OTTAWA, November 24, 2005 — The Honourable Joe Volpe,
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced the Government of
Canada will invest an additional $700 million over five years to make
important improvements to the federal immigration system. These improvements
include funding to start reducing the current inventory of applications at
Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and a new process to allow immigrants with
Canadian experience or Canadian education to apply for permanent resident status
under the new In-Canada Economic Stream in 2007.
“Today’s announcement is an important step toward fixing and improving
the immigration system,” said Minister Volpe. “By beginning to
reduce the number of outstanding applications and moving to actively recruit
those who best meet Canada’s labour market needs—such as temporary
foreign workers and international students already in Canada—we will
build on the improvements already under way to Canada’s immigration system.”
The new in-Canada stream is intended for applicants with experience in Canada’s
labour market or educational institutions. These immigrants are well positioned
to integrate quickly and successfully into Canadian society and the economy,
and this new stream will eventually be an important tool in promoting Canada
as a destination of choice for immigrants. In ensuring that people with significant
labour market or educational experience can make a smooth transition to permanent
resident status, we will help build a more responsive and proactive immigration
system.
“Today’s announcement builds on the major investments already
made to help newcomers integrate more quickly into their local labour market
and new communities,” said Minister Volpe. “These investments include
$398 million announced in the 2005 budget to improve settlement services
and to launch the Going to Canada portal; funding for the Internationally Trained
Workers Initiative; and a $1.3 billion investment in settlement programs
announced in the fiscal economic update of November 14, 2005.”
The $920 million Canada-Ontario agreement announced earlier this week
is funded through the fiscal framework and forms part of the $1.3 billion
announced by Minister Goodale.
This announcement reflects the key priorities identified by federal, provincial
and territorial ministers on November 4, 2005. For further information,
visit the CIC Web site at www.cic.gc.ca.
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For more information (media only):
Stephen Heckbert
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
(613) 954-1064
Greg Scott
Media Relations
Communications Branch
(613) 941-7028
BACKGROUNDER
Fixing the Immigration System
On November 24, 2005, the Government of Canada announced it would invest
$418 million for streamlining the immigration system and $282 million
for creating the in Canada economic stream totaling $700 million over
five years. These improvements include funding to start reducing the current
inventory of applications at Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and a new
process to allow immigrants with Canadian experience or Canadian education
to apply for permanent resident status under the new In-Canada Economic Stream
in 2007.
Ensuring the Immigration System is More Responsive to Labour Market
Needs
1) Reducing the Current Inventory of Applications and Modernizing
Service Delivery
The funding provided will allow for an increase in operational capacity for
federal departments to more efficiently process applications and start to reduce
processing times.
Together, these measures will help make the system more responsive to varied
labour market needs, support improved immigrant outcomes, and streamline the
system in order to enhance the processing of applications.
2) Creation of an In-Canada Economic Stream in 2007
Provinces, territories, cities and communities agree on the need for increased
regionalization to spread the benefits of immigration all across the country.
Introducing an in-Canada stream will help address this challenge by supporting
the greater use of the temporary foreign worker stream as a means of addressing
short-term labour market needs and providing a bridge to permanent residence
for newcomers.
The introduction of the in-Canada economic stream is expected to lead to approximately
5,000 additional foreign students and 11,000 temporary foreign workers (including
dependants) applying for permanent residence each year.
Two types of foreign nationals will be eligible to apply for permanent resident
status: students and temporary foreign workers in Canada. After entering Canada
on a work or study permit, these individuals will be required to spend a minimum
period of time working or studying before being eligible to apply for permanent
resident status. The new in-Canada stream is designed for applicants who have
Canadian experience in the labour market or in educational institutions.
Applicants are fully screened for criminality and security.
