By Susana Mas, CBC News | Link to Article
For good or bad, the nature of immigration in Canada has changed under the Conservatives.
By Susana Mas, CBC News | Link to Article
For good or bad, the nature of immigration in Canada has changed under the Conservatives.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper confirmed that when he spoke about the changes to immigration brought in under his watch during a candid response in New York earlier this year.
“We have been quite systematically re-orienting our immigration over the last several years to make it more focused on economic needs and focused on more long-term labour market needs,” Harper told Wall Street Journal editor Gerard Baker on Sept. 24.
While many changes were initiated by Employment and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney during his five years as immigration minister, his successor, Chris Alexander, has overseen the most recent and oftentimes controversial changes to immigration policies.
Here are five immigration changes to watch for in 2015:
1. Express Entry
Starting Jan. 1, Canada will launch a new system that will fast-track permanent residency under six months for young, highly skilled immigrants who are able to fill the country’s labour needs. The bulk of immigrants will no longer come to Canada on a first-come, first-served basis as they have for the past generation.
Under express entry, the federal government will act as “a matchmaker” between high-skilled immigrants and employers, holding a draw every two to three weeks where the “highest-ranking” winners will be invited to apply for permanent residency.There is no minimum points level to qualify, but a permanent job offer from an employer or a province will boost prospective immigrants to the top of the pool.
While businesses have been supportive of a system that will act as a job bank tailored to their needs, some are feeling uncertain about the “job-matching” feature, which will not be fully operational until spring.
Others have been more critical saying Canada’s immigration policies have shifted in favour of “expediency and naked pragmatism” and that it lacks “transparency, oversight or accountability.”
The government has promised to publish information about each draw, including the lowest-ranking score of those candidates who have been offered permanent residency. The government will also continue to insist that employers prove they made every effort to hire a Canadian first before offering a permanent job to a foreigner.
Quebec will not participate in express entry.