Minister Kenney issues statement on Mahmoud Mohammad Issa Mohammad
Ottawa, May 13, 2012 – The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, today issued the following statement regarding the removal over the weekend of Mahmoud Mohammad Issa Mohammad:

“Mr. Mohammad entered Canada in 1987 and was first found to be inadmissible to Canada on the basis of misrepresentation and subsequently found to be ineligible to make a refugee claim because he had been a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of ... Read More

Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification on track to cut backlog in half
New Parent and Grandparent program re-opens January 2, 2014

Mississauga, May 10, 2013 – Citizenship and Immigration Canada will re-open the Parent and Grandparent (PGP) program for new applications on January 2, 2014, by which time the backlog and wait times in the program are expected to have been cut in half.

“The Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification is on track to meet the goals of cutting in half the backlog and wait times in the ... Read More

Latest Product From Tech Firms: An Immigration Bill
By ERIC LIPTON and SOMINI SENGUPTA

WASHINGTON — The television advertisement that hit the airwaves in Florida last month featured the Republican Party’s rising star, Senator Marco Rubio, boasting about his get-tough plan for border security.
But most who watched the commercial, sponsored by a new group that calls itself Americans for a Conservative Direction, may be surprised to learn who bankrolled it:senior executives from Silicon Valley, like Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn, ... Read More

Western makes a bold 'brain gain' investment
London, Canada – Western University is investing in a ‘brain gain’ initiative to attract and secure elite academic talent, allocating up to $30 million to a pair of new strategic programs that will recruit and support the very best students, postdoctoral fellows and researchers from around the world.

The Western Clusters of Research Excellence program will provide up to $5 million over five years to support the establishment of up to four internationally prominent clusters of ... Read More

Ageing Germany woos Indian students, workers
IANS

Hyderabad: With its labour force likely to decline by 6.5 million people by 2025 because of its ageing population, Germany is looking to attract young students and skilled workforce from India.

German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner Friday said India and Germany can complement each other by exploiting their demographic advantages.

"In 2025, we will have minus 6.3 million workforce, not just engineers and doctors but also skilled workers because we are older society than, for example, ... Read More

List of Priority Occupations for Federal Skilled Worker Program Released
Ottawa, April 18, 2013 —The list of 24 occupations that are eligible under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) when it re-opens on May 4, 2013 was released today.

In addition, four organizations have been designated to provide the now-required independent third party assessments of foreign educational credentials for applicants who studied outside of Canada. These assessments, which must be completed before an application is submitted, are aimed at helping newcomers through the FSWP to ... Read More

Indian IT Firms Hit by Draft U.S. Immigration Law
By DHANYA ANN THOPPIL

BANGALORE—A draft U.S. immigration law aims to limit the number of workers that Indian outsourcing firms can send to the U.S., a move which is likely to drastically push up their operating costs.

The draft law, posted Wednesday on the website of U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat lawmaker from New York who worked on the bill, seeks to deny new skilled worker, or H-1B, visas to firms with more than 75% ... Read More

Minister Kenney launches videos to help newcomers settle
Helping immigrants integrate and succeed

Ottawa, April 19, 2013 — New immigrants can now access two new videos at cic.gc.ca to help them navigate their way before and during their first weeks in Canada, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today.

“By providing newcomers with practical advice and information before and as soon as they arrive, we can help them integrate more quickly into the Canadian economy and their new local community,” said Minister Kenney. ... Read More

Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism
speaks on immigration issues

At a news conference to announce that the immigration backlog been reduced by about 40%, paving the way for a faster and more effective immigration system in 2013 and beyond

''Thank you very much for coming to what I think is a very exciting announcement. I’m Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. I have an exciting announcement today about enormous progress that we have made in reducing immigration backlogs in getting ... Read More

March is Fraud Prevention Month!
Ottawa, March 20, 2013 – Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney is advising Canadians and newcomers to inform themselves to avoid becoming victims of immigration fraud during Fraud Prevention Month.

