Canada expands migrant services to India and China

During a state visit to India, Canadian Immigration Minister Diane Finley announced the expansion of services for migrants from China and India to get their professional credentials assessed and recognized in a timely manner before immigrating to Canada.

While in New Delhi, Finley announced the opening of a new office of the Canadian Immigration Integration Project (CIIP). The CIIP, funded by the Foreign Credential Recognition Program, is designed to help skilled migrants prepare for the professional accreditation and recognition process in their country of origin before making the move to 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," Finley said.

"Too many newcomers have come to Canada only to learn after they've arrived what credentials are needed. By expanding our [Foreign Credential Referral Office] 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."

The service will be implemented on a rotational basis in the Indian states of Gujarat and Punjab. China will receive rotational services in the cities of Beijing and Shanghai.

Foreign professional credential recognition in Canada is a territorial and provincial responsibility. However, the federal government has taken on a "facilitative role" in response to the difficulties migrants have faced in the past after migrating to Canada.