 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
7 J6 @2 c, r/ J' ~/ m" i' N% f! _7 z" E/ V* m
' d; J, S) k cCALGARY — An agreement between Alberta and the federal government will allow 25,000 foreign workers per year to come to the province to aid in its worker shortage. 4 n6 [ L: ~" A9 d0 Z Z( |
6 K7 Q0 ]+ }3 \Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration.
& a8 W8 |# {4 Q) H& Q( M; s/ J3 @+ S6 E7 p; f
The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. 2 i% }. U2 Q2 Y* c+ A3 P9 p
* n$ {6 {. |2 n1 l
Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
7 C5 M& m) k R+ V" o: l# P
: [ ~+ W/ X$ ?Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. " m. L/ T8 S2 Q
7 t5 H& E+ I3 X7 v$ j5 W. `
The pact gives Alberta the power to nominate more immigrants possessing skills needed in the province and also provides more resources to help them settle here.
0 S! e7 i0 |+ [5 Q& T8 a y1 v$ e8 Q
4 g8 m/ s( F) R. S6 H& CIt’s a step in the right direction in breaking down time-consuming, frustrating barriers facing immigrants seeking to ply their skills here, said Fariboz Birjandian, chairman of the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies.
+ ]* `: N8 } w4 L, S/ l# [$ j6 M' z, D9 \9 E& @+ g1 J6 V
But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. % h5 c9 O4 V3 k F8 M
! u) T* R) g6 F+ J“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
7 L; B+ a0 ^7 K, U, `$ b
3 x* H8 c- d, t“And we don’t want Calgary becoming a city where all the rich people live on one side and all the poor on the other.”
) k8 C. t$ i( k" s; t6 y& M3 P
/ S2 g5 x8 v- O' rStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
|