Canadian Immigration News

International students who have graduated from a Canadian college or university now have the opportunity to easily settle in Nova Scotia after their studies are completed.

Citizen and Immigration Canada released a bulletin today outlining the changes made to the assessment criteria for work permit applications for intra-company transferees (ICTs).

On June 6, 2014, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced the total number of applications received for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). Since the program reopened on May 1, 157 applications have been received toward the overall cap of 25,000.

Employment and Social Development Canada has eliminated the Recruitment and Advertisement Exemption for international students who have graduated from recognized Canadian post-secondary institutions, and whose Post-Graduate Work Permits (PGWPs) are expiring.

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters, a new program designed to help immigrant mothers prepare their children for kindergarten, has launched in Nanaimo, BC.

Last Friday, May 30^th, Canadian Citizen and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced that Canada had welcomed its 100,000^th new citizen of 2014. Already in 2014, Canada has sworn in more than twice the number of new citizens than the number of new citizens admitted by this time in 2013.

The Government of Quebec has released new data on the number of applications received under the current Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) program intake cycle. As of May 16, 2014, the program has received 2,173 applications. A maximum of 6,500 applications will be accepted in total.

Last Friday, May 23, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander met with business leaders to begin formulating plans for a new federal immigrant investor program. The program will be known as the Immigrant Investor Venture Capital pilot.

A recent report has shown that immigration to Nova Scotia hit an eight year low in 2013, with outmigration to other parts of Canada at the highest level in over a decade.

Alberta jobs minister Thomas Lukaszuk and Gil McGowan, a labour leader with the Alberta Federation of Labour, found common ground at a forum on temporary foreign workers in Edmonton. The two leaders say they want to see a system in place that allows temporary foreign workers to become permanent residents.