Newsarticle
 

'When your roof is leaking, you don't need a microbiologist'
Immigration minister defends Canada's new system as tough, but flexible

Peter O'Neil
Vancouver Sun


Friday, June 21, 2002

Canadian Press
Immigration Minister Denis Coderre has introduced new rules for immigrants and refugees.

ADVERTISEMENT


OTTAWA -- Immigration Minister Denis Coderre says he's not worried about warnings that many of the world's best and brightest will be shut out of Canada because of his government's rigorous new entry test, which becomes law next week.

Critics say billionaire Bill Gates, U.S. President George W. Bush, and thousands of the world's brightest lights -- young people with advanced degrees, fluency in English or French, and related work experience -- won't qualify.

Coderre, who acknowledges Canada faces a growing shortage of skilled labour, was even questioned about whether someone with the qualifications of his own father -- a carpenter -- would meet the test.

Sounding a little defensive, the youngest and perhaps brashest of Prime Minister Jean Chretien's ministers said the attacks are driven by self-interested immigration lawyers.

"Of course you will always have a lawyer who will be against this, because it's against his interests," Coderre, who turned 39 Tuesday, said in an interview in his Parliament Hill office.

He said Canada's new system is tough but flexible enough to welcome a Bill Gates and George Bush. While reluctant to go into details, he said his father would qualify, as would young rocket scientists.

But there's a catch: Coderre said applicants would have to do a little extra leg-work to pass the new skilled worker test that will be met by more than half of the estimated 200,000 immigrants who arrive in Canada each year.

(The remaining immigrants are processed under the family class reunification program or the much smaller business class program, which includes entrepreneurs, investors, and self-employed people like athletes, rock stars, and farmers.)

He acknowledged that Gates would fall short of the minimum 75 points needed under the new 100-point grid for skilled workers, which considers factors such as age, education, official language fluency, work experience, connections to Canada and job prospects. Gates, according to Vancouver lawyer Brian Tsuji, now would accumulate only 67 points -- 15 for his one year at Harvard University, 16 for English proficiency, 21 for work experience, 10 for being in the ideal 21-49 age range, and five because his wife Melinda has a university degree.

But Coderre argues that Gates wouldn't have much trouble drumming up a reasonable job offer that would have to be subsequently endorsed by bureaucrats at Human Resources Development Canada.

"I'm sure that Bill Gates ... could get a validation job offer, so he would pass."

Alternatively, Gates could try another route by shaking loose some pocket change to invest $400,000 under the immigrant investor program.

A final option available to Gates is the discretion given to visa officers, according to department spokeswoman Susan Scarlett.

"Bill Gates is kind of extraordinary," she said. "If he were to apply there's always a possibility that the visa officer could say, 'This guy is one smart cookie. Despite the fact he's a few points short, despite the fact he didn't finish his bachelors' degree, this guy is such a smart cookie he would be a shoo-in.' "

Provocative examples aside, Coderre's point is that even the most qualified foreigners can't simply emigrate to Canada "on spec" and assume they'll find a job once they get here.

Recent studies have shown that new immigrants, who have historically out-performed Canadians upon arrival, started in the late 1980s earning less than average Canadian citizens.

So the federal government can no longer welcome people who appear highly qualified but don't necessarily have an established niche in Canadian society.

"What would you say to the microbiologist who is a taxi driver?" Coderre said.

Tsuji, incoming chairman of the Canadian Bar Association's B.C. immigration section, said Ottawa's caution encourages the world's best and brightest to look elsewhere.

He said a young person determined enough to earn a doctorate in a country like the U.S. would be a valuable contributor to Canada's economy, even if they arrived with no firm job in place. But getting a job offer in advance is "not as easy as you think, because the key element is getting the HRDC-approved job offer."

Tsuji said employers, even after they have head-hunted foreigners, have to prove to the federal government that a Canadian can't fill that posting.

"Even if the employer does the advertising, and doesn't get a qualified Canadian, they can still be refused because HRDC believes there should be a qualified Canadian out there."

He said the HRDC approval process can take one to two years.

Coderre, in fact, acknowledges that the bar may have to be lowered to 70 points in the future.

But he said problems in the current intake system, which Liberal MPs have argued requires hundreds of millions of dollars to fix, stand in the way of a more liberal acceptance standard.

"We lowered the passage mark from 80 [proposed last December] to 75 and why didn't we lower it to 70 points? Because we have a backlog of 238,000 cases."

