May 2, 2018 – Canada and Ontario have moved to build on an immigration agreement signed in 2017 with three major extensions, aimed at francophone immigration, partnerships with municipalities and international students.
The move comes as Canada’s largest province has boosted the use of its provincial nominee program, receiving an increased allocation of 6,600 immigrants in 2018.
Federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen and his provincial counterpart Laura Albanese have signed three annexes to the original immigration agreement, which forms the framework of the federal-provincial relationship over the next five years.
French-Speaking Immigrants Annex
The French-Speaking Immigrants Annex is aimed at boosting the number of francophone immigrations being brought in to Ontario.
The Canadian government has targeted a 4.4 per cent boost in the number of French-speaking immigrants by 2023. Meanwhile, Ontario has its own target of making francophones 5 per cent of all immigrants.
A recent meeting in April saw a Federal, Provincial and Territorial Action Plan put together for increasing francophone immigration outside Quebec.
FPT Action Plan for Increasing Francophone Immigration Outside of Quebec
- Promoting awareness of Francophone immigration opportunities, immigration pathways and settlement services to prospective French-speaking applicants;
- Increasing employer engagement in French-speaking immigrant recruitment and employment;
- Increasing the availability, awareness and accessibility of French language services; and
- Supporting diverse and inclusive Francophone communities.
The Action Plan supports the following outcomes:
- an increased number of French-speaking immigrants settling in Canada outside Quebec;
- an increased participation rate of French-speaking immigrants in local labour markets; and
- an increased participation rate of French-speaking immigrants in broader communities and social networks.
Ontario already runs a French-Speaking Skilled Worker Program, which selects francophone candidates from the Express Entry Pool for immigration. Nearly 400 candidates have been invited to apply through the program in 2018.
Ontario is home to 622,415 Francophones, the largest population in Canada outside of Quebec.
Partnership with Municipalities Annex
Ontario’s smaller communities are struggling with a shrinking labour market just like many of the smaller provinces.
In Ontario, the vast majority of immigrants choose to settle in the Toronto are, leaving smaller communities fighting to attract and retain newcomers.
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Northern Ontario Wants Own Version Of Atlantic Immigration Pilot
The Partnership with Municipalities Annex looks to address this, but helping smaller communities attract more immigrants, and also retain and integrate them.
Northern Ontario mayors recently issued a joint call for a similar program to the Atlantic Immigration Pilot to be implemented in their region. The AIP has a particular focus on integration and retention, with candidates needing a settlement plan, job offer and provincial endorsement before they qualify for immigration.
International Students Annex
International students who graduate from Canadian institutions have emerged as key new immigrants under the current federal government.
With their existing knowledge of Canada and its official languages, possession of Canadian qualifications and often work experience, they have already completed much of the integration required to make a successful life here.
The Canada-Ontario International Students Annex looks to build on this by looking at ways to welcome more international students to the province.
Ontario already runs several programs aimed at students, including the hugely popular Masters Graduate Stream, the PhD Graduate Stream, and an International Student Stream under its Employer Job Offer Category.
Ontario received 156,670 international students in 2017, accounting for 49.2% of all international students in Canada.
To be eligible to apply for the PhD Graduate Stream, you must meet the following criteria:
- Graduated from a PhD degree program at a publicly funded Ontario university and have completed at least two years of study.
- Intend to live and work in Ontario.
- Must legally live in Canada if applying from within. Applications from abroad also accepted.
- Application must be within two years of date on PhD diploma.
To be eligible to apply for the Masters Graduate Stream, you must meet the following criteria:
- Graduated from a Master’s degree program at a publicly funded Ontario university and have completed at least one-year full time.
- Have level 7 or above English or French.
- Lived in Ontario for at least one year in the last two.
- Have sufficient settlement funds.
- Intend to live and work in Ontario.
- Must either legally live in Ontario or live abroad. Applications from elsewhere in Canada will not be accepted.
- Application must be within two years of date on master’s degree certificate.
Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.
Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.
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