Canada's economy creating more jobs: report

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The Canadian economy is not only creating more jobs, but it is also creating better jobs, according to report from CIBC.
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CIBCCanada
The bank's employment quality index found that the quality of jobs being created in Canada has improved over the last 12 months, and the measure is now back to pre-recession levels.
Canada was one of the first among advanced countries to come out of the recession in the summer of 2009, and one of the first to see a rebound in employment.
But initially, those jobs tended to be part-time and in lower paying sectors of the service industry.
In the last 12 months, Canada has added an impressive 283,000 jobs. CIBC said the quality of those jobs have also improved, by 2.7 per cent measured against their index.
The bank says there's been an improvement in the number of full-time jobs created over part-time.
There has also been a strong increase in paid employment rather than self-employment.
The the biggest mover of the index, CIBC said, is that new high-paying jobs have outnumbered low-paying jobs by about three-to-one.
The ongoing improvement in employment quality suggests that on average every new job generates more buying power than was the case a year ago, CIBC economist Benjamin Tal said.



Aussies court skilled workers as Alberta labour crunch looms

Calgary, AlbertaImage via WikipediaBY BRYCE FORBES, CALGARY HERALD



With a massive worker shortage looming over Alberta, an Australian job fair in Calgary offered a glimpse of what could be an international battle for labour.
Nine-hundred people crowded into a downtown hotel ballroom Saturday to check out the fair where oil, gas and mining companies tried to woo skilled, senior-level Alberta workers.
The fair, which continues in the city today and next weekend in Edmonton, comes on the heels of a warning from the province’s employment minister that Alberta could face a labour shortage of 77,000 people in the next 10 years.
Rupert Merrick, the organizer of the Opportunities Australia Expo, said Australia is in the midst of its own labour crunch because of booms in the mining and oil and gas sectors.
Calgary was the first Canadian city targeted for the fair because of its skills base.
“Canada, and especially Alberta, is considered world class in terms of the skills that they have and Australian employers are suffering from a skill shortage right now,” said Merrick, who added Saturday’s turnout was twice what they expected.
Richard Truscott, Alberta director of Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said the Australian endeavour is a sign a bidding war for workers is set to heat up in the next 10 to 20 years.
“This is clear evidence that we are in major competition for skilled workers,” said Truscott. “It’s another reminder that we need to get our act together and really carve out some effective strategies to attract and retain workers to Canada from elsewhere.”
Alberta Employment Minister Thomas Lukaszuk said his warning of a 77,000-worker shortage was conservative, based on the province’s low birth rate, rebounding economy and baby boomer retirements.
“(The year) 2011 is the first year in which official baby boomers are turning 65, so we’re looking at a large exodus of workers — not only in numbers, but in experience,” Lukaszuk said Saturday.
He said he is concerned about Australia and other countries coming to Canada and poaching skilled workers.
But, for him, the bigger concern is the whole immigration process and the delays prospective workers face before receiving visas to enter Canada.
“Our national immigration policies are not as nimble as they are in other countries, which would definitely include Australia,” said Lukaszuk.
Merrick said Australia boasts a “very refined immigration system.”
“It’s all about meeting the demands of the employers,” he said. “The government has some very clever mechanisms in place, which allow employers to go out and get the skills that they need.”
Anastasia Reyes, a job applicant who has worked in the oil and gas business in Calgary for five years, said she would fly out to Australia on Monday if offered a job.
“I got to work through the boom here, which opened so many doors of opportunities, so I would love to see what doors would be opened to me somewhere else overseas,” said the 23-year-old after setting up interviews for early this week.
Working toward her civil engineering degree, she said one Australian company said it would help pay for her remaining education as well as guarantee a job afterwards, an offer she hasn’t seen in Calgary.
There are many perks to working in Australia, said Brooke Wilson, recruitment manager with oil refiner Caltex Australia, including comparable wages, a lower cost of living, relocation packages and even surfing. Two of their oil refineries are close to surfing hot spots.
“People in our refinery in Sydney actually go down for a surf in the afternoon,” she said.
bforbes@calgaryherald.com


Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/Aussies+court+skilled+workers+Alberta+labour+crunch+looms/4746480/story.html#ixzz1LrTFDTyh