Coderre's new regulations affecting skilled workers were the final touches of the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which becomes law on June 28.

The regulations, which include the 100-point grid, replace a previous system that tried to micro-manage Canada's labour needs by listing more than 300 professions or trades.

Those with education and experience in those areas, and a written job offer, would stand an excellent chance of accumulating enough points to immigrate to Canada. But the pressure within the system to generate job offers led to abuse, Ottawa says. The system was also too rigid for a world in which the economy's manpower needs shift quickly and dramatically.

The new check list is also far less elitist, giving applicants the same number of points for a skilled trade as they would get for a university degree.

"I'm the son of a carpenter," Coderre said proudly while announcing the changes. "When your roof is leaking, you don't need a microbiologist."

Here's how it breaks down:

ï Applicants get point totals ranging from five points for a high school diploma to a maximum of 25 points for those with a doctorate or master's degree. The range of points available in between varies, but trade certificates and apprenticeships are given weight equal to university education.

ï A further 16 points are available for those fluent in one of Canada's two official languages, and a total of 24 points for those proficient in both languages.

Language proficiency is graded on a sliding scale, and applicants have the option of paying a private organization do the test. Those organizations must be certified by the federal government to ensure quality and guard against fraud.

ï Applicants will get 15 points for having a year of work experience in the area in which they're educated, and two points for each additional year to a maximum of 21 points.

ï Anyone between the ages of 21 and 49 gets a 10-point bonus.

ï Those who can obtain pre-arranged employment certified by HRDC get an additional 10 points.

ï The final component, titled adaptability, gives a maximum of 10 points to applicants in a number of ways.

Points are earned if the spouse has formal education or if the applicant has previously worked or been educated in Canada, has a family member in Canada, or who has already received points for having a job arranged in Canada.

Coderre, in a move aimed at lowering the backlog, agreed to extend processing under the old system until March 31, 2003, for about half of the 330,000 people who applied under the old rules.

The remaining half -- those whose applications haven't yet been reviewed -- will be processed under the new system. However, they will only need 70 points to pass rather than 75.

CATEGORIES OF IMMIGRANTS

According to goals set for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, this is the projected breakdown, by category, for the 210,000 to 235,000 people expected to immigrate to Canada in 2002:

1) FAMILY CLASS - about 26%

2) REFUGEES - 5%

3) ECONOMIC

a) SKILLED WORKERS - 53%

b) BUSINESS WORKERS - 5%, includes entrepreneurs, self-employed people (including world-class athletes and artists) and investors who have at least $800,000 Cdn in the bank, and are willing to invest at least half of that in Canada.

c) PROVINCIAL AND

TERRITORIAL NOMINEES - 2%. These people are hand picked by each province to meet specific needs.

Re: Newsarticle
 

I'm sorry but i have a problem takign seriously anything that describes Us President
George W Bush as 'one of the world's brightest lights', and have no issues with an
immigration law that might not let him qualify.

