an alliance of university, community, and government partners dedicated to fostering welcoming communities and promoting the integration of immigrants and minorities across Canada
The Media Roundup provides links to recent and archived articles, in both English and French, on immigration and diversity appearing in the national and local news. Some international content is also included. Articles are updated weekly.
Radio-Canada – Des Philippins se réjouissent de la promesse de traitement rapide de demandes d’immigration
La communauté philippine de l’Alberta se réjouit de l’annonce d’Ottawa d’accélérer le traitement des demandes d’immigration des Philippins des régions les plus touchées par le typhon Haiyan. Le ministre fédéral de Citoyenneté et immigration, Chris Alexander a expliqué que la priorité sera donnée aux demandes de visites ou d’immigration de ces régions. Il a également promis de rallonger les permis d’étude et les permis de travail des Philippins qui se retrouvent déjà sur le territoire canadien afin de leur éviter de rentrer dans leur pays dévasté. Les autorités fédérales ont néanmoins souligné que les demandes seront étudiées au cas par cas et en tenant compte des circonstances particulières. Ces assouplissements sont salués par de nombreux Philippins de l’Alberta qui ont des proches dans les régions sinistrées.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada News Release – Canada Announces Further Measures in Response to Typhoon Haiyan
Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander announced today that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will prioritize the processing of applications from people who self-identify as being significantly affected by the typhoon. […]The Canadian Embassy in Manila remains open and is providing full visa, immigration and passport services. The Visa Application Centres in Manila and Cebu are also open and fully functional. […] Requests from Filipino citizens temporarily in Canada who wish to extend their stay will be assessed in a compassionate and flexible manner.
GMA News – Nurses Can Immigrate Without a Job Offer
Nurses from all over the world, including Libya, Sri Lanka and France have expressed an interest in the new Quebec Program for Nurses that was recently announced by the Canadian Government. […] In contrast to USA immigration laws, the Canadian program does not require an offer of employment. Similarly, the Canadian program does not require any relative sponsorship nor does it require an applicant to have a relative in Canada. […] Applicants who have no work experience as a nurse or education in the last five years are not likely to pass. As previously stated, 20,000 applications are being processed and it is unknown how many have been allocated to date. What is known though, is that Canadian Nurses Association predicts that 60,000 nurses will be needed by 2022 in order to fill labor shortages.
Globe and Mail – Ottawa to Give Foreign-Trained Nurses Help Getting Credentials Recognized
The federal government is trying to make it easier for foreign-trained nurses to have their credentials recognized by governing bodies. Employment Minister Jason Kenney announced Thursday the government is giving $4-million to projects to speed up credential recognition in Canada. […] In some instances, the project will allow foreign-trained nurses to start their assessment process before they even get to Canada, he said. […] Kenney sees this expanding. There are 45 accrediting bodies for nurses, doctors, dentists, vets, lawyers, engineers and others in the 10 provinces, but until now they haven’t agreed on credentials.
Inside Halton – Friendly Welcome for New Canadians in Oakville
Sixty-nine new Canadians were welcomed recently at a pair of citizenship ceremonies co-hosted by the Town, Oakville Public Library (OPL), and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. […] The OPL provides weekly newcomer conversation circles and monthly Canadian citizenship preparation workshops. A settlement worker is also available at the Glen Abbey library branch, 1415 Third Line, every Monday to help newcomers settle and integrate into their new community by providing guidance and support in areas such as education, housing, employment and healthcare.
Globe and Mail – Canada Lifts Czech Travel Visa, Smoothing Wrinkle in EU Trade Deal
Citizens of the Czech Republic can now travel to Canada for up to six months without a visa, after the federal government lifted a restriction brought in four years ago to curb the number of asylum claimants. The visa requirement was seen as a complication in free trade talks with the European Union that led to an agreement known as CETA, which the Conservative government announced last month. The Czech Republic had signalled it might not ratify CETA unless the visa requirement was lifted. […] The visa restriction was slapped on the Czech Republic and Mexico in 2009, with the Czech case spurred by a spike in refugee claims from the country’s Roma community. Mr. Alexander said Thursday that “bogus asylum claims” led to the restrictions.
