Statistics show a significant drop in the annual number of Chinese, Indians, Filipinos and Pakistanis applying for permanent residency between 2006 and 2011. Specifically, applications from China fell 45 percent; India by almost 51 percent; the Philippines by 32 percent; and Pakistan by 65 percent.

While the number of Canadian immigration applications did decrease overall for the top 10 source countries, the declines of the Asian countries were bigger than English or French-speaking countries. The top 10 source countries include the US, France, the UK, China, and India.

Additionally, according to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the number of immigration applications from the US has dropped by only 10 percent and applicants from France fell by 7 percent in 2011.

In recent years, Canada has been making significant changes to the immigration system by tightening language requirements, restricting eligibility to limited occupations in demand, and capping the amount of applications accepted each year. If you would like to see what occupations are still available for Canada’s Federal Skilled Worker Program, please check our updated report here.

“I really don’t care where people come from as long as they are able to succeed in Canada. I think more employers have the same attitude,” Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said. “One issue here is language proficiency. All of the data says the primary reason why foreign trained professionals are not hired in Canada is language proficiency, which is an indicator of people’s soft social skills.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in Canada. Please check our Canadian page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/canada.html

“Our Government’s top priority remains jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. Canada cannot afford to lose out in the competition for foreign entrepreneurs among immigrant-receiving countries,” said Kenney. “We need to proactively target a new type of immigrant entrepreneur who has the potential to build innovative companies that can compete on a global scale and create jobs for Canadians.”

In the coming months, CIC said they plan to consult with industry associations in the development of a new “startup” visa program for entrepreneurs. These proposed changes will help immigrant entrepreneurs connect with private sector organizations that have experience and expertise working with startups.

“This “startup” visa initiative is an example of the type of small-scale programs that would allow CIC to try innovative approaches to economic immigration,” said a government press release.

Canadian immigration also hinted at the possibility of creating other short-term visa programs under the Economic Immigration Class. The proposal is that these visa programs would be limited to no more than 2,750 applications per year and would end after five years. If a program is successful during the five-year trial period, then CIC could choose to extend it.

“Our Government is committed to strengthening the immigration system to make it truly proactive, targeted, fast and efficient in a way that will sustain Canada’s economic growth and deliver prosperity for the future,” said Kenney.

Immigration Minister Kenney also announced on 13 April that they would begin consultations on changing the immigrant investor program, which currently requires a five-year investment of $800,000.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in Canada. Please check our Canadian page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/canada.html

Canada’s Human Resources and Skills Development Minister, Diane Finley, announced that businesses with a two-year positive history of successfully hiring temporary foreign workers will be allowed to apply for fast-tracked hiring. A positive history means that the company has a consistent history of filing genuine and successful visa applications and have not violated any immigration rules. Finley also noted that businesses who violate the rules will have their ability to hire temporary foreign workers suspended for two years.

“Employers with a strong track record in need of high-skilled workers will be able to obtain a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) within 10 business days,” Finley said. “Even better news, this is effective immediately.”

The fast tracked LMO process will initially apply to Canadian businesses hiring high-skilled immigrant workers.

Canadian employers are currently required in most cases to apply for a LMO before they can hire a foreign worker. This means the company must first prove that it has made an effort to recruit locally and within the country. If it has been unable to find workers, it must apply to Service Canada and receive permission to hire someone for a two-year period from outside the country.

However, recently many Canadian companies have complained about the backlog in Service Canada’s processing of LMOs. Some have reported applications taking up to several months to process.

After a Canadian company is approved to hire from abroad, the workers recruited must then apply for a work visa through Citizenship and Immigration Canada. While this new process will help employers complete LMOs faster, this will not fast-track the actual visa applications that workers need to submit after the LMOs are approved.

The new system will also cut down on paperwork for businesses since they’ll be able to apply online.

According to Finley, Canadian immigration expects to process about 150,000 temporary foreign worker applications this year.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of immigration and study programs in Canada. Please visit our Canadian page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/canada.html

“Given the improved economy…it would not be surprising to see the quota filled very early this year,” said Stuart Anderson, executive director of the National Foundation for American Policy, a group that studies the H-1B program.

