March 15, 2012

Legislating Away Immigration Backlog

At the Economic Club of Canada luncheon, Minister Jason Kenney discussed legislating away the massive immigration backlog by allowing provinces to pick applicants from one big pool in a bid to transform Canada’s immigration system into one that’s driven by the economy. He promised “transformational changes” to immigration that will focus on the need for skilled newcomers who can fill gaps in the country’s labour market.

He indicated that a new pilot project is now in place to allow provinces to go through the backlog of newcomers and pick those who meet the local labour force needs.  “People with flexible human capital, high level of language proficiency and a prearranged job are set for success so that will be an important guidepost as we move towards transformational change”

 The federal government has already struck deals with British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and the Northwest Territories to sort through the backlogs. It is estimated that Canada will welcome an additional 3,000 – 4,000 newcomers through the provincial nominee program.

Kenney encourages those applicants “stuck” in the backlog to pull their applications and consider re-applying through the much faster provincial nominee program.

Furthermore, government officials and employers across the country are discussing ways of creating a more “active” immigration system in which employers can have direct access to the backlog database and recruit skilled workers.

If you have a pending application and would like to discuss your options for re-applying, contact us today!