17 March 2008

Record number of people taking advantage of Canadian immigration

A record number of people entered Canada through Canada immigration last year, according to official figures. Preliminary statistics from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) have revealed that a record number of people took advantage of permanent and temporary Canada immigration in 2007.

Honourable Diane Finley, minister of citizenship and immigration, said: "These numbers show that our immigration program is responding to Canada's needs, particularly our economic needs." She added that labour shortages are affecting sectors across the country and Canada immigration is "helping to meet labour demands and to ensure industries are able to remain competitive in the global economy". In 2007 429,649 people were admitted into Canada, which is 60,000 more than four years ago. There was a 12 per cent increase in the number of people admitted through temporary Canada immigration.

CIC has also announced that it will be giving funding to 12 organisations in Calgary which help newcomers to Canada settle in the area.

Canada welcomes new immigrants: The Canadian Visa Bureau can assist skilled workers interested in Canadian immigration. More information on Canadian visas is available on the website. Anyone applying for a Canadian visa should begin by completing the online Canadian visa application to see if they meet the legislative requirements.