Canada Launches “First of its Kind” Entrepreneur Start-Up Visa

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced today that it will launch a new program on April 1st, 2013, aimed at bringing the world’s best and brightest entrepreneurs to Canada. According to CIC, the program will be the first of its kind in any country. Its unique partnership model is intended to “position [Canada] as a destination of choice for start-ups”.

The Start-Up Visa Program will connect immigrant entrepreneurs to Canadian organizations with start-up expertise. These organizations will provide important guidance and resources for the new arrivals. It is anticipated that through these partnerships, immigrant entrepreneurs will maximize their business potential, as well as their positive impact on Canada’s labour market.

“Our new Start-Up Visa will help make Canada the destination of choice for the world’s best and brightest to launch their companies,” said Minister Kenney. “Recruiting dynamic entrepreneurs from around the world will help Canada remain competitive in the global economy.”

Prospective applicants to the program will have to first secure the support of a designated Canadian investor group or venture capital fund before they can apply to the Start-Up Visa Program. CIC has already targeted two groups for this role: Canada’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Association, and the National Angel Capital Organization. Each organization will determine which of their members may participate in the Start-Up Visa Program. In addition, CIC has begun working with the Canadian Association of Business Incubation to find businesses incubators that will be added to their list of designated organizations.

Federal Skilled Worker Program Will Include Occupation List

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has officially announced that the new Federal Skilled Worker program will include a list of designated occupations.

In an official announcement made late last Friday, CIC specified that three major announcements would be made in April regarding the Federal Skilled Worker Program. The announcements will concern the following:

1. A cap on the number of applications that will be accepted in the first year of intake;
2. A new list of eligible occupations; and
3. The list of designated educational assessment organizations

The new Federal Skilled Worker Program is scheduled to begin accepting applications on May 4th, 2013.

NEW UPDATES...Over 1,000 Super Visas Issued Monthly

Since its launch in December 2011, the new Parent and Grandparent Super Visa program has seen great success. To date, over 15,000 Super Visas have been issued to qualifying applicants. This translates to over 1,000 new Super Visa issuances each month.

The Super Visa program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their parents or grandparents for long-term visitor status in Canada. Successful applicants receive a multiple entry visitor visa that is valid for up to 10 years. This visa allows parents or grandparents to remain in Canada for up to two years without the need to extend their status.

“The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa provides families with flexibility, and it is clearly growing in popularity,” said Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. “Our government is committed to family reunification. I am pleased to see that more and more parents and grandparents are getting the opportunity to spend longer periods of time with their loved ones in Canada.”

The Super Visa program has been well received in Canada and around the world for its straightforward application, short processing times, and high acceptance rate.

Government Set to Reform Temporary Foreign Worker Program

The Government of Canada has announced that it will be taking steps to reform the country’s temporary foreign worker program to ensure qualified Canadians are not passed up for jobs. This plan, announced in the 2013 budget this past Thursday, has outlined a number of new measures that will be taken to prioritize the hiring of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

“Canada continues to experience major labour and skill shortages in many regions, and Canadians who are seeking jobs should always be first in line for these opportunities,” read one passage of the budget.

In order to help Canadians are given the first chance in finding available jobs, the government will take the following actions:

• Work with employers to make sure foreign workers are not relied upon in place of qualified Canadians;
• Increase the recruitment efforts that employers must make before hiring a temporary foreign worker, including increasing the ‘length and reach’ of advertising;
• Help employers who currently rely on foreign workers to transition to employing a Canadian workforce;
• Restrict language requirements of foreign workers to only Canada’s official languages (English/French); and
• Introduce fees for the processing of Labour Market Opinions (LMOs)

Last year, over 200,000 temporary foreign workers entered Canada.