"hanu" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > 'When your roof is leaking, you don't need a microbiologist' Immigration minister
    > defends Canada's new system as tough, but flexible
    >
    > Peter O'Neil Vancouver Sun
    >
    >
    > Friday, June 21, 2002
    >
    > Canadian Press Immigration Minister Denis Coderre has introduced new rules for
    > immigrants and refugees.
    >
    > ADVERTISEMENT
    >
    >
    > OTTAWA -- Immigration Minister Denis Coderre says he's not worried about warnings
    > that many of the world's best and brightest will be shut out of Canada because of
    > his government's rigorous new entry test, which becomes law next week.
    >
    > Critics say billionaire Bill Gates, U.S. President George W. Bush, and thousands of
    > the world's brightest lights -- young people with advanced degrees, fluency in
    > English or French, and related work experience -- won't qualify.
    >
    > Coderre, who acknowledges Canada faces a growing shortage of skilled labour, was
    > even questioned about whether someone with the qualifications of his own father --
    > a carpenter -- would meet the test.
    >
    > Sounding a little defensive, the youngest and perhaps brashest of Prime Minister
    > Jean Chretien's ministers said the attacks are driven by self-interested
    > immigration lawyers.
    >
    > "Of course you will always have a lawyer who will be against this, because it's
    > against his interests," Coderre, who turned 39 Tuesday, said in an interview in his
    > Parliament Hill office.
    >
    > He said Canada's new system is tough but flexible enough to welcome a Bill Gates
    > and George Bush. While reluctant to go into details, he said his father would
    > qualify, as would young rocket scientists.
    >
    > But there's a catch: Coderre said applicants would have to do a little extra
    > leg-work to pass the new skilled worker test that will be met by more than half of
    > the estimated 200,000 immigrants who arrive in Canada each year.
    >
    > (The remaining immigrants are processed under the family class reunification
    > program or the much smaller business class program, which includes entrepreneurs,
    > investors, and self-employed people like athletes, rock stars, and farmers.)
    >
    > He acknowledged that Gates would fall short of the minimum 75 points needed under
    > the new 100-point grid for skilled workers, which considers factors such as age,
    > education, official language fluency, work experience, connections to Canada and
    > job prospects. Gates, according to Vancouver lawyer Brian Tsuji, now would
    > accumulate only 67 points -- 15 for his one year at Harvard University, 16 for
    > English proficiency, 21 for work experience, 10 for being in the ideal 21-49 age
    > range, and five because his wife Melinda has a university degree.
    >
    > But Coderre argues that Gates wouldn't have much trouble drumming up a reasonable
    > job offer that would have to be subsequently endorsed by bureaucrats at Human
    > Resources Development Canada.
    >
    > "I'm sure that Bill Gates ... could get a validation job offer, so he would pass."
    >
    > Alternatively, Gates could try another route by shaking loose some pocket change to
    > invest $400,000 under the immigrant investor program.
    >
    > A final option available to Gates is the discretion given to visa officers,
    > according to department spokeswoman Susan Scarlett.
    >
    > "Bill Gates is kind of extraordinary," she said. "If he were to apply there's
    > always a possibility that the visa officer could say, 'This guy is one smart
    > cookie. Despite the fact he's a few points short, despite the fact he didn't finish
    > his bachelors' degree, this guy is such a smart cookie he would be a shoo-in.' "
    >
    > Provocative examples aside, Coderre's point is that even the most qualified
    > foreigners can't simply emigrate to Canada "on spec" and assume they'll find a job
    > once they get here.
    >
    > Recent studies have shown that new immigrants, who have historically out-performed
    > Canadians upon arrival, started in the late 1980s earning less than average
    > Canadian citizens.
    >
    > So the federal government can no longer welcome people who appear highly qualified
    > but don't necessarily have an established niche in Canadian society.
    >
    > "What would you say to the microbiologist who is a taxi driver?" Coderre said.
    >
    > Tsuji, incoming chairman of the Canadian Bar Association's B.C. immigration
    > section, said Ottawa's caution encourages the world's best and brightest to look
    > elsewhere.
    >
    > He said a young person determined enough to earn a doctorate in a country like the
    > U.S. would be a valuable contributor to Canada's economy, even if they arrived with
    > no firm job in place. But getting a job offer in advance is "not as easy as you
