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2005-15

CANADA AND SASKATCHEWAN SIGN NEW IMMIGRATION AGREEMENT

OTTAWA, June 1, 2005 — The Honourable Joe Volpe, Canada’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and the Honourable Pat Atkinson, Saskatchewan Minister Responsible for Immigration, today announced the signature of a new Canada-Saskatchewan Immigration Agreement. The Agreement replaces the original Canada-Saskatchewan Agreement, signed on March 16, 1998.

"Effective immigration is about close partnerships—not only between the federal government and the provinces or territories, but also with communities and stakeholders. The Canada-Saskatchewan Immigration Agreement is an excellent example of a partnership that works," said Minister Volpe.

The Agreement defines the respective roles and responsibilities of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan related to immigrants, temporary workers, students and others who want to come to Saskatchewan under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. It incorporates the Agreement on Provincial Nominees, signed in 2002, which allows Saskatchewan to identify and nominate immigrant applicants through the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).

"Continuing to expand the population, labour force, culture and economy of Saskatchewan through immigration is a priority of the Government of Saskatchewan," Minister Atkinson said. "This new and enhanced agreement is the latest demonstration of our commitment to make Saskatchewan a destination of choice for immigrants from around the world."

The Agreement removes the nominations cap from the SINP, providing Saskatchewan with greater flexibility in operating its immigration program and enabling the province to attract more skilled workers, business people and farmers to meet its specific labour market and economic needs. It provides a framework for the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan to establish new initiatives and projects, such as agreements on foreign student employment and Enhanced Language Training. The Agreement also includes new provisions that reflect Saskatchewan’s interest in enhancing the vitality of its French-language minority communities. It continues to acknowledge the importance of family reunification and a shared commitment to the humanitarian considerations for refugees.

"The Government of Saskatchewan is pleased to renew our partnership with the federal government and local communities as we strive, together, to attract more immigrants to our province and enhance our settlement and integration services," Minister Atkinson said. "From its creation one hundred years ago, Saskatchewan has always been enriched by the cultures of people the world over. By creating a province that’s welcoming and supportive of newcomers, we help ensure a prosperous, dynamic future for all Saskatchewan people."

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For more information (media only):

Government of Canada
Stephen Heckbert
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
(613) 954-1064

Maria Iadinardi
Media Relations
Communications Branch
(613) 952-0740

Government of Saskatchewan
Brian Miller
Communications
Saskatchewan Government Relations
Regina
(306) 787-7151

Visit the Saskatchewan Immigration Web site:
http://www.immigrationsask.gov.sk.ca

Backgrounders
 

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Canada-Saskatchewan Immigration Agreement

The Canada-Saskatchewan Immigration Agreement defines the respective roles and responsibilities of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan related to immigrants, temporary workers, students and others wishing to come to Saskatchewan under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The renewed Agreement affirms a partnership for cooperation and consultation that will enable Saskatchewan to share in the economic and social benefits of immigration.

The Agreement recognizes that many parties have a role in facilitating the integration of newcomers to Saskatchewan, including municipal governments, settlement and immigrant-serving agencies, religious and ethnic organizations, labour and business groups, and individuals.

The Province of Saskatchewan has agreed to new provisions to the Agreement in support of minority official-language communities and recognizes the importance of encouraging the development of Saskatchewan’s Francophone minority-language and other communities through immigration.

In addition, the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, which is part of the Agreement, provides Saskatchewan with a mechanism to increase the economic and social benefits of immigration to the province. This program takes into account the economic priorities of the province and encourages balanced growth through regional development and the development of minority official-language communities. Saskatchewan will recruit potential candidates who will be of significant benefit to its development and who will be able to establish themselves in the province. Saskatchewan nominees must meet federal admission requirements for health and security. Canada will also continue to issue immigrant visas to the nominees who meet the criteria.

The Agreement acknowledges the Multiculturalism Act of Saskatchewan, which gives authority to Saskatchewan to promote awareness and understanding of the social, cultural and economic benefits of continuing immigration to Saskatchewan and to facilitate the settlement of immigrants in Saskatchewan.

