Americans immigrate to Canada

Americans immigrate to Canada

American immigrants to Canada at a 30 Year High

Canada Becoming the More Attractive North American Immigration Destination

“Politics, health care, social issues, and possibly even the strengthening of the Canadian dollar” are being cited by the Association of Canadian Studies as reasons why more and more Americans are choosing to immigrate to Canada. Also, an increasing number of Mexicans are deciding to bypass the United States as an immigration destination, heading to Canada instead.

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Jedwab pointed to the economic downturn in the United States as a top possibility for the trend, followed by social and political considerations. Also the booming Canadian economy along with the strong Canadian dollar may be playing an important role as well.

In 2006, 4,498 people were admitted as economic immigrants, which means they need to collect sufficient points to gain entry. This narrowly outpaced the 4,468 immigrants brought in under family-reunification rules. Ontario continued to be the principal destination for American immigrants in 2006 (5,705), followed by British Columbia (2,435) and Quebec (1,006). Alberta was fourth with 980.

Most of the well educated immigrants are now coming from United States. Canada is enjoying an upswing as a preferred destination for Americans, many of whom are increasingly well educated. In 2006, 49.5% of American immigrants held a bachelor's degree or better, up from 46% in 2000.

The poll also indicated that 92% of Americans had a favourable view of Canada, making it the top pick among 25 foreign countries listed.

The number of Americans immigrating to Canada and is at its highest point in thirty years, having nearly doubled since 2000. Such rates of immigration to Canada from the U.S. have not been seen since the 1970’s when the United States was suffering from political turmoil. Though the recent data does not indicate any particular reasons for Canada’s renewed popularity among Americans, the director of the study suggests “the economic downturn in the United States as a top possibility, followed by social and political considerations.” With increasing numbers of highly educated skilled workers arriving from the U.S. and a sharp decrease in the number of Canadians heading south of the border, the Canadian ‘brain drain’ phenomenon is shrinking. Half of Canadian newcomers from the U.S. have obtained a bachelor’s degree or better and are coming to Canada under the skilled worker category of immigration.

On another note, as American immigration officials are tightening regulations on Mexicans in the United States, the Canadian government is encouraging increased immigration from Mexico. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon to discuss increased labour mobility between the countries to deal with chronic labour shortages in Canada. Mexican migration to Canada has been soaring since the mid 1990’s due to the easing of entrance requirements brought about by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Between 1991 and 2001, Canada’s number of permanent and temporary residents from Mexico nearly doubled to almost 43,000. Though the focus of a possible new labour mobility agreement would be on temporary workers, the number of Mexicans arriving in Canada under the skilled worker category of immigration is on the rise as well. Additionally, the number of Mexicans studying in Canada has been steadily increasing.

The leaders of Canada, the United States, and Mexico recently convened to discuss measures to strengthen ties within North America and build upon the existing NAFTA framework. Developing compatible immigration measures was discussed as a means to facilitate increasing labour mobility across borders. NAFTA has facilitated the flow of certain skilled professionals across borders to fulfill temporary job positions.

A recent poll stated that 92 per cent of Americans have a favourable view of Canada, ranking it at the top of a list of 25 countries. As immigration data demonstrates that many Americans see Canada as a more attractive place to live, and many Mexicans see Canada as a more attractive immigration destination than the United States, Canada is in a good position to welcome a great deal of immigrants from its neighbouring countries.

USA to Canada Immigration could be done faster. Read the article here.

For More info on how to speed up your Immigration to Canada check this out.

The New Canadian Experience Immigration Class

The New Canadian Experience Immigration Class

If you are a temporary foreign worker or a foreign student who graduated in Canada, you often have the qualities to make a successful transition from temporary to permanent residence. You are familiar with Canadian society and can contribute to the Canadian economy. You should have knowledge of English or French and qualifying work experience.