    > think, because the key element is getting the HRDC-approved job offer."
    >
    > Tsuji said employers, even after they have head-hunted foreigners, have to prove to
    > the federal government that a Canadian can't fill that posting.
    >
    > "Even if the employer does the advertising, and doesn't get a qualified Canadian,
    > they can still be refused because HRDC believes there should be a qualified
    > Canadian out there."
    >
    > He said the HRDC approval process can take one to two years.
    >
    > Coderre, in fact, acknowledges that the bar may have to be lowered to 70 points in
    > the future.
    >
    > But he said problems in the current intake system, which Liberal MPs have argued
    > requires hundreds of millions of dollars to fix, stand in the way of a more liberal
    > acceptance standard.
    >
    > "We lowered the passage mark from 80 [proposed last December] to 75 and why didn't
    > we lower it to 70 points? Because we have a backlog of 238,000 cases."
    >
    > Coderre's new regulations affecting skilled workers were the final touches of the
    > new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which becomes law on June 28.
    >
    > The regulations, which include the 100-point grid, replace a previous system that
    > tried to micro-manage Canada's labour needs by listing more than 300 professions
    > or trades.
    >
    > Those with education and experience in those areas, and a written job offer, would
    > stand an excellent chance of accumulating enough points to immigrate to Canada. But
    > the pressure within the system to generate job offers led to abuse, Ottawa says.
    > The system was also too rigid for a world in which the economy's manpower needs
    > shift quickly and dramatically.
    >
    > The new check list is also far less elitist, giving applicants the same number of
    > points for a skilled trade as they would get for a university degree.
    >
    > "I'm the son of a carpenter," Coderre said proudly while announcing the changes.
    > "When your roof is leaking, you don't need a microbiologist."
    >
    > Here's how it breaks down:
    >
    > ï Applicants get point totals ranging from five points for a high school diploma to
    > a maximum of 25 points for those with a doctorate or master's degree. The range of
    > points available in between varies, but trade certificates and apprenticeships are
    > given weight equal to university education.
    >
    > ï A further 16 points are available for those fluent in one of Canada's two
    > official languages, and a total of 24 points for those proficient in both
    > languages.
    >
    > Language proficiency is graded on a sliding scale, and applicants have the option
    > of paying a private organization do the test. Those organizations must be certified
    > by the federal government to ensure quality and guard against fraud.
    >
    > ï Applicants will get 15 points for having a year of work experience in the area
    > in which they're educated, and two points for each additional year to a maximum of
    > 21 points.
    >
    > ï Anyone between the ages of 21 and 49 gets a 10-point bonus.
    >
    > ï Those who can obtain pre-arranged employment certified by HRDC get an additional
    > 10 points.
    >
    > ï The final component, titled adaptability, gives a maximum of 10 points to
    > applicants in a number of ways.
    >
    > Points are earned if the spouse has formal education or if the applicant has
    > previously worked or been educated in Canada, has a family member in Canada, or who
    > has already received points for having a job arranged in Canada.
    >
    > Coderre, in a move aimed at lowering the backlog, agreed to extend processing under
    > the old system until March 31, 2003, for about half of the 330,000 people who
    > applied under the old rules.
    >
    > The remaining half -- those whose applications haven't yet been reviewed -- will be
    > processed under the new system. However, they will only need 70 points to pass
    > rather than 75.
    >
    > CATEGORIES OF IMMIGRANTS
    >
    > According to goals set for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, this is the
    > projected breakdown, by category, for the 210,000 to 235,000 people expected to
    > immigrate to Canada in 2002:
    >
    > 1) FAMILY CLASS - about 26%
    >
    > 2) REFUGEES - 5%
    >
    > 3) ECONOMIC
    >
    > a) SKILLED WORKERS - 53%
    >
    > b) BUSINESS WORKERS - 5%, includes entrepreneurs, self-employed people (including
    > world-class athletes and artists) and investors who have at least $800,000 Cdn
    > in the bank, and are willing to invest at least half of that in Canada.
    >
    > c) PROVINCIAL AND
    >
    > TERRITORIAL NOMINEES - 2%. These people are hand picked by each province to meet
    > specific needs.
    >
    >
    >
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Re: Newsarticle
 

