World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. The weekly roundup includes research, stories, and events of interest to the Canadian immigration and settlement community. This content has been created by WES and is reproduced here with their permission, in partnership.
The immigration issue in Ontario’s housing crisis, immigrants are the scapegoat and the solution (The Local)
Canada's construction industry is grappling with massive shortages, reflected by thousands of unfilled roles nationwide. The impact of this shortfall is felt by homebuyers and renters alike. According to industry experts, chronic shortages initiate domino effects, where delay in one trade could trigger significant pauses along the production chain, resulting in elevated costs for homebuyers. In recent years, immigrants have been scapegoated for socio-economic pressures facing Canada, where reducing immigration levels has been presented as a plausible solution. While this has become a prevailing narrative, sectoral advocacy groups continue to cite immigration as a pathway to economic prosperity. Workforces increasingly reliant on immigrant and temporary resident workers point to the need for policy makers to address systemic issues related to labour disruptions and red tape within bureaucracy. A closer focus is also needed on the financialization of housing markets and unpredictable inflationary measures. The article notes that resolving Canada’s biggest societal challenges will require more than placing a cap on immigration.
What’s in the integration bill tabled by Quebec’s immigration minister? (CTV News)
The proposed bill is part of a motion to modify Quebec’s provincial charter of rights and would prioritize the entrenched social integration of newcomers to the province. The “social contract” would require newcomers and cultural minorities to embrace and share in the “common culture” of Quebec; advancing distinct social values and historical traditions. These include adherence to secularism, gender equality, civil law practices, demonstrated proficiency in French language, and interculturalism – where a common culture must be defined and expressed. Quebec Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge says he believes Canada’s mosaic-like policies on multiculturalism does not benefit Quebecers, but instead, creates a siloed society in the Quebec context. Provisions of the bill also include measures to protect and further enhance Quebec’s historic anglophone and Indigenous communities. Reduced funding and closures of religious schools, childcare centres, and immigrant serving organizations who are non-compliant, are part of implementation considerations, as well as the potential for ethnic and multicultural festivals to be discontinued. As enforcement plans still remain unclear, concerns are mounting on the risk of alienation amongst newcomers and limited access to critical cultural resources.
A playbook for how to measure a tariff shock in Canada (RBC)
With scenario planning and negotiations underway in response to proposed tariffs by US President Donald Trump, Canadian economists are mapping out potential shocks facing the economy. In exchange for compliance on a range of border and trade priorities, President Trump has since agreed to hold off on implementing 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico for the next 30 days. However, to ensure Canadians are prepared to meet the reality of a complex economic landscape, experts spotlight the following as probable impacts:
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Ukrainian newcomers face uncertainty as emergency visas near expiration (CBC)
While the war between Ukraine and Russia continues, temporary visas granted to Ukrainian nationals and their family members are set to expire next month. The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) offers temporary residency to Ukrainians, allowing them the opportunity to live, work, and study in Canada for up to three years. An overarching extension for the program has not been announced, despite the March 31 deadline quickly approaching. Permit holders and community advocates are concerned about the risk of being left in limbo without status or access to social services due to invalid documents. Some Ukrainian nationals are exploring pathways to permanent residency and in the meantime, are calling on the federal government’s support through extending visitor visas and work permits or offering exceptions for expired passports. Current regulations stipulate that individuals who arrived through the CUAET can apply for an extension on their open work or study permits until the end of March. Foreign nationals have 90 days from the date of expiry to restore temporary status.
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