Voies vers la prospérité: Canada

Historically, the vast majority of immigration into Canada has clustered in the Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal Census Metropolitan Areas as well as some of the smaller urban centres surrounding Toronto and Vancouver. In recent years, however, there has been a substantial increase in the annual immigrant levels in mid-sized urban centres that historically relied on inter-provincial migration and natural increases for most of their population gains. […] During the 2010/2011 year the immigrant population in Canada’s CMAs alone was estimated to have increased by nearly 240,000.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/economy-lab/why-immigration-limits-hurt-canadas-mid-sized-cities/article4913731/

A half-dozen Chinese immigrant investors have filed a lawsuit against the federal government over lengthy processing delays. The would-be investors applied to the popular cash-for-visa program before September 2009 and want the courts to force the government to review their applications within six months to a year, according to documents filed in Federal Court this week. As the immigrant investor stream is under review by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, they’re also calling on the courts to bar the government from tossing their applications should “more stringent” criteria be adopted and are seeking $5 million in compensation if in fact their applications are returned without consideration.

http://www.vancouversun.com/Would+immigrant+investors+federal+government+over+processing+delays/7494224/story.html

These are the Jamaicans you don’t hear enough about — a high-achieving, prosperous community too often eclipsed by Toronto’s preoccupation with gang violence. […] Over 24 hours on Sept. 19, seven Star journalists tracked 50 GTA residents of Jamaican descent to record their impact on the Toronto region.

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/1282333–most-torontonians-of-jamaican-descent-a-boon-to-the-city

The Harper government says a backlog of skilled immigrant applications, which has clogged the system for years, is declining rapidly and will be eliminated by the end of next year. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says about 100,000 applications are still in the system, compared with 640,000 just a few years ago. He told a news conference the eradication of the waiting list means a new immigrant labour pool from which employers and provinces can choose will be established ahead of schedule.

http://www.thespec.com/news/canada/article/829507–skilled-immigrant-backlog-will-be-eliminated-by-next-year-kenney

Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced today it will admit up to 55,300 persons in the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) category in 2013. Combined with previous actions taken to manage the backlog, this means by the end of 2013 we will be able to process new applications as they are received – a “just in time” system – and aim to process them in less than a year, instead of up to eight years under the old FSW program. In addition, CIC expects to clear the FSW applications received to date by the end of 2014, three years earlier than originally expected.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2012/2012-11-02.asp

Hospitality House Refugee Ministry took the federal government to court when [the government] ended coverage for dental, prescription drug and vision care for privately sponsored refugees after June 30. That left the sponsors, mainly church groups, responsible for covering costs it argues the government promised and was under contract to provide. The refugee ministry hopes the law is on its side. For now, it has some musicians drumming up support for its work. Dr. Jonathan Wong and fellow music director Chuck Kroeker at St. Mary’s Road United Church created a music CD that’s raised more than $4,000 for Hospitality House.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/help-for-refugees-with-strings-attached-176913661.html