WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT IMMIGRATION

Often we get carried away by dreams of a fairy tale life in the developed world. Many people do not research to find out what life may be like for them in the USA, Canada, Australia, Britain, especially as newcomers. It is a different ball game if you knew that with your PhD you may be a cab driver while trying to get your credentials assessed or getting ready to write a professional examination to get certified to work in your field. If you knew what challenges you would face and still decide to leave your successful career and comfortable lifestyle to come to Canada, then it’s your choice and you are prepared to face the challenges ahead. Unfortunately, some people do not know these things and so are caught unawares.

The good news is that the Canadian government is working to reform the immigration process in order to minimize situations where successful professionals come to Canada and can only work in areas that don’t even require a high school diploma.

I don’t think the situation will change radically very soon in spite of the changes being implemented. I still think that the knowledge you have and your level of preparedness to face whatever challenges come your way would make all the difference. If a university professor knew he might work in a bakery or as a dish washer or cleaner or cab driver for some time; if he still decides to sacrifice the ‘good’ life he had in his home country for reasons (such as doing it for the kids), then he would cope better when confronted with tough situations. Defeat, depression, regret would not be options.

I like to tell people that I burned my bridges when coming to Canada. There is no going back – it’s not even an option. The thought never crossed my mind, not even when I was in the darkest place. I believed that someday, someway light would shine through the tunnel and warm my cold body. It was exhausting and painful but it gets better by the day. For some, the transition to better living is fast but for others it takes longer. Just being able to hang in there is the key to survival and ultimate success.

One thing is certain: change will come; and for the better. But first, you need to be sure what you’re getting yourself into.

HAPPY SUNDAY FRIENDS! Hope you have a great week!

News Release — Reducing Backlogs to Achieve a Fast and Flexible Immigration System

Ottawa, September 17, 2012 —The Government of Canada welcomed the findings of a report on immigration backlogs by the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration and tabled its response in Parliament today.
“I think we can all agree that backlogs are unfair to applicants, harmful to Canada’s ability to attract the best and brightest from around the world, and hold back economic and job growth,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. “I thank the Standing Committee members for their hard work in compiling their report.”
The Committee commented favourably on what the Government has already achieved to date through the Action Plan for Faster Immigration and the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification. However, the Committee report also made clear that more needs to be done in order to better align application intake with admission levels.
The committee report recognizes that backlogs have occurred because for too long Canada has accepted more applications than it can process and admit in a given year.  Over time, this annual surplus of applications resulted in a backlog of more than a million applicants, and processing delays of eight to ten years in some immigration categories. The report concluded that, in order to avoid future backlogs, it is critical that the Government act to ensure that the annual number of applications better align with the number of admissions.  The report also recommended exploring further options to deal with the problem of existing backlogs, particularly in the federal skilled worker, immigrant investor, and parent and grandparent classes.
The Government agrees with all of the Standing Committee’s report recommendations and has already acted quickly to tackle application backlogs in key areas. Successes include:

• Reducing the pre-2008 Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) backlog by more than 50 percent by 2011 – two years earlier than expected – through the 2008 Action Plan for Faster Immigration and successive Ministerial Instructions limiting application intake.  Most recently, Economic Action Plan 2012 removed around 280,000 applicants from that FSW backlog, which paves the way for a faster and more flexible economic immigration system;
• Managing intake of the Immigrant Investor Program applications starting in July 2011.  Most recently, a temporary pause on new applications was introduced on July 1, 2012 to allow Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to focus on processing existing applications and reviewing the program’s effectiveness;
• Significantly decreasing the backlog of applications for parents and grandparents since fall 2011, as a result of increased admission targets and a two-year pause on new applications under the Action Plan for Faster Family Reunification.  At the same time, CIC introduced a new “Super Visa,” which allows for visits of up to two years by parents and grandparents, and has proven to be a popular alternative for applicants.

In the last year, the Government has also launched public online consultations on re-designing the parent and grandparent program, and reforming the Immigrant Investor Program.  Policy work on reformed programs is now underway.
“The economy and job growth remain the Government’s number one priority,” said Minister Kenney. “We continue to take the issue of immigration backlogs very seriously, and we will be doing even more in the future to transform our immigration system into one that is fast, fair, flexible, and serves the interests of Canada’s long-term prosperity.”
The Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration tabled its report, entitled “Cutting the Queue: Reducing Canada’s Immigration Backlogs and Wait Times,” in March 2012.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2012/2012-09-17.asp

News Release — Canadian Experience Class: Creating Jobs across Canada

News Release — Canadian Experience Class: Creating Jobs across Canada

New, Innovative and Fast Economic Program Attracts the World’s Best and Brightest

Ottawa, September 14, 2012 — Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today that Canada has welcomed its 20,000th permanent resident through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) immigration stream, reflecting the success of the government’s efforts to attract as well as retain the world’s best and brightest skilled workers.

The Minister was joined at the announcement by Gaurav Gore, originally from India, who was recognized as the 20,000th permanent resident admitted under the CEC. Mr. Gore earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Toronto. He is applying his education as well as his experience as a business consultant with a major bank in Toronto.

