A Christmas prayer for you and me

Christmas is here already. it's hard to believe. When I look to the right and see another 52 weeks have passed by, and that I'm still hoping and waiting to become a permanent resident of Canada and join my love there, I simply can't fathom how quickly time seems to go by.

For each and every reader who is on the same unpredictable journey to a new life in Canada, God bless you and grant you patience and favor in your application. I hope you will include my situation in your prayers as well. This is a season of miracles after all - but it's important to ask God for the things we most desire and include him, recognizing He is in charge.

In this season of miracles, I'm believing in one for me and one for you too.

Merry Christmas to all!

The List

On November 29th, the Harper government unveiled it's first attempt to solve the immigration backlog in it's focus on the skilled worker class. The solution? A list of preferred professions. If you are applying to Canada in the SW class and don't have one of these jobs in your professional background, the Harper government wont even look at your application.

Did you make the cut?

• Financial Managers
• Computer and Information Systems Managers
• Managers in Health Care
• Restaurant and Food Service Managers
• Accommodation Service Managers
• Construction Managers
• Financial Auditors and Accountants
• Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists
• Mining Engineers
• Geological Engineers
• Petroleum Engineers
• Specialist Physicians
• General Practitioners and Family Physicians
• Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists
• Occupational Therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Head Nurses and Supervisors
• Registered Nurses
• Medical Radiation Technologists
• Licensed Practical Nurses
• University Professors
• College and Other Vocational Instructors
• Chefs
• Cooks
• Contractors and Supervisors, Pipefitting Trades
• Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
• Contractors and Supervisors, Heavy Construction Equipment Crews
• Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System)
• Industrial Electricians
• Plumbers
• Steamfitters, Pipefitters and Sprinkler System Installers
• Welders and Related Machine Operators
• Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
• Crane Operators
• Drillers and Blasters — Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction
• Supervisors, Mining and Quarrying
• Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service
• Supervisors, Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing and Utilities

All I want for Christmas

Santa, in case you're reading this...

All I want for Christmas is to become a permanent resident of Canada.

Milk and cookies will be in their usual spot.

- J

Ignatieff's expected stand on immigration issues

Newly crowned Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has said publicly that he believes Canada needs to expand the family-class portion of its immigration system, allowing Canadians to sponsor family members to become permanent residents of Canada. He has also said that the Canadian immigration system needs to be "streamlined," including a processing system based in Canada. While Statistics Canada reports that the country is taking in an average of 260,000 newcomers a year, Mr. Ignatieff says the number should be increased to "at least" 350,000 newcomers per year. He has stated that he feels the current immigration processing system is simply too cumbersome (amen, ed.) and does a poor job in matching up applicant qualifications with professional skill shortages. In addition, the current system isn't doing enough to help foreign professionals qualify for practice in their field of expertise in Canada.

Positive immigration reform? It may be closer than you think.

Parliament suspended - good for immigration?

With the proroguing of Parliament this week, the question arises - what impact will this have on immigration issues?

On the positive side, Harper's minority government wont have the opportunity to do more damage to the current immigration policies than he has done already. You could imagine that with the economy in trouble as it is across Canada that immigrants would be an easy target, and the reduction of numbers allowed in, barriers to entry, pace of the application process could all be easy targets.

Also on the positive side: the attempt to form a coalition government (even though it was done as the result of a hissy-fit by Dion and Layton) is a clear indicator that Harper's days in power are numbered (around 42, I believe). One way or another, he's going to lose most, if not all the power he currently wields. Chances are that his poor record on immigration management and poor policy choices in this area will get the attention of some opposition Ministers - and perhaps enough to reverse the course that has led to policies ripe with opportunity for abuse without checks and balances.