Elite Asian students cheat like mad on US college applications


Competition fuels boom in brokers offering fake transcripts, essays and SAT scores.


AEI study: Immigrants boost employment for U.S. natives Read more: AEI study: Immigrants boost employment for U.S. natives


Immigrants with advanced degrees and temporary foreign workers boost employment for U.S. natives, and the United States should adjust its policies to bring more of them, according to a Dec. 15 study (.pdf) from the American Enterprise Institute and the Partnership for a New American Economy.
The data shows that an additional 100 foreign-born workers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields with advanced degrees from U.S. universities is associated with 262 more jobs among U.S. natives. There are 86 more U.S. native jobs for every 100 foreign-born workers in STEM fields with advanced degrees from U.S. or foreign universities, and there are 44 more U.S. native jobs when those 100 foreign-born workers have advanced degrees regardless of field or where they obtained them.

As for temporary foreign workers, states with 100 more workers in the H-1B visa program had 183 more jobs among U.S. natives, and 100 more H-2B visa workers resulted in 464 jobs for U.S. natives.
The author, Madeline Zavodny, an economics professor at Agnes Scott College, adds that these results occur even in a system that prioritizes family reunification over employment-based immigration and has millions of unauthorized workers.
Zavodny also notes that the study may underestimate the positive effects of immigration. Since the study examines data on a state-by-state basis, it does not account for when immigrants create jobs in other states, like if a business in one state that benefits from immigration adds jobs at a subsidiary in another state.
And since research tends to show that the economy benefits from immigration more in the long-term, the study underestimates the effects because it only covers the period from 2000 to 2010, Zavodny says.
Because immigrants tend to be more mobile than natives and are likely to go to states that already have strong job opportunities, the study was designed to determine the effect of immigration independent of employment opportunities.
Additional benefits that the study finds include that, on average, immigrants pay more in taxes than they receive from major federal programs like welfare, unemployment benefits, food stamps and Medicaid. Zavodny notes that this does not factor in indirect economic impacts of immigration like increased economic activity, which leads to higher tax revenues in general.
She recommends that the United States prioritize immigration of workers in STEM fields who hold advanced degrees from U.S. institutions, increase the number of green cards for highly skilled workers and expand temporary-worker programs.
The study notes that only 7 percent of U.S. green cards are allocated based on employment needs, compared to 25 percent in Canada, 42 percent in Australia and nearly 60 percent in the United Kingdom and Germany.
Zavodny adds that this inaction has a price, because other countries compete for talent. "Every major developed country is more focused than the United States on admitting immigrants to meet economic needs," she says.
For more:
download the report (.pdf)


Read more: AEI study: Immigrants boost employment for U.S. natives - FierceHomelandSecurity http://www.fiercehomelandsecurity.com/story/aei-study-immigrants-boost-employment-us-natives/2012-01-04#ixzz1iazMCwts

Canadian Man Uses iPad As Passport At US Border


By Guardian on January 4, 2012
A Canadian man who realised that he had left his passport at home as he approached the US border managed to cross over by using his Apple iPad.
In a novel deployment of the tablet that may have come as a surprise even to the late Steve Jobs, Martin Reisch said that a mildly annoyed US border officer made an exception after he was handed the iPad displaying a scanned copy of the forgotten passport.
Reisch was a half hour from the border between the US and the Canadian province of Quebec when he decided to try to gain entry rather than turn back and make a two-hour trek back home to Montreal to fetch his passport.
He told the officer he was heading to the US to drop off Christmas gifts for his friend’s kids. He said that the true story, the scanned passport and his driver’s license helped him get through last week.
“I thought I’d at least give it a try,” said Reisch, according to reports by the Associated Press.
“He took the iPad into the little border hut. He was in there a good five, six minutes. It seemed like an eternity. When he came back he took a good long pause before wishing me a Merry Christmas.”
US Customs and Border Protection says it only accepts a passport, an enhanced driver’s license or a Nexus pass from Canadian citizens entering at land crossings. The list doesn’t mention facsimiles, like scans and photocopies.
Reisch, 33, said he took a scanned photo of his passport years ago in case it was ever lost or stolen while travelling. He said he also successfully used the passport on his iPad to get through Canadian Customs on the way home later that day.
However, the 33-year-old said he doubted that he would get away with it again and would take his passport next time, although he hopes border officials will eventually make digital identification an official form of travel document.
“I see the future as 100% being able to cross with your identity on a digital device it’s just a matter of time,” he said.


via PSFK: http://www.psfk.com/2012/01/man-passport-ipad.html#ixzz1iYubZKv4

Quebec workplaces least diverse in Canada: study


According to reports in Postmedia newspapers on a study completed by the Association for Canadian Studies(ACS), while Canada as a whole has multicultural workplaces, Quebec had the lowest proportion out of all the provinces.
The National Post reports:
“Seventy-three per cent of Canadians describe their workplace or school as diverse... Sixty per cent of Quebecers work in a multicultural environment, the lowest proportion of any province... Fewer Quebecers work and study in multicultural environments because most of the province's immigrants are concentrated in Montreal, and because the city attracts fewer immigrants than Toronto or Vancouver, (ACS executive director Jack) Jedwab said. Also, Quebec has a lower proportion of cultural minorities in government jobs than other provinces.”

