<div><font color="Navy">
Canada Immigration Reform:
Jason Kenney Seeks Young, Educated, Skilled And Fluent Newcomers
First Posted: 10/30/11 12:45 PM ET Updated: 10/31/11 08:37 AM ET
OTTAWA - Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has never suffered from lack of ambition and his latest goal is nothing short of reshaping and rejuvenating the Canadian workforce.
He envisions a nimble, efficient immigration machine that will help solve Canada's demographic imbalance and boost the country's competitiveness simultaneously.
Step one comes this week when he announces immigration targets for next year.
Kenney says when he is done with his multiple reforms of the system, the flow of newcomers into Canada will be predominantly young, well educated, highly skilled, and fluent in English or French.
They'll be admitted to Canada within a year of applying.
And soon after, they'll start paying taxes because they will have lined up a job prior to arrival or should be able to find one quickly once they land.
"Where we want to be in a few years time is a flexible, just-in-time . . . system where we admit people within a year of their application," he said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
"Where people with pre-arranged job offers are given priority, because they succeed best. Where we continue to see a better geographic distribution of newcomers. And where we can more flexibly change the (acceptance) criteria based on developments in the labour market," he explained.
"That's where we want to go."
But getting there is no easy amble. His critics don't disagree with his goal, but they have qualms about how he will achieve it.
"It's like saying 'we want to have sun in January.' We all want that," NDP immigration critic Don Davies said in a telephone call from Vancouver. "He doesn't explain how. He sets the goals but he doesn't say how we'll get there."
Kenney foresees a multi-step process that will require changes to many different parts of Canada's creaky immigration machinery.
His department has already undertaken major studies of what kind of immigrant succeeds in Canada and what kind fails. Kenney has followed up with extensive consultations and polling to find out what mix of immigration the public is willing to take.
Now comes the action. Kenney is expected to table the annual report on immigration on Tuesday. As usual, it will include his decisions about how many immigrants Canada should accept in 2012, and what kind.
The report will give a range of operational targets for each type of immigrant, from foreign skilled workers to parents and grandparents.
The key number is the overall number of immigrants Canada wants to let in
More...
Canada Immigration Reform:
Jason Kenney Seeks Young, Educated, Skilled And Fluent Newcomers
First Posted: 10/30/11 12:45 PM ET Updated: 10/31/11 08:37 AM ET
OTTAWA - Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has never suffered from lack of ambition and his latest goal is nothing short of reshaping and rejuvenating the Canadian workforce.
He envisions a nimble, efficient immigration machine that will help solve Canada's demographic imbalance and boost the country's competitiveness simultaneously.
Step one comes this week when he announces immigration targets for next year.
Kenney says when he is done with his multiple reforms of the system, the flow of newcomers into Canada will be predominantly young, well educated, highly skilled, and fluent in English or French.
They'll be admitted to Canada within a year of applying.
And soon after, they'll start paying taxes because they will have lined up a job prior to arrival or should be able to find one quickly once they land.
"Where we want to be in a few years time is a flexible, just-in-time . . . system where we admit people within a year of their application," he said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
"Where people with pre-arranged job offers are given priority, because they succeed best. Where we continue to see a better geographic distribution of newcomers. And where we can more flexibly change the (acceptance) criteria based on developments in the labour market," he explained.
"That's where we want to go."
But getting there is no easy amble. His critics don't disagree with his goal, but they have qualms about how he will achieve it.
"It's like saying 'we want to have sun in January.' We all want that," NDP immigration critic Don Davies said in a telephone call from Vancouver. "He doesn't explain how. He sets the goals but he doesn't say how we'll get there."
Kenney foresees a multi-step process that will require changes to many different parts of Canada's creaky immigration machinery.
His department has already undertaken major studies of what kind of immigrant succeeds in Canada and what kind fails. Kenney has followed up with extensive consultations and polling to find out what mix of immigration the public is willing to take.
Now comes the action. Kenney is expected to table the annual report on immigration on Tuesday. As usual, it will include his decisions about how many immigrants Canada should accept in 2012, and what kind.
The report will give a range of operational targets for each type of immigrant, from foreign skilled workers to parents and grandparents.
The key number is the overall number of immigrants Canada wants to let in
More...