Saskatchewan leads Canada with lowest unemployment rate in country

For the second straight month, Saskatchewan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was the lowest in Canada.
According to Statistics Canada, the province’s unemployment rate fell to 5.0 per cent in April, down 5.2 per cent from the previous month and 1.2 per cent lower year-over-year.
The national unemployment rate was 7.6 per cent in April.
Although the unemployment numbers dropped, there was a decrease of 1,800 people working full-time in the province from March to April with an increase of 1,800 in part-time jobs.
The Saskatchewan government noted the number of aboriginal youth working in the province jumped by 1,000, an increase of 11.6 per cent.
Rob Norris, Minister of Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration, says the lower unemployment numbers, along with recent reports from the Conference Board of Canada and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, point to a bright future for the province.
“Employers in our largest cities and across Saskatchewan are expressing confidence in their future and in the economic future of our province,” said Norris.
“Saskatchewan is and will continue to be the best place in Canada for skilled workers looking for new opportunities.”

Top Countries of choice for Business Investor Immigration

An assortment of United States coins, includin...Image via WikipediaImmigration and residence in a foreign country are most saught by many wealthy investors and business persons including those planning to retire in a foreign country. Unfortunately many are not aware that many Governments abroad encourage and offer a whole lot of significant benefits and incentives to investors and business entrepreneurs, who invest in their country which is why “economic investment programs” are officially adopted by these Governments. This also means that you can legally move, relocate or immigrate to another another country through investment.

The following are quick summary of investment programs available with different countries in Asia, Europe and Carribean.

EUROPE

In Europe, the following are the countries which are widely popular among non-EU and foreign nationals coming from other countries. These countries offer various residence programs for investors against a minimum investment and a residence permit can be obtained.

Austria

The minimum investment needed is EUR 100’000 and it is the cheapest country to gain residence in Europe. No business activity allowed in Austria and confirmation of accomodation such as rental lease and health insurance is the main criteria. Benefits of residence permit include visa free travel to schengen and other 180 countries. Residence permit is issued for one year and then renewed annually.

Switzerland

Switzerland is an attractive destination for wealthy clients who wish to relocate or retire in Europe. Switzerland has a “lump sum” taxation program of a minimum of CHF 150’000 you will given a choice of swiss canton and location to live and granted a swiss residence permit. No employment is allowed. This program is available for retirees, business entrepreneurs and self-employed persons.

Belgium

Belgium is a major international financial center in Europe. To obtain residence in Belgium, you will need to form a new company with office/employees or join an already existing Belgium firm. The minimum investment usually needed about EUR 100’000 along with few additional costs. Belgium is the only country in europe, where it is possible to apply for citizenship after just 3 yrs of residence. Belgium residence permit requires no minimum stay during the year and offers visa free access to borderless schengen countries in europe.

United Kingdom

United Kingdom has an official `Investor Immigration Program` for wealth and high net worth individuals who make a substantial high investment in the economy and development in the United Kingdom. Foreign nationals who are interested to immigrate to UK are required to make a high net worth investment of GBP 1,000,000 (1 million) and getting a UK residence permit is much faster than other countries in about 2 months of time.


Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a EU member country and currently offers a “investor program” for non-EU citizens where upon investing 1 million BGN (approx EUR 530,000), it is possible to get residence permit for 5 yrs. The investment can be placed in a govt guaranteed secure bonds or can be invested in bulgarian business venture.

Bulgaria has low tax rates on corporate and personal income. Bulgaria is likely to join the schengen in the near future.

Latvia

Latvia offers a new residence program for investors and the residence program allows visa free travel in other European and schengen countries. A temporary residence permit can be obtained against a investment of EUR 300,000 in bank term deposit for 5 years of invest appox EUR 100,000 in real estate or by forming a business in Latvia.

Monaco

Monaco is a very popular destination for wealthy millionaires. Getting residence in Monaco is possible against a minimum investment of EUR 1,000,000 (1 million) which has to be invested either with a Monaco bank or in Real estate or with a good mix of both. Monaco is not a EU member country and non-EU persons have to apply through France. There are no income, wealth, gift or capital gains taxes in Monaco and the prices of real estate are very expensive.



ASIA

In Asia, the following countries are widely popular for residence among international foreign investors coming from other countries.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong has low corporate taxes and its a major financial and business centre in Asia. Hong Kong has a “Investor Residence Program” and the minimum investment needed is HK$ 10 million or more (approx US$ 1.2 mill) and this money can be invested in Real Estate or Certificates of Deposit (CD), equities, securities or investment schemes endorsed by HK Immigration Dept.

