Immigration News Blog

Controversial changes to the Canadian Immigration Act have been accepted in the House of Commons. The changes give power to the immigration minister, Diane Finley, to fast-track the processing of visas to Canada for skilled workers of her choosing.

Minister Finley claims that the changes will allow Citizenship & Immigration Canada to speed up the immigration process for those immigrants whose skills are most needed, as well as reducing the massive backlog of visa applications currently queued for processing.

The new changes will apply to anyone seeking immigration to Canada after February 28, 2008, but not to the 900,000 or more applicants that are currently queued for processing.

Minister Finley said the budget bill gives “extra resources to deal with the backlog because, by law, the backlog has to be processed under the old rules.”

Critics of the new rules claim that the changes place too much discretionary power in the hands of the Immigration minister, that it leaves the system open to abuse, and could make immigration more difficult for unskilled migrants or skilled workers whose professions are not in high demand.

For migrants wanting to live in Canada, this could have a number of implications. Applicants with skills urgently needed by Canadian businesses may find their visa applications processed much faster than usual. Applicants who do not possess highly needed skills may find the visa application process longer and more complex than before.