Canada to admit more immigrants next year

Toronto, Nov 29 (ANS) Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has announced that the country would admit more immigrants next year.

He said here Friday that Canada will admit up to 265,000 immigrants in 2009, up from 240,000 now. Listing 38 professions as a priority for immigration, the minister said Canada would prefer skilled professionals from areas such as finance, nursing and the oil industry.

The skilled professionals from these areas, he said, could be admitted into Canada within six months to one year, as compared to the waiting period of up to six years now.

'Nurses, for instance, are needed whether you are in Nunavut or Vancouver or Toronto,' the minister said.

But he added the new policy would depend on the economic situation in the country in the coming months.

'We will have to monitor the economy as it develops and, of course, we reserve the right to modify our policy if need be,' Kenney said.

The minister said the decision to increase the number of immigrants to be admitted in 2009 has been taken in view of the long waiting list, which has risen to 900,000 from just 50,000 in 1993.

The new policy will fast-track immigration for 600,000 people who are in the skilled professional category, he added.

The immigration process will also be speeded up for those who have job offers or are already in Canada as temporary foreign workers or international students, he said.

The new immigrants to be admitted next year include 156,600 in the economic category, 71,000 in the family category, and 37,400 in the humanitarian category.