“I have heard stories from victims across the country that have been left emotionally and financially devastated because of immigration fraud,” said Minister Kenney. “The best way to protect oneself is to become informed. I encourage Canadians, and especially newcomers, to visit the ... Read More

Immigration reporting scholarships available
The Changing Face of America: Inside the Latino Vote and Immigration Reform
Graduate School of Journalism, University of California at Berkeley
May 2-5, 2013

The UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism invites professional print, broadcast, and online journalists in the United States to apply to its third New York Times Institute on Immigration Reporting.

The 20 applicants selected as New York Times Fellows will learn about the new dynamics of America’s immigration debate and the country’s changing demographics. The ... Read More

Germany needs skilled workers from India: German ambassador
PTI

If India is to achieve inclusive economic success, it must build on i...

LUCKNOW: Inviting skilled workers from India, German ambassador Michael Steiner on Wednesday said over the years Germany has opened up for outsiders making it easier for Indians to work in the country.

"We need Indian students, we need skilled workers, we need Indian specialists to come to Germany to learn and also to work. It is much easier now," Steiner told while addressing ... Read More

US senators unveil immigration reform deal
PTI

Eight US lawmakers crossed party lines to unveil a plan today that would provide a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants currently living in the shadows in the United States.

“We recognise that our immigration system is broken,” the senators said in their bipartisan framework.

It promises a “tough but fair” path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, reform that would build the US economy, an “effective” employment verification system and an improved process to admit ... Read More

White House, senators starting push on immigration
WASHINGTON: The White House and a bipartisan group of senators will launch separate efforts next week to jumpstart negotiations to overhaul the immigration system, an issue that has languished in Washington for years.

Obama will start his second-term immigration push during a trip to Las Vegas on Tuesday. The Senate working group is aiming to outline its proposals at about the same time, according to a Senate aide.

There is emerging consensus on several key components, notably ... Read More

60 Indians committed suicide in Oman last year
PTI

The number of Indians who committed suicide in Oman went up in 2012, with as many as 60 such cases being reported from across the country, embassy officials have said. According to the embassy records, the number was 54 in 2011. "More than 550 Indians lost their lives in Oman last
year. Some deaths were attributed to suicides, road accidents, drowning and murder while others died of natural deaths," the embassy officials were quoted by Times ... Read More

Canada's Skilled Worker Program to Reopen May 2013
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced that the new selection system for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) will take effect on May 4th, 2013 when the program will begin accepting applications..
The Skilled Worker category of the FSWP has been frozen since mid-2012 .
The FSWP changes, as described by CIC, are as follows:
•Minimum official language thresholds and increased points for official language proficiency, making language the most important factor in the selection process;
•Increased emphasis ... Read More

Canada will take tradespeople as immigrants
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - A new immigration program to get skilled workers into Canada faster is to start on Jan. 2.

Jason Kenney, the Immigration Minister says the new rules will help address existing labour shortages.

The applicants need to have a job offer or be pre-qualified by a province or territory.

They will have to meet language requirements with a minimum of two years of work experience in a trade.

It will accept a maximum of 3,000 applications ... Read More

Now, get visa for Greece in 8 Indian cities
Greece opened centres in eight cities across the country, including Bangalore, for receiving applications and delivering visas to mainly Indian citizens through VFS Global outsourcing technology services firm.

The seven other cities are: Chandigarh, Chennai, Jalandhar, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Puducherry.

"Applicants seeking Schengen visa for travelling to Greece can also avail the service offered at our centres across the eight cities and need not visit the Greek embassy in New Delhi," VFS chief operating officer for ... Read More

Britain relaxes visa rules for Indian professionals
Britain Thursday relaxed immigration rules for foreign professionals, entering the country via the 'Intra-Company Transfer' (ICT) route.

According to the changes to immigration rules included in a statement in the House of Commons by Home secretary Theresa May, the length of stay for professionals entering the ICT category has been extended from five years to nine years.

The step has been taken in response to Indian and other foreign companies' concerns.

