Voies vers la prospérité: Canada

Canada’s way of assessing potential immigrants under the Federal Skilled Worker program is so vague, the same applicant presenting the same paperwork could score either a high-flying pass or a dismal failing grade depending on interpretation, the Federal Court of Canada says. The new assessment process for potential “economic-class” immigrants was found lacking in what is thought to be the first court challenge it has faced. A financial analyst from Pakistan applying last year for permanent residence status in Canada as a federal skilled worker was given a score of five points, out of a potential 25, in the education category of her assessment. It was argued in court that different assessments of the same credentials could have scored her 19 or even 23 points. Federal Court Justice Cecily Strickland found all three scores could have been seen as correct or “reasonable.” “Having reached the conclusion that the [visa] officer’s decision was reasonable, I would also note that the alternate interpretation suggested by the applicant was also a possible outcome,” Judge Strickland wrote in a recent decision released this week. The process is “less than a model of clarity,” she wrote.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/02/03/immigration-rules-so-unclear-same-applicant-can-be-given-high-pass-or-a-fail-on-same-paperwork-court-says/

An ESL recruiting company is buying up real estate in Vancouver to cater to international students it says are being failed by the region’s unaffordable rental market. The CIBT Education Group announced this week that it had invested $37-million to buy and convert the 17-storey Viva Suites hotel into a 230-bed building, charging international students market rents in downtown Vancouver. CEO Toby Chu said his company recently bought another two Vancouver buildings with accommodation for 500 students and plans to build apartments for up to 5,000 people in the coming years as the federal government almost doubles the number of international student visas. […] Mr. Chu estimates that about 112,000 of Canada’s roughly 250,000 international students live in British Columbia, the majority of them in Metro Vancouver. He says up to half of all the 450,000 international student visas the federal government wants to approve by 2022 will be for learners attracted to the warm West Coast.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/vancouver-hotel-to-be-turned-into-international-student-housing/article22776967/

Le ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l’Immigration du Canada, Chris Alexander, a annoncé aujourd’hui que la première sélection des candidats figurant parmi les mieux classés dans le système Entrée express du Canada contribue déjà à combler les lacunes avérées et vérifiables existant dans le marché du travail canadien. Le samedi 31 janvier, 779 travailleurs qualifiés de différents secteurs, notamment ceux des sciences naturelles et appliquées ainsi que ceux de l’industrie, de l’électricité et de la construction, ont été invités à présenter une demande de résidence permanente au Canada. Tous ces candidats ont déclaré avoir déjà reçu des offres d’emploi valides ou avoir été désignés comme candidats d’une province au Canada. Dans le cadre d’Entrée express, les travailleurs qualifiés qui souhaitent présenter une demande au titre de l’un des principaux programmes d’immigration économique du Canada peuvent se créer un profil en ligne et ainsi signifier leur intérêt à s’établir au pays de façon permanente.

http://nouvelles.gc.ca/web/article-fr.do;jsessionid=a9bc17aaea9ce63e579b581cff10b68abd8b8d0d95fcc011b1fbf29f64d0e2ab.e34Rc3iMbx8Oai0Tbx0SaxqSaN10?crtr.sj1D=&crtr.mnthndVl=12&mthd=advSrch&crtr.dpt1D=6664&nid=927709&crtr.lc1D=&crtr.tp1D=1&crtr.yrStrtVl=2014&crtr.kw=&crtr.dyStrtVl=1&crtr.aud1D=&crtr.mnthStrtVl=1&crtr.page=1&crtr.yrndVl=2015&crtr.dyndVl=31

Environ 1300 réfugiés syriens sont attendus au Québec en 2015, dont un grand nombre seraient de confession chrétienne. « C’est un beau défi et un soulagement pour pas mal de gens de pouvoir venir ici », résume Stephan Reichhold, directeur de la Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI). Le conflit en Syrie a fait pas moins de 3,2 millions de déplacés, selon l’Agence des Nations unies pour les réfugiés (UNHCR). La majorité sont en attente d’un pays d’accueil dans des camps surpeuplés du Liban, de la Jordanie et de la Turquie. Pressé de toutes parts d’en accueillir davantage, le Canada a annoncé le 7 janvier dernier qu’il accueillerait 10 000 de ces réfugiés d’ici trois ans. De ce nombre, 4000 seront pris en charge par l’État, dont 23 % seront accueillis au Québec. Le nombre d’arrivées est toujours difficile à prévoir en ce domaine, mais Le Devoir a appris que le gouvernement du Québec travaillait avec une cible de 600 réfugiés pour 2015. Au ministère de l’Immigration, on souligne qu’il s’agit d’une « hypothèse de travail ». Le porte-parole Jonathan Lavallée ajoute que cette estimation est tributaire de bien des impondérables, comme la capacité de traitement des demandes de visa aux ambassades d’Ankara (Turquie), de Beyrouth (Liban) et d’Amman (Jordanie) et que cela dépendra aussi de l’efficacité de la progression des dossiers du côté de l’Agence des Nations unies pour les réfugiés.

http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/430631/le-quebec-terre-d-accueil-de-refugies-syriens

A pilot project to entice millionaire immigrant investors to Canada could bring much-needed capital to Windsor, says the head of the local Chamber of Commerce. The Immigrant Investor Venture Capital Pilot Program began accepting applications on Wednesday and will continue until Feb. 11, or earlier if it receives the maximum 500 submissions. The program will admit 60 people as permanent residents. Those people have to have a net worth of $10 million or more and a Canadian post-secondary degree or equivalent certification. The education requirement can be waived if applicants have a net worth of $50 million or more. Those selected will be required to put down $2 million toward a government venture capital fund, that will be invested “exclusively for the purposes of benefiting Canada.” “A $100 million dollar impact in Toronto doesn’t really hit the board to the same extent as $100 million in Windsor-Essex,” said Matt Marchand, president and CEO of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce. “We’ll be continuing to advocate to expand the program with a mechanism to direct investors to smaller or medium-sized communities in Ontario.”

http://blogs.windsorstar.com/business/chamber-of-commerce-seeks-to-bring-immigrant-investors-to-windsor

After being told it could take up to two years to bring three Syrian refugee families to Winnipeg, the group that’s sponsoring them has learned they could arrive as early as this spring. “Things are really speeding up — at least for our families,” said Rev. Loraine MacKenzie Shepherd at Westworth United Church. It spearheaded Refuge Winnipeg, a collection of multifaith and non-faith people and groups who’ve come together to raise money and support a handful of the 3.8 million refugees who’ve fled Syria. They’ve committed to supporting three families who have relatives in Winnipeg. There are six adults and 18 children. The group has raised just over $30,000 — a quarter of their $120,000 fundraising goal — to help them get settled and on their feet, Shepherd said last week. […] The group sponsoring the three families includes several United Church congregations in the city, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Winnipeg, the Manitoba Islamic Association, the Syrian Assembly of Manitoba as well as Jewish community members and private individuals, said Shepherd.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/sped-up-process-means-refugees-may-arrive-from-syria-by-spring-290502991.html