Applying to stay in Canada permanently in your case is simple. You can do this under the Canadian Experience Class. All the guides, information and forms you need to apply are included here.
Before you apply, make sure you get to know the requirements and current application procedures.

Learn about

Who can apply:

You must meet these minimum requirements to apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class.

How to apply:

Follow certain steps to apply for permanent residence under the Canadian Experience Class.

After applying:

Once CIC has made a decision on your application, you will be sent a letter explaining the steps to take.

Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC)
Other Links - For those who wish to find a job to immigrate on a temporary working visa, you may check the Employment Agencies List

All can be found included inside “My Immigration Consultant for Canada” new edition for 2009

How hard is it to immigrate to Canada from America?

How hard is it to immigrate to Canada from America?

I plan to immigrate to Canada after College, so that's about 8 years away. However, I was wondering how hard it is to immigrate there. I'm thinking of living in either Vancouver or Toronto. Does anyone have any experience similar to mine? Thanks in advance everyone! Additional Detail: I'm not actually in College yet. In fact, I'm still a freshman in High School. I'm just trying to get a feel for how I can achieve my goals so I can start preparing.

Public Comments:

1. Please check out this info here on the New Canadian Experience Class. What are you studying in college? I ask this because a mere college diploma, though helpful, won't guarantee you a successful immigration process. The cost of living in Toronto and Vancouver is very high so choose your study program wisely. If you wind up with a diploma in arts, your chances of getting a job that will pay you enough to live in Toronto and/or Vancouver will be very small.

2. Well, I live in Toronto and I have been to Vancouver and I can tell you, Toronto is much better than Vancouver. There are more facilities and more services than anywhere else in Canada. Immigrating here is not very difficult. All you have to do, is apply for a Permanent Resident (PR) Card or a student visa and you will able to stay in Canada without any hassle.

3. Canada picks their immigrants based on what they can do for Canada. Additional points can be gained by having a basic understanding of French. If you get a degree in an area that's needed in Canada, and you can find an employer, plus you have a basic understanding of French (spoken, reading, writing) you'll have no problems.

4. I heard it's really hard to immigrate to pretty much any developed nation from America. (If it wasn't, who wouldn't want leave???) BUT I also heard that the easiest developed country to immigrate to is Germany. And from there, since most of Europe is united now like the US, you could easily move somewhere like Great Britain or Ireland. I'm planning on Ireland. Don't know if this is helpful at all, but just letting you know.

5. You need a skilled trade that is in demand, or a family member in Canada willing to sponsor you. Or enough money to start a business that will be hiring Canadians
What is the quickest way to immigrate to Canada article provides great info on the subject of finding a Job in Canada prior to immigrating.

6. Forget college - be a plumber, mason or best of all a plasterer, backer or a cook. We have nerdy MBAs and computer programmers coming out our ears and the immigrant ones are driving cabs. We need some people who actually know how to do something useful.

More info Here!

Canadian Immigration News: The fastest way to Immigrate to Canada

Canadian Immigration News: The fastest way to Immigrate to Canada

The fastest way to Immigrate to Canada

The fastest way to Immigrate to Canada
Most prospective Immigrants to Canada do not realize that having a job prior to coming to Canada can speed up the immigration process considerably. There are may Employment Agencies in Canada that offer this valuable service. Some better then other but bottom line is there are choices.

Here is an example of an agency that offers Jobs for Nannies, Nurses and Care workers Caregivers is an agency where foreign nannies, nurses and care workers find employment with Canadian families in need. The company can assure that the employer is a reputable and good family. They provide excellent services for Caregivers.

Here is an example of a Job posting:
Job Title: Live-in Childcare
Number of Positions: 1 Experience: 10-15 years
Location of Job: Toronto
Province/State: Ontario
Country: Canada
Salary: CDN$1600/month (Willing to sponsor a worker from abroad.)
Description: Live in Child Care for 2 children
Job Duties: Full time live in Child Care for 2 children ages 5 & 3
Bathing, Dressing, feeding the children, taking the children outside for fresh air and activities daily, arranging play dates with other children, taking the children to the park, reading and engaging the children in other stimulating and educational activities.
Meal preparation would be expected and necessary and housekeeping would be appreciated when time permits.
Requirements & Comments: High energy family needs high energy caregiver
Diligent with respect to their housekeeping, disinfecting and sanitizing and someone that excels with respect to their meal preparation skills.