Home Office figures show the ICT route ... Read More

Indians in Bahrain asked to remain vigilant
PTI

Indian embassy in Bahrain has advised Indians in the country to remain vigilant in the wake of a series of IED explosions in the country.

"In view of recent incidents, the Embassy of India advises all Indian citizens to exercise utmost vigilance. In particular, Indian citizens are asked to avoid handling suspicious packages and report anything unusual to the authorities," an embassy statement said.

Meanwhile, the Indian man who was seriously injured when homemade IEDs went off ... Read More

Canadian Immigration levels for 2013 up to 265,000
Sam News

Ottawa is to maintain immigration levels stable between 240,000 and 265,000 for 2013.
The Conservatives admitted annually about 250,000 since they came to power in 2006..
In terms of the composition of newcomers the economic class has benefitted at the expense of family and refugee class immigrants. “Our government’s number one priority remains economic and job growth,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said in releasing his 2012 annual report recently.
“Newcomers bring their ... Read More

Conservatives putting heavy breaks on Live in Caregiver program
CIC stats show steep decline of the Foreign Caregiver program (LCP )

The Live in Caregiver program enables foreign nationals to work in Canada as live in caregivers aka live in nannies when
Canadian or Permanent Residents are not available to take such jobs.
One would assume that this is a growing and essential program with the rapidly aging population and to ease childcare challenges by Canadian families.
Needed improvements were implemented by Minister Jason Kenney ... Read More

Filipino senator
The reason why the Conservatives appointed a Filipino Senator is because they know they are loosing major support in the very large Filipino community across Canada.
Jason Kenney duped the entire community by making " improvements" to the important Live in Caregiver program in April 2010. ( Foreign Nanny program )
However, this was just a means to actually phase out the program, it seems Jason Kenney would rather prefer blond nannies with blue eyes.

The stats show ... Read More

Canadian immigration selection criteria to change
SAM News

The immigration selection criteria for the new immigrants to Canada will change from the beginning of 2013. Younger skilled workers between the age group of 18 to 35 will get the maximum 12 points for their age, and the points will decrease by 1 point for each additional year of age after 35. However, workers aged 47 or older would continue to be eligible for the program. The proficiency in first official language will ... Read More

Canadian immigration selection criteria to change
SAM News

The immigration selection criteria for the new immigrants to Canada will change from the beginning of 2013. Younger skilled workers between the age group of 18 to 35 will get the maximum 12 points for their age, and the points will decrease by 1 point for each additional year of age after 35. However, workers aged 47 or older would continue to be eligible for the program. The proficiency in first official language will ... Read More

30,000 illegal Indian immigrants to benefit from US policy
At least 30,000 Indians would be among the 1.76 million undocumented illegal immigrants who would benefit from US President Barack Obama's new policy to defer deportation of illegal immigrants for two years, a new study said.

Using Current Population Survey data from the US Census Bureau, Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimates that as many as 1.76 million people, under the age of 31, could be at risk of being deported in the future or who ... Read More

Canada Issues Record Number of Visitor Visas
Brampton-Springdale MP Parm Gill applauded a Customs and Immigration Canada report that Canada has issued a record number of visitor visas this year. Since January, Canada has issued 500,000 visitors visas; up from approximately 450,000 this same time last year.
“These visas provide the opportunity for people around the world to visit relatives who may have immigrated to Canada,” said Gill, “as well as the chance to take in all that our wonderful nation has to ... Read More

Essential resources for immigrating to Canada
This list of resources represents only a small collection of websites, groups and organizations dealing with immigration in Canada. Add to this list by submitting your suggestions at the bottom of this page.

National

•

Citizenship and Immigration Canada: The Government of Canada's online immigration portal with information on moving to Canada, applying for citizenship and multiculturalism.

•

The Maytree foundation: A Canadian charity focused on reducing poverty in Canada by offering training, networking and other resources.

