After a thorough review of relevant research, an extensive program evaluation, stakeholder and public consultations, research and study of best practices in other immigrant-receiving countries, improvements to the FSWP were announced in December 2012. These improvements will come into force on May 4, 2013.

A pause on the intake of most new FSWP applications has been in place since July 1, 2012, except for those with a qualifying job offer and those who applying under the PhD stream. The pause will be lifted and an eligible occupations stream re-established on May 4, 2013.

While Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will not be accepting applications for the 24 eligible occupations until May 4, 2013, there are some new requirements that applicants can start preparing for, such as language tests and foreign educational credential assessments. The complete application process, featuring the new selection criteria, will be available on CIC’s website by May 4, 2013.

All individuals who are considering applying on or after May 4 should be aware that if their application does not meet the new criteria, it will not be processed. A prospective applicant should ensure they meet at least one of the following requirements:

• They have at least one year of continuous work experience in one of the 24 eligible occupations;
• They have a qualifying offer of arranged employment (*note changes to the arranged employment process were previously published in this web notice); or
• They are eligible to apply through the PhD stream.

If prospective applicants are confident that they meet at least one of the above requirements, they must also meet the minimum language threshold and obtain an educational credential assessment (if submitting a foreign educational credential).

Eligible Occupations List

The eligible occupations stream will have an overall cap of 5,000 new applications and sub-caps of 300 applications in each of the 24 occupations on the list.

Eligible occupations (with their corresponding 2011 National Occupation Classification code):

• 0211 Engineering managers
• 1112 Financial and investment analysts
• 2113 Geoscientists and oceanographers
• 2131 Civil engineers
• 2132 Mechanical engineers
• 2134 Chemical engineers
• 2143 Mining engineers
• 2144 Geological engineers
• 2145 Petroleum engineers
• 2146 Aerospace engineers
• 2147 Computer engineers (except software engineers/designers)
• 2154 Land surveyors
• 2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers
• 2243 Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics
• 2263 Inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety
• 3141 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
• 3142 Physiotherapists
• 3143 Occupational Therapists
• 3211 Medical laboratory technologists
• 3212 Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants
• 3214 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
• 3215 Medical radiation technologists
• 3216 Medical sonographers
• 3217 Cardiology technicians and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c. (not elsewhere classified)

Minimum Language Threshold

All prospective applicants to the FSWP should first determine whether they meet the new minimum language threshold: Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in all four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). To prove language proficiency, a prospective applicant must take a third-party language test from an organization designated by the Minister and submit their test report along with their application to CIC.

Language test results will be accepted by CIC for two years from the date that they were issued by the designated organization.

CIC-designated language testing organizations include: Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and Test d’évaluation de français (TEF).

Third-party language tests are scored differently by each of the three organizations. Here are the scores on each of the tests that correspond to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 or higher:

English

Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)

An FSWP applicant must score at least 4L on the CELPIP-General test in each of the four skills to meet the minimum language threshold.

A score of 4L on the CELPIP-General test corresponds to CLB 7. A score of 4H corresponds to CLB 8, and a score of 5 or higher corresponds to CLB 9 or higher.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

An FSWP applicant must score at least 6.0 on the IELTS General Training test in each of the four skills to meet the minimum language threshold of CLB 7.

French

Test d’évaluation de français (TEF)

An FSWP applicant must score at least 206 in reading, 248 in listening, and 309 in both speaking and writing on the TEF to meet the minimum language threshold of NCLC 7.

Arranged Employment

Previously, employers have applied for an Arranged Employment Opinion (AEO) from Human Resources Skills Development Canada when they wished to hire a foreign national on a permanent, full-time basis and support their employee’s application for permanent residence through the FSWP.

Starting on May 4, 2013, CIC will no longer accept AEOs in support of an FSWP application. Instead, most offers of arranged employment will require a Labour Market Opinion.

Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)

Another important change that takes effect on May 4, 2013, is the introduction of the educational credential assessment (ECA). Prospective applicants may start the process of getting an ECA before May 4 if they are planning to submit a foreign educational credential. However, applicants should keep in mind the other program eligibility requirements listed above, i.e. whether they have a qualifying offer of arranged employment or are applying under the PhD stream or eligible occupations stream;and if they meet the minimum language threshold through a designated third-party test. Applicants who have Canadian educational credentials do not need to get an ECA, unless they are also submitting a foreign educational credential in support of their application.

The ECA process will help determine if the foreign educational credential is authentic and equivalent to a completed credential in Canada. For prospective applicants, the ECA can provide a realistic understanding of how their foreign educational credentials are likely to be recognized in Canada.