There are a total of 85,000 new H-1B visas made available each government fiscal year. This consists of 65,000 new H-1B visas available for graduate level overseas workers in professional or specialty occupation positions, and an additional 20,000 visas available for those with an advanced degree from a US academic institution.

Last week, USCIS received 17,400 H-1B applications in the general category and 8,200 in the advanced degree category. This is compared to last year’s first week of H-1B applications wherein the government received 5,900 H-1B petitions counting toward the 65,000 cap, and about 4,500 petitions for the 20,000 advanced degrees cap.

Demand for the skilled-worker visas has fluctuated in past years and many say the increase in H-1B visa applications in such a short period of time this year may be a sign of a recovering US economy.
Study Migrate offers a variety of programs in United States of America. Please visit our USA page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/usa.html

According to the announcement, under the new Federal Skilled Worker visa program, Canadian immigration will create a separate and streamlined program for skilled tradespersons to make it easier for them to immigrate to Canada. Skilled trade includes occupations in construction, transportation, manufacturing and service industries. Currently, skilled tradespersons are especially in high demand in the natural resources and construction sectors.

Under the current system, Federal Skilled Worker visa applicants are assessed against a 100-point grid, with a pass mark of 67. This points process takes into account things like the applicant’s language ability, education, work experience, age, and whether they have a job offer in Canada. For this reason, parts of the criteria, such as educational background, have traditionally favoured professionals and managers more than skilled trades. Ultimately, skilled tradespersons only make up 3 percent of all Federal Skilled Workers entering Canada.

The proposed changes to the visa program would establish a better process for skilled tradespersons to be assessed on things like practical training and work experience rather than formal education. Skilled trades applicants will still be required to meet minimum language requirements.

“Above all, our Government remains focused on promoting economic growth and long-term prosperity,” said Kenney. “Attracting skilled tradespeople is important for maintaining Canada’s momentum in the global economy.”

If the proposed changes are approved, Canadian immigration will announce a full list of the changes later this year.
Study Migrate offers a variety of programmes in Canada. Please visit our Canadian page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/canada.html

“Thousands of highly-skilled foreign nationals are working successfully in Canada on a temporary basis,” said Kenney. “Expediting their transition to permanent residence would help Canada retain bright and talented people who already have Canadian work experience and the ability to communicate in English or French. In many cases, they already have a job lined up. Such newcomers are set for success.”

In order to respond to Canada’s growing skill shortages, the department announced they will reduce the work experience requirement for eligible temporary foreign workers applying for permanent residency. Under the current rules, applicants applying for permanent residency under the temporary foreign worker stream of the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) must have spent at least 24 months in full-time job within the last 36 months. Under the proposed changes, the requirement would be reduced to only 12 months of work experience.

These changes follow the department’s recent announcement to make Canada’s immigration system more efficient while focusing on jobs and growth.

“The CEC is a key part of our plan for the future of immigration in Canada, and so it is gratifying to see the dramatic growth in the program since its inception,” said Kenney.

The CEC is a program for temporary foreign workers or foreign students who graduated in Canada to become permanent residents. Currently, in order to be eligible applicants must:

• plan to live outside the province of Quebec.
• 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.
• have gained your experience in Canada with the proper work or study authorization.
• apply while working in Canada or within one year of leaving your job in Canada.
• include the results of an independent language test with your application.

In 2011, around 6,000 immigrants were accepted into the CEC, a 50% increase from 2010.

Global Visa Support offers a variety of programs in Canada. Please visit our Canadian page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/canada.html

Since its establishment in 2009, the US Citizenship and Integration Grant Program has issued a total of $18.3 million in grants to immigrant-serving organizations that have provided citizenship preparation services to more than 29,000 US permanent residents.

Eligible organisations have until 7 May 2012 to apply for grant funding. Organizations must offer both citizenship instruction and naturalization services to permanent residents to be eligible for the grant. USCIS expects to announce an estimated 31 award recipients in September 2012.

You may qualify for Naturalization if:

• You have been a permanent resident for at least 5 years and meet all other eligibility requirements.
• You have been a permanent resident for 3 years or more and meet all eligibility requirements to file as a spouse of a US citizen.
• You have qualifying service in the US armed forces and meet all other eligibility requirements.
• Your child may qualify for naturalization if you are a US citizen, the child was born outside the US, the child is currently residing outside the US, and all other eligibility requirements are met.