•

Metropolis Canada: ... Read More

Is Canada’s brand strong enough to attract the immigrants it wants?
Erin Anderssen

For the past four months, she has worked as a research intern in Vancouver, beefing up her language skills and earning a gleaming reference from her employer. But will she be back?
Upon graduation, Ms. Cruz will decide between Mexico's two northern neighbours. “The United States feels like a land of opportunity,” she concedes, a place with better job prospects and bigger salaries. But Canada feels more like home: “The people are very ... Read More

A 29-year-old on the difficulties of landing a first job
Rob Carrick

I thought I'd thank you for digging into the issues facing Millennials (a term I abhor, but anyhow) as they finish school and enter the workforce. Perhaps that should read "enter the ranks of the unemployed," but for some incomprehensible reason, I'm still hopeful. Don't worry though, it's fading fast!

My story's about the same as most, but I'm hoping that it might shed some light on some other issues that we ... Read More

Does temporary foreign workers program create second class of labourers?
NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE

How a small Albertan town is helping foreign workers feel at home

It left her deflated and disillusioned. “My faith in this country has been badly shaken,” she says. “I have to remind myself: There are some good employers.”

For Ms. Byl, and many other critics, Canada’s growing numbers of temporary foreign workers have raised important questions about the kind of country we are becoming, and how a nation that has long welcomed ... Read More

Does temporary foreign workers program create second class of labourers?
NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE

Temporary foreign workers keep wages down for Canadians and multiculturalism is destroying Canadian cultural identity. —A reader responds to our immigration poll. Click here to vote

It left her deflated and disillusioned. “My faith in this country has been badly shaken,” she says. “I have to remind myself: There are some good employers.”

For Ms. Byl, and many other critics, Canada’s growing numbers of temporary foreign workers have raised important questions about ... Read More

An Indian ends life every sixth day in Oman
PTI

Dubai: In a worrying sign, an Indian living in Oman has been found to commit suicide every sixth day, owing to financial stress or personal issues, official data shows.

23 Indians had committed suicide in different parts of the Sultanate till mid-April this year. In January and February, eight Indians committed suicide in each month, while four ended their life in March. Three people had committed suicide till mid-April, Times of Oman reported, quoting ... Read More

Children of Immigrants in four European countries studied
This presentation discusses findings and comparative research possiblities with respect to “Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries (CILS4EU)”. Children of immigrants and their majority peers at age 14, as well as their parents were interviewed in 2010 in four European countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The youths’ sample was followed up between 2011 and 2012, and the intention is to extend it to seven waves of interviews, thus ... Read More

Alberta praises new foreign-worker rules
BILL CURRY AND JOSH WINGROVE

Canadian companies that want to bring in highly skilled foreign workers temporarily will be able to do so faster and pay them less under new federal immigration rules aimed at addressing the country’s persistent labour shortages.

In areas of the country that are booming economically – particularly Alberta – companies are complaining about the lack of skilled workers, a problem that Ottawa has identified as one of Canada’s biggest policy challenges. ... Read More

Labour groups welcome changes to immigration rules for skilled workers
“This is a landmark change for skilled trades professionals who want to apply to come to Canada on a permanent basis,” Robert Blakeley, director of Canadian affairs for the Canadian Building Trades Union, said in a statement.

John Telford, Canadian director of United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, said the changes to the immigration rules will help “in the long-term replenishing an aging work force; it is part of the solution for the labour demand issue.”

Mr. ... Read More

My battle is against immigration, don't ridicule me
Breivik, who killed eight people with a car bomb in Oslo on July 22 and then shot 69 at a Labour Party summer camp, went on trial on Monday.
OSLO: Norwegian anti-Islamic fanatic Anders Behring Breivik complained on Wednesday he was being subjected to personal ridicule in court and demanded his killing of 77 people last summer be judged as a battle against immigration.