While You claim you want people with flexible skills, it is fundamentally wrong to
say "When your roof is leaking, you don't need a microbiologist". For sure a
microbiologist can fix roof, or it will be easier to learn. On the other hand, when
you need people to check your water quality, to try to find a cure for a disease, how
can carpenders do it? how long will it take them to learn? I feel really sorry that
Canada is run by the ministers like this.

hanu <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > 'When your roof is leaking, you don't need a microbiologist' Immigration minister
    > defends Canada's new system as tough, but flexible
    >
    > Peter O'Neil Vancouver Sun
    >
    >
    > Friday, June 21, 2002
    >
    > Canadian Press Immigration Minister Denis Coderre has introduced new rules for
    > immigrants and refugees.
    >
    > ADVERTISEMENT
    >
    >
    > OTTAWA -- Immigration Minister Denis Coderre says he's not worried about warnings
    > that many of the world's best and brightest will be shut out of Canada because of
    > his government's rigorous new entry test, which becomes law next week.
    >
    > Critics say billionaire Bill Gates, U.S. President George W. Bush, and thousands of
    > the world's brightest lights -- young people with advanced degrees, fluency in
    > English or French, and related work experience -- won't qualify.
    >
    > Coderre, who acknowledges Canada faces a growing shortage of skilled labour, was
    > even questioned about whether someone with the qualifications of his own father --
    > a carpenter -- would meet the test.
    >
    > Sounding a little defensive, the youngest and perhaps brashest of Prime Minister
    > Jean Chretien's ministers said the attacks are driven by self-interested
    > immigration lawyers.
    >
    > "Of course you will always have a lawyer who will be against this, because it's
    > against his interests," Coderre, who turned 39 Tuesday, said in an interview in his
    > Parliament Hill office.
    >
    > He said Canada's new system is tough but flexible enough to welcome a Bill Gates
    > and George Bush. While reluctant to go into details, he said his father would
    > qualify, as would young rocket scientists.
    >
    > But there's a catch: Coderre said applicants would have to do a little extra
    > leg-work to pass the new skilled worker test that will be met by more than half of
    > the estimated 200,000 immigrants who arrive in Canada each year.
    >
    > (The remaining immigrants are processed under the family class reunification
    > program or the much smaller business class program, which includes entrepreneurs,
    > investors, and self-employed people like athletes, rock stars, and farmers.)
    >
    > He acknowledged that Gates would fall short of the minimum 75 points needed under
    > the new 100-point grid for skilled workers, which considers factors such as age,
    > education, official language fluency, work experience, connections to Canada and
    > job prospects. Gates, according to Vancouver lawyer Brian Tsuji, now would
    > accumulate only 67 points -- 15 for his one year at Harvard University, 16 for
    > English proficiency, 21 for work experience, 10 for being in the ideal 21-49 age
    > range, and five because his wife Melinda has a university degree.
    >
    > But Coderre argues that Gates wouldn't have much trouble drumming up a reasonable
    > job offer that would have to be subsequently endorsed by bureaucrats at Human
    > Resources Development Canada.
    >
    > "I'm sure that Bill Gates ... could get a validation job offer, so he would pass."
    >
    > Alternatively, Gates could try another route by shaking loose some pocket change to
    > invest $400,000 under the immigrant investor program.
    >
    > A final option available to Gates is the discretion given to visa officers,
    > according to department spokeswoman Susan Scarlett.
    >
    > "Bill Gates is kind of extraordinary," she said. "If he were to apply there's
    > always a possibility that the visa officer could say, 'This guy is one smart
    > cookie. Despite the fact he's a few points short, despite the fact he didn't finish
    > his bachelors' degree, this guy is such a smart cookie he would be a shoo-in.' "
    >
    > Provocative examples aside, Coderre's point is that even the most qualified
    > foreigners can't simply emigrate to Canada "on spec" and assume they'll find a job
    > once they get here.
    >
    > Recent studies have shown that new immigrants, who have historically out-performed
    > Canadians upon arrival, started in the late 1980s earning less than average
    > Canadian citizens.
    >
    > So the federal government can no longer welcome people who appear highly qualified
    > but don't necessarily have an established niche in Canadian society.
    >
    > "What would you say to the microbiologist who is a taxi driver?" Coderre said.
    >
    > Tsuji, incoming chairman of the Canadian Bar Association's B.C. immigration
    > section, said Ottawa's caution encourages the world's best and brightest to look
    > elsewhere.
