human resource management.
8. Pharmacist
A growing and aging population means more prescriptions needing to be filled. From hospital pharmacists to your friendly local pharmacist, there's greater demand for them than there are qualified grads or trained immigrants to fill the positions.
What to expect: Good pay, and many pharmacists are self-employed -- they own the pharmacies they work in.
Getting started: You must attend pharmacy school at a Canadian university and hold a Bachelor of Science degree. Check out the Canadian Pharmacists Association website at pharmacists.ca for info.
9. Registered nurse
Canada's aging population means this sector's a dynamic place to be. A combination of factors will ensure a wealth of opportunity for nurses with college or university nursing degrees.
Looking ahead: You'll be in high demand: there are more jobs than registered nurses due to retirement, enrollment in nursing programs is declining and there's a strong need for nurses internationally.
Tip: It's a great job if you love the idea of working in the U.S. or farther abroad, as well-paid international opportunities abound.
Getting started: Check out the Canadian Nurses Association website at cna-nurses.ca.
10. Retail manager
OK, OK, we all remember doing a McJob. But as the retail sector continues to grow, consumer spending is holding strong, and because there are more openings than there are job seekers in this field, finding employment is still relatively easy.
What to expect: If you're not hung up on high wages (managerial positions pay only slightly above the national average) but like flexible hours and love helping people, and you have transferable skills but perhaps no post-secondary education, this is the field for you.
Bonus: Expect great employee discounts.
Getting started: Apply to stores you think you might like working at, stressing your team skills, practical computer skills and passion for retail.
Source: Canadianliving.com
By Yuki Hayashi
Canada's 10 hottest jobs: skilled trades, pharmacist, finance, dental hygienist and more
From the skilled trades to college professor, check out our list of top 10 hot jobs and discover the positions that are in demand across Canada. If you're stuck in a part-time job and want a real career, are deciding what to study, or are even considering a change in work, read on! These trades and professions are booming, so if you have the training and aptitude for one of these gigs, you can expect good money, a relative amount of job security and the knowledge that companies are vying to hire you (you hot commodity, you!). And remember, the average worker changes careers -- not jobs, but careers -- three to seven times. So don't be afraid to take the plunge into something new.
1. Financial manager
Demand for money managers is increasing as the private and government sectors are looking for whizzes who know the complexities of financial management.
What to expect: An unemployment rate half that of the Canadian average.
Tip: If you have knowledge of foreign finance or are fluent in a foreign language, consider yourself doubly attractive -- and pack your bags for a potentially jet-set international career.
Getting started: Visit the international Financial Management Association's website at fma.org.
2. Skilled tradesperson
If you don't want an office job, but do want a salary that pays above the national average, this is the sector for you. Unfortunately (or fortunately for you, depending on how you look at it), the skilled trades have suffered stigmatization for a generation. As a result, a shortage of tradespeople is looming in the service (chefs, horticulturalists), construction (electricians, carpenters, plumbers), transportation (aviation technicians, automotive service technicians) and manufacturing (industrial mechanics, tool and die makers) sectors.
Tip: In the next two decades, 40 per cent of new jobs are supposed to be in the skilled trades and technologies.
Getting started: Visit careersintrades.ca for information on training (including paid apprenticeships).
3. College or vocational school teacher
The boom in skilled trades means there's also a need for instructors at community colleges, Quebec's CEGEPs, technical institutes and other vocational schools.
What to expect: The number of job openings exceeds the number of candidates, especially with retirements expected over the years to come, plus increased government funding.
Tip: If your discipline is new technology or the skilled trades, your prospects are particularly good.
Getting Started: Go to Service Canada's website, jobfutures.ca, for more info.
4. Dentist or dental hygienist
Dentistry is a field you can really sink your teeth into, whether you've got the stamina to stick it out through three years of undergrad university studies plus four to five years of dentistry school or want to get working in this field sooner by becoming a dental hygienist.To obtain a diploma in dental hygiene, you can attend a private educational institution for a minimum of 16 months, or a 2 year program at a community college, or at the University of Manitoba and Dalhousie University. Also, dental hygiene degree programs are offered at the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta. For more information on how to become a hygienist in your province, check out the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association's website.
What to expect: There are currently more job openings than there are qualified people to fill them, in both positions.
Tip: the industry will continue to grow as Canada's aging population requires more care, more Canadians enjoy dental coverage, and the booming demand for adult cosmetic dentistry continues (thank you, Hollywood!).
Getting started: The Canadian Dental Association's website has lots of info on the profession.