Keep in mind that this is only one of the Many Agencies listed in “My Immigration Consultant for Canada” for 2009 edition and one Job example. There are numerous Employment Agencies listed with Jobs in: Finance, IT, Office, Financing, Accounting, Contract Engineering, Automotive, Scientific, Environmental, Technology, Communications, IT, Telecommunications, Advertising, Banking, Real Estate, Manufacturing, Industrial, Automotive, Aviation, Aerospace, Electronics etc. too may to list. Point is if one seriously considers immigrating to Canada this resource is priceless.

Check it out Here and see a video on how you can get the tips on the fastest way to immigrate to Canada.

Canadian Election could affect Immigration to Canada

Canadian Election could affect Immigration to Canada

A Canadian Federal election will be held on October 14, 2008, either re-elect the governing Conservatives, or to elect a new party and Prime Minister.

It is expected that the outcome of this election will have a great effect on the current changes in the Canadian Immigration policy that was recently approved. The speculations are as follows:

Should the conservatives and the Prime Minister Stephen Harper are re-elected, their new immigration priorities will finally be implemented.

On the other hand if other political parties are elected, there is a possibility that the current proposed plan will be repealed to give way to another set of strategies in the hope of modernizing and trimming the backlog brought about by the current immigration system.

Why there was a need for an election was because Prime Minister, Stephen Harper’s Conservatives are currently a minority government in the House of Commons. Due to the opposition they have received since taking office in 2006, including the resistance that they have received to the their proposal to amend the Immigration Act this spring, doing so, he hopes that he will capture more seats in the upcoming election so that his government can make up a majority in the House of Commons, which would give him the support to be able to implement the changes that wishes to spearhead.

If the Conservatives are re-elected, the immigration changes that they have been promoting since March, will be finally put into practice, and all those Federal Skilled Worker applicants that have been frozen in the system since February 27th, will finally get a decision.

If Conservative plans are carried out, it seems that Federal Skilled Worker applicants will be selected based on whether their occupations are on Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) recently established list of 38 qualifying occupations. Applicants whose occupations are on this list and who meet the minimum points requirements under the Federal Skilled Worker category will be qualified for Permanent Residency. Those whose occupations are not on the list, will need to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency through the Provincial Nomination Programs (PNP), if they can qualify.

According to CIC Minister Diane Finley, this list will not be made public until later in the fall.

While all of this are being considered, Stephane Dion, leader of the Liberal party, has announced his views and plans for Canadian immigration, if elected as Prime Minister. He has cited that in addition to repealing the Conservative amendments, the Liberal party would allocate $800 million to modernize and streamline the Canadian immigration system.

This is how the budget will be allocated.

- $400 million would go towards clearing out the existing backlog of applicants.

- $200 million would be allocated to develop new initiatives to help immigrants succeed in the workforce, they call this “Bridge to Work” - a program that will help applicants with their foreign credentials recognition, training and accreditation, and access to internships, mentorships, and work placement opportunities.

- and another $200 million would be invested in a language training program.

It is good to note though that in either case, whether the Liberals or the Conservatives will win the election, that the Canadian Federal Election’s effects to Immigration to Canada remains the same.

Both parties intends to speed up the process; the only thing that is left on the discussion table is how this will be carried out.

If immigration to Canada, is one of your plans, it is important that you realize that now is the best time to apply considering the positive developments.

Should this plans be carried out, the effect will be a speedier and easier migration to Canada, which will result to the quota to be filled up a lot faster.

It is in this context that we urge you to come up with a decision soon, we do not want you to loose this opportunity.

