Immigration system will bring in more tradespeople: Kenney
By Robert Hiltz

OTTAWA — Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says changes are coming to Canada’s immigration system to make it more flexible in an effort to combat labour shortages.

Kenney told CTV’s Question Period that the government is planning to change the points system for selecting immigrants to recognize the skilled trades. This policy change would alter the focus of the traditional immigration preference for university-educated migrants including engineers and doctors.

“People who are ... Read More

Manager showed off jewelry she received from immigrant clients, fraud trial hears
By Matthew Pearson

A senior Citizenship and Immigration Canada manager broke the rules by accepting gifts from clients and ordering an underling to approve work permits for clients who had previously been denied, an Ottawa court heard Tuesday.

Samia Caron worked with Diane Serre at the Catherine Street immigration office from June 2002 until December 2004, when Serre was arrested.

Because she hadn’t been on the job long, Caron said she followed Serre’s direction when told in the ... Read More

Obama calls for immigration reform
Washington: President Barack Obama today called for a comprehensive immigration reform, in particular for quick citizenship pathway to highly skilled professionals and investors, saying US should support everyone who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs.

"We should be working on comprehensive immigration

reform right now. But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let's at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start ... Read More

Changes to Federal Skilled Worker Program
Coming to Canada is now easier for PhD students under the Federal Skilled Worker Program. In November 2011, a new eligibility stream was announced for international students pursuing doctoral (PhD) studies at Canadian institutions. This change will give PhD students the opportunity to use their expertise and education while working in Canada and simultaneously supports our immigration goals by attracting highly skilled researchers to Canada.

Come to Canada Wizard
Our interactive online immigration tool, ... Read More

New federal immigration rules open to fraud: documents
By Peter O'Neil, Postmedia News

Canadian flags are handed out to new Canadians at a recent citizenship ceremony in Ottawa.Photograph by: Chris Mikukla, The Ottawa CitizenOTTAWA — New federal immigration rules passed in 2008 to make the system more streamlined and "responsive" to Canadian economic needs were exploited by Chinese fraudsters, according to newly released internal documents.

The Conservative government quickly confirmed that the documents, obtained by immigration lawyer Richard Kurland, reflect an ongoing problem that ... Read More

Kenney a strong performer in immigration portfolio
By Peter O'Neil, Postmedia News

This week, he banned niqabs and burkas at citizenship ceremonies, tossing in for good measure his provocative prediction that opponents will "trump up some stupid Charter of Rights challenge."

But Kenney brusquely dismisses the conclusion of both critics and admirers who say he's taken a tougher, red-meat line on immigration and citizenship issues as the new Conservative majority government settled in amid rising global economic insecurity.

"I don't accept it," Kenney said ... Read More

’New immigration law, online platform on the way’
New Delhi: To transform the imigration process, the government Friday promised to provide within a year an electronic platform to link Indian missions abroad and the concerned authorities to ensure seamless service for those heading abroad for jobs.

"Within 52 weeks, we would be able to to provide a common electronic platform for all concerned in the process of migration," Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said here.

He was addressing a conference of heads of ... Read More

Gatineau’s values guide for immigrants stirs controversy
The city of Gatineau says its newly released “statement of values” is aimed at helping newcomers integrate. But critics say it infantilizes them and treats immigrants “like they came out of a cave.”

The administration of Mayor Marc Bureau says it published its list of “essential values” to help the newly arrived fit in and learn “how to interact” in their new environment, according to the guide.

“We are basically saying: Thank you for coming to Gatineau, ... Read More

Cut in refugee immigration expected
The Canadian government is to cap new refugee claims under the private sponsorship program to reducing a growing backlog.
Private refugee sponsorships would more than double from less than 3,000 in the year 2000, a projected 6,500 in 2013.
“The government claims it needs to stop the annual flood of new applications to clear a backlog of 23,200 refugees with sponsors waiting in Canada,” the Catholic Register reports.
There is at least one case where a ... Read More

Mumbai U.S. consulate to process immigrant visas from south also
The United States Consulate General office here in Mumbai, which recently has moved to a new 11-acre complex in Bandra Kurla, will now process immigrant visas for the South as well.

Consular chief David Tyler, speaking to the media on an official tour of the new premises on Wednesday, said the move, which would come into effect from January 9, was an attempt to centralise the visa workload in the city Mumbai. Those planning to ... Read More

Conservative Government "demonize refugees"
OTTAWA — Only two people appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board on the recommendation of Immigration Minister Jason Kenney have links to the Conservative party, Kenney said Tuesday.

He was responding to questions in the House of Commons about allegations by a former IRB chair, Peter Showler, that the board is no longer fully independent of the government. The Citizen reported Showler’s comments Tuesday.

Under questioning by Don Davies, the NDP immigration critic, Kenney said he ... Read More

Harper's settlement policy criticised
"I am disappointed and concerned with the Harper Government’s short-sighted decision to cut support to Ontario’s newcomer settlement agencies. Those cuts will make it harder for newcomers to find jobs and contribute to Ontario’s economy, at a time of global uncertainty when Ontario needs everyone at their best. I am urging the federal government to think twice and make the right decision.

Ontario is the destination of choice for more newcomers to Canada than any other ... Read More

Wishwas needs your help to empower immigrant women
Wishwas, meaning “faith” is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help empower underprivileged women prosper and gain economic independence. Wishwas will provide education, training and micro-credit/micro-finance loans to disadvantaged women, especially those from the South Asian communities. It will focus on leadership development, communication skills, relationship management, personal finance management, and entrepreneurship development among diverse women and help them with their personal and professional advancement

We want to empower the South Asian women who are ... Read More

Govt tightens immigration rules for women job seekers
New Delhi: Government has tightened immigration rules for women seeking employment in labour- intensive Gulf region to protect them from harrasment and exploitation. Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said in Rajya Sabha that government has taken a series of measures to protect interest of women including imposing age restriction of 30 years for allowing them to go to the Gulf region and some other countries for employment under ECR (Emigration Check Required) category. "Indian ... Read More

Indian professionals oppose new UK visa move
London: A leading organisation espousing the cause of Indian and non-EU professionals has strongly opposed the recommendation of a key committee that the salary threshold for professionals seeking to permanently settle in the UK be raised considerably. Raising the threshold as recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) will make thousands of Indian and non-EU professionals working here ineligible for permanent settlement, which is called the Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

The latest report of ... Read More

Bond needed for bringing spouse to UK
LONDON: The British government is planning to increase the minimum amount that UK nationals must earn before being allowed to bring a dependent foreign spouse to live in the country, a move that is not likely to go down well with immigrants from countries like India.

Families wanting to bring spouses or relatives to the UK also face the prospect of having to pay a bond of thousands of pounds in case they end up ... Read More

Thousands of Indian 'lost' Jews to immigrate to Israel
By John Malhotra

Enlarge this pictureThe Bnei Menashe is one of the lost 10 tribes of Israel who were exiled when Assyrians invaded the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th Century BC.Thousands of Indian Jews who claim to be descendants of one of the 10 lost tribes of ancient Israel might soon have their permits ready to travel to the Promised Land.

The Israeli government is expected to give final approval in the next few weeks ... Read More

Christian refugees from Burma (Myanmar) protest against persecution
Over 3,000 Christian refugees who fled persecution in Burma have taken part in a march calling for religious freedom back home and legal protection in India, where they suffer crime and injustice.

The Christians are from Chin state, where the people suffer relentless brutality at the hands of the ruling Burmese military junta, partly because of their faith and partly because they are a non-Burman minority people group. Over 90 per cent of the 500,000 people ... Read More