Public consulted on where Canadian work visa holders are most needed
March 18 2010 by Liam Clifford
Canada has signaled its exit from the economic downturn by announcing a public consultation about the needs of the labour markets.
Canadian immigration minister Jason Kenney wants to identify Canada’s
new and emerging labour market needs and to look at ways in which Canadian work
visa policy can help meet them. The consultations will be used to update
instructions for immigration officers on which economic Canadian visa
applications should be approved.
“The Action Plan for Faster Immigration
is designed to make immigration more responsive to Canada’s economic conditions.
When these conditions change, the instructions are meant to change too,” said
Mr. Kenney. “The first set of instructions has had a significant impact, but our
research shows it is time to revise them to make sure they continue to meet
their goals.”
Prior to the introduction of the Action Plan for Faster
Immigration, Canadian visa applications suffered from long delays in processing.
The backlog in the federal skilled worker category, for example, was over
600,000 applications, and it could take up to 6 years to reach a decision on an
application. That number has now been reduced by nearly 40% and people applying
now to the federal skilled worker program can expect to receive a decision
within one year.
See the latest Immigration News
