Canadian Immigration News

A recent study by RBC and Ipsos Reid shows that 27 per cent of Canadian immigrants who have been in Canada for ten years or less feel truly established in Canada and 54 per cent feel they are in the process of getting settled. 19 per cent of respondents stated that they still feel new to Canada.

A primary concern for most newcomers to Canada is finding employment in their new cities and towns after their arrival. Across Canada, both government and privately-funded organizations recognize the importance of employer-based initiatives in helping new immigrants integrate into the Canadian workforce.

Ms. Uzma Shakir was recently awarded the Atkinson Economic Justice Fellowship to continue her community-based work around multiculturalism, immigration, and social inclusion. The award of up to $100,000 over three years will help Uzma Shakir focus on engaging new immigrants to build a stronger future for Canada.

The Toronto Regional Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) recently set up a directory of professional networks for immigrants, to help connect newcomers to jobs in their new environment.

Beginning December 1, Czech residents will no longer have to travel to Vienna in order to apply for their Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs). The Canadian Embassy in Prague will be issuing TRVs to residents of the Czech Republic starting Monday.

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada (CIMC) Minister Jason Kenney recently announced that, effective immediately, travelers from Croatia will no longer need to obtain Temporary Resident Visas to visit Canada. The announcement was made to an audience of Canadian-Croatian immigration associations at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Norval, near Toronto, Ontario.

The shortage of information technology (IT) workers that is looming in Canada could cripple the sector and seriously impact the Canadian economy, says a recent report by a coalition of industryprofessionals.

Canada has more than 40,000 registered cricket players across the country, according to Cricket Canada, and perhaps 50,000 more who are not registered in a league. Cricket has been growing in popularity over the years in Canada, mainly due to immigrants who have brought their passion for the sport to Canada from the Commonwealth countries in South Asia and the Caribbean, and from the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

Human Resources and Social Development Canada (ESDC) recently announced that it will be funding a new initiative through the Foreign Credential Recognition Program for internationally-trained architects.

In the May edition of the Canadian Immigration Newsletter, Attorney David Cohen blogged about a Canadian citizen who has been stranded in Sudan for six years as an al-Qaeda suspect.