From immigrant to eBay’s micro-multinational entrepreneur of the year

March 30, 2022

By Vancouver Sun | Even as a boy in Pakistan, Jahen Zeb was drawn to collecting objects around him. It could be anything, especially hard things such as rough rocks and shiny stones, but also butterflies. “It was my passion,” Zeb said. “In my home back in KPK I had made a collection of butterflies and it’s still back there where I was born. I visited a few years back...

Canada to offer language training, employment assistance to Ukrainians fleeing war

March 30, 2022

By Vancouver is Awesome The government will help Ukrainians arriving in Canada find a job and learn to speak English or French, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said Monday. Applications opened March 17 for a program to allow an unlimited number of Ukrainians fleeing war in their home country to come to Canada for up to three years while they decide whether they want to apply for permanent residency. Those who...

Discrimination is the top legal challenge facing immigrants in Victoria, study suggests

March 29, 2022

By CHEK News A recently released study is shining a light on some of the issues and challenges immigrants in Victoria and Vancouver face when it comes to accessing the Canadian legal system. Commissioned by the federal government and conducted by the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA), the study is based on responses of 20 immigrants — 10 in Vancouver and 10 in Victoria — who were either facing, had faced...

B.C. report finds temporary foreign workers suffer ‘troubling’ abuse

March 24, 2022

By Vancouver Sun | Temporary foreign workers in British Columbia who try to escape abusive workplaces face barriers in accessing legal assistance, translation services and overcoming the biases of immigration officers who investigate their complaints, according to a new report. The Migrant Workers Centre, a Vancouver-based non-profit group, examined 30 investigations by immigration officers into allegations made by migrant workers in B.C. and found what it calls “a troubling narrative.” “It..

Surveys and immigration policies suggest Canadians prefer some refugees over others

March 24, 2022

By Vancouver Sun | A new survey seems to suggest that Canadians prefer certain refugees over others, an outcome that some observers say is reflected in our country’s refugee policies. The Leger survey, commissioned by the Association for Canadian Studies, found 78 per cent of 1,115 Canadians who participated were in favour of an expedited process to bring displaced Ukrainians to Canada. Another survey, conducted for the association last September,...

Former Vietnamese refugees launch fundraiser for Ukraine’s displaced

March 24, 2022

By Vancouver Sun | Boyhood memories of war and flight are nightmarish enough, but seeing similar scenes on the nightly news recently has left Tony Vuu sleepless. The one-time refugee himself is now helping to raise money for those displaced by Russian president Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. “I find it really hard to watch the news about the Russian army’s invasion of Ukraine,” Vuu said on Wednesday. “It’s...

IRCC: No details yet on Parents and Grandparents Program 2022

March 24, 2022

By CIC News | In a March 14, 2022 email to CIC News, IRCC said it has yet to be determined when the application process for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) 2022 will open. Under the new Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024, the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is aiming to welcome 25,000 immigrants under the PGP this year, and this will rise to 28,500 immigrants in 2023, and 32,000 immigrants in 2024....

Immigrant project highlights unfairness in Canadian hiring practices, newcomers say

March 21, 2022

By CBC News | Cindy Chan, who immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong, is part of an advocacy project that explores systemic discrimination in Canada’s job market, where many employers reject newcomer job seekers for lacking Canadian work experience. (Elizabeth Chan/Vancouver Community College) Newcomer Cindy Chan graduated from Dalhousie University in the early ’90s and directed learning programs for three Hong Kong universities for 25 years before immigrating to Vancouver in January...

Canada’s ‘Best Diversity Employers’ for 2022 announced

March 19, 2022

By Canadian Immigrant Magazine The winners of this year’s Canada’s Best Diversity Employers competition, announced on March 8, 2022, draws the spotlight on employers who are leading the nation in creating diverse and inclusive workplaces. Presented by Mediacorp Canada Inc., organizers of the annual Canada’s Top 100 Employers project., this list recognizes organizations who are tackling challenging areas through a range of initiatives, with transparency and accountability. The editorial competition recognizes employers across Canada that...

Canada landed 35,000 immigrants in January 2022

March 19, 2022

By CIC News Canada landed 35,260 new permanent residents in January 2022, according to new IRCC data. Obtained by CIC News in an information request to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the data shows Canada has gotten off to a strong start as it seeks to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants for the second consecutive year. Under its new Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024, unveiled last month, Canada is targeting nearly 432,000 new immigrant landings this...

New job banks open for employers to hire Ukrainians

March 19, 2022

By HR Reporter | In addition to opening its borders to Ukrainians fleeing the invasion by Russia, Ottawa is calling on employers to offer them employment through a new job bank. Interested employers can register job offers at the Job Bank’s Jobs for Ukraine webpage, which will help connect them with Ukrainians seeking work in their communities. “When they arrive safely in Canada, we’re going to help Ukrainians find work so...

