A new guide for immigrant women has recently been released by the province of Manitoba.  The guide was developed by a committee of community and government representatives.  It offers advice on resources and services and provides information on issues such as legal rights, child care, and housing.

“The guide takes into account the unique settlement experiences and needs of immigrant women, providing helpful hints and contact information for a wide range of services and supports across the province,” states Manitoba Labour and Immigration Minister, Nancy Allan.

The guide will be available at www.manitoba.ca/msw.

Furthermore, Canadian Minister of State (Status of Women) Helena Guergis has recently announced funding of $314,000 for a project called “Being a Canadian Muslim Woman in the 21st Century”, which will be implemented in partnership with the Canadian Council for Muslim Women.  The goal of the project is to equip young Muslim women in Canada with leadership skills and knowledge about their rights for gender and racial equality.

Additionally, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney recently announced $441,000 of funding for a project called “MY CANADA”, which seeks to promote cross-cultural understanding.

The program focuses on Muslim youth, teaching inter-cultural dialogue at multi-faith sessions for Muslim and non-Muslim youth in schools and community centres across Canada.

“This project demonstrates the importance of promoting common understanding and mutual respect – the basic building blocks to achieve peace and stability here in Canada and elsewhere in the world,” stated Minister Kenney.

Canadian immigration policy recognizes the fundamental importance of assisting immigrants reunite their families in Canada. Accordingly, family reunification is a key objective of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).The CIC is the government agency responsible for all immigration and citizenship matters including family sponsorship. The CIC refers to those who are eligible to use the family sponsorship process as the Family Class.

A permanent resident of Canada or a Canadian citizen may sponsor a spouse, dependent child or other eligible relative, such as a sibling, parent or grandparent, to become a Canadian permanent resident. The eligibility to sponsor a spouse also extends to common law and same sex partners.

Those who sponsor a relative to come to Canada as a permanent resident, undertake significant legal responsibilities including the obligation to support the family member financially upon arrival. A sponsor must ensure that the spouse or relative does not seek government financial assistance.

Those admitted to Canada as a family class immigrant become permanent residents. They can live, study and work in Canada. They enjoy the same rights and privileges as all Canadians except the right to vote which is an exclusive right of citizenship.

Any Canadian citizen or permanent resident may apply to become a sponsor. There are two different processes for sponsoring your family depending on the relationship to the family member.

This area of immigration law can be complex and presents considerable legal considerations. As such, one should always always seek the appropriate legal assistance before proceeding.

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The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration announced $1.4 million in funding for mentorship programs to help immigrants in Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge.

The funding will expand the Host program, which matches newcomers with Canadian volunteers as mentors to practise language skills, get contacts in their field of work and adjust culturally to life in Canada.

Host programs at the YMCA of Kitchener-Waterloo include:

* The Mentorship/Partnership program matches newcomer professionals with experienced professionals from Canada. The objective of the mentoring relationship is to provide newcomers with as much information as possible to help them attain their personal and professional goals.
* The Newcomer Youth Support program organizes recreational and learning-based activities for newcomer youths, helping them through the process of settling and adjusting to Canadian society.
* The School Host program matches newcomer children with volunteers in local schools to help children adjust to the school system and to promote cultural sensitivity.
* The Senior Host program matches newcomer senior citizens with local seniors, allowing newcomers to socialize and become friends with volunteers in their appropriate age group.
The mentorship program aims to allow newcomers to get one-on-one assistance from volunteers who guide their efforts to find work in their chosen field. The program’s youth worker also plays an essential role by connecting newcomer youths to the people, places and things they should know to succeed and make good choices.

Through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement, the Government of Canada has increased funding for settlement and language training to Ontario by a total of $920 million over five years. Overall, the federal government is providing increased funding of $1.3 billion over five years to support newcomers as they seek to integrate into our society and economy.

> Contact a Licensed immigration consultant to visit, study, work or immigrate to Canada

Source: CIC

Canada needs to take a fresh approach to immigration if it wants to avoid worsening labour shortages, the federal finance minister has been told.

Attracting and retaining skilled workers from abroad was a key issue at a private, invitation-only forum held near Ottawa last week with Jim Flaherty and Canadian business leaders and academics. More than two dozen people from all walks of Canadian life – universities, big banks, Bay Street, authors and environmentalists – met for two days in Merrickville in Eastern Ontario.

“There were lots of ideas … relating to openness, in terms of mobility within Canada …,” Flaherty said in a telephone interview. One way of attracting and retaining workers is to provide incentives for non-Canadian students to enter Canadian universities. Many are staying in Canada, and joining the workforce, after completing their education.

Source: The Canadian Press

In recent years, the top students at any given board in Greater Toronto have been just as likely to be immigrants as Canadian-born.

In the Toronto public board, all three top students this year are immigrants. Top student Wang enrolled in ESL when she arrived from Xian, China, in 2002.

The Peel District School Board’s top spot was shared by four students – all born outside Canada. More…

Source:  Toronto Star

After the CPC begins processing the application for permanent residence – You will not receive a refund.

After CIC has a issued a visa, or your relative or family member has already become a permanent resident – You cannot withdraw your sponsorship; you are obliged to support your relative or family member.

Fro the time your sponsored family members or relatives become permanent residents of Canada, you must support:

* your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner for three years;
* dependent children under age 22 for 10 years or until age 25, whichever comes first;
* dependent children aged 22 or over for three years; and
* other relatives for 10 years.
If your sponsored relatives receive social assistance within these periods, you are in default and must repay the social assistance payments to the government concerned.

You may sponsor your spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, or dependent children with no dependent children of their own, if you are a Canadian citizen living abroad and provided you will return to live in Canada once your family members become permanent residents.

Only a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who does not have a spouse, common-law partner, child, parent, grandparent, sibling, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece in Canada, and who does not have a family class relative to sponsor, may sponsor one relative regardless of relationship.