GREAT NEWS - IMMIGRATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILLED WORKERS:

The Government of Canada is planning to welcome more federal skilled workers in 2012.

The Federal Skilled Worker Program is the principal avenue for permanent immigration to Canada. In 2012, the government of Canada plans to welcome 55,000–57,000 federal skilled workers. In 2011, it was 47,000–47,400. Canada is committed to facilitate the arrival of the best and the brightest people to the country.

An important milestone was reached this year, when the backlog of Federal Skilled Worker applications was reduced by more than 50 percent who applied before 2008 – two years ahead of schedule. The higher range in 2012 will support labour market responsiveness and sustain progress on backlog reduction.

An extensive evaluation was completed in 2010, showing that the program is working well and selecting immigrants who perform well economically. 95 percent of the employers surveyed indicated that Federal Skilled Workers were meeting or exceeding their expectations. The evaluation indicated a strong continuing need for skilled immigrants in Canada.