Canadian immigration system to change

Canadian immigration system to change
Published:  8 Mar at 6 PM
Canada will think about legislating away its huge immigration applications backlog and allowing provinces to pick from one pool of potential newcomers in an effort to transform the country’s immigration system into one which is economy driven, said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

In his speech to business leaders, Kenney vowed that “transformational change” to immigration will take place that emphasises how important skilled newcomers are in filling the gaps in Canada’s labour market, reported the Times Colonist. He said that the pre-2008 backlog of almost one million applications is bogging the system down and hindering reforms.

Kenney also outlined a number of pilot projects and strategies which the government is considering in order to eliminate it. He said that the time for fundamental change is now and the government will carry out that change to what has become a rigid, slow-moving immigration process.%
He went on to say that people with a strong level of language proficiency, flexible human capital and a prearranged job are ready for success and that will be a key guidepost as the country moves towards transformational change.

Kenney noted New Zealand opted to legislate an end to a similar backlog in 2003 by putting a pool in place from which all applicants were able to be selected based on specific criteria rather than spending time in the queue.