Canada is basically dependent on new immigrants. Hundreds of thousands immigrants from all over the world settle in the country, however, the immigration program has some flaws.

A provincial nominee immigration program is needed in Canada but the government says that it has some problems that need fixing - especially when it comes to fraud.

Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney released a study on Thursday, saying that the provincial nominee program is meeting the needs of the provinces by filling skilled labour shortages and by contributing to population growth and attracting investment. The program allows participating provinces and territories to nominate potential immigrants based on their economic and labour market needs, is intended to distribute immigrants more evenly across the country and encourage the development of official language minority communities.

However, the Minister is not satisfied with the results. "As I've said in the past, we are excited about this program, but realize that it needs improvement in key areas," Kenney said in a statement.

In the study, the government department tried to determine whether the program is meeting its objectives. The goal of using the provincial program is to settle more immigrants outside of Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec.

The study found that only one quarter of provincial nominees who moved to the Atlantic Provinces stayed there, compared with 95% in British Columbia and Alberta. These findings have to do with the availability of jobs and the unemployment rate.

The government would like to see this program "regionalizing the benefits of immigration." Many immigrants do not stay in the province that helped bring them in to Canada. "We just want to work with the provinces to make sure the people they are nominating are staying," Kenney said Thursday at an event in Calgary to mark the report's findings.

The Immigration Minister stressed that the report points out facts about inconsistent monitoring and evaluation of each province's program and no systematic way of collecting performance information. The study also concludes that "there is a continued need for strong emphasis on program integrity as it pertains to fraud and misrepresentation."

The report also found that after three years the average income of provincial nominees ranged between $35,200 and $45,100. About 70 per cent of the immigrants surveyed held a job in line with their skills. Another finding was that more than 90 per cent of provincial nominee immigrants declared employment earnings after one year in Canada.

The study also found that too many immigrants have little or no proficiency in either official language. Kenney says he wants a minimum language standard for all provincial nominees.

Jana Paskova
Photo: ISIFA