Language and employment biggest barriers for new Canadian immigrants

A new study has shown that the biggest concern for new immigrants and refugees settling in Ontario are finding employment and making sure that they have suitable language skills. Immigrants have difficulty finding work in Canada if they do not have adequate language skills.

The study, titled "Making Ontario Home", by the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) uses research carried out over a period of two years analyzing newcomers' experience with use of immigrant services in the province.

"This study shows that investment in settlement and integration services is making a real difference in the lives of immigrants," said Debbie Douglas, executive director of OCASI. "Investing in services at the front-end as soon as immigrants arrive, will have significant long-term benefits for immigrants and their families as well as Canadian society and the economy."

Nearly two-thirds of the 2,530 respondents said employment was their highest concern, while immigrant and refugee-serving agencies were the main access point for employment service. According to the report, skills upgrading programs helped foreign trained professionals find jobs in the region.

"Putting the skills of newcomers to work and improving their social and economic integration is key to Ontario's economic prosperity," said Charles Sousa, Ontario's minister of Citizenship and Immigration. "Ontario is committed to supporting these important immigrant services, which this study confirms remain a priority for newcomers."

Other highlights from the report include:

• Of the 83 percent who had used at least one settlement support service, 54.7 percent used language training programs, 50 percent used employment and skills training services;
• 70 percent or more who had used language training programs rated them as "satisfactory" or "very satisfactory";
• Transportation/distance was the most common barrier to accessing services;
• Counselling and advice was the most-used general settlement service.

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

UK immigration officials call off pre-Olympics strike

UK immigration officers have called off their 24-hour strike planned for 26 July. Immigration staff had threatened to strike this week on the eve of the Olympic Games in a dispute over pay and job losses.

The strike would have included border staff who man passport and visa check desks at Heathrow airport and could have possibly created a massive delay as Olympic visitors come to London.

Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), said that progress had been made in talks with ministers over looming job cuts. He said it was a promise of new investment and 1,100 new jobs, that was recently confirmed in talks this week that had persuaded them to call off the action.

"These new jobs are a welcome step towards a recognition that the Home Office has been cracking under the strain of massive job losses, and that the answer is not more cuts but more investment," Serwotka said. "We are pleased that with these new posts and the progress made in talks we are able to avert a strike ahead of the Olympics. But we first raised our concerns 18 months ago, so it is deeply regrettable that ministers allowed this dispute to escalate."

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

British nationality applications must be submitted to UKBA Liverpool office

From 16 July 2012 if you are applying for British nationality from outside the UK you will have to send your application forms to the UK Border Agency's office in Liverpool. This change does not apply to residents of Hong Kong who can continue to submit their application at their local British High Commission or British Consulate.

Previously applicants could apply at the British High Commission or British Consulate in their home country. Now applicants must send their application to the UKBA's office in Liverpool and pay by completing a payment slip and sending it with their application and supporting documents.

"If we need to contact you about your application we will contact you by e-mail. If you do not provide us with your email address the processing of your application may be delayed. If we are unable to contact you by email we will write to you via your nearest British High Commission or British Consulate," explained a UKBA spokesman.

While the UKBA strongly recommends that you send your original passport, if you cannot because the authorities of your country do not allow passports to cross national borders, you should send a complete copy of your passport that has been certified by a local notary or equivalent.

Citizens of the following countries may have difficulty sending their original passports: Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, North Korea, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Western Sahara.

"If you submit a copy of your passport, you may be asked to provide or present the original document to one of our staff, in your country, for verification. Once we have made a decision on your application, your nearest British High Commission or British Consulate will contact you," the spokesman said.

"If you are applying to naturalise as a British citizen, your nearest British High Commission or British Consulate will contact you about your citizenship ceremony, if applicable, and completing the process of naturalisation. You will be presented with your citizenship certificate at your citizenship ceremony. If you are not required to attend a citizenship ceremony, your nearest British High Commission or British Consulate will contact you about collecting your citizenship certificate," he added.

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

Canadian immigration issues record number of visitor visas

Canadian immigration announced they have issued a record number of visitor visas this year with over 500,000 issued since the start of 2012. This same time last year, Canada had issued 450,000 visitor visas to foreigners visiting the country.

These numbers do not take into account the number of citizens traveling from countries who do not require visas to come to Canada. Canadian immigration estimates nearly ninety percent of visitors to Canada come from countries who do not require a visa. Citizens of countries like Australia, the UK, the US, and New Zealand do not require visas to visit Canada.

