Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - August 2008
The new instructions on immigration fast-tracking will be ready for implementation as early as this October. The change in policy stems from legislation that passed in June, which allows applications from certain “priority” professionals to be processed ahead of others.
Since the legislation passed, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration has been conducting public and private consultations across Canada to determine exactly which professional are the priority. Theses consultations are expected to be finished by early September, at which time Immigration Minister Diane Finley will return to parliament with her department’s recommendations.
Over 100 different groups have met with the Government to express their concerns with regards to the labour market. The public has been invited to provide their own input through the Department’s website.
Though the results are not yet public, it is clear that different regions are experiencing shortages of different professionals. However, there is a common need for skilled trades’ workers as well as health care professionals.
“We haven’t identified specific occupations yet,” Finley said earlier this month. “That’s what we’re consulting with all of these stakeholders about.”
Upon completion of the consultations, the findings will be posted publicly on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.
Source: Canwest News Service