5. Computer and information systems managers
The 2001 slowdown in the computer industry didn't put a dent in this field. Wage growth is still better than average, as are actual wages (almost double the national average), while the unemployment rate is well below the national average.
Looking ahead: Overall, our reliance on computers at home and at work will continue to grow, meaning job security and continuous opportunities for training and growth.
Fun tip: Single gals, there are more men than women in this field, so industry conferences practically guarantee your BlackBerry will be full of new e-mail addresses of eligible bachelors.
Getting started: If you have experience as a programmer and a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related, field, you're in the running. Visit the government's CanLearn website for more info.
6. University professor
The Ivory Tower is also experiencing increased government spending on education and research, coupled with workplace demand for a highly trained and educated workforce.
What to expect: With below-average unemployment and above-average wages, plus a wave of retirements on the horizon, prospects are strong.
Getting started: Unless you've already got a Ph.D. in the closet, go online to research the post-grad university degree programs you'll need to embark upon if your heart is set on being a university professor.
7. Human resource specialist or manager
Demand for human resources specialists and managers is increasing and expected to stay strong, as companies place greater emphasis than ever before on human resources issues such as recruitment, training, employee relations and retention.
What to expect: There are more job openings than job seekers in this field, so prospects are great. Just like you always thought, being a people person does pay off.
Getting started: HR.com has lots of industry information with a North American perspective. Visit the sites of business schools for MBA programs with a special focus on human resource management.
8. Pharmacist
A growing and aging population means more prescriptions needing to be filled. From hospital pharmacists to your friendly local pharmacist, there's greater demand for them than there are qualified grads or trained immigrants to fill the positions.
What to expect: Good pay, and many pharmacists are self-employed -- they own the pharmacies they work in.
Getting started: You must attend pharmacy school at a Canadian university and hold a Bachelor of Science degree. Check out the Canadian Pharmacists Association website at pharmacists.ca for info.
9. Registered nurse
Canada's aging population means this sector's a dynamic place to be. A combination of factors will ensure a wealth of opportunity for nurses with college or university nursing degrees.
Looking ahead: You'll be in high demand: there are more jobs than registered nurses due to retirement, enrollment in nursing programs is declining and there's a strong need for nurses internationally.
Tip: It's a great job if you love the idea of working in the U.S. or farther abroad, as well-paid international opportunities abound.
Getting started: Check out the Canadian Nurses Association website at cna-nurses.ca.
10. Retail manager
OK, OK, we all remember doing a McJob. But as the retail sector continues to grow, consumer spending is holding strong, and because there are more openings than there are job seekers in this field, finding employment is still relatively easy.
What to expect: If you're not hung up on high wages (managerial positions pay only slightly above the national average) but like flexible hours and love helping people, and you have transferable skills but perhaps no post-secondary education, this is the field for you.
Bonus: Expect great employee discounts.
Getting started: Apply to stores you think you might like working at, stressing your team skills, practical computer skills and passion for retail.
Source: Canadianliving.com
If you immigrate to Quebec. by Zhu (Correr es mi destino blog)
Quebec is a province of Canada. As such, it shares immigration laws with the federal government of Canada. However, the province signed an immigration accord with Canada. Quebec is responsible for selecting the workers wishing to settle in Quebec, to achieve certain immigration objectives. But the federal government of Canada is still responsible for admitting the immigrants.
So what does it mean for a prospective immigrant who wish to settle in Quebec?
It means that when your permanent residence application will have to follow two major steps:
* Being selected by the provincial government of Quebec. Your educational and work background will be assessed, as well as your ability to integrate into Quebec. You will need to apply for and obtain a CSQ.
* Being accepted by the federal government of Canada. It is responsible for your medical examination and your security check. It will grant you permanent residence if you are successful.
If you apply in the skilled worker category and wish to settle in Quebec
The first thing you need to know is that Quebec is different than the other provinces. The most obvious difference is linguistic: the official language in Quebec is French, not English and French. The population is 80% francophone, and even though they are some English communities, the importance given to French is huge.
The government of Quebec emphasizes the fact that the province has a very distinct culture. Indeed, you need to research the specific of Quebec before you consider settling there.
You may want to start with a general idea of Quebec’s core values. Don’t forget to research the job market: Canadian laws may be different in Quebec, where certain professions and trades are regulated, which means your credentials may not be recognized. Finally, get the facts about daily life in Quebec.
