New Measures To Help Ukrainians Embroiled In War With Russia Come To Canada

Colin Singer
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New Measures To Help Ukrainians Embroiled In War With Russia Come To Canada

Canada immigration news: Applications from Ukraine will be fast-tracked as Canada steps in to help Ukrainians and Canadian citizens in the war-torn region, says Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

“Canada is steadfast in its support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Fraser tweeted on Thursday. 

“For over a month, we have been priority-processing applications from Ukraine,” he tweeted. “Today, we announced new measures to support Ukrainians and Canadian citizens in the region.”

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Ukraine, a former part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), is embroiled in battle with Russia, fighting that country on three sides yesterday after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war shortly before dawn. 

Russia’s Putin Declares War On Ukraine

Gunfire and explosions were heard on Thursday morning in Kyiv, a city of three million people, in what is now the biggest assault on a European state since the Second World War. 

Tens of thousands of people have fled from their homes. 

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is stepping in to support Ukrainians and others living in that country, and working to make it easier and faster for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their accompanying immediate family members to return to Canada.

Those Canadians, permanent residents and their family members in Ukraine who need new and replacement travel documents are being put at the front of the line. 

Canada has already been prioritizing for the past month citizenship grant applications for adoption, as well as permanent and temporary residence applications for people with a primary residence in Ukraine who want to reunite or travel with family, study, work, or start a new life in Canada. 

“Ukrainian nationals currently in Canada on a temporary basis can apply to extend their status as a visitor, student or worker,” states the IRCC on its website. “Since Jan. 19, IRCC has approved nearly 2,000 applications from Ukrainian nationals and people residing in Ukraine across various programs.”

IRCC Launches Initiatives To Help Ukrainians Come To Canada

Now, Canada is pledging to do more. Among the new immigration measures are:

  • a dedicated service channel for Ukraine enquiries that will be available for clients both in Canada and abroad at 613-321-4243, with collect calls accepted. In addition, clients can now add the keyword “Ukraine2022” to the IRCC Web form with their enquiry and their e-mail will be prioritized;
  • urgent processing of travel documents, including issuing single-journey travel documents for immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who do not have valid passports;
  • an updated web page to provide current information on measures. This page will include content in Ukrainian for ease of reference;
  • allowing Ukrainians currently in Canada to extend their stay or stay longer in Canada by prioritizing the renewal of work and study permits, and extending a policy that allows individuals to apply for a work permit from within Canada. This policy would allow temporary residents who receive a job offer to remain in Canada and start working while they wait for their work permit application to be processed, and;
  • IRCC will issue open work permits to Ukrainian visitors, workers and students who are currently in Canada and cannot go home, so they can stay longer if they wish. Fees are being waived, retroactive to Feb. 22, for certain travel and immigration documents, such as Canadian passports, permanent resident travel documents, proofs of citizenship, visitor visas, and work and study permits. 

Immigration Minister Says Canada Will Do Even More

“We’re implementing urgent processing of travel documents, including issuing single-journey travel documents, for Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate family members,” tweeted Fraser. “We’re also ensuring that Ukrainians currently in Canada do not have to leave.”

Until the situation in Ukraine stabilizes, Ottawa is not even deporting back to Ukraine those in Canada illegally or found guilty of criminal activity, human rights violations, or who pose a security threat. The Canada Border Services Agency has put a stop to all these deportations.

Canadian immigration officials have also upped their game in Ukraine, relocating staff and moving additional supplies and equipment, such as mobile biometric collection kits, in anticipation of an increased volume of requests. 

The IRCC has also adjusted operations in offices across its global network to ensure service continuity for Ukraine. Online options are available for most applications.

“Let me be clear: we will not stop here,” tweeted Fraser. “As the situation unfolds, we are preparing additional measures and will increase our efforts to welcome Ukrainians in Canada.” 

Nova Scotia Immigration Triples Number Of Newcomers In 2021

Colin Singer
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0
Nova Scotia Immigration Triples Number Of Newcomers In 2021

Canada immigration news: Nova Scotia almost tripled the number of new permanent residents it welcomed to its shores in 2021 compared to the previous year, setting a provincial Canada immigration record.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) figures released earlier this month reveal the Atlantic Canadian province welcomed 9,020 new permanent residents in 2021, an increase of 157 per cent over the 3,510 that settled in Nova Scotia in 2020 – and 19 per cent more than the 7,580 new permanent residents in 2019.

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That was the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic and it then represented an immigration record for Nova Scotia.

Provincial politicians are smiling over the new immigration record set last year.

“Nova Scotia is a welcoming province filled with opportunities and it has helped us become one million strong,” said Jill Balser, the provincial immigration minister. 

Nova Scotia Hoping To Double Population By 2060

“Newcomers help to fill labour needs, fuel our economy, create new businesses and jobs and enhance our quality of life,” she said. “We are so glad that they have chosen Nova Scotia to be their home.”

Immigration to the province had been steadily rising since 2015 when the pandemic caused a temporary setback.

IRCC figures show the number of new permanent residents settling in Nova Scotia in 2021 was almost three times as high as the 3,405 who came seven years ago.

The province is hoping to build on its record-setting immigration levels to double its population to two million by 2060. Doing that would mean attracting 25,000 new permanent residents every year, or almost three times as many as Nova Scotia brought in last year.

The province is also turning to immigration to resolve its labour shortages, particularly in the healthcare sector and skilled trades.

