Largest Canada visa stream to reopen May 2013

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) was closed for new Canada visa applications in June to allow the Canadian government to deal with approximately 100,000 old applications caught up in an extensive backlog. This move came only after the government's decision to simply cancel and refund almost 300,000 applications earlier in the year.

Mr Kenney has long since stated his intention to introduce a faster, more flexible and more efficient immigration system which will allow new immigrants to work at their appropriate skill level and benefit the Canadian economy immediately.

"Rather than bringing engineers to Canada to drive cabs or doctors to be corner store clerks, we want the engineers who we select to actually be able to work as engineers and the doctors to be able to work as doctors," said the minister.

As part of the new system, more preference will be given to younger applicants with better language skills and professional skills or qualifications which can be used in Canada.

"The reforms we're making are designed to dramatically improve the economic outcome of newcomers and to help Canada's productivity as our workforce shrinks and our population ages," added Mr Kenney.

The minister's decision to both cancel almost 300,000 legitimate visa applications as well as place a moratorium on FSWP applications has proved extremely controversial with several legal challenges being filed against the minister and his department.

However, Mr Kenney claims both steps have allowed the government to all but eliminate the backlog completely and allow new applications - which will begin being accepted 4, May, 2013 - to be processed in a matter of months rather than years.

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The Canadian Visa Bureau is an independent migration consultancy specialising in helping people make their application to the Canadian Embassy.