Immigration softens rule changes
Minister estimates 70,000 applicants will be eligible for a refund
Elizabeth Thompson
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, February 27, 2002
Immigration Minister Denis Coderre put an end to uncertainty for thousands of prospective immigrants yesterday, announcing a plan to ease the transition to new immigration rules.
With Mr. Coderre's decision, many of those already in the pipeline will be assessed according to the current selection criteria.
Those who applied to immigrate to Canada in the skilled worker category prior to Dec. 17, 2001 will continue to be assessed under the current selection criteria until Jan. 1, 2003. Those who still do not have a selection decision by that date will be subject to the new selection criteria, but with a pass mark of 70 points.
Skilled workers who applied after Dec. 17, 2001 and who are not selected by June 28, 2002, the date the new law will come into effect, will be subject to the new criteria as well as a higher pass mark. While Mr. Coderre said he wants to carry out further consultations before setting the new pass mark, the government had previously proposed 80 points.
Those whose applications have not yet gone through the paper screening process will have the option of withdrawing their applications and getting a refund of $500 per adult, Mr. Coderre said.
Yesterday's announcement does not affect immigration to Quebec since under a federal-provincial agreement Quebec selects immigrants in the skilled worker category according to the province's own criteria. But the transition to the new immigration system had sparked controversy in the rest of the country -- particularly in the Liberal party's caucus where many MPs who represent multicultural ridings were up in arms over the idea that the new rules could be applied retroactively to those already waiting to immigrate.
The proposal to apply the new rules retroactively also sparked the anger of immigration lawyers who accused the government of carrying out a cash grab.
However, Mr. Coderre estimated 70,000 of 220,000 applicants in the skilled worker category will be eligible for a refund.
Mr. Coderre said an estimated 15,000 people had filed applications prior to Dec. 17 and had not yet been processed, while 55,000 were waiting for their applications to be screened.
Another 120,000 had been screened and are waiting for an interview, while 36,000 are waiting for a final decision.
Mr. Coderre said there will always be people who are dissatisfied with a decision, but he believes he has opted for the fairest course.
"We're offering a refund option for those 70,000. I think that's pretty fair. Added to that, the passing mark will remain at 70 per cent." He said he tried to strike a balance between the need for equity and the need to implement new rules.
© Copyright 2002 The Ottawa Citizen
Minister estimates 70,000 applicants will be eligible for a refund
Elizabeth Thompson
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, February 27, 2002
Immigration Minister Denis Coderre put an end to uncertainty for thousands of prospective immigrants yesterday, announcing a plan to ease the transition to new immigration rules.
With Mr. Coderre's decision, many of those already in the pipeline will be assessed according to the current selection criteria.
Those who applied to immigrate to Canada in the skilled worker category prior to Dec. 17, 2001 will continue to be assessed under the current selection criteria until Jan. 1, 2003. Those who still do not have a selection decision by that date will be subject to the new selection criteria, but with a pass mark of 70 points.
Skilled workers who applied after Dec. 17, 2001 and who are not selected by June 28, 2002, the date the new law will come into effect, will be subject to the new criteria as well as a higher pass mark. While Mr. Coderre said he wants to carry out further consultations before setting the new pass mark, the government had previously proposed 80 points.
Those whose applications have not yet gone through the paper screening process will have the option of withdrawing their applications and getting a refund of $500 per adult, Mr. Coderre said.
Yesterday's announcement does not affect immigration to Quebec since under a federal-provincial agreement Quebec selects immigrants in the skilled worker category according to the province's own criteria. But the transition to the new immigration system had sparked controversy in the rest of the country -- particularly in the Liberal party's caucus where many MPs who represent multicultural ridings were up in arms over the idea that the new rules could be applied retroactively to those already waiting to immigrate.
The proposal to apply the new rules retroactively also sparked the anger of immigration lawyers who accused the government of carrying out a cash grab.
However, Mr. Coderre estimated 70,000 of 220,000 applicants in the skilled worker category will be eligible for a refund.
Mr. Coderre said an estimated 15,000 people had filed applications prior to Dec. 17 and had not yet been processed, while 55,000 were waiting for their applications to be screened.
Another 120,000 had been screened and are waiting for an interview, while 36,000 are waiting for a final decision.
Mr. Coderre said there will always be people who are dissatisfied with a decision, but he believes he has opted for the fairest course.
"We're offering a refund option for those 70,000. I think that's pretty fair. Added to that, the passing mark will remain at 70 per cent." He said he tried to strike a balance between the need for equity and the need to implement new rules.
© Copyright 2002 The Ottawa Citizen