Click here to download "My Immigration Consultant 2009 "

Study Permit for Canada

Study Permit for Canada

Each year, more than 130,000 students come from abroad to study in Canada.

Most international students will require a Study Permit to study in Canada, however, there are some exceptions.

A Study Permit is not required in the following circumstances:

* For a course or program with a duration of six months or less.
* For a minor child already in Canada, whose parents have legal status in Canada, other than Visitor Status.
* For the family or staff of a foreign representative to Canada.

A Study Permit is a document issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada that allows a foreign individual to study in Canada for a limited time, generally at a specific Canadian educational institution and in a specific program.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada will normally issue a Study Permit if an applicant has received an acceptance letter from a qualified Canadian educational institution, and possesses sufficient funds to pay for tuition and living costs. In some cases, Citizenship and Immigration Canada may require applicants to undergo medical examinations and provide Police Clearance Certificates.

A Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) may also be required if the student is a citizen of a country from which Citizenship and Immigration Canada requires Temporary Resident Visas for entry into Canada. A Temporary Resident Visa is not required for citizens of visa exempt countries.

Applicants who wish to study in Montreal or another city in the Province of Quebec will also require approval from immigration authorities of the Government of Quebec.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada generally issues Study Permits that are valid for the duration of the intended course of studies. However, international students studying in Montreal or another city in the Province of Quebec must renew their status each year.

International Students are considered Visitors in Canada. They must satisfy a Citizenship and Immigration Canada Officer at the Port of Entry that the purpose of their entry into Canada is of a temporary nature.

Working in Canada as an International Student:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada allows International Students to work in Canada in limited situations. Students are required to arrive in Canada with sufficient money to live and pay their bills while studying. However, in some cases, a student may be able to work in Canada during the course of study:

* On campus without a Work Permit;
* Off campus with a Work Permit;
* In Co-op and Internship Programs, where work experience is part of the curriculum, with a Work Permit.

In addition, spouses/common-law partners of international students are eligible to work in Canada while their partners study.

Upon graduation, international students are encouraged to obtain Canadian work experience. The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program allows international graduates to obtain a three-year open work permit so that they can stay and contribute to the Canadian work force.

Click here to download "My Immigration Consultant 2009 "

Premier of Quebec plans to attract and retain more international students

Premier of Quebec plans to attract and retain more international students

Wednesday, 26 November 2008

Quebec Premier Jean Charest hopes to establish a new system to help foreign students stay in Quebec to pursue their careers upon graduation. Charest says that more international students would help Quebec meet its demographic challenge caused by a low provincial birthrate.

If re-elected in the coming provincial election, Jean Charest and his Liberal team intend to implement a major campaign to recruit more international students. They plan to create a system that would issue special certificates to foreign graduates of Quebec post-secondary academic institutions. They hope to attract international students by advertising the province's need to fill 700,000 jobs by 2011, and by offering them a system which would speed up the processing of their immigration applications.

A recent Canadian Bureau for International Education study shows that less than one out of ten international graduates remains in Quebec upon graduation.

Quebec is holding a provincial election on December 8, 2008. These plans will be implemented if Premier Jean Charest's Liberals get re-elected.

Click here to download "My Immigration Consultant 2009 "

Canada wants immigration despite economic crisis

Canada wants immigration despite economic crisis
22 Nov 2008, 2204 hrs IST, REUTERS

KIEV: Canada will maintain its current policy of encouraging immigration to meet identified labour shortages in key areas despite the world-wide financial crisis, Jason Kenney, the minister for immigration, said.

Kenney, interviewed late on Friday in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, said consultations with provincial governments, labour and industry showed that immigrants with the right skills were still needed to ensure economic growth.

"Obviously, the economic crisis worries us a great deal... But we believe it would be counterproductive, from an economic growth point of view, to cut off a labour supply from those sectors of the economy that are still growing by reducing immigration levels," he said.