    >
    > He said a young person determined enough to earn a doctorate in a country like the
    > U.S. would be a valuable contributor to Canada's economy, even if they arrived with
    > no firm job in place. But getting a job offer in advance is "not as easy as you
    > think, because the key element is getting the HRDC-approved job offer."
    >
    > Tsuji said employers, even after they have head-hunted foreigners, have to prove to
    > the federal government that a Canadian can't fill that posting.
    >
    > "Even if the employer does the advertising, and doesn't get a qualified Canadian,
    > they can still be refused because HRDC believes there should be a qualified
    > Canadian out there."
    >
    > He said the HRDC approval process can take one to two years.
    >
    > Coderre, in fact, acknowledges that the bar may have to be lowered to 70 points in
    > the future.
    >
    > But he said problems in the current intake system, which Liberal MPs have argued
    > requires hundreds of millions of dollars to fix, stand in the way of a more liberal
    > acceptance standard.
    >
    > "We lowered the passage mark from 80 [proposed last December] to 75 and why didn't
    > we lower it to 70 points? Because we have a backlog of 238,000 cases."
    >
    > Coderre's new regulations affecting skilled workers were the final touches of the
    > new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which becomes law on June 28.
    >
    > The regulations, which include the 100-point grid, replace a previous system that
    > tried to micro-manage Canada's labour needs by listing more than 300 professions
    > or trades.
    >
    > Those with education and experience in those areas, and a written job offer, would
    > stand an excellent chance of accumulating enough points to immigrate to Canada. But
    > the pressure within the system to generate job offers led to abuse, Ottawa says.
    > The system was also too rigid for a world in which the economy's manpower needs
    > shift quickly and dramatically.
    >
    > The new check list is also far less elitist, giving applicants the same number of
    > points for a skilled trade as they would get for a university degree.
    >
    > "I'm the son of a carpenter," Coderre said proudly while announcing the changes.
    > "When your roof is leaking, you don't need a microbiologist."
    >
    > Here's how it breaks down:
    >
    > ï Applicants get point totals ranging from five points for a high school diploma to
    > a maximum of 25 points for those with a doctorate or master's degree. The range of
    > points available in between varies, but trade certificates and apprenticeships are
    > given weight equal to university education.
    >
    > ï A further 16 points are available for those fluent in one of Canada's two
    > official languages, and a total of 24 points for those proficient in both
    > languages.
    >
    > Language proficiency is graded on a sliding scale, and applicants have the option
    > of paying a private organization do the test. Those organizations must be certified
    > by the federal government to ensure quality and guard against fraud.
    >
    > ï Applicants will get 15 points for having a year of work experience in the area
    > in which they're educated, and two points for each additional year to a maximum of
    > 21 points.
    >
    > ï Anyone between the ages of 21 and 49 gets a 10-point bonus.
    >
    > ï Those who can obtain pre-arranged employment certified by HRDC get an additional
    > 10 points.
    >
    > ï The final component, titled adaptability, gives a maximum of 10 points to
    > applicants in a number of ways.
    >
    > Points are earned if the spouse has formal education or if the applicant has
    > previously worked or been educated in Canada, has a family member in Canada, or who
    > has already received points for having a job arranged in Canada.
    >
    > Coderre, in a move aimed at lowering the backlog, agreed to extend processing under
    > the old system until March 31, 2003, for about half of the 330,000 people who
    > applied under the old rules.
    >
    > The remaining half -- those whose applications haven't yet been reviewed -- will be
    > processed under the new system. However, they will only need 70 points to pass
    > rather than 75.
    >
    > CATEGORIES OF IMMIGRANTS
    >
    > According to goals set for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, this is the
    > projected breakdown, by category, for the 210,000 to 235,000 people expected to
    > immigrate to Canada in 2002:
    >
    > 1) FAMILY CLASS - about 26%
    >
    > 2) REFUGEES - 5%
    >
    > 3) ECONOMIC
    >
    > a) SKILLED WORKERS - 53%
    >
    > b) BUSINESS WORKERS - 5%, includes entrepreneurs, self-employed people (including
    > world-class athletes and artists) and investors who have at least $800,000 Cdn
    > in the bank, and are willing to invest at least half of that in Canada.
    >
    > c) PROVINCIAL AND
    >
    > TERRITORIAL NOMINEES - 2%. These people are hand picked by each province to meet
    > specific needs.