Singapore

Singapore excels in modern major financial and banking sector in south east Asia. Singapore offers a “Global Investment Program” which encourages overseas investors and business entrepreneurs to make a significant contribution to the economy of the country. The minimum investment needed is SG$ 5 million (approx US$ 4 million) which has to be deposited in a bank or financial institution authorized by Singapore Financial Authority.



CARRIBEAN

The following are the countries in Carribean which are widely popular among non-EU and foreign nationals coming from other countries. These countries offer various residence or even directly “economic citizenship” to those who invest in the development and economy of the country.

St.Kitts and Nevis

St.Kitts and Nevis offers directly “citizenship” to foreign clients and the minimum investment needed is USD 200,000 and there are no residency requirements. The major advantage of gaining St.Kitts Citizenship and passport is it allows visa free travel to schengen and other 180 countries including Europe. Investment in Real estate is also possible with higher amount. No personal visit is needed.

Panama

Panama has a investor program to foreign nationals who invest in the country. The minimum investment is USD 80,000 which has to be invested in agriculture project or USD 300,000 in a real estate or a bank term deposit. A temporary or permanent residence can be obtained under investor, business or pensioner category.

Bahamas

Bahamas is a major offshore “Tax haven” for company formations in the Carribean. Bahamas has “economic investment program” for which a permanent residence is granted foreign nationals who make minimum investment of USD 500’000, in buying purchase a residence (a home or condominim) in Bahamas. The permanent residence grants the investor right to live and work in Bahamas.

Dominica

Dominica offers direct “citizenship” upon investing a non refundable investment of USD$ 75,000 in the economic development of the country. The formalities invoved with the Govt is very strict and the personal interview in Dominica is a must.

Restrictions on Dual citizenship: In the above list, Austria, Monaco, Latvia, Singapore, Hong Kong does not permit dual nationality, which means when you become a citizen, you will need to renounce your previous nationality.





The Northamerica


Canada
Canada has a investor immigration program to foreign nationals who are willing to invest a minimum of CAD$ 800,000 which has to be invested in a government backed term deposit. No interest is paid and financing option is available. Family dependents such as spouse and children under 18 years can be accompanied by the investor. The processing time for application is very lengthy in Canada and it may take about 8-14 months.





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SASKATCHEWAN’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE STILL THE LOWEST IN CANADA

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Saskatchewan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.0 per cent is the lowest in Canada for the second straight month – well below the national average of 7.6 per cent.
Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister Rob Norris said the numbers support the Conference Board of Canada’s release earlier this week, which indicate Saskatoon and Regina will have the first and third highest economic growth rates in the country in 2011.
Norris also pointed to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business’s April Business Barometer, which shows that small business optimism in Saskatchewan has hit a three-year high. The report notes that 29 per cent of Saskatchewan employers expect to add full-time staff over the next three to four months.
“Employers in our largest cities and across Saskatchewan are expressing confidence in their future and in the economic future of our province,” Norris said. “As a result, Saskatchewan is and will continue to be the best place in Canada for skilled workers looking for new opportunities.”
April also marks nine consecutive months of year-over-year increases in employment for Aboriginal Youth, which jumped by 1,000, or 11.6 per cent.
Norris noted a strong April for www.saskjobs.ca, where Saskatchewan employers posted 11,410 jobs – an 18 per cent year-over-year increase and the largest monthly total since October of 2008.
“With more than 8,000 jobs available right now, I encourage everyone to visit SaskJobs and see the opportunities our province has to offer,” Norris said.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Christopher Jones-Bonk
Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration
Regina
Phone: 306-798-3106
Email: chris.jones-bonk@gov.sk.ca


