Canadian Immigration News

The Government of Canada has allowed the Alberta Pilot Program for occupation-specific work permits, which allowed employers in certain to hire from overseas without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), to lapse.

The full agreement for the Canada Job Fund, which includes the creation of the Canada Job Grant, was announced today, September 8. The grant provides $500 million of federal funds to the provinces on a per capita basis. As such, Yukon will receive $1 million for investments in skills training, plus an additional $500,000 to recognise the distinct labour market needs of the territory.

An annual tracking survey by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has found that the majority of adult Canadians don’t know how many landed immigrants are admitted by Canada every year.

The government of Ontario has said that it would not support any effort by the federal government to end Canada's jus soli provision, whereby children born in Canada automatically attain Canadian citizenship. A 2013 report, obtained under an access to information request and marked “secret”, revealed that the federal government has been considering revising this provision for some time.

Quebec has announced new rules regarding applications for a Certificat de sélection du Québec submitted under the province’s Investor Program. The announcement was made by the provincial government’s immigration ministry on August 27 in a Gazette Officielle du Québec.

A live-in caregiver facing deportation for “working without authorisation” has been granted the right to remain in Canada while her immigration application is in progress.

Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau has urged the federal government to work more closely with provinces on immigration matters, in particular how the government oversees the temporary foreign worker program.

Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Chris Alexander, announced that Canada has welcomed its 150,000 new citizen of 2014. This is around double the number compared with the same period last year.

Having seen just two completed applications in the Start-up Visa Program, a pilot program brought into being in early 2013, Canada’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Chris Alexander, has promised to speed up the process.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered a keynote speech in Toronto at the Pearson Convention Centre on Thursday. During his speech, Mr. Harper emphasized that India has become the prime source country for immigration to Canada due to recent changes made by the Canadian government to facilitate immigration from India to Canada.