Re: Newsarticle
 

i think you are being a bit over the top here. If the person was a well qualified and
educated microbiologist then whats their problem, they could surely have a masters or
phd if they were a doctor, im sur ethey could speak english or french well and have
work experience. the poitns system isnt that harsh, the people it affects most
education wise is peopel with only a regular bachelors degree, but then if you look
at figures more and more people have these and there are probably enough 1st degree
grads in Canada already so they want more highly educated people, or alternativly
highly skilled people. the rest og the critera outside education apply to all types
of people, your age, language, work expereince, adaptability have nothign to do with
yoru career or education, so the only people losing out in the education sector are
those with no qualifications, and it seems they have deicded Canada already has
enough unqualified Canadians looking for work and the shortage is with highly skilled
or educated people.

"hugo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > While You claim you want people with flexible skills, it is fundamentally wrong to
    > say "When your roof is leaking, you don't need a microbiologist". For sure a
    > microbiologist can fix roof, or it will be easier to learn. On the other hand, when
    > you need people to check your water quality, to try to find a cure for a disease,
    > how can carpenders do it? how long will it take them to learn? I feel really sorry
    > that Canada is run by the ministers like this.
    >
    >
    >
    > hanu <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > > 'When your roof is leaking, you don't need a microbiologist' Immigration minister
    > > defends Canada's new system as tough, but flexible
    > >
    > > Peter O'Neil Vancouver Sun
    > >
    > >
    > > Friday, June 21, 2002
    > >
    > > Canadian Press Immigration Minister Denis Coderre has introduced new rules for
    > > immigrants and refugees.
    > >
    > > ADVERTISEMENT
    > >
    > >
    > > OTTAWA -- Immigration Minister Denis Coderre says he's not worried about warnings
    > > that many of the world's best and brightest will be shut out of Canada because of
    > > his government's rigorous new entry test, which becomes law next week.
    > >
    > > Critics say billionaire Bill Gates, U.S. President George W. Bush, and thousands
    > > of the world's brightest lights -- young people with advanced degrees, fluency in
    > > English or French, and related work experience -- won't qualify.
    > >
    > > Coderre, who acknowledges Canada faces a growing shortage of skilled labour, was
    > > even questioned about whether someone with the qualifications of his own father
    > > -- a carpenter -- would meet the test.
    > >
    > > Sounding a little defensive, the youngest and perhaps brashest of Prime Minister
    > > Jean Chretien's ministers said the attacks are driven by self-interested
    > > immigration lawyers.
    > >
    > > "Of course you will always have a lawyer who will be against this, because it's
    > > against his interests," Coderre, who turned 39 Tuesday, said in an interview in
    > > his Parliament Hill office.
    > >
    > > He said Canada's new system is tough but flexible enough to welcome a Bill Gates
    > > and George Bush. While reluctant to go into details, he said his father would
    > > qualify, as would young rocket scientists.
    > >
    > > But there's a catch: Coderre said applicants would have to do a little extra
    > > leg-work to pass the new skilled worker test that will be met by more than half
    > > of the estimated 200,000 immigrants who arrive in Canada each year.
    > >
    > > (The remaining immigrants are processed under the family class reunification
    > > program or the much smaller business class program, which includes entrepreneurs,
    > > investors, and self-employed people like athletes, rock stars, and farmers.)
    > >
    > > He acknowledged that Gates would fall short of the minimum 75 points needed under
    > > the new 100-point grid for skilled workers, which considers factors such as age,
    > > education, official language fluency, work experience, connections to Canada and
    > > job prospects. Gates, according to Vancouver lawyer Brian Tsuji, now would
    > > accumulate only 67 points -- 15 for his one year at Harvard University, 16 for
    > > English proficiency, 21 for work experience, 10 for being in the ideal 21-49 age
    > > range, and five because his wife Melinda has a university degree.
    > >
    > > But Coderre argues that Gates wouldn't have much trouble drumming up a reasonable
    > > job offer that would have to be subsequently endorsed by bureaucrats at Human
    > > Resources Development Canada.
    > >
    > > "I'm sure that Bill Gates ... could get a validation job offer, so he would
    > > pass."
    > >
    > > Alternatively, Gates could try another route by shaking loose some pocket change
    > > to invest $400,000 under the immigrant investor program.
    > >
    > > A final option available to Gates is the discretion given to visa officers,
    > > according to department spokeswoman Susan Scarlett.
    > >
    > > "Bill Gates is kind of extraordinary," she said. "If he were to apply there's
    > > always a possibility that the visa officer could say, 'This guy is one smart
    > > cookie. Despite the fact he's a few points short, despite the fact he didn't
    > > finish his bachelors' degree, this guy is such a smart cookie he would be a
    > > shoo-in.' "
    > >
    > > Provocative examples aside, Coderre's point is that even the most qualified
    > > foreigners can't simply emigrate to Canada "on spec" and assume they'll find a
    > > job once they get here.
    > >
    > > Recent studies have shown that new immigrants, who have historically
    > > out-performed Canadians upon arrival, started in the late 1980s earning less than
    > > average Canadian citizens.
    > >
