Support migrant centric journalism today and donate
Ottawa, Canada has launched a new skilled immigration strategy aimed at attracting more immigrants by providing better integration and support services to newcomers and immigrants already in Canada.
The plan will bring together 12 Canadian immigration and settlement agencies, as well as employers, and social service providers to help migrants settle into the community.
The aim is to create more opportunities for immigrants to form social connections, to encourage more small and medium sized businesses to hire foreign workers. It is also hoped that Ottawa will become a more attractive destination for businesses in sectors such as education and health care.
Recent statistics show that approximately 6,300 immigrants move to Ottawa each year, which represents 100% of the net growth in the city's labour force. There are an additional 2,700 who enter as temporary migrant workers and another 2,300 who are students.
The considerable number of immigration settlement services is seen as confusing, a problem that the initiative hopes to solve.
Canada is one of the most popular destinations for skilled migrants. Many come under the federal skilled worker category, a Canada-wide immigration scheme, while others take advantage of schemes such as the Provincial Nominee scheme and the Quebec points system.