The importance of French can not be stressed enough, as it is both a practical and a political issue. You may need to speak both French and English in some positions, but knowledge of French is almost a pre-requisite. Quebec also has language-laws requiring kids to attend school in French in most cases. Politically speaking, let’s just say it’s a touchy issue…
Like if you were settling in other provinces, you need to be selected as a skilled worker. There is also a certain number of criteria and a pass mark. You can evaluate your chances of being selected online for free, with the Preliminary Evaluation for Immigration.
The most important criteria are:
* Education
* Work experience, especially acquired training and occupational skills
* Knowledge of French, or willingness to learn the language. English is an asset.
* Age: ideally, the younger the better!
* Financial capacity: you must show that you can support yourself for the first few months following your arrival in Quebec
* Your immigration project
If you pass the preliminary test, you can prepare your application.
* Download the application for a CSQ,fill up all the paperworks and pay the fees.
* Your application will be reviewed and assessed by a Bureau du Quebec. An interview is sometime required. The interviewer will check your credentials (education, degrees, work experience…). He may test your knowledge of Quebec, your language skills and ask about your immigration project.
* You can check the processing time for a CSQ, it depends on the countries where the Bureau du Quebec is located.
* If your application is accepted, it will be forwarded to the federal government of Canada, which will assess your medical background and do the security check.
If you apply in the sponsorship category and wish to settle in Quebec
You will have to submitted your sponsorship application to the federal government of Canada, as described in this article.
But, since you will settle in Quebec, you must add two extra steps.
* After the federal government approves the sponsorship, you must submit an undertaking application to the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles. It is a contract that binds the sponsor with the person being sponsored and the provincial government of Québec. It establishes that the sponsor has sufficient financial resources to provide for the person you sponsor.
* Then, the person sponsored must obtain a CSQ.
How much does the CSQ cost?
For the principal applicant, it cost CA$390. For the spouse and each dependent child, it’s CA$150.
Note that if you immigrate as a family, each person must apply for a CSQ, regardless of if you will be working or not (i.e even kids need their CSQ).
To the cost of the CSQ, you still have to add the cost of applying for permanent residence in Canada.
What if I wanted to settle in Quebec and changed my mind?
Whether you apply to live in Canada or in Quebec, the result is the same: you obtain, if successful, the permanence residence in Canada. Sure, the two processes are a little bit different, but your permanent resident card is the same.
Having the permanence residence in Canada gives you the right to live and work anywhere you like. Therefor, even if you apply for permanent residence in Quebec, no one can force you to stay there.
However, when applying for permanent residence in Quebec, you do declare that you wish to live in Quebec.
What if I applied for permanent residence in Canada and want to settle in Quebec?
Well, that is a bit more difficult… which is kind of weird actually. Permanent residents in Quebec can move wherever they want, but permanent residents in other provinces have to take several steps to live and work in Quebec, even though they have already immigrated.
You must submit an application for a CSQ (even if you are already a permanent resident in Canada) and pay the fees. Then, you will likely have to come back for an interview.
What if you applied for permanent residence in Canada but will land in Quebec?
In a word: don’t. Yes, it may be easier for you for whatever reason, but it’s a big pain.
If you land in Quebec but have proof on onward travel to another province (plane connexion, bus or train ticket), you are fine.
If you don’t, the immigration officials will very likely refuse to validate your landing documents. You will have to submit an application for a CSQ and pay the fees, and have an interview. If successful, you will have to have the documents validated… before that, your travel documents may be confiscated.
So basically, if you apply to live in Quebec, arrive in Quebec, if you apply to live in other provinces, arrive wherever you want but in Quebec.
So what does it mean for a prospective immigrant who wish to settle in Quebec?
It means that when your permanent residence application will have to follow two major steps:
* Being selected by the provincial government of Quebec. Your educational and work background will be assessed, as well as your ability to integrate into Quebec. You will need to apply for and obtain a CSQ.
* Being accepted by the federal government of Canada. It is responsible for your medical examination and your security check. It will grant you permanent residence if you are successful.
If you apply in the skilled worker category and wish to settle in Quebec
The first thing you need to know is that Quebec is different than the other provinces. The most obvious difference is linguistic: the official language in Quebec is French, not English and French. The population is 80% francophone, and even though they are some English communities, the importance given to French is huge.
The government of Quebec emphasizes the fact that the province has a very distinct culture. Indeed, you need to research the specific of Quebec before you consider settling there.
You may want to start with a general idea of Quebec’s core values. Don’t forget to research the job market: Canadian laws may be different in Quebec, where certain professions and trades are regulated, which means your credentials may not be recognized. Finally, get the facts about daily life in Quebec.
