Canada’s failure to recognize the credentials is harming the economy

Today, a seven point plan to speed up the recognition of credentials and employment experience of immigrants was announced by NDP Deputy Immigration Critic Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina). The proposal came from many years of consultation and working with immigrant-serving agencies and new Canadians. “Hardworking immigrant families are desperate for meaningful jobs, and after many years of empty promises, repeat announcements and hot air, there is no time to waste. The promised funding should be delivered and the Agency for Assessment and Recognition of Credentials should be set up immediately,” said Chow. The proposal includes an agency with an internet portal and a toll free line which would act as a one-stop shop where new and potential immigrants could access information on assessment criteria, information on education and licensing bodies and recognition processes. This information and pre-assessment should be made available at orientation sessions at international visa offices so potential immigrants can get assessment and accreditation prior to their arrival to Canada. The agency should be integrated with Service Canada so there is help available in different regions across Canada.

Other recommendations include coordinating information and processes with various professional bodies and provincial accreditation offices so there is a uniform recognition process throughout the country; and reciprocity agreements with other countries should be set up so immigrants arrive in Canada ready to work. “Funding earmarked for consultation towards the creation of the Canadian Agency for the Assessment and Recognition of Credentials should be used to set up this agency immediately, instead of conducting more ‘talks’,” said Chow. She noted many excellent bridging, mentorship programs that help immigrants find meaningful jobs can not be expanded when the promised $205 million of federal money is no where to be found. “Canada’s failure to recognize the credentials of qualified, skilled and professional foreign-trained immigrants in the workforce is harming the economy and immigrants alike, limiting the contribution and earning potential of immigrants contributes to unacceptable levels of poverty,” said Chow. Chow sent her detailed, concrete proposal to Citizenship & Immigration Minister Diane Finley, Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg and Minister for Multiculturalism Jason Kenney. The proposal is available online at www.oliviachow.ca

Colossal Waste of Human Potential

One of the bitter ironies of the Canadian job market is that, while our country desperately needs doctors and other skilled workers, many foreign-trained professionals who immigrate here can't find work in their field - and often wind up in low-paying, menial jobs. This labour disconnect represents a huge waste of human talent that must be addressed through a change in government policy - or at least a more enlightened approach toward the hiring of new immigrants by our major employers and professional groups. Either we need these skilled people in our multicultural society or we don't. And if we don't, we really shouldn't be letting them into Canada under what amounts to false pretenses.

But if we do need them - and there is strong evidence that we do - then we should to do more to help them find work. After all, this is not a new problem. Now, this does not mean babying foreign professionals or relieving them of their responsibility to upgrade their skills and become as fluent as possible in the English language. It does mean breaking down the petty, mean-spirited bureaucratic barriers that prevent them finding suitable work. As Province reporter Suzanne Fournier noted, Dr. Alfredo Tura, 35, who was trained mainly in Italy, had to work as a nurse in northern Vancouver Island for four years, just to stay in medicine. Many other foreign-trained doctors and social workers never find work for which they've been trained. And a new Statistics Canada study has found that the earning levels of new immigrants to B.C. haven't kept pace with their skill levels. It's time for the appropriate authorities to do something about this - and do it now.

Grits put Immigrants in Poorhouse: Minister

by Jorge Barrera

The policies of the previous Liberal government pushed new immigrants into poverty and a recent Statistics Canada report proves it, says Citizenship and Immigration Minister Diane Finley. The StatsCan report, released Tuesday, said more newly landed immigrants are now finding themselves in poverty during their first two years of life here. "It is just one more condemnation of the Liberal government's record," said Finley. "It showed the results of the decline of their investment in immigration. All of that happened under the Liberal watch." The minister recently came under criticism for hiring a close friend of the prime minister as her chief of staff. Finley said her government has invested $307 million in settlement programs, but she said little when pressed on what the Tories plan to do. "We are investing in immigrants, in the process," she said. The StatsCan report, which focused on data between 1993 and 2004, said the Liberal government's focus on university-trained immigrants had little impact on improving their income levels once they arrived in Canada. The immigration portfolio comes with a revolving door. Four ministers have held the post in the last two years.

Expiry Date on Canadian Citizenship

source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/facts/expiry-date.html

Issue: Recent articles in Canadian newspapers allege that some Canadians could unknowingly lose their citizenship under a decades-old law that is only now being enforced.

Fact: The requirement that certain Canadians born abroad take steps to confirm their Canadian citizenship has existed in some form since Canadian citizenship was first granted in 1947. It is meant to ensure that people who wish to remain citizens retain links to Canada. Since 1977, the law requires that some Canadians born abroad (only those who are part of the second and subsequent generations born outside of Canada) take action prior to their 28th birthday to confirm their Canadian citizenship. If they do not, under section 8 of the Citizenship Act, they automatically cease to be citizens. The first time such persons could lose their citizenship under the Citizenship Act was on February 15, 2005, that is, 28 years after the Act was implemented. It is not true that this 30 year old law is only now being enforced. The requirement does not apply to every Canadian born abroad. It only applies to those who are part of the second and subsequent generations born outside of Canada. Section 8 of the 1977 Citizenship Act states: Certain Canadian citizens who were born outside Canada on or after February 15, 1977, to a parent who was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent automatically cease to be citizens on their 28th birthday, unless they take formal steps to retain Canadian citizenship.

A somewhat similar but not identical requirement existed between 1947 and 1977. Persons who apply for a citizenship certificate and who are subject to the retention requirement receive a letter advising the holder that steps must be taken before their 28th birthday in order to retain Canadian citizenship. Effective January 1, 2007, as an additional reminder for these citizens to retain their citizenship, and in response to recommendations from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and stakeholders, certificates for these Canadians now include a date by which they must act to remain Canadians. Citizenship and Immigration Canada is taking steps to remind people of this requirement, and will continue to do so. People who ceased to be Canadian citizens when they were adults can apply to resume Canadian citizenship. For more information about resumption, please see Resumption of Canadian Citizenship.

For more information about retaining your Canadian citizenship, please see Retention of Canadian Citizenship http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizen/retention.html

Ontario receiving most Immigrants

Federal and provincial officials say the number of people coming to Canada is at an all-time high and more and more are heading to Ontario. It's predicted 1.2 million people will apply to come here this year, the majority of them to Ontario. There were more than 1.1 million applications abroad to come to Canada last year in all non-immigrant categories, including visitor, student and temporary workers. Immigration statistics also show 262,228 refugees and immigrants were allowed in last year, compared with 235,823 a year before. In addition, there were 156,300 economic immigrants, such as skilled workers and businessmen, compared with 133,745 in 2004. Rick Byun, a spokesman for Ontario Immigration Minister Michael Colle, says 140,000 newcomers settled in the province last year, up from 125,000 in 2004. "This is the highest rate of immigration we have had in recent years," Byun said. "It doesn't look like it will slow down." The immigrants shouldn't put a strain on services since Ottawa has promised $182 million in funding, he said. "The success of newcomers will be Ontario's success," Byun said. "We have to have that labour force."