Agreements between the Government of Canada and the provinces or territories are the primary means by which responsibility for immigration is shared between the different levels of government. Section 8(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act authorizes the minister of Citizenship and Immigration, with the approval of the governor in council, to enter into agreements with the provinces or territories for the purposes of the Act.

The elements of the new agreement include the following:

Immigration Programs and Planning

The Agreement outlines Canada’s role in developing an annual immigration plan in consultation with Saskatchewan and other provinces, taking into account Saskatchewan’s immigration planning, including its demographic, social and economic objectives.

Saskatchewan will provide Canada with an annual multi-year provincial nominee plan to be considered in Canada’s immigration projections, and provide comments on Canada’s immigration plan with respect to Saskatchewan.

The Agreement provides for Canada to consult with Saskatchewan on annual refugee targets and other immigration targets by class. Saskatchewan will consult with immigration stakeholders on the province’s immigration policies, plans and programs.

Promotion and Recruitment

The Agreement reaffirms the roles and responsibilities shared between Canada and Saskatchewan for the planning and implementation of immigration promotion and recruitment activities abroad.

Settlement and Integration

In the Agreement, Canada agrees to continue providing programs to settle and integrate immigrants in Saskatchewan, and to provide income support and immediate essential services to government-assisted refugees during their initial period in Canada.

The Agreement acknowledges the appropriate participation of other parties concerned with facilitating the integration of newcomers to Saskatchewan, including municipal governments, education, health and human services sectors, settlement and immigrant-serving agencies, religious and ethnic organizations, labour and business groups, and individuals.

Francophone Minority Communities

The Agreement recognizes the importance of encouraging the development of Saskatchewan’s minority-language community through immigration. It affirms consultation with representatives of Saskatchewan’s Francophone community in developing its recruitment initiatives.

Information Sharing and Research

The Agreement provides for sharing information and cooperating on research related to immigration levels planning, policy development, and program design and evaluation. Specific mechanisms are outlined to share and distribute data on immigrant landings.

Consultation

Under the terms of the Agreement, Canada and Saskatchewan will cooperatively develop and implement new initiatives and projects that meet regional immigration needs. The Joint Program Management Committee will oversee the implementation and other matters related to the Agreement. Canada and Saskatchewan will consult each other, either bilaterally or on a multilateral basis, on immigration issues such as facilitating the movement of temporary workers and international students.

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National and Regional Immigration Statistics

