Voices of being a Canadian

source: www.thestar.com

Canada has the highest per capita immigration rate in the world, driven by economic policy and family reunification. In 2001, 250,640 people immigrated to Canada. Newcomers settle mostly in the major urban areas of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. By the 1990s and 2000s, more than half of all of Canada’s immigrants came from Asia. Canadian society is often depicted as being a very progressive, diverse, and multicultural. Accusing a person of racism in Canada is usually considered a serious slur. All political parties are now cautious about criticising of the high level of immigration, because, as noted by the Globe and Mail, "in the early 1990s, the old Reform Party was branded 'racist' for suggesting that immigration levels be lowered from 250,000 to 150,000."

Tips on Canadian Real Estate

As with most countries, Canada offers a wide variety of options when it comes to choosing a place to call home. The choice you make will depend on several factors, including your budget, your space needs, and your desired location. Below are some of the options you may want to consider:

* Room for rent: Some individuals who own a house or an apartment may rent out separate rooms in those dwellings. All of the tenants share the bathroom(s) and the kitchen.

* Studio apartment: These apartments are small and were primarily designed for just one person. Most consist of a single large room that contains the kitchen and bedroom and a separate bathroom.

Canada opens for 2, 65,000 in 2008

Minister of Citizenship and Immigration announced today that Canada expects to welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 newcomers in 2008. The target is set out in the 2007 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration tabled today in the House of Commons. The report provides information on immigration activities in 2006 and outlines the immigration plan for 2008. “Our government believes that immigration plays an important role in building our communities and growing our economy,” said Minister Finley. “The immigration targets tabled today will help ensure that Canada continues to grow and benefit from all that newcomers and their families bring to our country.” The Canadian Experience Class, first announced in the 2007 budget and a key element of the government’s long-term immigration plan, will be implemented in 2008 for certain skilled temporary workers and international students with Canadian degrees and Canadian work experience. Once the class is established and for the first time, individuals meeting specific criteria will be able to apply for permanent resident status from within Canada.

Job-Specific Language Training is the Key

Newcomers in Ontario will have a better chance at success thanks to new English-as-a-Second-language training programs that put the focus on learning workplace terminology specific to their field. Fifteen Ontario school boards are currently receiving Ontario government funding through the Specialized Language Training Pilot Project to provide language training that responds to the needs of local employers. Key occupational sectors for this program include:
- Accounting, business and finance
- Information technology
- Hospitality and tourism
- Health and home day care
- Manufacturing and service industry

"Job-specific language training programs are a win-win for Ontario newcomers and business," said Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Michael Chan. "Language skills are the foundation of success for newcomers. These programs give newcomers the language skills they need to land jobs in their field, improve their ability to communicate in the workplace and provide employers with highly trained employees." This pilot project is expected to assist up to 2,100 newcomers with occupation-specific language training. Over half of newcomers to Canada choose to settle in Ontario each year. By 2011, immigration will account for 100 per cent of net labour market growth. The Ontario government invests more than $50 million per year in adult non-credit ESL/FSL language training. Funding will be increased by $4.2 million for the 2008-2009 school year, bringing the funding increase to school boards for non-credit language training to approximately 22 per cent since 2003.

ESL v/s LINC programmes in Canada

ESL (English as a Second Language) is funded by the Provincial Government. One of the differences with ESL is that eligibility is not determined by resident status. These classes are open to permanent residents of Canada, convention refugees, refugee claimants who have a Study Permit issued by CIC, and Canadian Citizens. ESL classes and Private ESL schools are also open to tourists for a fee.

While, LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) is funded by the Federal Government under Citizenship and Immigration. The difference here is also in eligibility. LINC classes are intended for permanent residents and convention refugees only. In order to enroll in LINC classes, students are required to take an assessment test in order to determine the appropriate level to be placed in. Futher, LINC classes are free of charge. At most of the LINC locations there is on-site childminding for children 18 months to 5 years old. This service is also available for free.

The other difference is that LINC is a general program and provides basic language skills. Unfortunately, it is difficult to say which program is better than the other. However, you can find some additional differences and benefits of each in these articles here:

Different kinds of ESL programs are available? See link here

What is Language Instruction for Newcomers (LINC)? See link here

Expansion of Foreign Credentials Referral Services

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced the expansion of services to help immigrants from India and China get their professional credentials assessed and recognized in Canada as quickly as possible with the assistance of the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO). While in India, the Minister announced the opening of a new office of the Canadian Immigration Integration Project in New Delhi. The new office, which is centrally located, is in response to increased demand in the region. “The Government of Canada is committed to helping newcomers succeed, and one way to do that is to help them before they get to Canada,” said Minister Finley. “Too many newcomers have come to Canada only to learn after they’ve arrived what credentials are needed. By expanding our FCRO programs overseas, we’re helping prospective immigrants to get a head start by providing information on the foreign credential recognition process and the Canadian labour market.”

Today’s announcement adds service on a rotational basis in the states of Gujarat and Punjab, which are major sources of skilled immigrants from India. In China, rotational services have been added in Beijing and Shanghai so services are available to more potential immigrants. Until now, the orientation sessions have been available in three cities in India, China and the Philippines. To date, more than 1,200 prospective immigrants have registered, and benefited. Overall, participants say they are more confident about being able to settle successfully when they arrive in Canada. When the Foreign Credentials Referral Office was launched in May of 2007, the Government of Canada committed to expanding overseas services. Today’s expansion is another step towards meeting this commitment. The sessions are funded on a pilot basis by Human Resources and Social Development Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition Program and delivered by the Association of Canadian Community Colleges’ Canadian Immigration Integration Project.

The Foreign Credentials Referral Office was established following consultations with provincial and territorial governments and other key stakeholders, including regulatory and assessment bodies, post secondary education institutions and their national organizations, employers, sector councils, immigrant serving organizations and newcomers themselves. While credential recognition in Canada is a provincial and territorial responsibility, the federal government plays a facilitative role, funding projects and providing a range of information, path-finding and referral services to help internationally trained persons navigate through the foreign credential assessment and recognition processes and obtain up-to-date information about the Canadian labour market.