Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says that the Provincial Nominee Programs, which allow provinces to nominate certain skilled workers for fast-track immigration, is working well so far, but more needs to be done to curtail fraud.
Kenney says that tightening up language restrictions will go a long way in preventing fraud, noting that some provinces have not been adhering to the federal policies regarding language testing and have seen a correspondingly high level of fraudulent cases.
Furthermore, Kenney argues that more needs to be done to ensure that the provinces are selecting and importing the skilled labour that is most suited to their regions. The Atlantic region in particular appears to be struggling to find and retain the skilled labour they need.
Last year the Provincial Nominee Programs combined to bring in 42,000 workers to Canada. Most of them came in through Western provinces, which have higher retention rates than Eastern provinces such as Prince Edward Island.
Kenney says that he and his department are continually working to address the labour needs of the provinces and improve the Provincial Nominee Program.
Source: Globe and Mail