"We intend to maintain a robust immigration programme but we'll obviously monitor the situation closely to make sure it is working for Canada and our economy."

The minister of citizenship
, immigration and mulitculturalism added:

"Canada will not be going in the direction of developed countries like Australia and Britain that are looking at dramatic cuts in immigration intake."

According to the Canadian government website the 2001 census showed that immigrants accounted for 5.45 million of a total population of just over 29 million.

Prospective immigrants filling shortages, he said, could include "nurses from the Philippines, heavy equipment operators from Ukraine or consumer software designers from India".

The government was tackling a backlog of more than 830,000 applications and simplifying the system by allowing provinces and individual employers to recruit the workers they needed.

Additional measures would make it easier for students and temporary workers now in Canada to extend their stay.

Kenney said he would soon be announcing in parliament the level of immigrants to be accepted in 2009.

Canada currently takes in more than 300,000 per year and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, re-elected last month but still heading a minority government, said this week the country needed workers suited to its economic requirements.

Kenney also said Canada would respect its longstanding commitment to family reunions, while intensifying efforts to ferret out fraud, identify legitimate refugees and keep down the burden on Canada's overworked health care system.

News reports have documented what are described as systematic attempts to defraud the Canadian system by agencies offering advice to would-be immigrants, many from Latin America.

"I think we are much more sophisticated in trying to identify fraud," he said.

"The statistics demonstrate that we have had success, that we have been able increasingly vet out fraudulent applications, though some people will always get through and that is an ongoing challenge to us.

Kenney was in Ukraine to attend commemorations marking the 75th anniversary of the mass famine engineered by Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Jobs in Canada

"My Immigration Consultant 2007" has many Employment Opportunities listed in alphabetical order by job title. Once you have purchased "My Immigration Consultant 2007" you have direct access to these employment opportunities and all you have to do is email your Cover letter and resume to YOUR potential Canadian employer.

However, you must act fast as these job positions may not be available for long as so many other potential immigrants are applying for these available positions as we speak.

Click here to download "My Immigration Consultant 2009 "

Time to rethink the immigration point system

Time to rethink the immigration point system
Robert Vineberg, Special to the Sun
Published: Monday, November 24, 2008

Canada should revamp its immigrant selection system to do what it was designed to do in 1967: Select immigrants who will make the greatest contribution to Canada.

Canada was the first country in the world to develop a selection system based on points. The original points system, introduced in 1967, was linked closely to labour market demand and an immigrant's potential to meet that demand.

The system worked not only because it was simple, but also because the number of people around the world applying at the time roughly equalled Canada's ability to process cases.

The system was a success because it selected the immigrants Canada needed and because a point could be awarded for every year of formal education (to a maximum of 20). And it was not just PhDs, but also apprenticed tradesmen, who got credit for their training.

As the number of applications started to outstrip the capacity to process them, the points system and the pass mark were adjusted in an attempt to control volume.

By 1986, education was only accorded a maximum of 12 points and those in the skilled trades could no longer receive points for their years of apprenticeship, whereas PhDs could still get sufficient points to pass from other factors.

However, successive immigration acts provided that every application received had to be assessed. Therefore, the number of applications continued to outstrip Canada's processing capacity. By 2008, Citizenship and Immigration Canada faced a backlog of more than 600,000 cases and the capacity to process about 200,000 per year. Furthermore, valuable resources were being used to manage the backlog, respond to complaints about the backlog and refuse cases that ought never to have been considered for processing in the first place.

So, without any other tool to say "no" other than the points system (and occasional refusals on the grounds of criminality, security or health), the points system became a barbed-wire fence.

Applicants who could not cross it by themselves hired lawyers and consultants to vault them over the fence, dig tunnels under it or cut the wire to get them through. This is not the way the selection system started, but this is what it has become in practice. In addition, the system has become so litigious that, incredibly, two-thirds of the case work of the Federal Court is related to immigration and refugees.

