Kenney said Canadian immigration is planning to change the points system they currently use for selecting immigrants to make it easier for applicants in skilled trades to qualify for Canadian skilled immigration. This means the focus would be on admitting more tradespeople as opposed to just university-educated immigrants like engineers and doctors.

“People who are skilled tradespeople have an almost impossible job of coming to Canada under our current system because the skilled worker program basically selects people with advanced university degrees,” Kenney said.

He added that once the government opens up the border to more skilled workers, they can attract “hidden jewels” that can help fill labour shortages.
Global Visa Support offers a variety of Canadian programs. Please check our Canadian page for more information: http://globalvisasupport.com/canada.html

The H-2A and H-2B programs allow US employers to bring foreign workers to the US in order to fill temporary agricultural jobs and temporary non-agricultural jobs. USCIS generally may only approve H-2A and H-2B petitions for nationals of countries that are designated as eligible to participate in the programs. USCIS may also approve H-2A and H-2B petitions for nationals of countries not on the list if it is determined to be in the interest of the US; this is taken on a case by case basis.

In addition to the 53 countries currently on the list, the following five countries were added for 2012: Haiti, Iceland, Montenegro, Spain and Switzerland.

Effective 18 January 2012, nationals of the following 58 countries are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B programs: Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Nauru, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Samoa, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Vanuatu.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in United States of America. Please visit our USA page for more information: http://globalvisasupport.com/usa.html

This immigration organization aims to help immigrants and refugees settle, work and integrate into the community; It is one of 45 immigration councils across the province. The region’s council has a budget of $680,000 for the next two years funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Region of Waterloo and the United Way of Kitchener Waterloo and Area.

Immigration Partnership Council manager, Arran Rowles noted that the local immigration partnership is important because it connects new foreign immigrants with the Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network through free seminars and networking events and by offering internship and mentoring programs.

Currently, 22 percent of the region’s population are immigrants or refugees; That number is expected to increase to 30 percent by 2031, according to the Kitchener Waterloo Multicultural Centre.

On 6 February a discussion will be held on how to best welcome immigrants and refugees to Canada followed by a forum on March 26 about how immigrants can take part in civic leadership.
Global Visa Support offers a variety of programmes in Canada. Please visit our Canadian page for more information: http://globalvisasupport.com/canada.html

In 2012, Canadian immigration plans to accept 55,000–57,000 Federal Skilled Workers, which is up from 47,000–47,400 in 2011. The Canadian government stressed that these additional numbers will help meet market demand, as well as reduce the backlog of applicants for the skilled worker immigration program from previous years.

The Federal Skilled Worker Program is Canada’s most popular immigration route for immigrants to obtain permanent residency. Under this program, potential candidates are awarded points for their ability to adapt and contribute to Canada’s economic development. In order to be eligible you must either:

• have a job offer with an eligible employer;
• have been legally residing in Canada for at least one year as a temporary foreign worker or an international student; or

• be a skilled worker with at least one year of experience in one or more eligible Canadian skilled occupations within the last ten years.

In a recent speech, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney expressed his optimism about the program and about Canadian immigration, “The government’s number one priority remains the economy. We recognize the importance of immigration to our labour market and we value the contributions of skilled immigrants who add to our international competitiveness.”

Canadian immigration completed an extensive review of the Federal Skilled Worker Program in 2010, which seemed to suggest that the program was working well and was leading to the selection of immigrants who perform well economically. The report also found that 89 percent of Federal Skilled Workers were employed or self-employed three years after landing in Canada. This would appear to suggest a strong continuing need for skilled immigrants in Canada.

“CIC will continue to ramp up efforts to modernize our immigration system to make it more nimble and responsive to labour market needs,” said Kenney.

Global Visa Support will be happy to assist you with your application for Canada.

There will be no change in filing locations when submitting Form I-130 along with Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Individuals filing these forms together will continue to mail them to the Chicago Lockbox facility. Petitioners filing from overseas addresses in countries without USCIS offices will also continue to file at the Chicago Lockbox facility. Petitioners residing in a country with a USCIS office may send their I-130 forms to the Chicago Lockbox, or they may file their Forms I-130 at the international USCIS office having jurisdiction over the area where they live.”

Source: USCIS Website

According to the press release by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Canada’s Experience Visa, created in 2008, is one of Canada’s most recent programs aimed at ensuring Canada retains a skilled work force “and motivated individuals who have demonstrated a strong work ethic, have an ability to contribute to the economy, and will easily integrate into Canadian life”.

In order to be eligible for the visa class, applicants must be either: a temporary foreign worker with at least two years of full-time skilled work experience in Canada, or a foreign graduate from a Canadian post-secondary institution with at least one year of full-time skilled work experience in Canada. Applicants must be fluent in English or French and apply while working in Canada or within one year of leaving their job in Canada.