“We are working hard to attract and retain the best and brightest students from around the world. Gaurav is an excellent example of the benefits of welcoming highly educated and skilled people to stay as well as work in Canada. Mr. Gore completed a challenging, competitive university program. He is now building a successful career, contributing to our economy and helping create jobs for Canadians here in Canada. Guarav is exactly the sort of skilled worker that Canada hopes to attract and retain through the CEC program,” said the Minister.

“As a student, I saw the wealth of opportunities that are available in Canada,” said Mr. Gore, a Personal and Commercial Digital Channels Advisor with BMO Financial Group. “I felt welcome.  I wanted to stay, pursue a career here, and contribute to the economy as well as to the country. I was happy to discover that it was possible through the CEC and that I could use my skills immediately upon graduating.”
“Canada’s universities are pleased to see the success of the CEC in helping international student graduates become permanent residents. The graduates contribute their knowledge, talent and global perspectives to our communities and to our economy,” says Paul Davidson, President of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. “These graduates contribute to economic growth and innovation in Canada and help Canadian businesses connect with new international markets.”

The CEC, Canada’s fastest growing economic immigration program, offers a pathway to permanent residency for international student graduates as well as others with skilled work experience in Canada. Those who are eligible may apply from within Canada and expect a quick decision. In the past, a brilliant student graduating from our top universities who wanted to stay in Canada and help create jobs would have had to return to their home country to wait at the back of a seven or eight year queue. They may have spent several years waiting in the immigration queue and may have been required to leave the country before applying for permanent residence. The goal of the CEC is to ensure that Canada retains talented and motivated people who have already shown that they can put their skills as well as their experience to work, grow the Canadian economy, create jobs and integrate easily into Canadian life.

“The Canadian Experience Class is a sound program that responds to the needs of employers. The program contributes to economic growth,” said James Knight, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges. “Equipped with diplomas as well as degrees, international students become Canadian citizens, excellent employees and community members.”

In order to make the CEC even more responsive to Canada’s labour market needs and economic goals, CIC is proposing changes that will expedite the transition to permanent residence of those already working successfully in Canada. With the proposed change, all applicants will require 12 months of Canadian work experience gained in the 36 months preceding their application. Some applicants currently require 24 months of full-time work experience. This change will make the program more flexible for international student graduates. It will provide them with more time to launch their careers as well as gain the necessary experience to apply for permanent residency through the program.

Minister Kenney concluded by saying that, “International student graduates have educational credentials that are recognized by Canadian employers as well as official language skills that are important factors for success.
The proposed changes to the CEC will make it easier for them to stay here, contribute to Canadian innovation as well as to the economic development that will help ensure Canada’s future prosperity.”

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http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2012/2012-09-14.asp

News Release — Canada imposes visas on St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland

News Release — Canada imposes visas on St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland

Ottawa, September 11, 2012 — Beginning at 12:01 a.m. EDT today, citizens of St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (St. Vincent), Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland now require a visa to travel to Canada, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced.
For the first 48 hours, or until 11:59 p.m. September 12, 2012, citizens of these countries who are in transit to Canada at the time the visa requirement takes effect will be able to receive a Temporary Resident Permit on arrival in Canada, free of charge, if they are not otherwise inadmissible to Canada.
"We continue to welcome genuine visitors to Canada," said Minister Kenney. "These changes are necessary to protect the integrity of Canada's fair and generous immigration system by helping us to reduce an unacceptably high number of immigration violations."

These changes will allow Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and its partners to ensure that those seeking to visit Canada intend to return to their country of origin, rather than overstaying or committing other immigration violations.

A key reason why the government has imposed visa requirements on St. Lucia and St. Vincent is unreliable travel documents. In particular, criminals from these countries can legally change their names and acquire new passports. In some instances, people who were removed from Canada as security risks later returned using different passports. In the case of Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland, human trafficking, especially of minors, and fraudulent documents are of significant concern.

There has also been an unacceptably high number of asylum claims from St. Lucia and St. Vincent, with about one and a half percent and three percent of the population of these countries making asylum claims in Canada over the past five years. The African country that has the highest immigration violation rate is Namibia, with eighty-one percent in 2011. Seventy-one percent of travellers from Namibia made asylum claims in 2011.
"These changes are necessary because all the countries concerned have an immigration violation rate of over thirty percent, well above the level we deem acceptable for countries benefiting from a visa exemption," said Minister Kenney.

Canada regularly reviews its visa requirements toward other countries. Countries are aware that they have a responsibility to satisfy certain conditions to receive a visa exemption.

This visa policy change means that nationals from St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland who want to travel to Canada will first need to apply for a visitor visa and meet the requirements to receive one.

It is up to the applicants to satisfy visa officers that their visit to Canada is temporary; they will not overstay their authorized stay; they have enough money to cover their stay; they are in good health; they do not have a criminal record; and they are not a security risk to Canadians. These requirements are the same for anyone who wants to visit Canada.

Applicants from St. Lucia and St. Vincent can now submit their applications by mail or in person to the Canadian visa office in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Applications will be accepted by the visa office in Pretoria, South Africa, for those from Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland. In the months ahead travellers to Canada will be able to apply online for all temporary visas.

This decision will further strengthen the immigration and asylum systems, and it complements the measures the government is implementing this year under the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, which recently received Royal Assent.
"The Government of Canada remains committed to protecting the integrity of our immigration system and welcoming bona fide visitors from around the world."

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 http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2012/2012-09-14.asp