A new class of cherry picked, well seasoned immigrants is created

Back in June the Star reported that all applications for immigration filed after February 26th were being placed on hold until the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration provided new instructions.

"It is expected that Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration will, within the next several months, be providing instructions to visa offices as to which applications are to be accepted for processing and which are to be returned unprocessed"

Prior to the new Immigration Law the backlog, stood at 925,000 and on average grows by 14,000 new applications a month.

The immigration reforms gave Immigration Minister Diane Finley the power to reject applications even if applicants met all the criteria, and to provide instructions to officials to "cherry-pick" immigrants based on labour market needs.

Well Diane came out with the first set of new rules yesterday by introducing the new Canadian Experience Class of immigration, which the Tories are selling as a reward for immigrants who apply as temporary workers.

In other words you can avoid the log jam by applying for a temporary work visa and if you meet our criteria you can then apply for permanent residence status.

The three criteria are:

Temporary workers would need at least two years of work experience in managerial, professional and technical occupations and skilled trades. They would also need moderate language skills.

Student qualifications would include having graduated from a Canadian college or university, having one year of skilled, professional or technical work experience, and moderate or basic language skills.

Lower-skilled foreign labourers can apply for permanent resident status if the province they're working in recommends them under what's called the Provincial Nominee Program.

Meanwhile the Saskatchewan and federal governments are working together to improve the temporary foreign worker program to ensure that they get the same rights and protections as Canadian employees, which seems like a good idea if you are looking for immigration.

The federal government has already entered into similar agreements with British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba.

The Saskatchewan government is also expanding its immigrant nominee program, which will allow foreign workers in the hospitality sector to apply for hotel housekeeping and server jobs.

The program already includes professional occupations and skilled trades.

The original critics of the new immigration reforms claimed that the rules were being changed to provide more temporary workers for the western provinces.

The booming western provinces were having a hard time filling the entry level positions like farm laborers, fast workers etc. as employers had to compete with the higher paying jobs in the oil related industries. 

Well I guess this new "Canadian Experience Class" should solve that western labour problem and at the same time allow the government(s) to make sure that these new immigrants really fit into our society before we let stay here permanently. I mean some of them just act a little to foreign.


Welcome to the Tories new cherry picked, well seasoned, citizenship program.




References: From June the Star here, yesterday's announcement the Globe here, and the Saskatchewan piece Macleans here.