Immigration Minister Marc Miller has acknowledged the Canadian immigration system\u2019s \u201cchanging realities and growing pressures\u201d from both international (public health and humanitarian crises) and domestic (housing and labor shortages) sources.<\/p>\n
The address was delivered during a meeting of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration last week.<\/p>\n
The first hour of this assembly was oriented towards Miller and two other Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) officials briefing on the minister\u2019s priorities and objectives for the department in question.<\/p>\n
This included the need for newcomers to Canada to be provided with a clear path to contributing meaningfully to their communities and to be a \u201cpart of the solution to these challenges\u201d \u2013 one of the focus areas for achieving which is to target the international student program<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n Herein, Miller highlighted the need to ensure that the best students<\/span><\/a> are maintained by being provided with immigration benefits throughout all regions of the country while meeting francophone immigration requirements. In terms of the temporary student cap suggestion, Miller said that setting a cap is not a good tool for the \u201ctype of surgery to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n Read More:<\/b><\/p>\n The protection of the integrity of the international student program is paramount, as per the immigration minister, and it is vital that young foreign scholars are buffered from fraudulent immigration consultants<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n Newcomers to Canada also need to be adequately housed and supported \u2013 especially those dealing with humanitarian crises. Miller stressed the immigration department\u2019s recent push towards providing housing for asylum claimants<\/span><\/a> amid a temporary surge in their numbers, along with aiming for them to enter the workforce quickly through simplified work permit access.<\/p>\n Other measures suggested for their applications\u2019 simplification are to:<\/p>\n While significant progress has been made in reducing processing times and increasing the day-to-day integrity of IRCC, further work appears requisite.<\/p>\n MP Salma Zahid questioned Miller about overseas caregivers, more than 4300 of whom were welcomed in 2023 through PR pathways.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, due to changing caregiver programs and rules, and due to no fault of their own, they have fallen out of status,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWill you commit to a program of amnesty and regularization for these caregivers?\u201d<\/p>\n Miller responded by saying that progress has been made toward that aim, with reduced work experience requirements<\/span><\/a> from 24 to 12 months for these workers.<\/p>\n
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Caregivers Driven Out of Status Due to Changing Programs and Rules<\/h3>\n
What Constitutes as \u201cImmediate Family Members\u201d for Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents with Family in Sudan?<\/h3>\n