The importance of French can not be stressed enough, as it is both a practical and a political issue. You may need to speak both French and English in some positions, but knowledge of French is almost a pre-requisite. Quebec also has language-laws requiring kids to attend school in French in most cases. Politically speaking, let’s just say it’s a touchy issue…
Like if you were settling in other provinces, you need to be selected as a skilled worker. There is also a certain number of criteria and a pass mark. You can evaluate your chances of being selected online for free, with the Preliminary Evaluation for Immigration.
The most important criteria are:
* Education
* Work experience, especially acquired training and occupational skills
* Knowledge of French, or willingness to learn the language. English is an asset.
* Age: ideally, the younger the better!
* Financial capacity: you must show that you can support yourself for the first few months following your arrival in Quebec
* Your immigration project
If you pass the preliminary test, you can prepare your application.
* Download the application for a CSQ,fill up all the paperworks and pay the fees.
* Your application will be reviewed and assessed by a Bureau du Quebec. An interview is sometime required. The interviewer will check your credentials (education, degrees, work experience…). He may test your knowledge of Quebec, your language skills and ask about your immigration project.
* You can check the processing time for a CSQ, it depends on the countries where the Bureau du Quebec is located.
* If your application is accepted, it will be forwarded to the federal government of Canada, which will assess your medical background and do the security check.
If you apply in the sponsorship category and wish to settle in Quebec
You will have to submitted your sponsorship application to the federal government of Canada, as described in this article.
But, since you will settle in Quebec, you must add two extra steps.
* After the federal government approves the sponsorship, you must submit an undertaking application to the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles. It is a contract that binds the sponsor with the person being sponsored and the provincial government of Québec. It establishes that the sponsor has sufficient financial resources to provide for the person you sponsor.
* Then, the person sponsored must obtain a CSQ.
How much does the CSQ cost?
For the principal applicant, it cost CA$390. For the spouse and each dependent child, it’s CA$150.
Note that if you immigrate as a family, each person must apply for a CSQ, regardless of if you will be working or not (i.e even kids need their CSQ).
To the cost of the CSQ, you still have to add the cost of applying for permanent residence in Canada.
What if I wanted to settle in Quebec and changed my mind?
Whether you apply to live in Canada or in Quebec, the result is the same: you obtain, if successful, the permanence residence in Canada. Sure, the two processes are a little bit different, but your permanent resident card is the same.
Having the permanence residence in Canada gives you the right to live and work anywhere you like. Therefor, even if you apply for permanent residence in Quebec, no one can force you to stay there.
However, when applying for permanent residence in Quebec, you do declare that you wish to live in Quebec.
What if I applied for permanent residence in Canada and want to settle in Quebec?
Well, that is a bit more difficult… which is kind of weird actually. Permanent residents in Quebec can move wherever they want, but permanent residents in other provinces have to take several steps to live and work in Quebec, even though they have already immigrated.
You must submit an application for a CSQ (even if you are already a permanent resident in Canada) and pay the fees. Then, you will likely have to come back for an interview.
What if you applied for permanent residence in Canada but will land in Quebec?
In a word: don’t. Yes, it may be easier for you for whatever reason, but it’s a big pain.
If you land in Quebec but have proof on onward travel to another province (plane connexion, bus or train ticket), you are fine.
If you don’t, the immigration officials will very likely refuse to validate your landing documents. You will have to submit an application for a CSQ and pay the fees, and have an interview. If successful, you will have to have the documents validated… before that, your travel documents may be confiscated.
So basically, if you apply to live in Quebec, arrive in Quebec, if you apply to live in other provinces, arrive wherever you want but in Quebec.
New Occupations Pressure List Posted for the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program - US Visa Holder Category
Alberta Employment and Immigration and Immigrate to Alberta Information Service have announced that the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program - US Visa Holder Category will be assessed pursuant to a new Occupations Under Pressure List. The current list is significantly shorter than the previously listed Occupations Under Pressure (OUP) List for the US Visa Holder Category.
