{"id":119862,"date":"2017-09-27T06:11:17","date_gmt":"2017-09-27T10:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=119862"},"modified":"2017-09-27T06:11:17","modified_gmt":"2017-09-27T10:11:17","slug":"federal-provincial-ministers-reach-consensus-on-increasing-canadian-immigration-levels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2017\/09\/27\/federal-provincial-ministers-reach-consensus-on-increasing-canadian-immigration-levels\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal, Provincial Ministers Reach Consensus on Increasing Canadian Immigration Levels"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: CIC News<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Political leaders responsible for immigration issues in Canada have agreed that increasing immigration levels and establishing multi-year targets would help meet labour market needs across the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

The consensus was reached at a meeting of the Forum of Ministers responsible for Immigration (FMRI), which met in Toronto last week. This FMRI includes members from the federal, provincial, and territorial governments.<\/p>\n

Currently,\u00a0Canada\u2019s annual immigration levels plan for 2017<\/a>\u00a0sets a target of 300,000 new permanent residents for the year. Earlier this summer, federal Minister of Immigration Ahmed Hussen confirmed that this figure would form the new\u00a0\u2018baseline\u2019 for immigration targets<\/a>\u00a0under the current federal government. The government had previously alluded to moving to a multi-year plan \u2014 instead of the current annual model \u2014 in order to provide certainty and help inform long-term planning.<\/p>\n

Under the current plan, around 57 percent of new permanent residents settle as economic migrants. This share includes newcomers who apply through one of the economic programs managed under the\u00a0Express Entry<\/a>\u00a0system, as well as\u00a0skilled workers destined for the province of Quebec<\/a>\u00a0and applicants to one of the\u00a0Provincial Nominee Programs<\/a>\u00a0(PNPs). The plan also allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to\u00a0sponsor family members<\/a>, including\u00a0spouses and common-law partners<\/a>, while also maintaining Canada\u2019s international obligations and humanitarian tradition with respect to\u00a0refugee resettlement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The government\u2019s annual immigration plan is usually presented to Parliament in the preceding fall. It remains to be seen exactly what the next plan may include; the fact that the Ministers have reached a consensus \u2014 and publicly affirmed that they have done so \u2014 may be a prelude to a multi-year plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cCanada has welcomed generations of newcomers who have contributed to Canada\u2019s well-being, economic prosperity, competitiveness, and success as a nation. We are committed to ensuring that newcomers, including refugees, integrate and contribute fully to the Canadian economy and society. We continue to help newcomers find jobs and make lasting connections within their communities,\u201d said Minister Hussen.<\/p>\n

Another important agreement to come out of the meeting is the development of a federal-provincial-territorial plan to clarify how settlement priorities are set, and how information is shared among all orders of government. In a statement following the meeting, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated that enhanced collaboration across governments is needed to support the delivery of high-quality settlement services and successful outcomes for all newcomers.<\/p>\n

Ian Wishart, Manitoba Minister of Education and Training and FMRI provincial-territorial co-chair, spoke of a shared commitment to \u201cmaintaining an open dialogue and working together to achieve our shared immigration objectives in building a stronger, more prosperous and united Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, the Ministers discussed the promotion of Francophone immigration to communities outside Quebec with the goal of increasing Francophone immigration. Currently, some federal initiatives support that goal. Last June, IRCC changed the Express Entry\u00a0Comprehensive Ranking System<\/a>\u00a0(CRS) so that\u00a0Francophone candidates could be awarded additional points<\/a>. The federal government also recently launched a temporary work stream within the\u00a0International Mobility Program<\/a>\u00a0called\u00a0Mobilit\u00e9 Francophone<\/a>, making it easier for employers outside Quebec to hire French-speaking skilled workers.<\/p>\n

In addition, Canada\u2019s most populated province, Ontario, offers a\u00a0French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream<\/a>, aligned with the Express Entry system, for candidates with ability in French and English.<\/p>\n

The FMRI also discussed a\u00a0pan-Canadian approach to dealing with the current arrival of asylum seekers into Canada through irregular means (i.e. not through official border crossings). This approach would include enhanced intergovernmental collaboration to support orderly migration and scenarios planning, while protecting Canada\u2019s border and the safety and security of Canadians.<\/p>\n

To find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada permanently, fill out a\u00a0<\/em>free online assessment form<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/h5>\n

\u00a9 2017 CICNews All Rights Reserved<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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