Canada launches special temporary residence pathway for Ukrainians

March 18, 2022

By CIC News | On March 17, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced the launch of the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET), an accelerated temporary residence pathway for Ukrainians fleeing war. Ukrainians and their immediate family members of any nationality may stay in Canada for up to three years. Overseas applicants need to apply online for a visitor visa and provide their biometrics. The Canadian government encourages CUAET applicants to apply for a three-year open work permit at...

Hong Kong immigration to Canada is booming

March 17, 2022

Canada is enjoying a resurgence in immigration from Hong Kong. CIC News obtained new data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) showing a 50 per cent jump in Hong Kong permanent residence landings and four-fold increase in study and work permit applications compared to pre-pandemic levels. Hong Kong was the number one source of immigration to Canada up until 1997, with up to 30,000 Hong Kong residents moving to Canada each...

Bridging the benefits gap for a diverse workforce in 2022

March 16, 2022

By HR Reporter The past few years forced us, and many other businesses, to rethink how we work by focusing on what needs to be done to empower a remote workforce. Understanding the current and evolving needs of Canadian employees amidst a global pandemic has been a major challenge for many organizations. The results: labour shortages, frustrated employees and a lack of mutual understanding between employers and their employees. Even...

Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2022 were just announced & here’s the full list

March 11, 2022

The list of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers was just released, and includes workplaces that have created initiatives to tacking challenging areas with “transparency and accountability.” “There is a clear shift in conversation and a desire to address challenging issues, like anti-racism and reconciliation with Canada’s Indigenous peoples, head on,” said Kristina Leung, Senior Editor of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project. “Organizations are having a transparent, honest dialogue with employees about their...

B.C. premier urges patience as Ukraine refugees head for Canada

March 11, 2022

By Maple Ridge News | The B.C. government is looking at its temporary housing options and trauma counselling for thousands of refugees of the Ukraine war, Premier John Horgan said Friday. Numbers are not yet known as the federal government works with European countries to deal with an estimated 2.5 million people who have fled Ukraine as Russian armed forces continue to bombard and invade its cities. Horgan met with...

Astounding one in four B.C. residents affected by hate, violence during pandemic: poll

March 5, 2022

A new poll suggests one in four B.C. residents have been impacted by hate rhetoric or violence during the pandemic, in what B.C.’s human rights commissioner calls a disturbing trend.

The Research Co. poll, conducted for the B.C. Office of the Human Rights Commission, found nine per cent of respondents directly experienced a hateful action during the pandemic, including 20 per cent of Indigenous respondents, and 15 per cent of East Asian origin.

Canada needs immigrants: Immigration levels plan 2022-2024 announced

March 4, 2022

Did you know?

– Immigration accounts for almost 100% of Canada’s labour force growth
– Nearly 80% of our population growth; by 2030, five million Canadians are set to retire and the worker to retiree ration will drop down to only 3:1.

These numbers are a clear indication of the country’s strong economic need for increased immigration.

Ontario to remove barriers for out-of-province skilled workers

March 4, 2022

The Ontario government plans to introduce legislation to make it easier for workers in over 30 in-demand professions to move to the province, faster.

Unfilled jobs cost the province billions in lost productivity, and between July and September of 2021, there were 338,835 vacant jobs across Ontario, including many in the skilled trades. Data also suggests that the need to replace retiring workers is elevated in the skilled trades.

Ukraine crisis: Canada opens to unlimited number of Ukrainian immigrants

March 4, 2022

By CIC News | Canada is introducing new immigration streams for Ukrainians who want to move to Canada permanently or temporarily. Canada has the third largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world, with some 1.4 million people. As such, it is looking to do its part to assist as many Ukrainians as possible. Ukrainians who wish to come to Canada on a temporary basis will be able to obtain a Canada-Ukraine...

Scam emails, donation fraud surge in Canada as Ukraine crisis continues

March 4, 2022

By Langley Advance Times | Cyber security experts are cautioning Canadians before they donate to the crisis in Ukraine with scammers taking advantage of the crisis already on the rise. Robert Falzon, head of engineering at Canadian cybersecurity firm Check Point, has been following the increase of cyber attacks since the beginning of the invasion. “It’s becoming much harder for us to expect somebody without technical training to identify these...

Langley-based church sends $50,000 to aid Ukrainian refugees

March 4, 2022

By Langley Advance Times | A Langley church has already raised more than $50,000 to help a network of sister churches in Poland that are taking in Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion. “We just went to social media, we said ‘We’ve got partners, they’re at the border, they need help,’” said Derrick Hamre, pastor at Christian Life Assembly (CLA). They had $35,000 raised by the end of the last...