The Canadian Press – 2 hours 40 minutes ago
Date: Wednesday Nov. 2, 2011 3:54 PM ET
OTTAWA - Immigration Minister Jason Kenney plans to hold immigration levels steady next year, but the mix of immigrants will change.
There will be more skilled workers — especially white-collar workers — as well as higher numbers of refugees, parents and grandparents, Kenney told reporters after tabling his 2011 annual report.
But there will be fewer spouses and dependent children, and fewer live-in caregivers, Kenney added — not because Ottawa doesn't want them, but because they are not coming in numbers as large as in the past.
"It's a projection," he explained.
Kenney tabled his 2011 annual report and it shows Ottawa wants to accept between 240,000 and 265,000 newcomers in 2012 — despite pressure from the opposition NDP to gradually raise the levels in order to deal with expected labour shortages in five years' time.
It's the same range as this year and in keeping with the annual average of 254,000 over the past few years, Kenney said.
But within that pool, the number of so-called "Canadian-experience class" immigrants will rise to about 7,000, Kenney said That's up from 6,500 in 2011, and is the highest number ever in that category.
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/CanadaAM/20111102/canada-immigration-levels-minister-jason-kenney-111102/
I am speechless ............ there will be more Refugees but less spouses and less dependent children .............. F word is the only expression I am left with to rationally imagine :-\ :-\