Notes
Location
Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta
Key recommendations
IAF is a good working example on how to improve efficiency of the Canadian immigration system -> more programs like this are needed
Key populations
Skilled immigrants
Key findings
Skilled immigrant workers are a key source of labour supply for addressing the expected labour market shortages in Canada. But they often lack the necessary accreditation to work at their chosen occupation in the Canadian market.
The Immigrant Access Fund (IAF) provides loans to immigrants to cover costs for education, training, qualification assessment, etc.
The typical loan IAF applicant:
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male and has been in Canada for 1 to 2 years before applying for a loan
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three-quarters of borrowers intend to work in occupations related to health (39 %), engineering (21 %), or finance/accounting (16 %)
Effectively, each dollar that the government puts towards this program generates $3 or more in GDP
Gaps identified
Skilled workers often don’t have the necessary accreditation to work at their chosen occupation in Canada
Immigrant workers’ professional experience often becomes devalued
Lower literacy levels among immigrant workers compared to Canadians
Community organizations
NA
Integration timeline
At what point during the integration process the study was conducted?
NA
ISBN: 1488-3473