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.
CBC – More Skilled Immigrants Coming to Newfoundland and Labrador
Skilled immigrants are coming to Newfoundland and Labrador for work in much larger numbers, and the provincial government wants them to stay. The question is: can they be convinced? Seven years ago, the average number of skilled immigrants coming to this province was 450. That number has since doubled, with the number expected to top 1,000 this year. The provincial government is crediting an extra emphasis on recruitment. […] “People around the world are looking at Newfoundland and Labrador as a place to live, not only because of the job that they can avail of, and the good wages they can avail of, but also our culture,” said Advanced Education and Skills Minister Kevin O’Brien. […] Of immigrants sponsored through the Provincial Nominee Program, 54 per cent live in the St. John’s metropolitan area and 46 per cent live throughout the rest of the province. Some 80 per cent of immigrants in this province are nominated under the skilled worker category and 20 per cent are nominated under the international graduate category.
Radio Canada International – Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador : Des immigrants qualifiés en plus grand nombre
De plus en plus d’immigrants qualifiés choisissent Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador quand ils arrivent au Canada et le gouvernement provincial tente de les retenir. La grande question : peut-on les convaincre de rester? Il y a sept ans, ils n’étaient que 450 à choisir la plus jeune province canadienne. Depuis, ce nombre a doublé et l’on s’attend à ce qu’il dépasse le millier en 2015. Pourquoi? Le gouvernement de Saint John’s affirme avoir mis l’accent sur le recrutement d’immigrants qualifiés « Partout au monde, nous arrivons à dépeindre Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador comment étant une destination de choix, un endroit où il fait bon vivre, non seulement en raison de l’emploi et des bons salaires, mais aussi de la vie culturelle, » a déclaré le ministre de l’Éducation supérieure Kevin O’Brien. « De plus, nous offrons un environnement sécuritaire et ça, c’est très porteur. » Les immigrants s’installent dans la capitale en grande majorité. Monsieur O’Brien souligne également que Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador connaît un boum économique en ce moment, ce qui représenter aussi un élément de motivation pour les nouveaux arrivants.
Hamilton Spectator – Becoming a Canadian Citizen in 2015 is Going to be More Expensive
Resolving to become a Canadian citizen in 2015? It’s going to be more expensive. For the second time in a year, the Conservative government has hiked the fee it charges to make someone a citizen. The new price for processing citizenship documents has been set at $530 as of Jan. 1, up from the price set last February of $300. The government has been angling to increase fees for years, arguing would-be citizens should cover more of the cost of processing their applications. In an analysis of the new fees, the Citizenship and Immigration Department says the higher price will allow it to recoup almost all of the $555 it costs to process citizenship.
Calgary Herald – Oil Downturn Could Weaken Alberta’s Case for TFWs
Falling oil prices could make it more difficult for Alberta businesses to defend their use of temporary foreign workers in 2015, one labour expert says. And even the provincial government — which until now has argued strongly in favour of the TFW program as a short-term solution to Alberta’s labour woes — can be expected to “quietly shift away” from the issue if the value of crude remains depressed. Jason Foster — the co-ordinator for Athabasca University’s industrial relations program — said the Alberta government could wind up with a public relations problem if it tries during a period of economic uncertainty to go to bat for employers who want TFWs. […] While one might assume an economic slowdown would translate into fewer TFWs working in Canada, that hasn’t been the case historically. A study published by Foster in 2012 found that from late 2008 to early 2010 — a period of recession and rising unemployment — the TFW program didn’t slow significantly, it simply levelled off.
While many changes were initiated by Employment and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney during his five years as immigration minister, his successor, Chris Alexander, has overseen the most recent and oftentimes controversial changes to immigration policies. […] Under express entry, the federal government will act as “a matchmaker” between high-skilled immigrants and employers, holding a draw every two to three weeks where the “highest-ranking” winners will be invited to apply for permanent residency. There is no minimum points level to qualify, but a permanent job offer from an employer or a province will boost prospective immigrants to the top of the pool. […] The government tells CBC News that 1,063 Syrian refugees have landed in Canada as of Dec. 29 — that’s 606 more than the 457 who had arrived here as of Nov. 13. It is unclear how many have come here sponsored by private groups and how many the government has sponsored. […] The government also overhauled the foreign caregiver program making it optional for caregivers to live with their employers and putting a cap on the number of caregivers it will accept under two new categories.
Citoyenneté et Immigration Canada – Le Canada recrute des immigrants qualifiés recherchés
Le ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration du Canada, Chris Alexander, a souligné aujourd’hui le lancement réussi d’Entrée express, un nouveau système de gestion des demandes grandement attendu, qui permet de faire venir au pays, plus rapidement que jamais, les personnes possédant les compétences nécessaires pour réussir dans l’économie canadienne. À compter d’aujourd’hui, les travailleurs qualifiés qui souhaitent présenter une demande au titre de l’un des principaux programmes d’immigration économique du Canada peuvent créer leur profil en ligne et manifester leur intérêt à s’établir au Canada en permanence. Les candidats qui répondent aux exigences minimales seront acceptés dans un bassin et se verront attribuer un rang selon différents facteurs, tels que les connaissances linguistiques, les études et l’expérience professionnelle. Ce sont là les principaux indicateurs de la probabilité qu’une personne s’intègre complètement et rapidement à l’économie et à la société canadiennes. Les travailleurs qualifiés qui se seront les mieux classés seront invités à présenter une demande de résidence permanente.
