http://thechronicleherald.ca/novasc...igration-rules-need-to-be-clearer-lawyer-says
Nova Scotia’s new immigration rules need to be clearer, lawyer says
Minister defends changes as being beneficial
A Halifax immigration lawyer says the province should focus on improving existing immigration programs before adding new streams.
Elizabeth Wozniak said she’s worried Nova Scotia’s new regional labour market demand stream is going to increase the burden of work for officials and extend wait times for everyone. She also has concerns about a lack of clarity regarding settlement criteria for the new stream, which will use 150 of the province’s 700 nominations
“A lot of people don’t know how that’s going to be interpreted,” said Wozniak.
Immigration Minister Lena Diab said the new stream was designed with the assistance of the federal government. While there’s been plenty of interest — Diab said the province received 600 applications in the first three weeks — the minister said it won’t bog down the process because staff is separating applications based on which ones deserve the most attention.
“None of that though is going to affect the other streams we’re looking at.”
Wozniak said her firm regularly gets calls from people with no connection to Nova Scotia who will likely be turned down, but they’re interested because the settlement criteria isn’t clear enough in the program requirements. She worries about the potential negative impact of scores of people being denied.
“There’s nothing in the guide from the province that (lays out criteria),” she said. “It’s not explicit.”
The province would get “more bang for its buck” if there was a greater focus on finding ways to help temporary foreign workers with job offers become permanent residents, said Wozniak.
She’d also like to see a program for foreign university graduates with work permits reopened.
“Every week, I meet with people who want to stay in Nova Scotia but do not qualify for the provincial program here, whereas they will qualify if they move to Saskatchewan or Manitoba,” said Wozniak.
“These are people here now, with full-time jobs and the desire to stay.”
Diab said her department is working with universities and the federal government in hopes of addressing that. She said she’s discussed the matter with federal Citizen and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander.
“That is definitely something that the universities and college institutions are very interested in pursuing.”
The temporary foreign worker program is federally administered and Diab said the province must do a better job promoting its own programs to people here now who want to make Nova Scotia their full-time home.
“If they want to stay, they should be applying to us so that we can help them. These are excellent candidates and these are the type of skilled workers that we want because they already know our province, they already have a job and chances are they’re starting to know either English or French.”
Asked about efforts to increase the province’s cap on nominees, Diab said “there’s going to be some good things coming.”