Mentors help immigrants find success in Canada

bow valley collegeImage by Dave McLean (aka damclean) via Flickr
Many immigrants come to Canada with years of work experience, talent and new ideas, but often run into language barriers and challenges adjusting to the local culture.
Frustrated and desperate to feed their families, many new Canadians end up taking minimum-wage jobs far from where their expertise lies.
It’s a situation that Ratna Omidvar sees everyday in her line of work.
That’s where mentoring programs can help, said Omidvar, president of Maytree, a Toronto-based private organization that invests resources to reduce poverty.
“Skilled immigrants bring talent, connections to world markets and new ways of thinking to solve problems,” she said at the Sheraton Suites in Eau Claire, where the 2011 ALLIES Mentoring Conference is taking place. “We need to collapse the time for them to succeed.”
Omidvar credited a mentor for helping her find her career path when she first arrived to Canada from Iran nearly 30 years ago.
Her mentor took the time to organize mock interviews, work with Omidvar on resume-writing skills, and even taught her about the “unwritten rules” of Canadian workplace culture.
The experience inspired Omidvar to take on many mentees throughout the years, many who have found success in Canada.
More than 120 delegates from across the country are in Calgary today and Friday to discuss how mentoring between employers and skilled immigrants can benefit workplaces and also help newcomers realize their full potential.
A local partnership between the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council (CRIEC) and Bow Valley College pairs mentors in the city’s corporate world with immigrants new to Canada.
Katalina Bardell, a mentoring project lead and employment facilitator for the program, said the partnership has facilitated over 100 matches.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi lauded the program and many others that are sprouting up across the country, but he said more needs to be done to help put new immigrants in jobs that best suit their abilities.
“We need to ensure everyone who comes to this country has the ability of achieving his or her own potential,” he said.
Immigration policy changes also need to be made to better recognize foreign credentials, he added.
cho@calgaryherald.com


Read more:http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/Mentors+help+immigrants+find+success+Canada/4734166/story.html#ixzz1LXpMUvHr

Wealthy Chinese Choose Investment Immigration

Photograph of the building that houses the Sta...Image via Wikipedia
A report issued by China Merchant Bank and global management consulting firm Bain & Company indicates about 60 percent of China's multimillionaires are considering becoming or have already become immigrant investors. As Zhang Cheng reports, most immigrant investors are heading to developed countries.

More Chinese are turning to investment immigration for visas to reside in developed countries such as the United States and Canada.
To get a visa, they must invest in certain funds or business programs in the country so they eventually can become permanent citizens.
Huang Xiaoliang, an attorney in her thirties, is considering becoming an immigrant investor.
"I used to study abroad, and I like the lifestyle. You will have less pressure in your work and social life. As an attorney, it is more difficult for us to do skills-based immigration."
Skills-based immigration means a citizen of a foreign nation is granted permanent residency in another country because he or she possesses in-demand professional abilities and language proficiency.
Huang Xiangliang says she is still thinking about which country she would like to immigrate to and the field in which she would like to invest.
Robert Mu, a registered immigration lawyer from AAE Group, an investment immigration consultancy, says most of his clients choose to do invest immigration in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UK. They choose different fields according to each country's relevant regulations.
"Different countries have different policies. For example, in Canada, they just invest in government-approved funds, then the funds will invest in some projects to support local economic development. But for U.S. immigration, investors can only invest in U.S. Immigration Bureau-approved projects. In Australia, they can just buy bonds issued by the state government."

Mu says Chinese immigrant investors usually come from wealthy provinces or municipalities, including Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai.
Song Quancheng, Director of the Institute of Immigration Studies at Shandong University, explains the immigration trend.
"Internationally speaking, immigration is a result of globalization. Globalization leads to the flow of capital, technology and commodities, and population flow contributes part of it. Domestically speaking, people are pursuing an even better lifestyle. At the same time, some people, especially rich people like multimillionaires, are worried about maintaining the value of their fortune in China, so they choose to transfer it abroad."
The report by China Merchant Bank and Bain & Company indicates the risk appetite of wealthy Chinese has fallen. Nearly half of those surveyed said they wanted to disperse investment risk.
For CRI, this is Zhang Cheng.

Choosing Your Legal Representative

A Canadian Customs and Immigration service signImage via Wikipedia

Why is professional legal assistance essential?


You are not obliged to hire a lawyer or registered immigration consultant when applying for any Canadian Immigration status or for Citizenship.
John Abbott College LibraryHowever, we constantly meet new clients whose files are facing delays and problems, or have been refused. Often they tried to do their own applications to save money. They may have relied on advice and experiences gained from friends or family.
The Immigration and Citizenship rules of Canada are constantly evolving and, unfortunately, becoming more complicated. Likely, if  you were about to undergo a major medical procedure, you wouldn’t try to operate on yourself or ask your uncle how to do it. So why act as your own “surgeon” and take chances with your future in Canada? Leave your case in the hands of a legal professional. Fogarty Law Firm stands ready to assist you.
Did you know? If you already have legal status in Canada and you make mistakes when trying to renew or change your status, your application can be denied and you may even face removal proceedings.