This change affects to all individuals who hold a US visa, such as an H1B, and who intend to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence through Alberta’s Provincial Nominee Program for US visa holders. While this program offers expedited processing, no English language examination requirement and limited conditions, this recent change in the OUP List renders it very exclusive. Applications submitted on or before May 19, 2009 will be assessed based on the previously posted list. Applications submitted after this date will be assessed based on the current list, which follows:
Management Occupations
NOC Code Description
0211 Engineering Managers
0212 Architecture and Science Managers
0213 Computer and Information Systems Managers
0611 Sales, Marketing and Advertising Managers
0621 Retail Trade Managers
0711 Construction Managers
0721 Facility Operation and Maintenance Mangers
0811 Primary Production Mgrs (Except Agric)
Business, Finance and Administration Occupations
NOC Code Description
1111 Financial Auditors
1235 Assessors, Valuators and Appraisers
Natural and Applied Sciences and Related Occupations
NOC Code Description
2111 Physicists and Astronomers
2112 Chemists
2113 Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists
2121 Biologists
As always, listed occupations are based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. The NOC is the nationally accepted organizational framework of occupations in the Canadian labour market.
This change affects to all individuals who hold a US visa, such as an H1B, and who intend to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence through Alberta’s Provincial Nominee Program for US visa holders. While this program offers expedited processing, no English language examination requirement and limited conditions, this recent change in the OUP List renders it very exclusive. Applications submitted on or before May 19, 2009 will be assessed based on the previously posted list. Applications submitted after this date will be assessed based on the current list, which follows:
Management Occupations
NOC Code Description
0211 Engineering Managers
0212 Architecture and Science Managers
0213 Computer and Information Systems Managers
0611 Sales, Marketing and Advertising Managers
0621 Retail Trade Managers
0711 Construction Managers
0721 Facility Operation and Maintenance Mangers
0811 Primary Production Mgrs (Except Agric)
Business, Finance and Administration Occupations
NOC Code Description
1111 Financial Auditors
1235 Assessors, Valuators and Appraisers
Natural and Applied Sciences and Related Occupations
NOC Code Description
2111 Physicists and Astronomers
2112 Chemists
2113 Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists
2121 Biologists
As always, listed occupations are based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. The NOC is the nationally accepted organizational framework of occupations in the Canadian labour market.
Opening residency to foreign student grads
By Edward C. Corrigan
Thursday, May 21, 2009
On Sept. 5, 2008, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley announced that certain temporary foreign workers and students could apply for permanent residence under the newly created Canadian Experience Class (CEC) starting September 17, 2008.
The Canadian Experience Class is a new program of immigration for qualified temporary foreign workers and foreign student graduates with professional, managerial and skilled work experience in Canada.
Unlike other programs, the program allows an applicant’s experience in Canada to be considered a key selection factor when immigrating to Canada.
WHO CAN APPLY?
To apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class the minimum requirements are as follows:
*
plan to live outside the province of Quebec.
*
be either a temporary foreign worker with at least two years of full?time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada, or a foreign graduate from a Canadian post?secondary institution with at least one year of full?time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada
*
have gained their experience in Canada with the proper work or study authorization apply while working in Canada B or B within one year of leaving your job in Canada
There are two streams for the Canadian Experience Class:
TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKER STREAM
Under this category an applicant must have two years of full-time equivalent, skilled-work experience at the National Occupational Classification (NOC) System O, A or B level. (i.e. managerial, professional, or skilled and technical) acquired in Canada within the three years preceding the date the application is submitted in a complete form.
Lower?skilled workers cannot apply under the Canadian Experience Class. However, Provincial Nominee Programs may be available to lower?skilled workers. These are workers in jobs classified at skill levels C and D under the NOC System.
Work experience gained in Canada while waiting for a decision on a refugee claim is not eligible for an application for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class
POST-GRADUATION STREAM
Requirements for graduates from a qualified Canadian educational institution.
There are two requirements specific to graduates:
* Work experience
* Education
WORK EXPERIENCE
As a graduate of a Canadian post?secondary educational institution, applicants must have one year of full?time (or equivalent) work experience in Canada after graduation. The work experience must be gained within two years of applying under the CEC program.
Co?op terms and apprenticeships completed before graduating do not count as skilled work experience as they are considered part of an educational program. Co?op terms and apprenticeships are counted as part of the minimum two?year educational program requirement.
Applicants can get qualified work experience by applying for the Post?Graduation Work Permit after graduation. Under this program Work Permits may be valid for up to three years with no restrictions on the type of work preformed. However, to qualify under the Canadian Experience Class for permanent residence, at least one year of work experience under the permit must be at Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B under the National Occupation Classification or (NOC). The work experience must be gained within two years of the time the application is made.
EDUCATION
Education is only assessed if you are applying as a graduate of a Canadian post?secondary educational institution under the Post-Graduation stream.
To qualify the applicant must be either a full?time Canadian post?secondary educational program of at least two years or a one?year Master’s program (certificates and diplomas cannot be counted) and an additional year of education, obtained in Canada, before admission into the one?year program (for a total of two years).
