Immigration

A Wood Smoke Reduction Strategy guides action to reduce fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) generated through wood burning. File photo

Courtenay air quality improves, but still below acceptable limits

Action needed to further lower PM 2.5 concentrations: meteorologist

A Wood Smoke Reduction Strategy guides action to reduce fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) generated through wood burning. File photo
Bank towers are shown from Bay Street in Toronto’s financial district on Wednesday, June 16, 2010. Canada is banking on newcomers to help keep the economy humming along, while banks themselves are eying the hundreds of thousands of people coming to the country every year as a key source of client growth. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrien Veczan

Canadian banks look to newcomers as key source of client growth

Some banks forming partnerships with international ones to make transitioning to Canada easier

Bank towers are shown from Bay Street in Toronto’s financial district on Wednesday, June 16, 2010. Canada is banking on newcomers to help keep the economy humming along, while banks themselves are eying the hundreds of thousands of people coming to the country every year as a key source of client growth. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrien Veczan
Sean Fraser speaks at an event in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. The immigration minister says the government is looking at ways to prioritize visa applications for international students set to start school this coming semester as many are left wondering whether they’ll make it to Canada in time for school.THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

Visa delays leaving international students in limbo for fall semester

34 per cent of pending applications were taking longer to process than government standards

Sean Fraser speaks at an event in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. The immigration minister says the government is looking at ways to prioritize visa applications for international students set to start school this coming semester as many are left wondering whether they’ll make it to Canada in time for school.THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle
Sean Fraser speaks at an event in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. The immigration minister says his department is going on a hiring blitz to bring 1,250 new employees on board to tackle massive backlogs in processing applications.THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

More than 1.3 million immigration applications still in backlog

Backlog represents about 54 per cent of all the pending applications in the system

Sean Fraser speaks at an event in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 7, 2022. The immigration minister says his department is going on a hiring blitz to bring 1,250 new employees on board to tackle massive backlogs in processing applications.THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle
A Canada Border Services Agency officer speaks to a motorist entering Canada at the Douglas-Peace Arch border crossing in Surrey, B.C. on Monday, August 9, 2021. One-quarter of front line employees surveyed at Canada’s border agency said they had directly witnessed a colleague discriminate against a traveller in the previous two years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

One in four border officers witnessed discrimination by colleagues: internal report

Figures drawn from survey conducted as part of an internal Canada Border Services Agency evaluation

A Canada Border Services Agency officer speaks to a motorist entering Canada at the Douglas-Peace Arch border crossing in Surrey, B.C. on Monday, August 9, 2021. One-quarter of front line employees surveyed at Canada’s border agency said they had directly witnessed a colleague discriminate against a traveller in the previous two years. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Motorists wait at U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection booths at the Peace Arch border crossing in Blaine, Wash., across the Canada-U.S. border from Surrey, B.C., on Monday, November 8, 2021. Amid ongoing cultural and social upheaval in the U.S., more Americans are seriously considering a move north of the border. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Shootings, abortion, Trump: are fed-up Americans getting serious about getting out?

Government stats show steady increase in people from the U.S. granted permanent residence in Canada

Motorists wait at U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection booths at the Peace Arch border crossing in Blaine, Wash., across the Canada-U.S. border from Surrey, B.C., on Monday, November 8, 2021. Amid ongoing cultural and social upheaval in the U.S., more Americans are seriously considering a move north of the border. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Truck driver Jaskirat Singh Sidhu walks into the Kerry Vickar Centre for his sentencing in Melfort, Sask., Friday, March 22, 2019. The lawyer for the former truck driver who caused the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash hopes he will get a chance to argue against his client’s possible deportation before the Federal Court of Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kayle Neis

Lawyer for trucker in Broncos crash hopes to argue against deportation

Jaskirat Singh Sidhu was sentenced to 8 years for dangerous driving causing death and bodily harm

Truck driver Jaskirat Singh Sidhu walks into the Kerry Vickar Centre for his sentencing in Melfort, Sask., Friday, March 22, 2019. The lawyer for the former truck driver who caused the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash hopes he will get a chance to argue against his client’s possible deportation before the Federal Court of Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kayle Neis
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden talk as they take part in a G7 family photo at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on Thursday, March 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