Be aware of fraudsters

We applaud the efforts of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration of Canada, the Honourable Jason Kenny, who warns against the danger of falling victim to fraudsters. Fraudsters will pretend to be lawyers or authorized immigration consultants but have no legal training and no right to represent you.

Who can represent you?

The following persons are the only ones legally authorized to represent you to the Government of Canada (including all departments, offices, embassies and consulates) for your Canadian Immigration or Citizenship case:
  • A person in good standing with a Canadian provincial or territorial bar association or law society. Examples are the Quebec Bar Association (Barreau du Québec) and the Law Society of Upper Canada. Note that lawyers from non-Canadian jurisdictions cannot represent you unless they are also a member of a bar or law society in Canada;
  • A person in good standing with the Quebec association of notaries;
“The Government of Canada will not deal with non-authorized representatives who charge a fee for their service.”
Source: official website of Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Changes to Family Sponsorship Rules in Canadian Immigration


The government of Canada is seeking to implement major changes to the Immigration rules governing sponsorship. Two of the proposals deal with sponsorship of spouses, common law and conjugal partners. The third would modify rules pertaining to the sponsorship of any member of the “family class”.

Curbing abuse of the system

Canadian Immigration wishes to target “abusers” of the Immigration system who use sponsorship as a means to scam their way into Canada.
First, the government wishes to prevent persons, who themselves have been sponsored to Canada, from sponsoring a new (second) spouse, common law or conjugal partner for a period of five years following the date the now new sponsor originally gained permanent residency, and this even if by that time the new sponsor has become a citizen.
Second, the government wants to create a new category of permanent residents. Persons who have been in their amorous relationship for two years or less and are sponsored to come to or remain in Canada as a spouse, common law or conjugal partner will have “conditional” permanent residency status for two years (or perhaps longer) after acceptance. If the new resident splits with their sponsor during the two years following acceptance, the new resident might face removal procedures where Immigration authorities determine that the relationship behind the sponsorship was not genuine.
Why is the Canadian government doing this? This is really an instance of a relatively small group of fraudsters spoiling it for the majority of person who have genuine relationships and want to bring their spouse here.

Sponsorship Bridge

Canada is trying to deal with an old Immigration game. Sometimes all three players are willing participants in the charade. Let’s call it “Sponsorship Bridge”. We mention Canada but this same game is played out in many countries around the world.
The game may have variations, but often looks like this. An individual, we will call “A”, is sponsored by their new spouse, we will call “B”, or even better “Bridge”, to come live in Canada. The paperwork goes through, and A arrives with permanent resident status to join Bridge. But after only a few months or maybe even weeks, A splits from Bridge. A seeks a divorce as soon as legally possible. To help avoid suspicion, A might throw in allegations of mistreatment. Once the divorce goes through, after waiting a while to make events seem natural, A will wed or otherwise make a show of establishing a recognized relationship with another person, we will call “C”. Then C is sponsored by A to come live with A in Canada.
However, A never had any intention of living with Bridge; in fact, C was A’s love interest all along. They kept their relationship low key. B really was nothing more than the Bridge to the new destination for both A and C.
Notice that since both A and C was sponsored, neither of them had to worry about having sufficient educational levels or job experience to qualify as skilled workers, for example. Eventually, A and C will be able to sponsor their own other family members to join them. They may all become happy citizens of their new country. Not a bad scam if you can get away with it.
As we have seen, B, our Bridge, is the key part of the puzzle.
In some cases, Bridge might be a cousin who is eager to promote the interests of his extended family. Or Bridge might be an acquaintance or a stranger who will receive monetary or other compensation for his assistance. (Remember the film “Green Card”?)
However, more often than not, Bridge is in complete good faith, actually in love, but in the love triangle, he or she ends up with a broken heart, and sometimes a lot more. That’s because in many countries, the Bridge or sponsor remains financially responsible for the new resident (A) for a period of time even after the split. I have seen some pretty painful situations when A has split after a few months and is basically laughing in B’s face, but B has to keep paying for A’s upkeep for three years after her arrival.