Applicants also must complete a required program of study in Canada and obtain a Canadian educational credential (e.g. a degree, diploma or certificate). Some categories of education are excluded from this program. These include English or French ESL studies; on-line programs completed outside Canada and studies in Canada taken under an award or scholarship program which stipulate return to their home country.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
All applicants are required to be able to communicate and work in one or both of Canada’s official languages.
Applicants must prove their ability in English or French to qualify for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class.
The occupation category will determine the language abilities required to immigrate under the Canadian Experience Class. The requirements vary according to job classification under NOC.
The completed application will undergo a detailed review by a Visa Officer. The officer will consider all the information and documentation provided, and will assess it against current selection standards.
Unlike many other Canada Immigration programs there is no residency requirement for landing. If the applicant has temporary resident status when their application is approved, they can be landed in Canada at their local Citizenship and Immigration Canada Office. If the applicant is approved while outside of Canada they will present their visa at a Port of Entry and get landed through that office.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
On Sept. 5, 2008, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley announced that certain temporary foreign workers and students could apply for permanent residence under the newly created Canadian Experience Class (CEC) starting September 17, 2008.
The Canadian Experience Class is a new program of immigration for qualified temporary foreign workers and foreign student graduates with professional, managerial and skilled work experience in Canada.
Unlike other programs, the program allows an applicant’s experience in Canada to be considered a key selection factor when immigrating to Canada.
WHO CAN APPLY?
To apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class the minimum requirements are as follows:
*
plan to live outside the province of Quebec.
*
be either a temporary foreign worker with at least two years of full?time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada, or a foreign graduate from a Canadian post?secondary institution with at least one year of full?time (or equivalent) skilled work experience in Canada
*
have gained their experience in Canada with the proper work or study authorization apply while working in Canada B or B within one year of leaving your job in Canada
There are two streams for the Canadian Experience Class:
TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKER STREAM
Under this category an applicant must have two years of full-time equivalent, skilled-work experience at the National Occupational Classification (NOC) System O, A or B level. (i.e. managerial, professional, or skilled and technical) acquired in Canada within the three years preceding the date the application is submitted in a complete form.
Lower?skilled workers cannot apply under the Canadian Experience Class. However, Provincial Nominee Programs may be available to lower?skilled workers. These are workers in jobs classified at skill levels C and D under the NOC System.
Work experience gained in Canada while waiting for a decision on a refugee claim is not eligible for an application for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class
POST-GRADUATION STREAM
Requirements for graduates from a qualified Canadian educational institution.
There are two requirements specific to graduates:
* Work experience
* Education
WORK EXPERIENCE
As a graduate of a Canadian post?secondary educational institution, applicants must have one year of full?time (or equivalent) work experience in Canada after graduation. The work experience must be gained within two years of applying under the CEC program.
Co?op terms and apprenticeships completed before graduating do not count as skilled work experience as they are considered part of an educational program. Co?op terms and apprenticeships are counted as part of the minimum two?year educational program requirement.
Applicants can get qualified work experience by applying for the Post?Graduation Work Permit after graduation. Under this program Work Permits may be valid for up to three years with no restrictions on the type of work preformed. However, to qualify under the Canadian Experience Class for permanent residence, at least one year of work experience under the permit must be at Skill Type 0, or Skill Level A or B under the National Occupation Classification or (NOC). The work experience must be gained within two years of the time the application is made.
EDUCATION
Education is only assessed if you are applying as a graduate of a Canadian post?secondary educational institution under the Post-Graduation stream.
To qualify the applicant must be either a full?time Canadian post?secondary educational program of at least two years or a one?year Master’s program (certificates and diplomas cannot be counted) and an additional year of education, obtained in Canada, before admission into the one?year program (for a total of two years).
Applicants also must complete a required program of study in Canada and obtain a Canadian educational credential (e.g. a degree, diploma or certificate). Some categories of education are excluded from this program. These include English or French ESL studies; on-line programs completed outside Canada and studies in Canada taken under an award or scholarship program which stipulate return to their home country.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
All applicants are required to be able to communicate and work in one or both of Canada’s official languages.
Applicants must prove their ability in English or French to qualify for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class.
The occupation category will determine the language abilities required to immigrate under the Canadian Experience Class. The requirements vary according to job classification under NOC.
The completed application will undergo a detailed review by a Visa Officer. The officer will consider all the information and documentation provided, and will assess it against current selection standards.