Before the program was created, highly skilled foreigners could not become permanent residents from within Canada. “We’d tell them to leave the country because their temporary foreign work permit or student visa had expired” after they’d completed two years of contract work here or obtained a degree at a Canadian university,” Kenney recalled.

Kenney expects the number of candidates for Canada’s Experience Visa to rise to 7,000 in 2012, up from 2,545 in 2009. Last week, Canada welcomed its 10,000th permanent resident who came in through this stream since its inception in 2008. It is currently Canada’s fastest-growing immigration program.

Canada has continued to admit an average of 254,000 immigrants each year.

“We’re maintaining the highest per capita levels of total immigration in the developed world, with, I think, the sole exception of New Zealand,” said Kenney.

“The CEC and the PhD initiative represent what we hope is the future of immigration to Canada: bright young people who have a Canadian education or work experience that will be recognized by Canadian employers, and who have strong English or French language skills,” said Kenney. “Such newcomers are set for success.”
Global Visa Support can help you to enter Canada under our Canada: Study-Migrate program.

According to the press release by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Canada’s Experience Visa, created in 2008, is one of Canada’s most recent programs aimed at ensuring Canada retains a skilled work force “and motivated individuals who have demonstrated a strong work ethic, have an ability to contribute to the economy, and will easily integrate into Canadian life”.

In order to be eligible for the visa class, applicants must be either: a temporary foreign worker with at least two years of full-time skilled work experience in Canada, or a foreign graduate from a Canadian post-secondary institution with at least one year of full-time skilled work experience in Canada. Applicants must be fluent in English or French and apply while working in Canada or within one year of leaving their job in Canada.

Before the program was created, highly skilled foreigners could not become permanent residents from within Canada. “We’d tell them to leave the country because their temporary foreign work permit or student visa had expired” after they’d completed two years of contract work here or obtained a degree at a Canadian university,” Kenney recalled.

Kenney expects the number of candidates for Canada’s Experience Visa to rise to 7,000 in 2012, up from 2,545 in 2009. Last week, Canada welcomed its 10,000th permanent resident who came in through this stream since its inception in 2008. It is currently Canada’s fastest-growing immigration program.

Canada has continued to admit an average of 254,000 immigrants each year.

“We’re maintaining the highest per capita levels of total immigration in the developed world, with, I think, the sole exception of New Zealand,” said Kenney.

“The CEC and the PhD initiative represent what we hope is the future of immigration to Canada: bright young people who have a Canadian education or work experience that will be recognized by Canadian employers, and who have strong English or French language skills,” said Kenney. “Such newcomers are set for success.”
Global Visa Support can help you to enter Canada under our Canada: Study-Migrate program.

Welcome to Canada: around a quarter of a million immigrants arrive in Canada every year


An online questionnaire has been launched by the Canadian government to try and gauge the public’s opinion on its immigration policies.

Please note: Filing addresses and procedures change constantly.  You should always check the current instructions in the form or USCIS.gov website.

For U.S. Postal Service:
USCIS
P.O. Box 804625
Chicago, IL 60680-4107

For express mail and courier deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: I-130
131 South Dearborn – 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517

The announcement was made by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney and British Columbia Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation Pat Bell.

“Since I became Minister, I have heard from workers, employers, labour advocates and others who have asked me to make Canada more welcoming for working families coming to Canada as temporary residents,” Kenney said.

“With this pilot project, we will examine the benefits of allowing family members of temporary foreign workers to work while they are here with a principal applicant who has been hired because of his or her skills,” he added.

Temporary foreign workers are allowed to work in Canada for Canadian employers who are unable to find suitable local workers.

Previously, only spouses and common-law partners of temporary foreign workers employed in a managerial, professional or skilled trades job were eligible to obtain an open work permit in British Columbia, which allows you to work for any employer.

“Starting August 15, spouses, common-law partners and working-age dependants of most temporary foreign workers will be eligible, including many workers in occupations that require lower levels of formal training,” Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) said in a statement.

“More than a million jobs will open up in [British Columbia] by 2020, and we will need foreign workers to help meet the skills shortages our businesses are already beginning to face,” said Minister Bell.

“Giving more spouses and working-aged children of temporary foreign workers the chance to take jobs will support local businesses, while contributing to local, regional and provincial economic growth,” he added.

Up to 1,800 open work permits will be available under the pilot project, which ends on 15 February 2013.

“Nearly 32,000 temporary foreign workers made the transition to permanent status in 2010, and of those, almost 2,300 chose to immigrate permanently to BC,” Kenney stated.

“We understand the important role that foreign workers have in every region of the country and we will continue to look at ways to attract workers who have the skills we need now and into the future.”