The latest selection system, introduced in 2002, is heavily weighted toward formal education and thorough knowledge of one of our official languages. Without scoring highly in these areas, it is hard to pass the test. As a result, the points system excludes many people we need in Canada because it is designed to limit those who pass rather than select those we need.

However, Canada's immigration program no longer needs the points system to be a gatekeeper. Thanks to the new legislation, the points system no longer has to do double duty as a deterrent. The minister can now set annual limits and this frees immigration officers to choose the immigrants Canada needs.

However, to do so, immigration officers need a new tool. The current points system still creates too many roadblocks for the workers and their families we want to attract. The points system needs to be freed to do its real job -- choose people whose skills Canada needs and who will contribute to making Canada a better place. It needs to be redesigned so that the workers we need, such as apprenticed trades, will not be rejected.

These changes are particularly important for Western Canada, given the acute labour shortages that have been bedevilling the four western provinces. Notwithstanding the current economic slowdown, these shortages are likely to become chronic unless aggressive steps are taken so that Canada's immigration program can be used effectively to help alleviate these pressures.

Canada was the world leader in immigrant selection innovation in the 1960s and 1970s but it lost its position due to the lack of means, other than the points system, to control the numbers of people applying to come to Canada.

The new amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act give Canada the opportunity to reassume its leading role in immigrant selection by adopting a points system to meet today's needs and, in doing so, bring here the skilled immigrants Canada needs in the 21st century.

Robert Vineberg is a senior fellow at the Canada West Foundation in Calgary.

© The Vancouver Sun 2008

Click here to download "My Immigration Consultant 2009 "

What is the quickest way to Immigrate to Canada?

What is the quickest way to Immigrate to Canada?

The only way to speed up the processing time for your permanent resident application is to have a job offer from a Canadian Employer, thus reducing your permanent resident application process and your entry to Canada will be considerably faster.

Once you have a job offer you have these options to choose from:

Work Permit

Work permits are issued only for employment that is temporary. In some circumstances, work permits can be extended from inside Canada.

The fastest way to come to Canada is on a temporary work permit. Usually you can be in Canada within weeks after you apply, if not sooner.

The Canadian employer before offering you a job, may have to demonstrate that efforts were made to hire Canadian residents for your intended position, but that those efforts were unsuccessful.

Arranged Employment

Arranged Employment is based on a permanent job offer of indeterminate length. You do not begin to work in Canada until you receive your Canadian permanent resident visa.

Your potential Canadian employer does not have to demonstrate that Canadian residents could not be found for your intended position.

Priority processing at all Canadian Immigration visa offices (except Buffalo) of your application for permanent residence in Canada. You will usually receive your visa in less than one year.

You will receive up to 15 points under the Federal Skilled Worker category of Canadian immigration.

Having an Arranged Employment it won't get you to Canada as quickly as a work permit.

Provincial Nomination

Provincial Nomination is similar to Arranged Employment and to Work Permits. Most Canadian provinces offer nomination programs that lead to a Canadian permanent resident visa. Most often, it involves a permanent job offer of undetermined length from an employer in a particular province.

Once you have been nominated by a province you can usually immediately receive a Work Permit to come to Canada and begin work, even before your Canadian permanent resident visa is issued.

Your application for permanent residence in Canada will receive priority processing and you will usually receive your visa in less than one year.

You may qualify for provincial nomination even in some occupations that are not considered "high-skilled"

Many Alberta employers are recruiting to fill more than one position . There are currently 173 employment opportunities with 3,281 job positions available.

"My Immigration Consultant 2007" has many Employment Opportunities listed in alphabetical order by job title. Once you have purchased "My Immigration Consultant 2007" you have direct access to these employment opportunities and all you have to do is email your Cover letter and resume to YOUR potential Canadian employer.

However, you must act fast as these job positions may not be available for long as so many other potential immigrants are applying for these available positions as we speak.

Click here to download "My Immigration Consultant 2009 "