    > > So the federal government can no longer welcome people who appear highly
    > > qualified but don't necessarily have an established niche in Canadian society.
    > >
    > > "What would you say to the microbiologist who is a taxi driver?" Coderre said.
    > >
    > > Tsuji, incoming chairman of the Canadian Bar Association's B.C. immigration
    > > section, said Ottawa's caution encourages the world's best and brightest to look
    > > elsewhere.
    > >
    > > He said a young person determined enough to earn a doctorate in a country like
    > > the U.S. would be a valuable contributor to Canada's economy, even if they
    > > arrived with no firm job in place. But getting a job offer in advance is "not as
    > > easy as you think, because the key element is getting the HRDC-approved job
    > > offer."
    > >
    > > Tsuji said employers, even after they have head-hunted foreigners, have to prove
    > > to the federal government that a Canadian can't fill that posting.
    > >
    > > "Even if the employer does the advertising, and doesn't get a qualified Canadian,
    > > they can still be refused because HRDC believes there should be a qualified
    > > Canadian out there."
    > >
    > > He said the HRDC approval process can take one to two years.
    > >
    > > Coderre, in fact, acknowledges that the bar may have to be lowered to 70 points
    > > in the future.
    > >
    > > But he said problems in the current intake system, which Liberal MPs have argued
    > > requires hundreds of millions of dollars to fix, stand in the way of a more
    > > liberal acceptance standard.
    > >
    > > "We lowered the passage mark from 80 [proposed last December] to 75 and why
    > > didn't we lower it to 70 points? Because we have a backlog of 238,000 cases."
    > >
    > > Coderre's new regulations affecting skilled workers were the final touches of the
    > > new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which becomes law on June 28.
    > >
    > > The regulations, which include the 100-point grid, replace a previous system that
    > > tried to micro-manage Canada's labour needs by listing more than 300 professions
    > > or trades.
    > >
    > > Those with education and experience in those areas, and a written job offer,
    > > would stand an excellent chance of accumulating enough points to immigrate to
    > > Canada. But the pressure within the system to generate job offers led to abuse,
    > > Ottawa says. The system was also too rigid for a world in which the economy's
    > > manpower needs shift quickly and dramatically.
    > >
    > > The new check list is also far less elitist, giving applicants the same number of
    > > points for a skilled trade as they would get for a university degree.
    > >
    > > "I'm the son of a carpenter," Coderre said proudly while announcing the changes.
    > > "When your roof is leaking, you don't need a microbiologist."
    > >
    > > Here's how it breaks down:
    > >
    > > ï Applicants get point totals ranging from five points for a high school diploma
    > > to a maximum of 25 points for those with a doctorate or master's degree. The
    > > range of points available in between varies, but trade certificates and
    > > apprenticeships are given weight equal to university education.
    > >
    > > ï A further 16 points are available for those fluent in one of Canada's two
    > > official languages, and a total of 24 points for those proficient in both
    > > languages.
    > >
    > > Language proficiency is graded on a sliding scale, and applicants have the option
    > > of paying a private organization do the test. Those organizations must be
    > > certified by the federal government to ensure quality and guard against fraud.
    > >
    > > ï Applicants will get 15 points for having a year of work experience in the area
    > > in which they're educated, and two points for each additional year to a maximum
    > > of 21 points.
    > >
    > > ï Anyone between the ages of 21 and 49 gets a 10-point bonus.
    > >
    > > ï Those who can obtain pre-arranged employment certified by HRDC get an
    > > additional 10 points.
    > >
    > > ï The final component, titled adaptability, gives a maximum of 10 points to
    > > applicants in a number of ways.
    > >
    > > Points are earned if the spouse has formal education or if the applicant has
    > > previously worked or been educated in Canada, has a family member in Canada, or
    > > who has already received points for having a job arranged in Canada.
    > >
    > > Coderre, in a move aimed at lowering the backlog, agreed to extend processing
    > > under the old system until March 31, 2003, for about half of the 330,000 people
    > > who applied under the old rules.
    > >
    > > The remaining half -- those whose applications haven't yet been reviewed -- will
    > > be processed under the new system. However, they will only need 70 points to pass
    > > rather than 75.
    > >
    > > CATEGORIES OF IMMIGRANTS
    > >
    > > According to goals set for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, this is the
    > > projected breakdown, by category, for the 210,000 to 235,000 people expected to
    > > immigrate to Canada in 2002:
    > >
    > > 1) FAMILY CLASS - about 26%
    > >
    > > 2) REFUGEES - 5%
    > >
    > > 3) ECONOMIC
    > >
    > > a) SKILLED WORKERS - 53%
    > >
    > > b) BUSINESS WORKERS - 5%, includes entrepreneurs, self-employed people (including
    > > world-class athletes and artists) and investors who have at least $800,000 Cdn
    > > in the bank, and are willing to invest at least half of that in Canada.
    > >
    > > c) PROVINCIAL AND
    > >
    > > TERRITORIAL NOMINEES - 2%. These people are hand picked by each province to meet
    > > specific needs.

Re: Newsarticle
 

"Of course you will always have a lawyer who will be against this, because it's
against his interests"

- bollocks.. I was planning on becoming an immigration lawyer and get involved in the
lucrative human smuggling business to Canada... there goes that.!!!