As of April 17, 2013, four organizations have been designated by the Minister to provide ECA reports for purposes of immigrating to Canada under the FSWP. Additional organizations may be designated by CIC in the future. The designated organizations are:

• Comparative Education Service: University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies;
• International Credential Assessment Service of Canada;
• World Education Services; and,
• Medical Council of Canada.

The Medical Council of Canada has been designated only for those principal applicants who intend to apply with specialist physician (2011 National Occupation Classification [NOC] code 3111) or general practitioner/family physician (2011 NOC code 3112) as their primary occupation in their FSWP application. Neither NOC code 3111 nor 3112 is on the eligible occupations list that takes effect on May 4, so this will only affect those applying under the PhD stream or with a qualifying job offer based on those NOC codes.

Applicants should contact the designated organizations directly for further information on their documentation requirements, processing times and fees.

CIC will only accept ECA reports issued after the date the organization was designated by CIC to provide ECA reports for immigration purposes (i.e. April 17, 2013). An ECA report will be valid for immigration purposes for 5 years from the date that it was issued by the designated organization.

Here are some highlights:

• Saskatechewan – Engineering markets in Saskatchewan are more cyclical and more varied, but supply constraints are an issue. Resource projects are absorbing all available engineers – especially mining engineers. Saskatchewan is a small market with big project demands that come and go. Local post-secondary programs are not able to keep pace. Engineering immigration has been limited and strong current demand is reflected as Canadians from other provinces seek jobs and licensure in the province;

• Alberta – Along with B.C., Alberta is the strongest engineering market in Canada. There was strong engineering job growth in the past year, however there are ongoing shortages and recruiting challenges for engineers with five to 10 years of experience or specialized skills. Growth in enrolments in post secondary programs for engineers has lagged behing national trends and may contribute to a tight labour market;

• British Columbia – One of the two strongest engineering markets in Canada, B.C. faces skills shortages and volatile markets in resource related occupations like mining, metallurgical, and petroleum engineers. However conditions are more balanced for computer and industrial engineers. B.C employers will need to source engineers from other markets, however it is hard to attract them from other western provinces due to competitive compensation levels;

• Manitoba – Expansion demands are concentrated in resource and utility projects. Construction, particularly in electrical generation and transmission, is a big driver. Labour markets are divided with ongoing shortages and recruiting challenges for engineers with five to 10 years of experience or specialized skills.

On a national basis, expansion demand is expected to create an additional 16,000 jobs for engineers by 2020. Virtually all of these jobs will be west of Quebec, with the bulk of them in Alberta and British Columbia. Alberta specifically has lagged behind national trends in enrolments in engineering programs and an additional 900 engineers are needed annually to balance market demand. In Manitoba, increased construction activity, in particular in electricity generation and transmission, is leading to increased need for qualified engineers.

“Employers in British Columbia will need to source engineers from other markets for much of the coming decade,” said Stephen McCrum, Vice President, Western Canada, Randstad Engineering. “The focus will be on specialized and experienced engineers to replace retiring workers.” The average age of employers in British Columbia is higher than in other provinces, raising replacement demand.

“In Saskatchewan specifically, engineering markets are in a state of flux,” McCrum said. “It is a small market, with big project demands that come and go. Local engineering programs are not meeting the cyclical demands of the market as Canadians from other provinces seek engineering jobs in Saskatchewan.”

The FSWP is Canada’s main skilled migration programme and enables applicants to apply for permanent resident status if they have adequate skills and experience.

Jason Kenney, the Canadian minister with responsibility for immigration policy, told journalists that the FSWP would re-open to applicants on 4th May 2013 using a revised points-based selection system. He also revealed the new selection criteria that will be in place when the system goes live.

Mr Kenney closed the FSWP to new applicants who did not already have a Canadian job offer from 1st July 2012. When he announced the closure, Mr Kenney said that his department would draw up a new set of criteria for selection which would ensure that successful applicants under the FSWP would be more likely to succeed when they arrived. Mr Kenney said in June that the changes would enable successful applicants to ‘hit the ground running’ when they arrived in Canada.

