Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is visiting Silicon Valley to push the government’s newest business immigration program, the Entrepreneur Start-Up Visa.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has announced that the Parent and Grandparent sponsorship stream will re-open on January 2nd, 2013. At that time, the program’s processing time is expected to be cut in half.

2012 saw a 15 per cent increase in immigration through Family Class sponsorship, according to a recent announcement by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

Over 6.8 million Canadians were born outside of Canada, according to new information from Statistics Canada. This staggering figure means that 20.6 per cent of the population, or 1 in 5 people, are foreign-born.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has issued a number of Ministerial Instructions pertaining to a range of Canadian immigration programs. The Ministerial Instructions were published in the Canada Gazette, a government publication, on May 4th 2013.

After a long wait, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) will open its doors to applicants this Sunday, May 4th. Excited applicants from around the world are already preparing their applications in advance of Sunday’s opening.

Three major European aerospace companies have announced plans to establish a presence in Montreal. Together the Austrian, French, and German companies will create nearly 200 jobs in the next few years.

Canada needs over 250,000 new construction workers between now and the year 2021, says a leading industry organization.

As of December 1st, 2013, there were 338,189 temporary foreign workers in Canada. This number has increased significantly from 2005, when foreign workers numbered 140,668.

 

Canada’s largest bank has in recent weeks come under fire for allegedly replacing Canadian workers with foreign hires. The Royal Bank of Canada, commonly known as RBC, denies this assertion.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has released a revamped, updated immigration guide for new Canadian permanent residents. The handbook, called Welcome to Canada, is the official book given to help immigrants prepare for their move and navigate the first months in their new home.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has launched an exciting new pilot, the Entrepreneur Start-Up Visa program, on April 1st 2013. The program, which will connect promising foreign entrepreneurs to Canadian organizations that will assist in start-up operations, is the first of its kind in the world.

The backlog of permanent resident applications waiting to be processed by government officials has been reduced by 40 per cent, according to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). CIC believes that this reduction will help to create an immigration system more responsive to the needs of applicants and Canada as a whole.

The Government of Quebec announced today that it will extend the current Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) criteria. The program was extended from March 2013 to June 31st, 2013.

The Government of Canada has announced that it will be taking steps to reform the country’s temporary foreign worker program to ensure qualified Canadians are not passed up for jobs. This plan, announced in the 2013 budget this past Thursday, has outlined a number of new measures that will be taken to prioritize the hiring of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) found 54 Americans working without authorization in Canada last year, according to Global News agency. This number makes the US the largest source of illegal foreign labour, at least among individuals who were apprehended.

A recent poll has confirmed that Canadians favor responsibility in immigration, including measures such as setting limits on intake of immigrants. When asked the question “should Canada accept all qualified immigrants who want to enter the country, or should we limit the number of immigrants allowed each year?” a majority voted for the latter. This majority was somewhat greater amongst respondents born in Canada (73%) than respondents born outside of Canada (58%).

Since its launch in December 2011, the new Parent and Grandparent Super Visa program has seen great success. To date, over 15,000 Super Visas have been issued to qualifying applicants. This translates to over 1,000 new Super Visa issuances each month.

2012 saw Canada reach its highest sustained level of immigration in history, continuing a seven year trend.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has officially announced that the new Federal Skilled Worker program will include a list of designated occupations.

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is Canada’s fastest growing immigration program, with over 9,353 visas issued in 2012. This exceeded the program’s yearly target of 7,000 by 34%.

Canada welcomed over 100,000 international students in 2012, the highest amount in the country’s history. The number was a 60% jump from intake levels in 2004.

Canada issued a record number of visitor visas last year. With almost 1 million approved, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has seen visitor visa issuances increase almost 40% since 2004.

The Visa Office at the Canadian Consulate in Detroit has been closed. Its services have now been transferred to the New York City and Los Angeles Visa Offices.

The list of Designated Countries of Origin, which was introduced on December 15th, 2012 as part of the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, has been amended to include 8 new countries.