Canada suspends Skilled Worker and Investor immigrants

The following are some extracts from the news released on the Canada Immigration and Citizenship website on 28-Jun-2012.

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Effective July 1st, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada will place a temporary pause on new applications to the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and federal Immigrant Investor Program (IIP). 

[... snip ...] 

Since the launch of Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2012, Minister Kenney has announced a series of changes to CIC’s economic immigration programs. They include:

• eliminating the backlog of old FSWP applications;
• improving the selection of FSWs;
• creating a new Federal Skilled Trades Program;
• modifying the Canadian Experience Class to help transition successful skilled temporary workers to permanent residence;
• changing business immigration programs to target more active investment in Canadian growth companies and more innovative entrepreneurs; and
• moving towards a new application management system, to develop a pool of skilled workers who arrive in Canada ready to begin employment.*

“This temporary pause on new Federal Skilled Worker applications will allow us to set the program on a new course as we intend to launch revised selection criteria soon,” said Minister Kenney. “The pause has no impact on the number of workers Canada admits into the country, as CIC continues to process applications already received. Current immigration remains at historically high levels.” 

Application intake is expected to resume in January 2013, when the proposed FSWP regulatory changes – which will be published in the Canada Gazette in the coming months – are expected to come into force.

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*Note: I hope those immigrants who complain about barriers to entry and/or racism are "happy" now. "Spoiling the market for those following after one's path" comes to mind. While we don't know what the new requirements for Federal Skilled Workers would be, "workers who arrive in Canada ready to begin employment" hints that people like my classmates who complain about having to undergo GNIE training or the PRC who could not get his credentials recognized in Canada may not even have a chance to become Canadian Permanent Residents in the first place. [Think of the Australian General Skilled Migration skills assessment requirement, e.g. for international nurses.] So there, never confuse a privilege with a right.

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Once again, I thank my lucky stars that bad things happened in my life at the right times to trigger a series of events (click here, here and here), such that I landed up in Canada where I am now. As someone whom I met at my Singapore hospital's orientation used to sing, "Always look on the bright side of life!"

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
By Monty Python