By Rattan Mall, Voice | Link to Article
By Rattan Mall, Voice | Link to Article
Ten years ago, if you were a fifty year old bio chemist with a PhD, twenty years’ experience in large corporations in your home country but had below average English or French language skills, you could apply to get into Canada as an immigrant and many such hopefuls did. However a few months after arriving in Canada, you quickly found out that it was hard to get a job because of the language and age barriers. Also the economic realities of immigration meant you would likely have to take a job far below your skill set often turning to unskilled labor initially as a temporary phase but quickly turning into a permanent reality. Subsequent statistics naturally showed a big drop in income levels for new immigrants to Canada.
In 2008 Jason Kenney took on the Immigration portfolio with zeal. Most of his predecessors had used that position to move on to other cabinet posts resulting in virtual musical chairs in this Ministerial role. Not this one! This Minister’s stint was the longest one in Canadian history! Kenney stayed for five years completely overhauling a rusty inefficient system by eliminating backlogs reaching almost a million applicants, dealing with corrupt consultants and closing obvious loopholes in various program with the goal of turning immigration into a new more labour responsive one.
Between Minister Jason Kenney (now Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada (formerly HRSDC) and Minister for Multiculturalism) and our current Minister Chris Alexander Minister for Citizenship and Immigration the rolling out of the new Express Entry program in January 2015 will ensure that many of the problems with the old system will not occur and Canada will get a brand new immigration system that is more responsive to labour market needs and keep us competitive in the global race for human capital. Express Entry will encompass four programs: Federal Skilled Worker (FSW). Federal Skilled Trades (FST)Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
Express Entry will take some time getting used to as it is a different way of selecting immigrants, but it is a smarter way.
Read more about Express Entry.