By CBC News | Link to Article
By CBC News | Link to Article
The federal government’s consultations on a new immigration system to give skilled workers “express entry” into Canada starting Jan. 1 included a nine-member group representing some of Canada’s biggest employers — and at least two of those groups say they are taking a wait-and-see approach on the new system.
Under the new online express entry system, skilled immigrants will be matched with vacant jobs in at least 50 occupations based on “scores that reflect their human capital and ability to succeed in the Canadian economy.”
Only the “highest ranking candidates” will be invited to apply for permanent residency and applications will be processed in six months or less.
The nine-member group being consulted includes the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, the Canadian Construction Association and the Information and Communication Technology Council.
The government confirmed on Friday the other five groups represented on the panel are:
- Canadian Restaurants and Foodservices Association.
- The Immigrant Employment Council of B.C.
- Irving Shipbuilding.
- Oilsands producer Syncrude Canada.
- Hylife Ltd., a global hog producer based in Manitoba.
The nine-member group was established in 2013 to provide the Department of Citizenship and Immigration with “input on the development and implementation of Express Entry,” a posting in the Canada Gazette said.
Sarah Anson-Cartwright, director of skills policy at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said employers support the new system, because it will allow businesses to fill jobs where Canadians are not available.
“The idea is that more and more applicants will be coming in with that job offer already in hand,” Anson-Cartwright said in a telephone interview with CBC News on Thursday.
A few more details about the express program were revealed by the government this week:
- There will be no more paper applications, except for people with disabilities.
- The government anticipates the number of requests for paper applications to be “extremely low.”
- The move to electronic filing is expected to cost the government $6.7 million over 10 years (2015-2024.)
- The Canada Gazette didn’t say how much money the government will save by going paperless, but said “no known opposition to this proposal exists.”
Kevin Menard, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Chris Alexander, told CBC News on Friday that officials have consulted with hundreds of businesses from various sectors of the economy in every region of the country.
Read More