Despite the lack of cultural diversity in the workplace, the Montreal Gazette notes that population numbers from the provincial government’s Institut de la statistique du Québec show “diversity is increasingly becoming the hallmark of 21st-century Quebec.”According to the National Post, Léger Marketing "surveyed 2,345 people online in September and October for the Canadian portion of the poll. The sample size would yield a margin of error of two percentage points, 19 times out of 20." Leger Marketing told OpenFile Montreal that a total of 484 people from Quebec were polled for the study but declined to share the full report with OpenFile, saying it would be made public in the coming weeks.
Population growth in the province is now propelled by immigration and not the birth rate, the Gazette reported. With this trend, diversification in the workplace is bound to increase.
Chart Source: Léger Marketing, ORC International via Association for Canadian studies.

Total complete applications received since July 1, 2011


On July 1, 2011, the eligibility criteria for Federal Skilled Worker applicants changed.
Between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012, a maximum of 10,000 complete Federal Skilled Worker applications will be considered for processing. Within the 10,000 cap, a maximum of 500 Federal Skilled Worker applications per eligible occupation will be considered for processing within this same time frame.
Starting November 5, 2011, CIC will accept a total of 1,000 applications from international students who have completed at least two years of study towards a PhD and or who graduated from a Canadian PhD program in the 12 months before the date their application is received byCIC. Find out more about eligibility for this category or see the number of applications received to date on this site.
These limits do not apply to applications with an offer of arranged employment (job offer).
Applications received toward the overall cap: 6 205 of 10,000 as of January 3, 2012

Applications received per eligible occupation:

Eligible Occupation
(by National Occupational Classification [NOC] code)
Number of Complete Applications Received*
0631 – Restaurant and Food Service Managers500 (Cap reached)**
0811 – Primary Production Managers (Except Agriculture)64
1122 – Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management500 (Cap reached)**
1233 – Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners217
2121 – Biologists and Related Scientists500 (Cap reached)**
2151 – Architects309
3111 – Specialist Physicians447
3112 – General Practitioners and Family Physicians467
3113 – Dentists463
3131 – Pharmacists500 (Cap reached)**
3142 – Physiotherapists122
3152 – Registered Nurses500 (Cap reached)**
3215 – Medical Radiation Technologists33
3222 – Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists21
3233 – Licensed Practical Nurses293
4151 – Psychologists75
4152 – Social Workers304
6241 – Chefs66
6242 – Cooks159
7215 – Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades82
7216 – Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades194
7241 – Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System)83
7242 – Industrial Electricians97
7251 – Plumbers22
7265 – Welders and Related Machine Operators33
7312 – Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics34
7371 – Crane Operators6
7372 – Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction6
8222 – Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service86
*The number of complete Federal Skilled Worker applications received as of January 3, 2012 is approximate.
**Once the cap has been reached, we can only accept applications for this occupation from people with an existing offer of arranged employment.
Note: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, the CIO cannot review each application for completeness on the same day it arrives at the office. The numbers on this page are updated at least once a week, but these figures are meant as a guide only. There is no guarantee that an application sent in now will fall within the cap by the time it reaches the CIO. We are looking into ways to minimize the effect of this on website updates.

Applications received from PhDapplicants:

Applications received toward the overall cap: 37 of 1,000as of December 28, 2011

Government of Canada to cut backlog and wait times for family reunification – Phase I of Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification


