Immigration Minister Jason Kenney claims changes to the Canada visa system make Canada more responsive to the country's needs.
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20 April 2012
Canada visa reform seeds doubt among provinces
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney's widely publicised Canada visa reform has led to some doubt among Nova Scotia's politicians who claim the new system could overlook the Eastern Province.
Mr Kenney has announced several changes to Canada visa policies in recent weeks, allowing provinces to handpick migrants who can address their skills shortages and prioritising skilled workers' applications that have the required language skills.
However, speaking at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Mr Kenney left many local employers and politicians coming away feeling less than convinced that given the choice, most immigrants will choose the struggling Nova Scotia over Alberta and its booming economy.
"It's very hard to tell, but it sounded very much that it was going to be almost like a free market competition for immigrants and potential immigrants, and we want to make sure that there's a level playing field - that Nova Scotia is given an equal opportunity to compete," said New Democrat Leonard Preyra who attended Mr Kenney's talk.
"Often our message doesn't get out to those prospective migrants."
Mr Kenney dismissed claims that Nova Scotia would suffer under the new system, saying every locality will earn their fair share of skilled workers.
"Competition's a good thing for a businessperson, and I should you hope you believe in it," said Mr Kenney.
"Whether you like it or not, there's competition for talent in a global marketplace. You've got to the get into the game. You've got to provide people with the right compensation package, the right future prospects.
"I don't see it as a zero-sum game at all. For goodness' sakes, there are billions of people who want to migrate here. It's not like there's a finite pool."
Mr Kenney insisted the changes were to make the Canadian immigration system more responsive to global trends; he has repeatedly stated his intention to reform the system from supply-driven to demand driven.
Mr Kenney said immigrants who have already secured job offers will be processed the quickest, followed by those with sufficient language skills while a new points system will determine their eligibility and benefits; a high score, for example will fare better for applicants who wish to bring a partner to Canada.
The Canadian Visa Bureau is an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people make their application to the Canadian Embassy.