Unlike many other Canada Immigration programs there is no residency requirement for landing. If the applicant has temporary resident status when their application is approved, they can be landed in Canada at their local Citizenship and Immigration Canada Office. If the applicant is approved while outside of Canada they will present their visa at a Port of Entry and get landed through that office.
Finding a job a challenge for immigrants, study reveals
By Meagan Fitzpatrick, CanWest News ServiceSeptember 24, 2008
OTTAWA — Canada lives up to the expectations of most immigrants, a new study reveals, but finding a job remains the biggest challenge for new residents.
Two reports released by Statistics Canada on Monday examine immigrants’ assessments of life in Canada and the difficulties they face here.
Four years after arriving in Canada, the majority of new immigrants — 84 per cent — were positive about their decision to come here.
The study, using data from 2005, asked whether life in Canada is better than expected, about what they had expected or worse than they had expected.
About two-thirds said that life in Canada has lived up to their expectations.
When asked what the single-most important reason for settling permanently in Canada was, quality of life was No. 1. Thirty-two per cent cited it as the most important factor, followed by the desire to be close to family and friends (20 per cent), the future prospects for their family in Canada (18 per cent) and the peaceful nature of the country (nine per cent).
While most immigrants are happy they came, it’s not all smooth sailing once they get here, the survey showed.
New immigrants were asked what had been their biggest difficulties since arriving in Canada and finding an adequate job was the biggest challenge for 46 per cent, followed by learning English or French (26 per cent).
The majority of job seekers reported that they experienced a problem, often more than one, when searching for employment.
“New immigrants often experienced multiple problems when looking for work. For example, almost two-thirds of job seekers who reported a language problem also reported that lack of work experience was a difficulty,” Statistics Canada said.
In addition to language barriers and lack of experience, foreign credential recognition is a big problem and a lack of contacts in the job market was another difficulty faced by immigrant job-seekers.
But the percentage of employed immigrants did grow substantially over time, the data showed. For example, the employment rate of immigrants aged 25 to 44, the prime working-age group, went from 51 per cent six months after arrival to 65 per cent two years after arrival. Four years after arrival, it had reached 75 per cent.
The ability to speak English or French is considered a huge asset in looking for a job, Statistics Canada said.
“More specifically, immigrant's whose self-reported level of spoken English was good or very good were more likely to have a high-skill job, a job in the intended field, a job similar to the one held before immigrating and a job related to training or education,” the report said. “They also had higher wages, compared to immigrants whose spoken English level was not as good. This was true six months, two years and four years after immigrants' arrival in Canada.”
It’s a different story in Quebec however, where the level of French spoken by immigrants was not found to be related to their chances of having an “appropriate” job.
The survey covered about 7,700 immigrants who were interviewed for a third time since arriving in Canada four years earlier.
© Copyright (c)
OTTAWA — Canada lives up to the expectations of most immigrants, a new study reveals, but finding a job remains the biggest challenge for new residents.
Two reports released by Statistics Canada on Monday examine immigrants’ assessments of life in Canada and the difficulties they face here.
Four years after arriving in Canada, the majority of new immigrants — 84 per cent — were positive about their decision to come here.
The study, using data from 2005, asked whether life in Canada is better than expected, about what they had expected or worse than they had expected.
About two-thirds said that life in Canada has lived up to their expectations.
When asked what the single-most important reason for settling permanently in Canada was, quality of life was No. 1. Thirty-two per cent cited it as the most important factor, followed by the desire to be close to family and friends (20 per cent), the future prospects for their family in Canada (18 per cent) and the peaceful nature of the country (nine per cent).
While most immigrants are happy they came, it’s not all smooth sailing once they get here, the survey showed.
New immigrants were asked what had been their biggest difficulties since arriving in Canada and finding an adequate job was the biggest challenge for 46 per cent, followed by learning English or French (26 per cent).
The majority of job seekers reported that they experienced a problem, often more than one, when searching for employment.
“New immigrants often experienced multiple problems when looking for work. For example, almost two-thirds of job seekers who reported a language problem also reported that lack of work experience was a difficulty,” Statistics Canada said.
In addition to language barriers and lack of experience, foreign credential recognition is a big problem and a lack of contacts in the job market was another difficulty faced by immigrant job-seekers.
But the percentage of employed immigrants did grow substantially over time, the data showed. For example, the employment rate of immigrants aged 25 to 44, the prime working-age group, went from 51 per cent six months after arrival to 65 per cent two years after arrival. Four years after arrival, it had reached 75 per cent.
The ability to speak English or French is considered a huge asset in looking for a job, Statistics Canada said.