Ottawa, November 4, 2011 — The Government of Canada is taking immediate action to cut the backlog and wait times for sponsored parents and grandparents, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.
Currently, more than 165,000 parents and grandparents who have applied to become permanent residents of Canada are still waiting for a final decision. Each year, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) receives applications for sponsorship of nearly 38,000 parents and grandparents, a number that will only continue to expand if no action is taken.
“Wait times for Family Class sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents now exceed seven years, and without taking action, those times will continue to grow, and that is unacceptable,” said Minister Kenney. “Action must be taken to cut the backlog, reduce the wait times, and ensure that the parents and grandparents program is sustainable over the long run.”
To deal with the large backlog and lengthy wait times, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is announcing Phase I of the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification.
First – The Government of Canada will increase by over 60 percent the number of sponsored parents and grandparents Canada will admit next year, from nearly 15,500 in 2010 to 25,000 in 2012 – the highest level in nearly two decades.
Second – The government is introducing the new “Parent and Grandparent Super Visa,”which will be valid for up to 10 years. The multiple-entry visa will allow an applicant to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time without the need for renewal of their status. The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will come into effect on December 1, 2011, and CIC will be able to issue the visas, on average, within eight weeks of the application. This means that instead of waiting for eight years, a parent or a grandparent can come to Canada within eight weeks. Parent and Grandparent Super Visa applicants will be required to obtain private Canadian health-care insurance for their stay in Canada.
Third  The government will consult Canadians on how to redesign the parents and grandparents program to ensure that it is sustainable in the future. The redesigned program must avoid future large backlogs and be sensitive to fiscal constraints.
Fourth – To prevent the build-up of an unmanageable number of new applications during these consultations and to further reduce the 165,000-strong backlog of parent and grandparent applicants, CIC is putting in place a temporary pause of up to 24 months on the acceptance of new sponsorship applications for parents and grandparents. The pause comes into effect on November 5, 2011.
“The Government of Canada is fully committed to helping families reunite,” said Minister Kenney. “We recognize that what parents and grandparents want most is to be able to spend time with their families.”
“If we do not take real action now, the large and growing backlog in the parents and grandparents program will lead to completely unmanageable wait times. Through this balanced series of measures, we will be able to dramatically reduce the backlog and wait times, while the new Parent and Grandparent Super Visa will allow more family members to pay extended visits to their loved ones,” added the Minister. “We anticipate that in about two years, following our consultations, Phase II of our Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification will come into effect, ensuring that future applicants are processed quickly and that the program can operate on an efficient and sustainable basis.”
For additional information on Phase I of CIC’s Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification, see the attached backgrounder.
A photograph of Minister Kenney will be available later today atwww.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/photos/high-res/index.asp.
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CitImmCanada.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Candice Malcolm
Minister's Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
CIC Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.

Most Canadians are optimistic about the Future


In the mid-1990s, Peter C. Newman pointed out—in “The Canadian Revolution”—that Canada was the only country on Earth whose citizens dream of being Clark Kent, instead of Superman. Back then, the Americans were the dominant economic force, and Britain was a country we looked up to in reverence. “Brain drain” was one of the favourite buzz phrases, as Canada appeared to be primarily attractive for immigrants fleeing war, corruption and inflation. Even our beloved hockey teams were relocating to American cities with warmer climates.
What a difference 16 years make. America and Britain are in a state of alarm, following months of financial uncertainty, low ratings for politicians, and even riots in London. Canada’s economy is doing much better. The Jets are back in Winnipeg, and Quebecers expect the Nordiques to follow suit. Taking all this into account, a three-country poll conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion in partnership with Maclean’s suggests that, if a decent phone booth were available, Canadians would shed their suit and glasses and emerge with a cape and tights.
In the survey, practically nine-in-ten Canadians and Americans regard their own country as “the greatest in the world.” This outcome was not surprising south of the border. Americans have long been tutored to look at the United States as “the greatest in the world.” There are more than 2 million matches for this exact phrase on Google.
In Britain, only half of respondents see the United Kingdom as the greatest country in the world. Setting aside the assumption that Britons are not boastful when discussing national pride, we find a fascinating development. It is the youngest of Britons—those aged 18-to-34—who are feeling particularly downtrodden. Lack of opportunities to get meaningful work, a more expensive education, and a coalition government that has not pleased either of its two main components, are all to blame for the low proportion of young adults who are hopeful.
Respondents were also asked about their respective country’s past and future. By a 2-to-1 margin, Canadians believe that the best days are ahead of us (42%) instead of behind us (22%). Americans are evenly split on this question (36% look to the future for the best days, and 33% look to the past), with middle aged respondents showing some pessimism. In Britain, respondents are three times more likely to believe that the best days are behind (58% to 17%), including two-thirds of the oldest respondents.
A majority of Canadians are definitely satisfied with their daily lives, and want to stay in the country to find a better job, have access to high quality health care, raise a family, and live in a respectful and peaceful society. Conversely, a third of Americans believe that moving to Canada would be an improvement on the health care and society questions, and half of Britons think they would be able to provide a better standard of living for their family if they relocated to Canada. In addition, three-in-five Britons look at Canada as the best place to live in a respectful and peaceful society.
Over the past four years, Americans and Britons have had to withstand the collapse of banks and financial institutions, lived through debilitating mortgage crises, and saw how the promises of “hope and change” and “taking power away from politicians and giving it to people” have been hard to fulfill. On economic confidence, Canada continues to outrank the United States and Britain. The current situation reverses long-standing theories. Americans continue to feel a deep sense of pride, but are divided on whether they will continue to reign. Britons are dejected, and ready to accept that the best days are behind them. Canadians are not only convinced that their country is the best right now—they are also more inclined to forecast even greater things ahead.

