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.
CanIndia – Majority of Immigrants Struggle with Financial Management in their First Year
A survey has indicated that a whopping 60 percent of newcomers lack confidence in their financial knowledge, especially about using credit, during their first year living in Canada, according to research by RBC Royal Bank. But confidence rises the longer new immigrants live in the country, up to 92 percent among newcomers who have lived in Canada between two and five years. […] Building a credit history in Canada is actually listed as one of the top challenges facing thousands of newcomers that settle here every year, with many feeling “overwhelmed” by it, according to RBC Royal Bank research. Almost one-fifth of newcomers (17 per cent), who have been in Canada less than a year, say they feel overwhelmed by all the talk about the need for credit history. That number more than doubles to 43 per cent among newer Canadians the longer they are in the country.
La Presse – Immigration: des bâtons dans les roues des investisseurs chinois
Avec un avoir net de 1,6 million $ en poche et un engagement formel à injecter au moins 800 000 $ dans l’économie québécoise, des investisseurs étrangers peuvent obtenir leur résidence permanente au Canada. En 2011, le ministère québécois de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles (MICC) a délivré 6158 certificats de sélection. L’an dernier, il en a produit 6901 autres. Pas moins de 68 % des immigrants investisseurs acceptés au Québec en 2012 sont originaires de la Chine. […] C’est avec cette préoccupation que le MICC a décidé de limiter les demandes de certificat de sélection présentées par les investisseurs étrangers à un maximum de 1200 par pays. D’ici au 31 mars 2014, le Ministère a fixé à 1750 le nombre total de demandes de certificat de sélection qu’il allait traiter dans le cadre du programme Investisseurs. Toutefois, aucun quota ne s’appliquera pour les candidats démontrant une connaissance du français de niveau intermédiaire avancé.
Radio Canada International – Québec veut favoriser l’intégration des nouveaux immigrants
Le gouvernement du Québec annonce l’entrée en vigueur de nouvelles règles et procédures d’immigration afin de sélectionner les candidats selon les domaines de formation les plus recherchés sur le marché du travail québécois. La province souhaite aussi améliorer la gestion des demandes afin de maximiser l’apport des immigrants à la société et de valoriser davantage la maîtrise du français. La ministre de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles et ministre responsable de la Charte de la langue française, Diane De Courcy, veut que les personnes qui choisissent le Québec puissent non seulement vivre et travailler en français, mais qu’elles puissent aussi se trouver plus facilement un emploi.
La Presse – Immigration de travailleurs: congestion des demandes au Québec
Les employeurs québécois ne savent plus où donner de la tête pour mettre le grappin sur des travailleurs qualifiés. Pour eux, la main-d’oeuvre étrangère devient une solution de plus en plus attrayante pour contrer les effets de la rareté de ressources humaines. Encore faut-il que les ressortissants étrangers tant attendus puissent être en mesure, un jour, de mettre les pieds en sol québécois. Au 30 juin, pas moins de 77 363 demandes de certificat de sélection présentées par des ressortissants étrangers de la catégorie de l’immigration économique étaient en attente de traitement au ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles (MICC). De ce nombre, 65 202 demandes provenaient de travailleurs qualifiés, 11 920 d’investisseurs et 241 d’entrepreneurs et de travailleurs autonomes.
National Post – Ottawa Blasts Quebec for “Fraud” Program that “Takes Money” from Rich Immigrants Who Move to Other Provinces
The Harper government signaled Thursday it will no longer put up with the Quebec government accepting thousands of deep-pocketed investor immigrants a year even though most settle in other provinces – especially British Columbia. Immigration Minister Chris Alexander’s statement echoed recent complaints from his predecessor, Jason Kenney, who told a parliamentary committee in June immigrants are engaged in a “fraud” that enriches the Quebec government while costing taxpayers in B.C. and elsewhere a bundle. […] At issue is Ottawa’s cash-for-visa program, which gives permanent residence to immigrants, including those who speak neither English nor French, who are prepared to inject $800,000 into the Canadian economy in the form of a guaranteed, interest-free loan. Quebec operates a parallel program that brings in twice as many immigrants as Ottawa’s, leading many critics to believe rich foreigners are using it to do an end-run around Ottawa as they seek to set up in Vancouver or Toronto.
CBC – Woman Pleads for Family After Daughter Killed in Haiti
The federal NDP is calling on the Canadian government to end the delay in an Ottawa woman’s application to bring her family from Haiti, after she said her daughter was killed by kidnappers in that country. Marie Yvena Senatus-Prince, a refugee, has been trying to sponsor her family to join her in Canada since 2010, before her daughter was kidnapped in May 2013. Citizenship and Immigration Canada lists the average time to resolve files from Haiti at under 12 months. […] Citizenship and Immigration told the CBC that it has been waiting for more information about a criminal charge against Senatus-Prince from the United States. The charge against her is for arriving in the States from Haiti with false documents, a frequent charge against refugee claimants. Her lawyer, Joseph-Alphonse André said he was puzzled by the request, since the documents had already been sent out once before, but has now sent it out a second time.