Immigration by Census Metropolitan Area - Canada

CENSUS AREA  2000  2001  2002 2003 2004
Num. % Num. % Num. % Num. % Num. %
St. John’s 290 0.13 296 0.12 266 0.12 254 0.11 390 0.17
Other Newfoundland and Labrador 125 0.05 106 0.04 139 0.06 105 0.05 188 0.08
Total Newfoundland and Labrador 415 0.18 402 0.16 405 0.18 359 0.16 578 0.25
Total Prince Edward Island 191 0.08 135 0.05 110 0.05 153 0.07 317 0.13
Halifax 1,318 0.58 1,378 0.55 1,129 0.49 1,115 0.50 1,320 0.56
Other Nova Scotia 289 0.13 333 0.13 290 0.13 361 0.16 425 0.18
Total Nova Scotia 1,607 0.71 1,711 0.68 1,419 0.62 1476 0.66 1,745 0.74
Saint John 174 0.08 149 0.06 166 0.07 157 0.07 174 0.07
Other New Brunswick 587 0.26 660 0.26 544 0.24 510 0.23 617 0.26
Total New Brunswick 761 0.34 809 0.32 710 0.31 667 0.30 791 0.33
Québec 1,405 0.62 1,836 0.73 1,335 0.58 1,691 0.76 2,100 0.89
Montréal 28,138 12.38 32,377 12.93 33,004 14.41 33,732 15.24 37,604 15.95
Ottawa/Hull (QC) 684 0.30 605 0.24 657 0.29 894 0.40 1,011 0.43
Other Quebec 2,262 0.99 2,705 1.08 2,631 1.15 3,234 1.46 3,561 1.51
Total Quebec 32,489 14.29 37,523 14.98 37,627 16.43 39,551 17.86 44,276 18.78
Ottawa/Hull (ON) 7,774 3.42 8,441 3.37 7,156 3.12 5,984 2.70 6,397 2.71
Toronto 110,069 48.41 125,114 49.95 111,580 48.71 97,476 44.04 99,673 42.27
Hamilton 3,166 1.39 2,779 1.11 3,079 1.34 3,537 1.60 4,074 1.73
London 1,978 0.87 1,963 0.78 1,710 0.75 1,998 0.90 2,324 0.99
Other Ontario 10,453 4.60 10,274 4.10 10,116 4.42 10,746 4.85 12,655 5.37
Total Ontario 133,440 58.69 148,571 59.31 133,641 58.34 119,741 54.09 125,123 53.07
Winnipeg 3,700 1.63 3,750 1.50 3,810 1.66 5,137 2.32 5,897 2.50
Other Manitoba 944 0.42 838 0.33 811 0.35 1,355 0.61 1,517 1.64
Total Manitoba 4,644 2.05 4,588 1.83 4,621 2.01 6,492 2.93 7,414 3.14
Regina 673 0.30 535 0.21 553 0.24 570 0.26 655 0.28
Saskatoon 788 0.35 775 0.31 709 0.31 630 0.28 805 0.34
Other Saskatchewan 430 0.19 398 0.16 403 0.18 470 0.21 490 0.21
Total Saskatchewan 1,891 0.84 1,708 0.68 1,665 0.73 1670 0.75 1,950 0.83
Calgary 8,478 3.73 10,166 4.06 9,038 3.95 9,266 4.19 9,314 3.95
Edmonton 4,313 1.90 4,588 1.83 4,225 1.84 4,813 2.17 5,019 2.13
Other Alberta 1,541 0.68 1,623 0.65 1,466 0.64 1,751 0.79 2059 0.87
Total Alberta 14,332 6.31 16,377 6.54 14,729 6.43 15,830 7.15 16,392 6.95
Vancouver 33,289 14.64 34,234 13.67 29,922 13.06 30,766 13.90 31,704 13.44
Victoria 919 0.40 953 0.38 754 0.33 948 0.43 933 0.40
Other British Columbia 3,201 1.41 3,165 1.26 3,324 1.45 3,514 1.59 4,407 1.87
Total British Columbia 37,409 16.45 38,352 15.31 34,000 14.84 35,228 15.92 37044 15.71
Total Yukon 60 0.03 67 0.03 49 0.02 94 0.04 89 0.04
Total Northwest Territories 82 0.04 93 0.04 61 0.03 57 0.03 61 0.03
Total Nunavut 12 0.01 12 0.00 12 0.01 9 - 8 -
Not stated 13 0.01 136 0.05 42 0.02 25 0.01 20 0.01
Total 227,346 100.00 250,484 100.00 229,091 100.00 221,352 100.00 235,808 100.00

Immigration by Census Metropolitan Area - Saskatchewan

CENSUS AREAS  2001  2002  2003 2004
Num. % Num. % Num. % Num. %
Regina 542 31.38 556 33.31 570 34.13 655 33.59
Yorkton 6 0.35 25 1.50 19 1.14 11 0.51
Moose Jaw 110 6.46 81 4.85 85 5.09 70 3.59
Swift Current 9 0.53 8 0.48 30 1.80 11 0.56
Saskatoon 768 45.10 720 43.14 630 37.72 805 41.28
North Battleford 5 0.29 21 1.26 14 0.84 18 0.92
Prince Albert 87 5.11 59 3.54 73 4.37 104 5.33
Estevan 7 0.41 12 0.72 5 0.30 13 0.67
Other Saskatchewan 169 9.92 187 11.21 244 14.61 264 13.54
Total Saskatchewan 1,703 100.00 1,669 100.00 1,670 100.00 1,950 100.00

