On the other hand, rural communities have fewer aggregate jobs available, but there is less competition, due to factors such as a lack of awareness and unfamiliarity with the community. This has resulted in many lucrative positions remaining vacant. As a result, the Government of Canada announced the creation of the Rural and Northern Immigrant Pilot on 24 January 2019. It will be a five-year pilot program aimed at increasing the number of immigrants settling in rural communities. It will provide immigrants with employment opportunities and communities with a labour force to grow the local economy. This initiative was implemented based off the success of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, which boosted immigration in the Atlantic Canada region.

Interested communities must coordinate with their local economic development organization (EDO), which will complete and submit the application on behalf of the community. The application consists of a Community Interest Form, an economic development plan written in the last 3 years, and letters of support from a municipal leader as well as a local or regional immigrant-serving organization. If the community is selected, the EDO will manage the program for the community.

In order to be eligible, communities must:

• Have a population of 50,000 people or less and be located at least 75km from the core of a Census Metropolitan Area, as defined by Statistics Canada OR up to 200,000 people and be considered remote from other larger cities, as per Statistics Canada’s remoteness index;
• Be located in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Saskatchewan, or Yukon;
• Have job opportunities;
• Have an economic development plan;
• Have a local economic development organization that can manage the pilot for the community;
• Be able to settle new immigrants in the community by having or developing:
  1. Relationships with local or regional immigrant-serving organizations;
  2. Opportunities to connect newcomers with established members of the community, such as through mentoring or networking;
  3. Access to key services like education, housing, transportation and health care;
• The community must also have the support of its municipality and a local/regional immigrant-serving organizations, shown through letters of support.

For the initial launch of the program, IRCC will select a small number of communities from the applications received. There seems to be a preference for francophone communities, as suggested by an explicit invitation for such communities to apply and identify themselves as francophone on their applications. Furthermore, one of the selection criteria states that decision makers will consider if communities are able to attract and integrate French-speaking newcomers. This is in line with the Action Plan announced by the Government of Canada in March 2018 to increase francophone immigration to Canada.

If selected, the community will play a lead role in the successful implementation and management of the program (via the EDO), with the Government of Canada playing a supporting role. The community would first need to recruit and identify individuals who would be valuable for the local economy. These individuals would then be recommended for permanent residence. If permanent residence is granted, the community would need to provide services for these individuals to adjust to their new lives in Canada. Finally, monitoring the results of the program will be key, to provide feedback to the Government of Canada on its long-term feasibility. To accomplish all this, a community’s EDO will need to work with employers, immigrant-serving organizations, and other key stakeholders.

The deadline to apply for this application is 1 March 2019 by 11:59 pm PST. Applications can be submitted via e-mail or physical mail.

For more information please contact us.

(Sources)

The post Immigration in Rural Communities the Focus of IRCC’s New Pilot Program first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

In accordance with declarations made by the Manitoba Education and Training Minister, Ian Wishart, the province is clearing the application backlog and providing better services to the applicants while making the program more user friendly.  The next step of revamping the Manitoba PNP will represent the addition of new pathways to permanent residence.

Additionally, the province has reached an agreement with the Federal government to expand the PNP program by adding four new application streams:

1. international education;
2. skilled worker in Manitoba;
3. skilled worker overseas; and
4. business investor.

The new International education stream will come into effect in April 2018, and will facilitate faster nomination pathways for graduates of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs who are completing internships that support industry innovation.  In accordance with the announcement made by the province, post-secondary international student graduates from colleges and universities in Manitoba who find longer-term employment in an in-demand occupation consistent with their training will no longer have to work for six months before applying to the MPNP.  To find the in-demand occupation list, please click here.

Further, the Skilled Worker in Manitoba Stream has been divided in two pathways:

• the Manitoba Work Experience Pathway, and
• the Employer Direct Recruitment Pathway. To learn more about these pathways, click here.
  

Current temporary foreign workers in the province – Skilled Worker in Manitoba stream– with strong labour market attachments to Manitoba employers will continue to represent a priority in the skilled worker in Manitoba stream.   Also, the province will expand the employers’ recruitment partnerships adding more accessible ways for regional and Winnipeg-based employers to recruit and retain permanent immigrant workers graduating from training programs in Manitoba.

Under the upgraded Skilled Worker Overseas stream a new pathway to nominate qualified applicants for the federal express entry program will be implemented.  The new stream will give priority to candidates with close family connections in Manitoba and spouses who have the language proficiency, training and experience to quickly find in-demand jobs. To read more, click here.

The new Business Investor stream will give preference to candidates who start a business within the first 12 months of their arrival in the province, especially the investors who open businesses outside of Winnipeg.  Under this category, the applicants are allowed to secure a work permit based on their business plan.  Pursuant to the Manitoba Minister’s announcement, effective immediately, the applicants in this stream are no longer required to submit a deposit to the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.  However, the candidates under this stream are required to sign a “performance agreement” undertaking to purchase an existing business or to start their own.  Upon signing the performance agreement, the MPNP will provide the candidates with a support letter for their temporary work permit. To read more, click here.