Mr Kenney told journalists on 18th December that the new FSWP assessment criteria will include the following
• A higher minimum threshold of skill in either English or French (Canada’s two official languages) than before. Applicants will now have to demonstrate by way of a test that they meet level 7 of the Canadian Language Benchmark.
• A greater number of points will be granted to younger applicants than under the old system.
• A new ‘Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) scheme to allow the Canadian government to compare foreign educational qualifications with Canadian ones so that their worth can be better assessed
• A reform of the ‘Arranged Employment’ rules so that those with an offer of employment can be hired more quickly
• Additional points granted to FSWP applicants if their spouse has ability in English or French and if he/she has work experience in Canada

Mr Kenney said ‘the new FSWP criteria will ensure Canada is selecting the skilled immigrants our economy needs, who are the most likely to succeed and fully realise their potential in Canada.’

From May 2013 onwards, in order to demonstrate that they have an adequate standard of English, or French, applicants will have to be assessed by an approved agency. A list of these agencies can be found on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), website. CIC is Mr Kenney’s department in the Canadian government.

They will also have to have educational qualifications received from non-Canadian educational establishments assessed by an approved Canadian organisation. This comparison must be performed before the applicant arrives in Canada. This will enable an applicant to assess whether their qualifications are adequate and if necessary to undertake further training, before leaving home, a CIC statement said.

Arranged Employment is a system whereby those with a job offer in Canada before they apply to the FSWP can score an extra 10 points on the FSWP ‘points grid’. The Canadian employer must be approved by Service Canada, which is an agency created in the Canadian Department of Human Resources and Skills Development.

At present, once a Canadian employer has offered a foreign national a job, the employer must make an Arranged Employment request to Service Canada. If the request is approved, Service Canada will then send an Arranged Employment Opinion (AEO), to CIC giving details of the job in question, the pay and the employer’s history. The AEO will also state that the job is genuine and permanent and will ask CIC to expedite the applicant’s request. However, it remains to be seen what the rules will be after the changes are made.

After Mr Kenney announced the proposed changes to the system in August, Ratna Omidvar, who is president of the Canadian charity the Maytree Foundation and board chair of the Toronto Region Immigrant and Employment Council, said that the change in focus may mean that Canada misses out on talent. He called for ‘a little less rigidity’ in the new system. Other critics have said that the focus on language ability might, in effect, discriminate against non-European applicants. Mr Kenney has dismissed these worries.

CIC says there is ‘a large body of research which has consistently shown that language proficiency and youth are two of the most important factors in the economic success of immigrants’.

A new permanent residency scheme will be introduced from January 2 2013, aimed at foreigners with at least two years of experience in a registered trade, including electricians, welders, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, pipefitters and others.

They are needed by Canada’s oil, gas and construction industries that have been boosted by high commodity prices and a resilient domestic economy.

In 2013, up to 3,000 people will be accepted through the scheme – known as the Federal Skilled Trades Programme – but this is expected to rise in future years.

As well as having two years of experience, applicants must already have a job offer in Canada or a certificate from a province stating they are qualified to work there.

“Our Government’s number one priority remains economic and job growth,” said Minister Kenney. “Newcomers bring their skills and talents, contribute to our economy and help renew our workforce so that Canada remains competitive on the world stage.”

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)’s 2012 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration tabled today, CIC plans to admit a total of 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents in 2013, for the seventh straight year. This represents the highest sustained level of immigration in Canadian history.

In particular, the 2013 Immigration Levels Plan makes room for the rapid growth in the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The CEC, which was created in 2008, facilitates the transition from temporary to permanent residence for those with high-skilled work experience in Canada, including international students and temporary foreign workers. Admissions under the CEC have increased from about 2,500 people in 2009 to more than 6,000 in 2011, with more expected this year than ever before. In 2013, CIC intends to accept a record high of up to 10,000 permanent residents through this popular program.

“Immigration plays a vital role in our country’s long-term prosperity,” said Minister Kenney. “Our 2013 Immigration Plan will build on our economic success by bringing in more of the world’s top talent who already have a successful track record in Canada.”

Every year, CIC consults with provinces, territories and public stakeholders across Canada to develop a balanced immigration plan. Besides stakeholder consultations, the Canadian public is invited to participate through online consultations on immigration levels and mix. This year, for the first time in Canadian history, CIC consulted with key Aboriginal groups.

According to Canadian immigration minister Jason Kenney, Canada wants to convince UK graduates who may be struggling to find jobs in recession-hit Britain to “think Canada before you think Australia”.

To entice migrants, the length of time they need to work in skilled Canadian jobs to qualify for permanent residency is being halved from two years to one. The change is likely to take effect from next January.

It is hoped this will encourage young people who go to Canada to work in gap year jobs in bars or ski resorts, but then find more skilled work, to settle in Canada in the longer term.

Mr Kenney said: “There are a lot of young Britons who are under-employed or unemployed but are highly educated.

