Canadian Immigration News

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney has announced that a record level of newcomers were admitted to Canada in 2008.

Quebec Immigration Minister Yolande James recently announced that the province will be progressively increasing the number of immigrants to Quebec over the next three years. By 2010, the Quebec government plans to welcome 55,000 newcomers, up from approximately 46,000 this year.

With a health care worker shortage in Quebec, the provincial Immigration Minister Yolande James is working to make it easier for foreign health care professionals to become licensed to practice in Quebec. As a regulated industry, all foreign health care workers must belong to a professional corporation, which ensures that foreign qualifications are equivalent to Quebec qualifications.

Quebec immigration Minister Yolande James recently put forth a new diversity policy to help newcomers better prepare for integration into Quebec society. It will also help fight racism and discrimination and will ensure that all Quebec residents have equal opportunities.

A growing number of immigrants to the province of Quebec are bilingual, with knowledge of both English and French. In 2006, 34 per cent of the immigrants admitted to Quebec were bilingual, up from 11 per cent in 1997. Most of Quebec’s newcomers settle in Montreal, making it an increasingly bilingual city.

It will soon be easier for workers from Quebec and France to go live and work in each others' jurisdictions. A new manpower mobility agreement, signed by Quebec Premier Jean Charest and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, will deregulate a dozen professions and almost as many trades in both France and Quebec so that foreign job applicants can be fast-tracked into the labour market. Both governments have agreed to accept the equivalence of each others' degrees and training certificates for certain occupations.

Quebec Immigration Minister Yolande James has announced a new program that will facilitate the process of immigration to Quebec for international students and foreign workers.

Punjabi is set to become the fourth most widely-spoken language in Canada by 2011, after English, French and Chinese, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney said on Friday.

The Saskatchewan Minister of Advanced Education, Employment, and Labour, Rob Norris, recently announced that $2.59 million has been allocated to support immigrant service providers across the province.

The Quebec provincial government has announced $68 million over the next three years to help newcomers find work in their fields more quickly. $22 million has been allocated for the next 12 months.