The post New streams and pathways for Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

The Manitoba government estimates that the number of polar bears in the western Hudson Bay area is somewhere between 900 and 1,000. Male polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba can grow to be heavier than 600 kilograms and can stand at 10 feet tall. Additionally, polar bears are at the top of the food chain, meaning they have no natural enemies! From mid-November to mid-July, you can find the majority of polar bears spending their time out on the sea ice of Hudson Bay. According to EverythingChurchill.com, October and November are the best months to view the polar bears as the bears move from their summer habitat on the tundra back to the Manitoba shores of the Hudson Bay where they hunt for seals.

Churchill, Manitoba has a Polar Bear Alert Program in place, which holds polar bears that have wandered into town, in a holding facility. This “jail” aims to make the polar bear’s stay extremely uncomfortable so that the bear would not want to come back. The bears are eventually sent back to the sea ice after an appropriate amount of time without any food. The Polar Bear Alert Program is one of the most successful animal conservation programs in North America. The program first started to only protect people and property, but now the polar bears welfare has become a priority as well.

In order to secure a spot on the tour, it is recommended that you book your trip six months to one year in advance. Due to obvious safety reasons, the bears can only be seen via an official tour. The tour is equipped with tundra vehicles that allow tourists to safely view the polar bears. However, there are limits on how many of these vehicles can operate. Manitoba Conservation restricts the number of tour operators and vehicles in prime polar bear viewing territory, to minimize the impact to the surrounding tundra and to continue to keep the bears happy.

To learn more about Churchill or to book a trip, click here and here.

The post Take a trip to the polar bear capital of the world: Churchill, Manitoba! first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

Click to listen to Chris Collette on AM900CHML, as he discusses the refugee claimant crossing situation in Manitoba!

The post Chris Collette discusses the refugee claimant crossing situation in Manitoba on AM900CHML! first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

Let’s hit the road!

Newfoundland and Labrador – St. John’s, which is Newfoundland and Labrador’s capital, is the oldest city in North America!

Nova Scotia – Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, was founded in 1749!

Prince Edward Island – P.E.I. is the smallest province in all of Canada!

New Brunswick – Florenceville-Bristol, located in western New Brunswick, is the French Fry Capital of the world!

Quebec – The Montreal Canadiens, Quebec’s National Hockey League team, has been playing hockey since 1909!

Ontario – There are approximately 250,000 lakes located throughout the province of Ontario!

Manitoba – Churchill, located in northern Manitoba, is the Polar Bear Capital of the world!

Saskatchewan – Currently holds the title of the province with the most roads in Canada!

Alberta – Banff National Park, established in 1885, is the oldest national park in Canada!

British Columbia – The world’s tallest totem pole stands in Alert Bay, located in western BC!

Northwest Territories – Yellowknife, the capital of Northwest Territories, is approximately 3,000 kilometres away from the North Pole!

Nunavut – Frobisher Bay, which is found in eastern Nunavut, has the second highest tides in Canada, right after the Bay of Fundy located in New Brunswick!

Yukon – Carcross Desert, located just outside of Carcross in Yukon, is the world’s smallest desert!

The post Fun Facts from Coast to Coast first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.

Let’s get started!

British Columbia – The 95^th Annual Vancouver International AutoShow, taking place from March 24^th to March 29^th at the Vancouver Convention Center. For more information, please click here.

Alberta – Western Canada Fashion Week will be celebrating their 10^th Anniversary at the ATB Financial Arts Barn, located in Edmonton, during March 27^th through to April 4^th. For more information, please click here.

Manitoba – At Winnipeg’s Forks Market, during March 28^th to April 5^th, Festival of Fools will be hosted. For more information, please click here.

Saskatchewan – Participate in an Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt at Government House, located in Regina, from April 3^rd to April 5^th between 9AM and 4PM. For more information, please click here.

Ontario – Similar to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) that is hosted annually in September, comes the TIFF Kids International Film Festival from April 7^th to April 19^th. For more information, please click here.

Quebec – Enjoy Spring Madness between March 28^th to April 26^th at Mount-Sainte-Anne. For more information, please click here.

Prince Edward Island – In Charolettetown on March 29^th at 3:00PM, The Confederation Centre Youth Chorus will be performing the Choral Music Programme: Voices of Spring. For more information, please click here.

Nova Scotia – The 2015 Ford Worlds Men’s Curling Championship will be hosted at the Scotiabank Centre between March 28^th and April 5^th. For more information, please click here.

New Brunswick – Participate in Explorer Saturdays at the New Brunswick Museum, located in Saint John, on March 28^th between 10AM and 4PM. For more information, please click here.

Newfoundland and Labrador – On March 28^th, skiers and snowboarders can participate in the event Great Labrador Loppet. For more information, please click here.

Yukon – Enjoy the 58^th Annual Muskrat Jamboree from March 27^th to March 30^th. For information, please click here.

Northwest Territories – Attend Long John Jamboree in Yellowknife being hosted on March 27^th through to March 29^th. For more information, please click here.

Nunavut – In Iqaluit, the Toonik Tyme Festival will be taking place during April 2^nd to April 10^th. For more information, please click here.

On behalf of BLG Airlines, we’d like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again soon!

The post From Coast to Coast first appeared on Bellissimo Law Group.