"I hope you will focus on the issue, not the person," the ... Read More

Indian authorities’ clearance must for work contract in UAE
New Delhi: Indians seeking to migrate to UAE for employment can now expect an assured salary package and better work environment with both countries today introducing a system under which work contracts of prospective employees will have to be endorsed by Indian authorities.
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Minister of Labour of United Arab Emirates Saqr Ghobash signed a protocol to this effect in Abu Dhabi to streamline the employment process of ... Read More

Anti-immigration drive: Now, Indians can't work in UK after studies
LONDON: A facility that allowed Indian students to work here for two years after their courses are over will be closed from Friday as part of the Cameron government's drive to cut migration, which may put-off those aspiring to study in the UK.

Under the Tier 1 (Post-study work) route, Indian and other non-EU students were able to take up work for two years here after the completion of their university courses.

This route will be closed ... Read More

Canadian lifestyle harmful to health of immigrants
- Nicholas Keung

Integration may not be all good for new immigrants to Canada, at least not when it comes to adopting a lifestyle prone to heart problems.

A new multi-ethnic study finds immigrants who have been in Ontario longer actually fare worse in their heart health than recent newcomers.

Of the four groups examined - black, Chinese, South Asian and white - immigrants of Chinese and European descent are the most adversely affected by Canadian lifestyle ... Read More

Immigrants with long expired visas tough to track
WASHINGTON: By the time the suspect in an alleged bomb plot against the US Capitol was arrested in a parking lot wearing what he thought was an explosive-laden suicide vest, he had been living illegally in the United States for 12 years. His tourist visa expired the same year he arrived from his native Morocco as a teenager in 1999.

The criminal case against Amine El Khalifi, 29, of Alexandria, Virginia, has renewed the debate ... Read More

Ontario creates its own immigration strategy
Joe Friesen

Speaking to the Metropolis conference on immigration research, Mr. Sousa said that although Ontario remains by far the largest recipient of new immigrants in Canada, it has suffered as a result of changes to immigration policy. The rapid growth of provincial nominee programs has drawn immigrants away from Ontario to the West and Atlantic Canada.



“In his speech to you yesterday, federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney confirmed what we’ve been saying for a ... Read More

More economic immigrants taking advantage of fast track
This type of economic immigrant class, unveiled three years ago, was the first new avenue to obtaining a permanent residency card in decades.

The number of foreigners admitted under the Canadian Experience Class program is expected to rise to 7,000 in 2012 from 2,545 in 2009, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced Wednesday. It is currently the Department of Citizenship and Immigration’s fastest-growing immigration program.

The initiative is perhaps Canada’s most hard-nosed effort to place a premium on ... Read More

Canada's pattern of immigration spreads east and west
David Campbell

Immigration into Canada is nothing new. There are now more than seven million first generation immigrants in the country and some four million of them have come to Canada in the past 20 years.

What is rapidly changing is the distribution of new immigrants within Canada.

From 1991 to 2006, Ontario attracted 54.5 per cent of the immigrant population (using Census data for those years). During that same period, the Maritime provinces attracted ... Read More

'Bhangra' beats out an Indian immigration scam in UK
London A singer from Punjab is among 16 Indians arrested in a series of operations by Britain's immigration officials for offences that include entering into arrangements with EU nationals to register bogus marriages in order to stay in the UK.
Official sources here said operations were carried out in recent months at various places in Britain, including companies where some of those arrested were working illegally.

Garry Sandhu, 29, described as a "rising Bhangra star", ... Read More

Immigrant marriage fraudster finally deported
By Robert Sibley

“It’s not something I would have wished for,” Lainie Towell says of the eventual deportation of her ex-husband Fode Mohamed Soumah. “This was the man I married and I thought we would build a life together. But it was worth it if this outcome is going to change the system to help others.”

Photograph by: PAT MCGRATH, The Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA — It is one of the unsavoury secrets of Canada’s immigration system. Each year ... Read More

Manitoba becoming a destination for immigrants, census figures reveal
Joe Friesen

A decade ago, Manitoba was a place that grew only slowly and fretted about the day it might start to shrink. But when the results of the 2011 census are released this week, some of the most surprising population gains could be in a place that for years barely grew at all.

Over the past ten years, Manitoba has more than tripled its share of national immigration and in the process become a model ... Read More

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