Canadian Immigration Focused on Women

Citizenship and Immigration Canada has announced increased funding of services provided by women's immigration centres. Funding estimated at $52. million has been provided to a service provider in the Toronto region, and is expected to aid in providing integration help from approximately 1,100 new arrivals in the region. These sections include referrals to community resources, advice and guidance, and employment-related services. This follows findings that greater numbers of women are applying as principal applicants in programs such as the federal skilled worker program.

A number of Canadian studies have demonstrated that migrants who receive more integration support are more likely to progress quicker to jobs consistent with their skills set. This in turn benefits Canada economically.

Canada's Minister of Immigration Announces Aid

Canada's Minister of Immigration has announced a number of programs recently, which are intended to facilitate the integration of new Canadians:

- The Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia will receive more than $1.3 million to assist up to 800 refugees with temporary accommodations, food and incidentals, orientation sessions and counselling and referral services.

- In the Yukon, new funding of over $341,000 is expected to help one hundred or more newcomers access language training programs and referrals to community resources for assistance in settling into their new communities and finding a job. At the same time, the government has announced a new initiative to attract newcomers to this Territory.

- The Government of Canada will invest more than $1.3 million in the Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area (MAGMA). Funding will help newcomers access orientation and other services, including referrals to community resources and assistance, language training in both French and English, and help establishing contacts in their field of work.

Canada's Foreign Student Enrollment Reaches High

For the fifth consecutive year, foreign student enrollment at Canada's universities has hit record highs. For the 2005-2006 academic year, the last for which national figures are available, enrollment reached over 80,000 students, accounting for a 6% increase over the prior year. The provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec account for the largest numbers of foreign students. These provinces together presently attract approximately 78% of the enrollment.

The report by Statistics Canada suggests that economic growth in certain regions, more attractive immigration policies, and more aggressive marketing by the universities themselves all account for the increases.

Technology Industry Targeting Canadian Immigration

Technology industry representatives in the province of British Columbia are recruiting overseas for tech jobs. In order to help fill the approximately 10,000 positions which are projected vacant in the province this year, international technology students in the USA who are required to leave the USA are being invited to fairs conducted by the non-profit B.C. Technology Industry Association (BCTIA).

Approximately 400 technology companies participated in the annual TechTalentBC Labour Demand Study, funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education. Although most employers recognized that many of their employment needs would derive from immigration, most were not familiar with the various programs in place to facilitate that.

The BCTIA is trying to promote the region as a permanent and long-term destination for skilled workers. The group suggests that the industry's labour shortage is growing at a faster rate than originally predicted.

Canadian Immigration for Adoptees Eased

A law has been implemented which will ease the process of gaining citizenship for children adopted by Canadians. Whereas Canadian parents were previously required to apply for permanent resident status in the Family Class and then seek citizenship afterwards, the process has been streamlined to allow for a direct application for citizenship.

With this process, the child can obtain a Canadian passport before ever arriving in Canada. The new process applies only to adoptions carried out abroad, and not to those conducted within Canada.