“I think so many young Britons have, for some reason, thought of Australia before Canada as a destination for immigration, and we want to be at the front of the competition for the world’s best and brightest.”

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He put Australia’s enduring appeal down to “rugby and cricket, andNeighbours, and the attraction of the weather”.

Reasons to choose Canada over Australia, he said, included its closer proximity to the UK and robust economy – “the strongest in the G8”.

However, there is disagreement within Canada as to whether the government should be retraining its own workers rather than recruiting from overseas.

Starting July 1, 2012, most Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applicants for semi- and low-skilled professions will have to undergo mandatory language testing of their listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities and meet a minimum standard across all four of these categories.

In addition, Minister Kenney said that further changes to the program will be made to continue to focus on economic streams. The changes are the latest in a series of announcements the Minister has made about transforming Canada’s economic immigration program into a fast and flexible system focused on jobs, growth and prosperity.

“As a result, immigrants coming to Canada under PNPs will arrive with much better language skills and will be selected for the impact they can have on Canada’s economy,” the Minister said. He was joined at a news conference by his Saskatchewan counterpart, Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister Rob Norris.

The announcement is the latest in a series Minister Kenney has made about transforming Canada’s immigration system to better support economic growth.

The PNP has been a major success in helping to spread the benefits of immigration across the country, with many economic immigrants choosing to settle outside of the three major cities. In Saskatchewan, 5,354 immigrants arrived under the program in 2010, compared with 173 in 2003.

“We have supported enormous growth in the number of provincial nominees in recent years because it makes sense for the provinces and territories to have the flexibility to meet regional needs,” said Minister Kenney. “Saskatchewan has successfully used the program and has actively recruited immigrants with the skills needed here. I’d like to thank the province for its continued cooperation.”

“Newcomers play a significant role in building and maintaining the highest quality of life in our province and in our country,” said Minister Norris. “The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to building the best provincial immigration program to meet our economic and labour market needs.”

The Provincial Nominee Program was designed to be aligned with Canada’s economic and labour needs. But, in some provinces, it is being used as an indirect route to family reunification.

“We have a federal family sponsorship program that reunites families,” added Minister Kenney. “This is not the goal of the PNP and we want to work with provinces and territories to ensure that the program is solely focused on supporting economic growth rather than duplicating non-economic federal immigration streams.”

The PNP is now Canada’s second largest economic immigration program, with admissions having grown from about 8,000 immigrants in 2005 to expected admissions of 42,000 people this year. Each province and territory is responsible for the design and management of its own PNP, which must be consistent with federal immigration policy, legislation and the terms of bilateral agreements.

That number represents a 17,064-person jump over 2010 figures — the highest single-year increase since 1953 when the population rose by 18,000 people. The province’s 1.62 per cent growth rate was the second highest in Canada behind Alberta.

Net interprovincial migration was recorded at 1,181 people. Saskatchewan and Alberta were the only two provinces to experience more people moving in from other parts of Canada than those who left.

Premier Brad Wall attributed the rise to Saskatchewan’s growing economy.

“This speaks to the strength of our economy and illustrates a clear shift in the economic fortunes of our country to Western Canada and to Saskatchewan,” Wall said. “Saskatchewan is now a ‘have’ province with a vibrant economy and a growing population. That’s a big change from just a few short years ago.”

Mr. Kenney plans create a just-in-time immigration system in which immigrants, particularly those with strong language skills, would be offered a job, have their credentials assessed, get accepted and settled in Canada – all within a year of applying. At the moment, that process can take several years

Richard McKeagan, president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada, welcomed the news that Mr. Kenney wants to introduce a special immigration stream for skilled tradespeople. “There’s going to be a skills shortage in our industry, there are some already in some parts of the country,” Mr. McKeagan said. “Anything that allows people in the construction industry, where we need people, to find meaningful employment, we support that.”

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In a direct response to the province’s shrinking share of Canada’s immigrant population over the past decade, Charles Sousa, Ontario’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister, has announced the creation of Ontario’s first ever immigration strategy.

Although Ontario continues to be the largest recipient of new immigrants in Canada each year, it has suffered as a result of changes to immigration policy and more and more migrants are beginning to flock to Western and Atlantic Canada because of the rapid growth of provincial nominee programs.

Sousa said the initiative will be crucial to the province’s economic future and urged the Canadian federal government to negotiate a new agreement on immigration with Ontario. He said, “It’s a priority for us to ensure that Ontario has fairness in the system. “Right now, things are happening at the expense of Ontario and I’m trying to change that.”

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