"Canada is the best country in the world, so it is not surprising that so many people want to visit our country," said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney. "Our country's vibrant cities and remote wilderness are a draw for Canadians and international travellers alike."

Canadian immigration said that since Canada's tourist season is now in full swing, they expect to issue over one million visas by the end of the year.

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

UK Border Agency immigration case work system delayed by one year

The UK Border Agency's new £385 million Immigration Case Work (ICW) system is one year behind schedule and has exceeded its original budget by £28m, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).

In a recent report the NAO says that the ICW is crucial to the UKBA's efforts to improve casework processing. The new system will create a streamlined case work process, saving the government money. It is also expected to improve the quality and accuracy of immigration decisions and provide faster service to the public through the use of online self-service applications.

However, the NAO claimed that the ICW "suffered from a loss of focus, poor governance structures and optimism bias in planning and reporting."

The NAO does acknowledge that the ICW has successfully implemented some important procedures such as the i-Search function that enable caseworkers to access information held across 12 different systems more quickly. However, there has been a significant delay in implementing the ICW system.

"The UK Border Agency and the Border Force deserve credit for taking on an ambitious programme of change, but both organisations face a steep climb to ensure this work delivers both value for money and a good service," Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said. "The real leadership test will be whether the agency can transform casework processing without relying solely on new IT."

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

Canada to expand Alberta's Temporary Foreign Worker pilot project

Canadian immigration has announced they are expanding the Temporary Foreign Worker pilot project which allows Alberta employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers in certain in-demand occupations.

"Alberta is facing some of the most acute labour shortages in the country," said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. "The expansion of this pilot project will enable more employers in Alberta to hire foreign workers on a temporary basis to fill short-term skills and labour needs when Canadians or permanent residents are unavailable."

The pilot program was originally launched 1 June 2011 and allows eligible immigrants to come to Alberta to work temporarily in a specific occupation. This visa program issues them with a work permit that allows them to move freely between Alberta employers, without requiring authorization from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada/Service Canada.

Effective immediately, the following occupations are part of the Alberta Temporary Foreign Worker pilot program:

• Steamfitter/Pipefitter
• Welder
• Heavy duty equipment mechanic
• Ironworker
• Millwright and industrial mechanic
• Carpenter
• Estimator

"Our consultations with Alberta employers and our own labour forecasts show there is a need to expand the pilot to include these high-demand occupations," said Alberta Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education Stephen Khan. "We appreciate the cooperation and support of our federal colleagues in working with us to help employers get the workers they need sooner."

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

Canada to pay failed refugee claimants to leave the country

The Canadian government has announced they will pay some failed refugee claimants up to CAD$2,000 to leave the country and will also pay for a one-way plane ticket.

The new pilot project, run by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), was launched last week in the Greater Toronto Area. The IOM has been in charge of implementing similar projects in other countries.

The Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration pilot program is available for refugee claimants whose applications have been rejected and whose appeals have failed. While it is up to the CBSA to enforce their removal, the federal government is now providing an incentive for them to leave without the necessity of enforcement action. CBSA hopes that more failed refugee claimants will choose to leave voluntarily so that the government does not have to intervene to forcibly remove them from Canada.

Eligible refugee claimants will receive a one-way plane ticket back to their country of origin and up to CAD$2,000. The money, however, is to be used to help the unsuccessful refugee claimant find a job, set up a business or go back to school.

"A voluntary return offers you a way to return home with support, dignity and anonymity," CBSA said.

The amount of money you will receive depends on the current stage in the appeal process following your initial rejection. You will receive the maximum amount if you have not as yet started the appeal process. Applicants are eligible for the full $2,000 if they apply before going to the federal court for a review of the decision, $1,500 if they apply before asking for a pre-removal risk assessment and $1,000 if they have already made that application and received a decision.

As an added incentive until July 13, applicants will be eligible for the full $2,000 even if they have already filed appeals.

However, critics have described the scheme as a "bribe" to keep refugee cases away from the courts.

"The idea is to incentive people to execute their own removal order, which in principle, I don't really have a problem with," Toronto immigration lawyer Joel Sandaluk claimed. "Except for the fact that … what it is also doing is incentivizing people not to seek judicial review of the refugee board's decision in federal court."


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