“More specifically, immigrant's whose self-reported level of spoken English was good or very good were more likely to have a high-skill job, a job in the intended field, a job similar to the one held before immigrating and a job related to training or education,” the report said. “They also had higher wages, compared to immigrants whose spoken English level was not as good. This was true six months, two years and four years after immigrants' arrival in Canada.”
It’s a different story in Quebec however, where the level of French spoken by immigrants was not found to be related to their chances of having an “appropriate” job.
The survey covered about 7,700 immigrants who were interviewed for a third time since arriving in Canada four years earlier.
© Copyright (c)
New Brunswick urged to attract more immigrants. by Chris Fox
Senator Vivienne Poy says New Brunswick should welcome immigrants with open arms or face the consequence of losing one of its most valuable resources.
Poy, who became Canada's first Asian senator when she was appointed to the post by former Prime Minister Jean Chretien in 1998, made her remarks prior to a luncheon hosted by the Asian Heritage Society of New Brunswick recently.
The event was held in conjunction with Asian Heritage Month, an annual celebration of Asian culture that Poy helped pass into law in 2001.
"The province needs to be more accepting to immigrants," she said. "If they do that and they become more multicultural, immigrants will feel comfortable not just coming here, but they will stay and you need people who will stay.''
Poy, who is also the chancellor of the University of Toronto, said she has seen Canada take great strides in its acceptance of minorities since the country's first official Asian Heritage Month eight years ago.
But she said there are still areas that need improvement. She said public schools have a role to play in helping immigrants feel accepted.
"I call it intercultural education because we need to talk to everybody and it begins with curriculum. We must educate the young people of Canada on the fact that because of immigration the face of Canada has changed.''
The luncheon was held to discuss issues faced by New Brunswick's Asian population and how diversity can be better promoted in classrooms. Representatives from the Department of Education and various multicultural groups were on hand.
"We want to be an active part in policy making," said Madhu Verma, chairwoman of the New Brunswick Asian Heritage Society.
"The discussions and awareness shouldn't end after the month of May. We want to be able to continue on the theme of Asian Heritage Month in the schools and everywhere,'' Verma said. "The theme is the rich history of Asian Canadians we have right here in Canada, and celebrating their contributions because they have contributed to building our nation."
Barb Hillman, a social studies curriculum learning specialist at the Department of Education, attended the luncheon to get input into how the department could better promote diversity in its curriculum.
She said New Brunswick schools do well in educating children on multicultural issues and the different contributions made to the country by different cultural groups.
"I think if people would take a look at the curriculum they would actually be quite pleased and I do feel the department has done a very good job of addressing diversity."
Poy, who became Canada's first Asian senator when she was appointed to the post by former Prime Minister Jean Chretien in 1998, made her remarks prior to a luncheon hosted by the Asian Heritage Society of New Brunswick recently.
The event was held in conjunction with Asian Heritage Month, an annual celebration of Asian culture that Poy helped pass into law in 2001.
"The province needs to be more accepting to immigrants," she said. "If they do that and they become more multicultural, immigrants will feel comfortable not just coming here, but they will stay and you need people who will stay.''
Poy, who is also the chancellor of the University of Toronto, said she has seen Canada take great strides in its acceptance of minorities since the country's first official Asian Heritage Month eight years ago.
But she said there are still areas that need improvement. She said public schools have a role to play in helping immigrants feel accepted.
"I call it intercultural education because we need to talk to everybody and it begins with curriculum. We must educate the young people of Canada on the fact that because of immigration the face of Canada has changed.''
The luncheon was held to discuss issues faced by New Brunswick's Asian population and how diversity can be better promoted in classrooms. Representatives from the Department of Education and various multicultural groups were on hand.
"We want to be an active part in policy making," said Madhu Verma, chairwoman of the New Brunswick Asian Heritage Society.
"The discussions and awareness shouldn't end after the month of May. We want to be able to continue on the theme of Asian Heritage Month in the schools and everywhere,'' Verma said. "The theme is the rich history of Asian Canadians we have right here in Canada, and celebrating their contributions because they have contributed to building our nation."
Barb Hillman, a social studies curriculum learning specialist at the Department of Education, attended the luncheon to get input into how the department could better promote diversity in its curriculum.
She said New Brunswick schools do well in educating children on multicultural issues and the different contributions made to the country by different cultural groups.
"I think if people would take a look at the curriculum they would actually be quite pleased and I do feel the department has done a very good job of addressing diversity."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Check our online courses now
Click Here now!!!!