Monthly Archives: June 2013

CIC Releases Audio Book Version of Citizenship Test Guide

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced the release of a downloadable audio eBook of the Discover Canada citizenship test guide on Friday. The eBook allows a reader to listen to an audio version of the guide while they follow along by reading the text on any digital viewer. Since launching in 2009, almost one million hard copies and 400,000 digital copies […]

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New Statistics Canada Report Shows High Education Levels Among Immigrants

A new Statistics Canada report on the educational attainment of Canadians shows once again that the country’s immigrants tend to be highly educated and educated in demanding fields of study. The report’s most striking finding is that immigrants hold about half (50.9 percent) of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) university degrees in Canada. With adult immigrants making up […]

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Canadians Foreign Service Officers Picket in Front of PM Office

Canadian diplomatic staff belonging to the Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO), a union for foreign service officers employed with the Canadian government, held a picket outside the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday to draw attention to their strike. The dispute is over claims by PAFSO that foreign service officers receive less pay than public servants in similar position […]

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CIC Releases Immigration Information Through New Open Data Portal

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) joined other departments of the government of Canada last week in the launch of the groundbreaking Open Data Portal, which promises to make much of the data collected by the Canadian government freely accessible to the public. Praising the new data portal, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said: “The new Open Data Portal is […]

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Crime-Fighting Immigration Legislation Becomes Law

The Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act has officially become law, making it easier to deport foreign criminals from Canada. Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney welcomed the grant of Royal Assent to the legislation: “This new law will keep Canadians safer by ending endless appeals and loopholes that were being used by dangerous foreign criminals to delay their […]

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CIC Wants Input from Canadians on Immigration

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is asking Canadians for their input to decide on the country’s level of immigration and the mix of immigration programs used in selecting new Canadians. The three main areas on which CIC is seeking feedback on are: The right level of immigration for Canada The best mix – or ratio – between the number of […]

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Canada Top Country for Immigrant Businesses – Financial Post

An article featured in last Friday’s Financial Post makes the case for Canada being one of the best countries in the world for immigrants to start a business. Among the factors that make Canada such a welcoming place for immigrant entrepreneurs are its business friendly environment and immigration program, says author Chris Riddell: The World Bank labelled Canada the best place […]

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Manitoba Premier: Western Provinces Asked for Increase in Immigration Limit

Canada’s western provinces called on the federal government to remove the caps on their provincial immigration programs on Monday, according to a recent Bloomberg News interview with Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger. Selinger said the limits the federal government places on the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are making it difficult for them to fill their labour shortages: “We’ve seen some changes that have […]

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Ontario Government Objects to New Federal Job Grant Program

The provincial government of Ontario says the diversion of federal funds from existing employment and training programs to the new Canada Job Grant program would threaten vulnerable workers including youth and new immigrants. The Canada Job Grant program will spend $300 million in federal funds per year and will require matching funds from provinces and territories. The program will provide […]

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Vancouver City Gov Introduces Universal Access Card for Recreational Facilities

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation announced last week that it will introduce a new universal access card for pools, rinks, fitness centres and community centres in the city. The OneCard will replace over twenty separate cards used to access recreational facilities in Vancouver, making life more convenient for the city’s residents. The universal access card will only enhance […]

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