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

Canadian employers will now be able to access more information online about Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) programmes as part of a government commitment to make sure the best people are selected for jobs. CIC stated that the website had “been redesigned to include a new section to guide employers to the most suitable program”.

“The economy and job growth remain the number one priority of the Government,” said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. “Labour shortages are becoming a growing problem in many regions, and this website will help employers access information that will help them hire permanent or temporary foreign workers when no Canadians are able to fill a position.”

Employers can learn what steps are needed in order to bring in foreign workers to Canada either on a temporary or permanent basis, or to hire international students studying in Canada. CIC is also reaching out directly to local employers through public consultations to explain the benefits of the new website.

Under the Canadian skilled worker category overseas workers can apply independently for Canadian skilled immigration. However, there are only ten thousand visas available for only twenty-nine occupations available under this category. Canadian employers can also sponsor an immigrant’s visa application as long as there is a shortage of your skills in Canada.

Foreign workers wishing to immigrate to Canada can come under the following visa programs:

Temporary

• Temporary Foreign Worker Program – Allows employers to hire foreign workers to fill temporary labour and skill shortages.
• International Student Program – Students who have come to Canada to study are eligible to apply for work permits.

Permanent

• Federal Skilled Worker Program – Assesses applicants based on their ability to adapt to Canada’s labour market. CIC currently has an annual cap of 10,000 new applications under this program and caps of 500 for each of the 29 occupations, but applicants with qualifying job offers are not affected by the cap.
• Provincial Nominee Program – Provinces and territories can nominate foreign workers for permanent immigration.
• Canadian Experience Class – Allows temporary foreign workers and foreign students who graduated in Canada to apply to stay permanently.

The new website also features a Foreign Credentials Referral Office that offers information and services on the Canadian labour market and Canada’s credential assessment processes.

Study Migrate offers a variety of programmes in Canada. Please visit our Canadian page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/canada.html

Current immigration law allows for a total of 85,000 new H-1B visas to be made available each government fiscal year. This number includes 65,000 new H-1B visas issued for overseas workers in professional or specialty occupation positions, and an additional 20,000 visas available for those with an advanced degree from a US academic institution.

Employers should begin identifying current and future employees who will need H-1B visas to be legally employed in the US. You should probably apply in the next six months to ensure that you can get an H-1B visa.

For fiscal year 2012, the 65,000 H1-B cap was officially met on 22 November 2011, two months before the cap was reached for fiscal year 2011. The 20,000 H-1B visa cap for advanced degree holders was met on 19 October 2011.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa used to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in specialized fields such as in architecture, engineering, mathematics, science, and medicine. Under the visa a US company can employ a foreign worker for up to six years.

Study Migrate offers a variety of programmes in United States. Please visit our USA page for more information: http://www.globalvisasupport.com/usa.html

The event was held on the campus of the NASA Ames Research Center. It focused on addressing a recurring tech industry complaint that student immigrants who could stay and set up companies that benefit the US economy are instead leaving and setting up businesses in their home countries. Immigrants and tech companies say this is because the US immigration process is too difficult.

Under the new program, Mayorkas said the US immigration department hopes to become more responsive to the needs of tech startups. He added that they would eventually choose five specialists from the private sector to guide policy and training for immigration officials who make decisions on individual visa applications. The goal for this would be to keep the immigration department from applying traditional formulas to the unorthodox business models common in the startup world.

It is important to note that this program will not create a new US visa but will make the existing immigration system easier for entrepreneurs.

The Obama administration has worked towards approving more liberal immigration policies to keep foreign-born engineers and scientists in the US.

“Let’s at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, defend this country,” President Obama said.

Opponents of the decision to make immigration easier for highly skilled workers argue that equally qualified US citizens are displaced by immigrants willing to work for less in exchange for gaining the right to live in the US. However, according to a 2010 study, Harvard Business School associate professor William Kerr found that changes in the number of visas granted to skilled workers over several years appeared to have little effect, positive or negative, on the job market for American engineers and scientists.

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