Energy sector brings wealth, immigrants to Alberta


Alberta Premier Alison Redford says oil is opening Canada's fastest-growing province to the world for the first time.
The population of Canada's main oil-producing region has soared by 37 percent to about 3.7 million in the past decade as companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp. and Statoil ASA attracted workers from China, Venezuela and the Philippines to develop the largest oil reserves outside the Middle East.
"Most people around the world believe that it has been a fairly parochial jurisdiction," Redford, 46, said during an interview at Bloomberg headquarters in New York. "We are now going through a generational change in politics and in business. We have an ability to embrace the world in a way that we've never done."
Alberta, one of only two land-locked Canadian provinces, is turning a farming and cowboy image on its head as the booming energy sector attracts global attention to its oil sands and welcomes newcomers to fill jobs.

Influx of immigrants

The immigrant population of Calgary is growing faster than any Canadian city as oil companies fill as many as 100,000 jobs over the next eight years, according to a study by Deloitte and Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada.
"I came here because it's easy to get a job," said Hong Wei Pei, a 36-year-old accounting clerk from China who arrived in Calgary with her husband and two children in 2009. "Most people here are immigrants and the locals are friendly and welcoming. If you work hard, you'll be successful."
Alberta has led economic growth in Canada in recent years and per-capita gross domestic product, at $69,462 last year, is 75 percent higher than Quebec's and tops among Canadian provinces.

1st Muslim mayor

The investment and immigration has changed the face of the province. Albertans elected Canada's first Muslim mayor to lead Calgary, the province's largest city, and in Redford has its first female premier, one of three in Canada. That speaks to the opportunities for immigrants and minorities in the province, says Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, whose parents emigrated from Tanzania.
"There are very few places in the world where a kid from a minority ethnic community, a minority faith community, could be elected your mayor without anyone blinking an eye," said Nenshi, in a speech on Oct. 26. "It's up to us to model to the rest of the world a place where multiculturalism works."
Visible minorities make up about a quarter of the population of Calgary, which was ranked the world's fifth-most livable city by the Economist magazine this year.
One reason why Alberta has been successful at integrating immigrants is because the region is so young, says David Liepert, a Calgary anesthesiologist who adopted the Islamic religion 16 years ago. Alberta, named after Queen Victoria's fourth daughter, became a province in 1905 with a population of about 100,000.
"Alberta is still building a society, and that makes it open," said Liepert, 50. "It still has aspects of the frontier culture. It doesn't matter what your background is."
The original European settlers, who displaced nomadic native tribes including the Blackfoot and Sarcee nations, had to work together and cooperate in order to manage their farming businesses. They endured a harsh climate where winter temperatures often drop to minus 40 degrees, said Murray Edwards, a Calgary billionaire and vice chairman of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., an oil sands producer.
"There's a spirit here that I call 'prairie entrepreneurialism,' " said Edwards. "The original homesteaders were fiercely independent, but open to new ideas based on their merits - not where they come from. That value set has survived to this day."

Cow town no more

Agriculture, including cattle farming, wheat and barley, was the foundation of the local economy a century ago and now accounts for only about 15 percent of the provincial economic output. Though Calgary still holds an annual cowboy fair, known as the Stampede, the main economic driver is now tied to the oil and natural gas sector, which generates about a third of government revenue and employs 1 in 6 workers, according to government statistics.
The price of oil, now hovering at $100 a barrel, has helped make the province Canada's third-largest economy, just behind Quebec, which has twice the population.
"Alberta has got a lot going for it," said Craig Alexander, chief economist at Toronto-Dominion Bank, the country's second largest. "It's very pro-business and continues to attract immigrants."
The region is luring bankers too. A generation ago, businesses in Calgary had to go "cap-in-hand" to financiers in Toronto for money, Mike Tims, chairman of Peters & Co., a Calgary investment bank, said . Now, global investment banks including Rothschild, Societe Generale SA and Credit Suisse Group AG have set up shop in Calgary, helping to make the city a growing investment center, he said.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/12/31/BUE01MHK5N.DTL#ixzz1iFlPXp69

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