Canadian Matchmaker

From the Globe and Mail:
"Ottawa to Play Matchmaker for Foreign Workers"

The next step in the Harper government’s transformation of Canada’s immigration system will turn Ottawa into an online matchmaker, connecting would-be migrants with employers who want to hire them. In a year-end interview, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney described the coming Web-based “Expression of Interest” system – to be in place by 2014 – as the culmination of more than five years of reform. It will be an invitation-only route for economic immigrants where prospective arrivals advertise their skills and qualifications on a Canadian government database that will be perused by employers looking to hire more than just temporary workers.  “They’ll go into this pool, and then employers or my department and or provinces will be able to fish out of that pool,” Mr. Kenney said of the system, which is being developed with the provinces. A variation on programs in place in Australia and New Zealand, this represents another step away from a passive immigration system – which merely accepts people on a first-come, first-served basis – to one in which newcomers are chosen according to how they can benefit Canada. Under the new system, foreigners who post their interest in immigrating are not automatically allowed to apply for permanent residence. They would have to be invited. The expression-of-interest system would not be mandatory for economic immigrants, but Mr. Kenney’s office says it expects employers and provinces – which pick their share of newcomers under provincial nominee programs – to quickly embrace it. Foreigners would fill out a form indicating their occupation, work experience and education, and would attach mandatory language assessments and an evaluation of how their education credentials translate to Canada. If the candidates meet immigration qualifications, Ottawa would process their applications within months. “They would arrive in Canada as permanent residents with prearranged jobs and literally be going to work at their skill level within a few days of arrival.” Canada finds itself under pressure to more efficiently and quickly recruit skilled immigrants because it’s now in competition with other industrialized countries looking for the same qualities as a means of shoring up low birth rates.

^ While I believe Canada needs to encourage skilled workers they first need to fix the issues regarding their own citizens before moving on to helping foreigners. As a Canadian born outside Canada I can not pass on Canadian citizenship if I ever have children - which is overt discrimination - and getting a Canadian Citienship Card/Certificate is back-logged with it taking over a year for me to get a small wallet-sized card that most businesses can produce in a few hours. The Canadian Immigration and Citizenship minister needs to get his priorities straight. He is first there to aid Canadians whether inside or outside the country and then to attract the right foreigners into the country. ^

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-to-play-matchmaker-for-foreign-workers/article6840232/