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2003-41 |
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CANADA AND
ALBERTA SIGN AGREEMENTS TO ATTRACT MORE SKILLED IMMIGRANTS AND FOREIGN
STUDENTS
CALGARY, October
16, 2003 -- The Honourable Denis Coderre, Minister of Citizenship
and Immigration Canada, and Dr. Lyle Oberg, Minister of Alberta Learning,
are launching two joint initiatives to attract more foreign students to
Alberta and are extending existing measures to draw more skilled immigrants
to the province.
The Ministers have
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that sets out the terms of
an innovative pilot project to fast-track the processing of study permit
applications from selected foreign students. They also agreed to allow
foreign students, who graduate from post-secondary institutions in Alberta,
to stay and work in the province for an extra year. In a third announcement,
the Ministers agreed to expand the existing Provincial Nominee Program
(PNP) that allows Alberta to attract targeted skilled immigrants, who
could help the province meet its economic development needs.
"I am pleased
with the collaborative approach that is being fostered between the Government
of Canada and Alberta," said Minister Coderre. "Through these
three initiatives, Alberta and the federal government will be working
together to make Canada a destination of choice for talented foreign students
and skilled immigrants."
"Alberta has
always recognized the economic, social and cultural contribution that
immigrants and international students make to Alberta," said Dr. Oberg.
"As a province, we have had to look very seriously at how we hope
to meet our labour force needs now and in the future. With the signing
of these groundbreaking foreign student pilot projects and other initiatives,
such as the extension of the Provincial Nominee agreement, Alberta is
leading the way for a prosperous future."
Fast-tracking
study permits
Alberta is the first
province to sign an agreement with the Government of Canada to fast-track
study permits for foreign students. The joint MOU sets out the terms for
the priority processing of study permit applications submitted by foreign
students destined for designated post-secondary learning institutions
in Alberta. Visa officers at participating Canadian missions abroad will
be able to process the applications in as few as 28 days, down from
standard processing times of up to three months.
To be fast-tracked,
applicants must be accepted, and have committed to studying, at a publicly
funded Alberta post-secondary institution that is designated in the MOU.
Students must also pass an approved medical examination. As with all foreign
students, only candidates who pose no identifiable risk to Canada's security
or public safety will be considered for permits.
The two-year pilot
is expected to take effect on April 1, 2004. As it unfolds, federal
and provincial officials will work with institutions to develop consistent
and effective documents and procedures. The MOU also calls for an evaluation
of the pilot, enhanced information exchanges among partners, and the application
of best practices.
"This is an
important initiative for international students as well as students here
in Alberta," said Dr. David Marshall, President, Mount Royal
College. "Streamlining the study permit process will increase access
for foreign students and ensure that students here in Alberta have a more
global perspective as they exchange ideas with their international peers
throughout their studies."
The MOU was signed
at Mount Royal College, which has approximately 3,500 international students
enrolled in programs this year.
Extended work
terms
In another measure
to attract and retain foreign students, Ministers Coderre and Oberg also
agreed to issue two-year work permits to foreign students who graduate
from publicly funded Alberta post-secondary institutions. Under the agreement,
foreign graduates from Alberta post-secondary institutions will be allowed
to stay and work in their field of study for two years without the need
for further government approvals. Currently, temporary work terms are
restricted to one year.
This three-year pilot
project will take effect on January 1, 2004. New Brunswick has a
similar program in place.
Provincial Nominee
Program
In addition to the
foreign student initiatives, Ministers Coderre and Oberg committed to
expanding Alberta's Provincial Nominee Program, which gives the province
a more direct role in selecting immigrants who wish to settle in the province.
The program, which has been operating as a two-year pilot since March
2002, will be extended for a third year. Moreover, the number of candidates
who can be nominated for immigration will be doubled to 800.
The expansion of
Alberta's PNP agreement will enable the province to nominate more candidates
with the skills and experience Alberta needs. Under PNP agreements, provinces
and territories may nominate immigrants who they believe would contribute
to their economic and social development. Most Canadian provinces and
territories have signed PNP agreements with the Government of Canada.
-30-
For more information
(media only):
Sarah
Bain
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister
(613) 954-1064
Bart Johnson
Communications Director
Alberta Learning
(780) 427-5196 |
|
Susan
Scarlett
Media Relations
Communications Branch
(613) 941-7035 |
BACKGROUNDER
Joint Canada-Alberta Initiatives
to Attract Foreign Students
- Priority processing
of international students accepted at designated Alberta educational
institutions
- Extended work
terms for graduates of Alberta post-secondary institutions
Overview
- The governments
of Canada and Alberta have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
establishing a two-year pilot project for the priority processing of
study permits for students to Alberta post-secondary institutions through
Canadian missions abroad.
- The two governments
also agreed, on a pilot basis, to double to two years the period during
which foreign students, who have graduated from a publicly funded institution
in Alberta, can stay in the province to work in their field of study.
- The measures are
part of a comprehensive series of federal-provincial-territorial initiatives
to attract and retain greater numbers of talented international students,
who contribute to the economic, social and cultural life of Alberta
and Canada.
Procedures
- Under the MOU
between Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Ministry of
Alberta Learning, visa officers at Canadian missions in New Delhi and
Beijing will issue study permits to successful applicants within 28 days.
