New Delhi
6 November 2007
Immigration is an issue in Canada but unlike some countries that are
seeking to cap it, the Canadian Government is headhunting for skilled workers from India
and around the world.
Visiting Canadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley on Tuesday said
that Canada's population is declining and the birth rate is low, and her country needs
talented people who could contribute to its economic growth.
"India," Ms Finley said, "is a key source country both in terms of quality and quantity for
the skilled workers. We want talented professionals from here to come to Canada."
She announced the expansion of services to help immigrants from India get their
professional credentials assessed and recognised in Canada as quickly as possible
through the Foreign Credentials Referral Office.
The Canadian High Commission in India has accordingly added the immigration
counselling service "on a rotational basis" in Gujarat and Punjab, which are major
sources of skilled immigrants from India.
Ms Finley also announced the opening of a new office of the Canadian Immigration
Integration Project in New Delhi to meet the increased demand in the region.
"The Government of Canada is committed to helping newcomers succeed, and one way
to do that is to help them before they get to Canada. Too many newcomers have come to
Canada only to learn after they've arrived what credentials are needed. By expanding
our FCRO programs overseas, we're helping prospective immigrants to get a head start
by providing information on the foreign credential recognition process and the Canadian
labour market," she said on the occasion.
The minister hoped that the ramped-up services will help Indians to navigate through the
foreign credential assessment and recognition processes and obtain up-to-date
information about the Canadian labour market.
Ms Finley said that her country is organising orientation sessions in India to increase
awareness about the credential recognition process in Canada. "The Government of
Canada is committed to helping newcomers succeed, and one way to do that is to help
them before they get to Canada," she added.
The Canadian High Commission said that the Foreign Credentials Referral Office was
launched in May this year to expand overseas services and to enable individuals to
show how they qualify to Canadian standards for various regulated professions. Similar
rotational services have been introduced in Beijing and Shanghai in China.
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