Proposed Changes to Canadian Immigration Rules

Canada as a place has always been on the priority list for immigrants due to its high standard of living and ample opportunities. It has always attracted large numbers of immigrants from all over the world. Recently, a number of notable changes have been proposed and implemented in Canadian immigration rules. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has made changes to procedures and categories of temporary and permanent immigration such as Temporary Foreign Worker; Federal Skilled Worker and Federal and Family Class Permanent Immigration.

temporary foreign worker

Recent cases have seen migrants face serious exploitation in their workplaces. Somewhere, these events make the hopeful immigrant a little worried before he finally decides to go to Canada. The Government of Canada has proposed certain amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations in order to prevent these situations from acting as a deterrent to the inflow of immigrants. These changes are being proposed to protect the interests of people immigrating to Canada under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. These government-induced changes are necessary for the following reasons:

• Reduce the exploitation of workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

• Increase employers’ responsibilities to their foreign employees because if

• If the employer does not follow the rules, he will be severely punished.

• Work permits issued under the scheme are for temporary use only

• Strengthen government oversight of temporary foreign workers and their employers.

Immigration Rule Changes

Under new rules put in place by the government, employers will now have to prove that job offers he makes to temporary foreign workers are real and not fake. It is necessary for the employer to prove that he has a good record with foreign workers in the past. Employers are banned from hiring temporary foreign workers for two years if rough treatment is found in terms of low wages and inhumane working conditions. Full details of employers who are not eligible to hire foreign workers will be available on the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

The work limit for temporary foreign workers will be four years, then extended for another four years, and they will not be entitled to work in Canada. These changes will be applied effective April 1, 2011 to ensure fair treatment of Canadian workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

Federal Skilled Worker

The Government of Canada has also made certain amendments to the federal skilled worker program. Past history has shown that changes made in this category have yielded positive results, which has been the driving force behind the introduction of new content by the government. Citizenship and Immigration Canada is proposing these changes in light of the needs of Canadian society and the economy. Some of the changes CIC is proposing under this plan are:

• CIC is proposing to increase the minimum score for applicants in the language category from 16 to 20 points.

• Increased the score from 10 to 12 for applicants aged 25 to 34, taking into account factors such as adaptability.

• Reduce the number of years of education required to enter the trade.

• The maximum score for the work experience domain has been reduced from 21 to 15 points.

• Evaluate job offers from employers to avoid potential fraud.

These changes to the federal skilled worker program are intended to make it easier for immigrants to achieve their economic goals, but so far, the changes are theoretical and not put into practice by CIC.