In the six years that ended in December 2021, Nova Scotia approved 1,542 registered nurses and continuing care assistants, making them the top two healthcare professions approved by province’s immigration department. 

Lamis Alhassan, who came to Nova Scotia through the Economic Mobility Pathways pilot, is one of them.  A foreign-trained nurse currently working as a continuing care assistant in New Glasgow, she is hoping to get her foreign credentials recognized so she can work in Canada as a registered nurse.

“I’ve been in Nova Scotia for seven months and I’m loving the nature, clean environment, peace, quiet and the many recreational activities offered here in the province,” she said.  

Settlement Services A Valuable Tool In Retaining Immigrants

Last year, the top five countries of origin for immigrants to Nova Scotia were India, China, Philippines, South Korea and Nigeria. Many of those newcomers benefit greatly from settlement services offered by the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS).

Certainly, the province credits those services for allowing it to boast the highest retention rate in Atlantic Canada, 71 per cent.

“Settlement services such as language, employment, and community integration supports are key to the effective engagement of immigrants in our workplaces and our communities,” said Jennifer Watts, ISANS’ CEO.

“Through our programs and services, we welcome new talent, perspectives, and opportunities to the province.”

Economic programs continue to be the most popular route for immigrants to settle in Nova Scotia. Last year, they brought in 7,600 new permanent residents to the province, or almost 84.3 per cent of all newcomers to Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) accounted for 2,275 of those new permanent residents and another 920 got their permanent residency through the one-time temporary-to-permanent-resident program put in place by Ottawa last year. 

It was worker programs, though, and most particularly the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) program and Canadian Experience Class (CEC), which brought in the most immigrants to the province. The AIP helped 2,670 new permanent residents settle in the province and the CEC another 1,670.

Fifty new permanent residents came to the province under the Skilled Worker program and 10 under business programs. Family sponsorships resulted in 730 new permanent residents and 625 came to Nova Scotia as refugees or protected persons. 

Immigration to Nova Scotia last year represented slightly more than 2.2 per cent of the total 405,330 new permanent residents to Canada in 2021.

Quebec Refugee Collective Sponsorship Program Application Window Closes

Colin Singer
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0
Quebec Refugee Collective Sponsorship Program Application Window Closes

Canada immigration news: The one-month period during which organizations in Quebec could apply to sponsor refugees is now over.

Previous Quebec Immigration Minister Nadine Girault announced in late October last year that province would be accepting sponsorship applications under Quebec’s Collective Sponsorship program from Jan. 18 and running through to Feb. 16.

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Last week, that deadline came and went. 

Quebec is now advising all organizations that applied to sponsor a refugee that changes can no longer be made to their applications on the Arrima Express Entry-style online platform.

“The minister of immigration, francization, and integration could proceed to undertake one or several draws if the number of applications submitted and admissible exceeds the maximum number of applications that are allowed from … sponsors,” MIFI states in French on its website.

Quebec To Accept 825 Sponsored Refugees This Year

Quebec Immigration announced late last year it would accept 825 applications for the sponsorship of refugees in 2022, including 400 from organizations and 425 from groups of two to five people. In the eventuality that immigration officials receive more applications than that, the province will hold a random draw to select those applications it will consider.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) figures released last week show Quebec welcomed 1,610 refugees last year, down 6.9 per cent from the 1,730 that settled in that province in 2020. 

In 2019, the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic, Quebec welcomed 4,815 refugees. 

The announcement that Quebec would resume its Collective Sponsorship program was greatly welcomed last year by non-profits in the province. 

In November, 2020, the Gazette Officielle du Québec had published a decision barring organizations from sponsoring refugees for one year. The decision referred only to “serious concerns” which had to be examined. At that time, Quebec’s immigration minister had not expanded on that to the news media and refugee advocacy groups lambasted the government for that decision.

Action Réfugiés Montréal executive director Paul Clarke reportedly then told the French-language daily newspaper La Presse the province was tarring all refugee organizations with the same brush and described Quebec’s decision as unfortunate.

“They are using a hammer when they should be using a scalpel (to do a job which requires surgical precision),” he said in French.

Return Of Quebec Collective Sponsorship Program Greeted With Relief

Quebec’s issues with the sponsorship of refugees by organizations under that program, officially known as the Programme des personnes réfugiées à l’étranger (Parrainage collectif), was resolved late last year.

“We have reached an important milestone in our collective sponsorship program in terms of ensuring the protection and well-being of refugees as we receive them here in the very welcoming society that is Quebec,” said Girault in French in October.

In its bid to ensure the integrity of the program, Quebec has banned organizations that have submitted false or misleading information in the previous two years from being able to sponsor refugees in the coming year.  

Sponsorship groups can send a maximum of two applications but a Quebec citizen or permanent resident cannot be part of more than one sponsorship group. Those sponsors pledge themselves to provide for the basic needs of the candidate and his or her family for 12 months.

Those responsibilities include providing for:

  • costs of getting settled in Quebec, including housing, furnishings, travel, food and clothing;
  • expenses for health care, health services and drugs not covered or reimbursed by a public insurance plan, and;
  • costs related to helping the candidate enter the job market or look for a job that are not covered by a government program.

The sponsor must also offer the candidate and his or her family help with integration, including:

  • assistance in finding a job;
  • help with school registration;
  • support in accessing public services, and;
  • support for participation in community life.

To qualify, the candidate must be a convention refugee or a member of the Country of Asylum Class. 

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