Immigration by Country of Last Permanent Residence - Canada

Source countries 2001 2002 2003 2004
Num. Rank % Num. Rank % Num. Rank % Num. Rank %
China, People’s Republic of 40,315 1 16.1 33,231 1 14.5 36,116 1 16.32 36,410 1 15.44
India 27,848 2 11.1 28,815 2 12.6 24,560 2 11.10 25,568 2 10.84
Pakistan 15,341 3 6.1 14,164 3 6.2 12,330 3 5.57 12,796 4 5.43
Philippines 12,914 4 5.2 11,000 4 4.8 11,978 4 5.41 13,299 3 5.64
Korea, Republic of 9,604 5 3.8 7,326 6 3.2 7,087 5 3.20 5,337 9 2.26
United States of America 5,902 6 2.4 5,288 8 2.3 5,990 6 2.71 7,439 5 3.18
Iran 5,737 7 2.3 7,742 5 3.4 5,648 7 2.55 6,063 6 2.57
Romania 5,585 8 2.2 5,692 7 2.5 5,465 8 2.47 5,655 8 2.40
United Kingdom and Colonies 5,350 10 2.1 4,720 10 2.1 5,194 9 2.35 6,065 7 2.57
Sri Lanka 5,514 9 2.2 4,961 9 2.2 4,442 10   4,134 13 1.75
France 4,442 12 1.76 3,962 13 1.73 4,124 12 1.86 5,027 10 2.13
Total Principal Source Countries 134,110   53.5 122,939   53.8 118,809   53.67 123,704   52.46
Total Other Countries 116,374   46.5 106,152   46.2 102,543   46.33 112,104   47.54
Total 250,484   100 229,091   100 221,352   100 235,808   100

Immigration by Country of Last Permanent Residence - Saskatchewan

Source countries 2001 2002 2003 2004
Num. Rank % Num. Rank % Num. Rank % Num. Rank %
United Kingdom and Colonies 70 9 4.1 61 9 3.7 121 4 7.25 172 1 8.82
Yugoslavia 68 10 4 21 16 1.3 17 23 1.02 -    
Ukraine 35 13 2 28 14 1.7 44 12 2.63 53 10 2.72
Romania 54 11 3.2 53 10 3.2 46 10 2.75 38 11 1.95
South Africa, Republic of 77 7 4.5 97 4 5.8 140 2 8.38 129 4 6.62
Sudan, Republic of 51 12 3 90 7 5.4 131 3 7.84 93 8 4.77
China, People’s Republic of 179 1 10.5 153 2 9.2 173 1 10.36 170 2 8.72
India 116 3 6.8 93 5 5.6 67 8 4.01 95 7 4.87
Iran 108 4 6.3 46 11 2.8 34 13 2.04 22 17 1.13
Iraq 75 8 4.4 76 8 4.6 24 17 1.44 71 9 3.64
Philippines 85 6 5 91 6 5.5 72 7 4.31 123 5 6.31
Afghanistan 132 2 7.7 178 1 10.7 110 5 6.59 160 3 8.21
United States of America 87 5 5.1 106 3 6.4 104 6 6.23 116 6 5.95
Total Principal Source Countries 997   58.4 998   60.1 1016   60.84 1,182   60.62
Total Other Countries 711   41.6 667   39.9 654   39.16 768   39.38
Total 1,708   100.00 1,665   100.00 1,670   100.00 1,950   100.00

Immigration by Language Ability - Canada

Language 2001 2002 2003 2004
Num. % Num. % Num. % Num. %
English 114,833 45.84 99,527 43.44 96,800 43.73 114,705 48.64
French 11,314 4.52 10,648 4.65 9,972 4.51 11,300 4.76
Both French and English 13,032 5.20 13,720 5.99 16,246 7.34 22,607 9.59
Neither 111,305 44.44 105,196 45.92 98,334 44.42 87,196 36.98
Total 250,484 100.00 229,091 100.00 221,352 100.00 235,808 100.00

Immigration by Language Ability - Saskatchewan

Language 2001 2002 2003 2004
Num. % Num. % Num. % Num. %
English 835 48.9 792 47.6 883 52.87 1,158 59.38
French or Both French and English 34 2.0 45 2.7 52 3.11 159 8.16
Neither 840 49.2 828 49.7 735 44.01 633 32.46
Total 1,708 100.00 1,665 100.00 1,670 100.00 1,950 100.00

Source: CIC Facts and Figures, Immigration Overview, 2003. The 2004 statistics are preliminary and may be subject to revision.