Ankara, Turkey, January 15, 2013 — Canada will resettle up to 5,000 refugees now in Turkey by 2018, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today during his visit to Turkey.

“With escalating violence in the region, more people are seeking protection in Turkey, and our commitment to resettle 5,000 mostly Iraqi and Iranian refugees in Canada will help Turkey deal with this growing pressure,” said Minister Kenney. “We recognize that sheltering such an immense refugee population creates pressures on domestic resources and we commend the Government of Turkey for keeping her borders open to those fleeing the ongoing conflict in the region.”

Canada’s acceptance of Iranian and Iraqi refugees will help ease the overall burden on Turkey, freeing up resources for the current influx of Syrian persons seeking protection in the country. Canada will continue to work with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to help the UNHCR address the needs of refugees and other vulnerable persons in Turkey.

Canada is one of only a few countries to operate a resettlement program out of Turkey, and only the United States takes more refugees. The majority of these refugees will be referred by the UNHCR for resettlement to Canada.

“Canada has long been a place of refuge for those fleeing persecution, and we are proud to continue this tradition today,” said Minister Kenney. “To date, some 12,000 Iraqi refugees have been resettled in Canada, mostly out of Syria. Canada remains committed to its 2009 and 2010 pledges to resettle up to 20,000 Iraqi refugees in need of protection. Today’s commitment will help bring us closer to that goal and will also mark the first time we make a specific multi-year commitment to resettling refugees out of Turkey.”

Canada already has one of the most generous resettlement programs in the world and welcomes one in 10 refugees resettled worldwide through its programs. In addition, the government is working to increase the total number of refugees and other individuals in vulnerable circumstances that this country resettles each year by 20 percent, as part of its commitment to Canada’s humanitarian tradition.

After three years of increases, as of this year Canada aims to resettle up to 14,500 refugees and other individuals in vulnerable circumstances.

Ottawa, January 2, 2013 — The brand-new Federal Skilled Trades Program begins accepting applications today, announced Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

“The new Skilled Trades Program will address serious labour shortages that some regions of the country are facing, and will help grow Canada’s economy,” said Minister Kenney. “These long-overdue changes are part of the government’s plan to build a fast and flexible immigration system that is responsive to the needs of Canada’s economy. Canadian employers have long been asking for ways to get the skilled tradespeople they need to meet demands in many industries across the country. We’ve listened to their concerns and created this program in response.”

In the program’s first year, CIC will accept applications from up to 3,000 people in specific trades. The occupation list was designed to reflect current labour market needs and ensure the program delivers a diverse range of skilled tradespeople to fuel Canada’s economy. Within the 3,000, there will be no limit on 26 in-demand occupations, while 17 occupations will be subject to sub-limits of 100 applications each. In total, there are 43 occupations eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Applications are expected to be processed within 12 months.

In addition to being qualified for an eligible occupation, Federal Skilled Trades Program applicants must demonstrate basic language proficiency in either English or French at the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 for speaking and listening, and CLB 4 for reading and writing. This is due to the overall importance of language as a determinant of immigrant success and general health and safety reasons. CLB 4 is considered basic proficiency while those with CLB 5 can more effectively participate in and understand routine conversations.

Other criteria include: a valid offer of employment in Canada or a certificate of qualification from a province or territory in a qualifying skilled trade; at least two years of work experience in the occupation within the last five years; and meeting the employment requirements set out in the National Occupational Classification system, with the exception of licensing requirements, which are addressed separately.

“The Federal Skilled Trades Program is yet another tool in the Canadian employer’s toolkit to find the workers they need to build Canada’s future economy,” said Minister Kenney. “This new program, along with all other changes we are introducing, will help us move towards an immigration system that better supports Canada’s economic growth and long-term prosperity.”

Application forms for the Federal Skilled Trades Program can be found on the CIC website.

Ottawa, December 28, 2012 — New measures to prevent fraud in the International Student Program (ISP) were proposed today by Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.

“Attracting the best and brightest young minds from around the world is key to the continued success of Canada’s economy and long-term prosperity,” said Minister Kenney. “But there are too many stories of international students who pay a lot of money and leave their families back home to study in Canada, only to find out they have been misled. These changes will help us better protect international students and the reputation of Canada’s post-secondary education system by making sure that international students are coming to quality institutions that comply with basic standards of accountability.”

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is proposing regulatory changes to limit study permits to students attending institutions designated by provinces and territories.  The proposed changes would address concerns that some institutions are providing poor-quality programs or facilitating, knowingly or not, the entry of foreign nationals to Canada for purposes other than study.

Under the proposed amendments, CIC would work with provinces and territories – which are constitutionally responsible for education – to develop a framework to designate educational institutions that will be permitted to host international students.  If a school is not designated, it would be able to continue offering programs of six months or less to foreign nationals in Canada on regular visitor visas. Visitors who wish to enroll in short-term courses do not currently require a study permit, and this would continue to be the case.

Eligible international students attending designated institutions would also be able to work part-time off-campus, without having to apply for a separate work permit. This new flexibility would contribute to Canada’s appeal in attracting the best and brightest students from around the globe.

Furthermore, to help eliminate abuse of student visas, changes are being made to ensure that the primary intent of an international student in Canada is to study. Currently, foreign nationals are able to apply to any Canadian school or business offering training in Canada and need only demonstrate an intent to study – there is currently no requirement for them to actually pursue studies once in Canada and no way of tracking whether they do. These changes would provide CIC the authority to request evidence from study permit holders to verify their compliance with study permit conditions. International students would be removed from Canada if they fail to meet new requirements.

The proposed changes respond to findings from a 2011 evaluation of the International Student Program, which concluded that gaps in the program leave it open to abuse and fraud.  Similar reforms have already been implemented by Canada’s key competitor countries for international students. These changes will strengthen Canada's position as a leader in international education.

“By improving the International Student Program, we are strengthening Canada’s reputation as a destination of choice for international students,” said Minister Kenney. “In addition to the economic impact, international student graduates are a great source of potential permanent immigrants. For those who choose to stay in Canada, their Canadian education and their language skills are important factors for success.”

“International students are vital to the global experience offered on university campuses across Canada,” said Paul Davidson, president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). “They enrich our institutions with their cultures, languages and unique perspectives and have a positive economic impact on communities coast to coast. We support efforts to strengthen Canada’s reputation as a destination of choice for students around the world.”

“The Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) and CIC collaborate to maintain the integrity of Canada as a destination of choice for international students,” said James Knight, President and CEO of the ACCC. “Canada’s 140 public colleges and institutes are renowned for the quality of their programs and services for international students. We welcome measures to preserve the excellence of the Canadian brand.”

As part of the consultative process, the proposed changes were posted today in the Canada Gazette for a 45-day public comment period.