Alberta wants more Immigrants

Alberta has reached out to its government and have said they need to increase immigration in the province. This plea was received by Immigration Minister, John McCallum, who was in Alberta for a series of meetings. A recent report revealed by the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (ANIP) shows a struggling decrease of immigrants in its backlog of applicants. The Minister has decided to set up a pro-immigration agenda ahead of Liberal government changes to Canada’s system which will be announced this autumn. McCallum has been touring the country where he has organized meetings to spread the word about how he intends to better the immigration system in Canada and how other countries will benefit from it as well.

ANIP Semi-Skilled Worker Category

Applicants interested in the ANIP Semi Skilled Worker category must have the necessary qualifications in the following:

  • Hospitality
  • Food Services
  • Food and Beverage
  • Trucking and Transportation
  • Hospitality

To qualify for the category you are required to:

  • Be currently working in Alberta on a work permit for an suitable occupation in the above job sectors
  • Have completed a high school level of education
  • Meet the minimum language requirements
  • Meet the additional criteria for specific industries

McCallum has said he was interested to hold these meetings in Alberta as the province’s economy is not in the greatest shape. Canada’s aging population is set out to be a growing gap in the labour force in the next coming years. McCallum has also highlighted that the issue is that more rural areas of Canada seem to have the biggest shortages of immigrants while most prefer to settle in the bigger cities such as Vancouver and Toronto. The Canadian government has discussed various ways that federal government can help encourage immigrants to choose these small cities across the country.  Although permanent residents have the right to free movement as part of the Canadian constitution, the government has mentioned its tool for growing demographics in Canada is immigration. McCallum is considering ways that the federal government can help encourage immigrants to disperse across the country, although it appears there is little to be done under the law. Permanent residents have the right to free movement as part of the Canadian constitution. Immigration tools have been put in place and just need to be complemented and approved by a range of stakeholders to create the right conditions for immigrants to remain by choice. Some policies may include:

  • Short term provincial tax credits new immigrants
  • Offer homes and land purchases at below market prices
  • Conditional property tax exemptions.