Concerns with the proposed sponsorship changes

Some women’s and immigrant rights groups have warned that the proposed new rules amount to discrimination. Why should people be prevented from sponsoring a new spouse for five years when their first marriage really did have problems? In addition, they argue the new rules will create a legal trap for A (usually women) who come to Canada in good faith, but face abuse from sponsor B and/or his family members in Canada.  Such women will be afraid to leave the abusive relationship for fear of being removed from Canada because of the two-year conditional residence rule.
The government has promised to create a “process for allowing bona fide spouses and partners in such [abusive] situations to come forward without facing enforcement action…”
That is a rather vague reassurance. Hopefully there will be clear guidelines and special training for officers deciding such files. For example, it takes courage to leave any abusive relationship, especially when the victim may be from a culture wherein men’s actions are never questioned by women, and/or spousal abuse is the norm. As a bare minimum, the government should ensure that such matters are handled at the screening level by Immigration officers, and not deportation teams of the Canada Border Services Agency.

Curbing violence

The government is also proposing to enlarge the circumstances according to which persons will not be eligible to sponsor any family member, not just spouses, for a period of five years following completion of their sentence for certain criminal offences.
For the most part, these proposed changes have been met with approval. After all, if an individual has been found guilty of violent crimes, we as a society want some reassurances that they will not inflict violent acts upon persons they bring to Canada.
This Blog has been written just prior to the Canadian federal election of May 2nd, 2011. Depending on the results thereof, the proposed changes may not all become law or may be modified prior to their adoption.

Credits

The official Canadian government announcements for the changes referred to may be found at the following links:
Photo by Patcard, Wikimedia Commons, “Air Canada Boeing 777-333ER just about to touch down at Montreal Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport … arriving from Paris”

Let’s make room for the ‘bright’ immigrant

Harbour of Peggys Cove, Nova ScotiaImage via WikipediaBy RACHEL BRIGHTON JUST BUSINESS 



When my husband and I applied for permanent residency in Canada in 1996, one of the questions asked on the application form was whether we were "bright" or "dull." We indicated we were bright and they opened the door for us.
We were also considered suitably young, educated and affluent, but more importantly, to us, we were "free" immigrants. We did not enter the country and the province through an economic immigration stream that bound us to work for a particular company or take a particular job on a prescribed list. We were free to make our living as we chose and where we chose.
We chose Nova Scotia because we liked its contours on a map. We stayed because we liked the lay of the land when we saw it and the laid back way of life.
Moving here is harder now, because of the regimented immigration system that channels applicants through narrow corridors into provinces, sectors and occupations.
For example, the federal skilled-worker stream lists 29 eligible occupations and accepts up to 1,000 applicants in each occupation per year, up to a total of 20,000 applicants.
In a 10-month period ending April 19, Canada had filled its quota in some occupations, such as pharmacists and registered nurses, but fell far short in other occupations. Only 49 plumbers and seven crane operators wanted to immigrate to Canada.
Imposing such strict controls may not be the best way to attract immigrants with sought-after skills.
When Nova Scotia launched its new immigration strategy this week, it set out a flexible approach that will still try to match skills and jobs but without a strict list. It will also try to balance the short-term needs of employers, who are looking for people with very particular skill sets, with self-sufficient skills that immigrants bring, such as being able to operate machines and heavy equipment.
The government hopes to attract 7,200 immigrants a year by 2020 — double the rate now. Half would come through the provincial nominee program, or as family members of these nominees, and half would come through federal immigration streams.
But the province says to meet these targets the federal government must release its tight grip on immigration to this province. The federal government will only consider up to 500 applications a year through Nova Scotia’s provincial nominee program.
The premier said Friday that immigration was an economic driver and the federal cap was setting "a limit on that development."
As the premier seeks to free up the immigration process at the federal level, he should also strive to ensure there is sufficient freedom in the provincial process.
It makes some sense to stream immigrants into economic categories, such as highly skilled, semi-skilled and temporary workers, or agricultural entrepreneurs, as the new strategy will do.
But Nova Scotia should always welcome a knock at the door from more romantic types who can’t be classified by narrowly defined labels. We could shut out some "bright" immigrants if our vision is too dull.
Rachel Brighton is the editor and publisher of the regional magazine Coastlands: The Maritimes Policy Review.



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