Proof of Language Ability and Improved Processing Times
Citizenship and Immigration Canada has announced that, effective April 10, 2010, visa officers will only consider the evidence of language proficiency provided at the time of application. It used to be that applicants in the Federal Skilled Worker Class and Canadian Experience Class could file any kind of documentary proof to substantiate their language abilities […]
Luminato literary program focuses on Africa, Iran
Toronto arts festival Luminato will focus on Africa in its literary program this year, bringing influential African writers, including Kenya’s Ngugi wa Thiong’o. Ngugi, who was exiled from his native land in 1977, has advocated for Africans writing in native languages and suggested rejecting European styles of writing in favour of a fresh approach. In […]
Seven spectators to Olympics seeking to stay in Canada with refugee status
Seven people who told officials they entered Canada as spectators to the Vancouver Winter Olympics are seeking refugee status in Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Canada says six of those people come from countries that don’t require special visas to enter the country. Owing to privacy law, a spokeswoman says she can’t divulge further identifying information […]
Feds to Help Immigrants Adapt to Workforce
Getting a job when you get to Canada is about to get easier for more immigrants, says Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. The Canadian Immigration Integration Project (CIIP), which began in 2007 as a pilot program, is getting $15 million over the next three years to expand its services in India, China and the […]
Winter Games’ legacy: Canadian Resiliency
With a wink of its eye, Canada brought to close the Winter Olympics by making fun of one the glitches that plagued the first week of the games. As the closing ceremonies began, a mime with a tool belt came out to the caldron, where one of the legs was still in the floor of […]
Closing ceremony is unparalleled
There’s a reason we come, despite the nonsense. There’s a reason we come to the Olympics still, every two years now, despite the fact that sometimes you get William Shatner or the odd, massive inflatable moose. What with all the overdone stagecraft and security hassles, the butt-covering parsing of words or the smugness of IOC officials […]