- Fast-tracking
procedures would apply to students who:
- have submitted
a complete and straightforward application;
- have been
accepted in an academic program at one of the publicly funded institutions
that is party to the MOU through Alberta Learning;
- have committed
to attending the institution to which they have been accepted;
- have passed
an approved medical examination prior to applying for their study
permit;
- pose no identifiable
risk to Canadian security or public safety; and
- present an
application that requires no significant investigations.
- The MOU also includes
provisions for collecting, sharing and analysing data emerging from
the pilot project.
- The terms of the
MOU take effect on April 1, 2004, and will remain in effect for
two years.
- Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam, is also included in the pilot once processing capacity at the
mission in Vietnam is realized.
Extended work
terms
- The Canadian and
Alberta governments also agreed to extend by a second year the period
during which foreign students, who have graduated from a publicly funded
institution in Alberta, can stay and work without the need for further
government approvals.
- Currently, temporary
work terms are restricted to one year.
- Students must
work for employers in Alberta for both years of the work term.
- The agreement,
implemented as a three-year pilot project, would take effect on January 1,
2004.
Destination of
choice
- The joint Canada-Alberta
initiatives are among a series of measures designed to make Canada,
and Alberta specifically, a destination of choice for foreign students.
- Both governments
recognize the importance of attracting more foreign students, who enrich
campus life with their culture and perspectives. International students
can also widen Canada's and Alberta's pool of skilled workers. Moreover,
foreign students who have studied in Canada tend to return to their
home countries with an enhanced understanding and appreciation of Canada
and its people.
- In that context,
CIC and its provincial partners are testing various ways to enhance
the recruitment and retention of foreign students. Several pilot projects
are being negotiated or are underway across Canada.
- The priority-processing
pilot is intended to make Alberta more competitive in attracting foreign
students. For example, it would enable the province to move more quickly
to offer high-quality students acceptance at post-secondary institutions.
- The extended work
terms are aimed at foreign graduates. By spending more time in the province,
foreign students are more likely to develop ties to Alberta communities
and the labour force. If they wish to apply for permanent resident status
as skilled workers, an extra year of employment would give them additional
points for experience when their applications are assessed. These graduates
will also be able to submit their immigration applications and continue
working while awaiting a decision.
- The measures adopted
by Alberta also aim to draw international students to regions that,
unlike Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, do not attract sufficient numbers
of educated newcomers. The 2001 Canadian census reveals that, of the
1.8 million immigrants and refugees who arrived in Canada during
the 1990s, 73 per cent settled in and around these three large
cities. Alberta receives six per cent of Canadian immigrants.
- In 2002, there
were 105,852 international students approved for study in Canada at
university, trade and other post-secondary levels of study. Of those,
6,954 -- or six per cent -- were approved for study in Alberta.
BACKGROUNDER
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
General
The Provincial Nominee
Program (PNP) allows the provinces and territories to select immigrants
who have specific skills that will contribute to the local economy. The
Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations have established
a provincial nominee class, allowing provinces and territories that have
agreements with CIC to nominate a certain number of foreign nationals
for immigration to their respective regions.
Saskatchewan, British
Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward
Island, Yukon, Alberta, and Nova Scotia all have provincial nominee agreements.
(Note that under the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec has exclusive
selection responsibility for all independent immigrants and refugees abroad
who are destined for Quebec.)
Nominees must meet
federal admissibility requirements, such as those related to health and
security. Specifically:
- Provincial nominee
agreements provide a mechanism for provinces and territories to increase
the economic benefits of immigration, taking into account local economic
priorities and labour market conditions;
- Each agreement
entitles the province or territory to nominate a certain number of immigration
candidates over the course of the agreement. The number of nominees
does not include the accompanying family members who immigrate to Canada
with them;
- Provincial nominees
brought in under these agreements become permanent residents of Canada;
- The Government
of Canada will continue to enforce the statutory requirements related
to the security and medical screening of the immigration applicants
and retains the right to make the final selection.
Alberta PNP
- The Alberta Provincial
Nominee Agreement was signed in March 2002 as a two-year pilot program.
It allows Alberta to nominate 400 skilled candidates, who will meet
the specific economic and industrial development needs of the province.
- Provincial nominees
become landed immigrants, who have the skills to meet medium to long-term
skill shortages in Alberta.
- Since the agreement
came into effect, Alberta has nominated approximately 160 candidates.
- The governments
of Canada and Alberta recognize the importance of evaluating the PNP
to determine its net impacts and outcomes in the province of Alberta.
Both governments agree to cooperate in evaluating the Alberta PNP during
the third year of the pilot project.
- In 2002, Alberta
received 14,729 immigrants, or 6.43 per cent of the total number
of immigrants who came to Canada.
What's New in
the Alberta PNP
Amending the Agreement
will:
- extend its duration
by one year. The agreement will now operate until March 2005;
- add an additional
400 nominations, allowing Alberta to nominate a total of 800 candidates
over the course of the agreement;
- demonstrate Canada's
and Alberta's mutual recognition of the importance of encouraging the
development of minority official-language communities;
- enable Alberta
nominees, who have a job offer, to be issued a temporary work permit
without requiring further government approvals.
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