At this week’s Summit of the Americas, Canada has stake in U.S. border challenges

If foreign policy was purely a matter of geography, one might assume…

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden talk as they take part in a G7 family photo at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on Thursday, March 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Liberals move to bar sanctioned Russians from Canada through immigration amendments

Changes would enable Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada officials to deny visas

Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino rises during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Norm Sowden (second from right), from the Mill Bay Baptist Fellowship Church, sits with four members of the Azhar family in this picture taken on a recent visit to Thailand. From left are Elisha, Asyia, Eshaan and Arish. (Submitted photo)

Vancouver Island church fighting to bring persecuted Pakistani family here

Azhar family’s application to come to Canada denied by Immigration Canada

Norm Sowden (second from right), from the Mill Bay Baptist Fellowship Church, sits with four members of the Azhar family in this picture taken on a recent visit to Thailand. From left are Elisha, Asyia, Eshaan and Arish. (Submitted photo)
(Black Press file photo)

To retain immigrants, decision-makers must address systemic failures

Pandemic exacerbates issues faced by immigrants

  • Mar 26, 2022
(Black Press file photo)
Abdelrahman Elmady is shown in a handout photo. Dozens of Muslim Canadian organizations are pleading to the prime minister, public safety minister, and president of the Canada Border Services Agency to intervene on behalf of Egyptian refugee claimants in Vancouver who have been denied because of their association with the Freedom and Justice Party. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO

Muslim groups ask feds to intervene on behalf of Egyptian refugees in Vancouver

From 2015 to 2021, Canada received over 3,900 refugee claims from Egypt and accepted about 3,100

Abdelrahman Elmady is shown in a handout photo. Dozens of Muslim Canadian organizations are pleading to the prime minister, public safety minister, and president of the Canada Border Services Agency to intervene on behalf of Egyptian refugee claimants in Vancouver who have been denied because of their association with the Freedom and Justice Party. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO
Thousands of foreign-trained doctors are unable to practise medicine in Canada, despite severe doctor shortages. (Unsplash)

Regulations prevent foreign-trained Greater Victoria doctor from practising

Despite severe doctor shortage, international medical graduates face years of barriers in Canada

Thousands of foreign-trained doctors are unable to practise medicine in Canada, despite severe doctor shortages. (Unsplash)
(Black Press file photo)

B.C. population growth highlights need for immigrant supports: advocates

Affordable housing, underemployment are key issues for immigrants in B.C.

(Black Press file photo)
Victoria artist Chrystal Phan poses with her painting Pool Party at the Chapel Gallery ahead of her exhibit opening Jan. 21. (Courtesy of Chrystal Phan)

Victoria artist’s new exhibit explores Canadian identity through immigrant family’s eyes

Chrystal Phan depicts scenes from her childhood growing up Vietnamese-Canadian

Victoria artist Chrystal Phan poses with her painting Pool Party at the Chapel Gallery ahead of her exhibit opening Jan. 21. (Courtesy of Chrystal Phan)
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser rises during Question Period, Monday, December 6, 2021 in Ottawa. \THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

COVID-19 might have lasting impacts on the way Canada handles immigration: Minister

Last month the government welcomed a record number of permanent residents

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser rises during Question Period, Monday, December 6, 2021 in Ottawa. \THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Aboubakar Idriss speaks during a previous Employment Opportunity Exchange. The event returns on Nov. 23 with the goal of helping newcomers and employers connect and learn together. (Photo Courtesy of John-Evan Snow)

Victoria newcomer employment event returns Nov. 23

Employment Opportunity Exchange aims to facilitate networking and cultural intelligence

Aboubakar Idriss speaks during a previous Employment Opportunity Exchange. The event returns on Nov. 23 with the goal of helping newcomers and employers connect and learn together. (Photo Courtesy of John-Evan Snow)
Josh Waters and his one-year-old English Staffy cross, Rocky. (Twila Amato/Black Press Media)

COVID, heartbreak among speedbumps in Australian’s road to residency in Kelowna

Josh Waters shares his experience in the hopes to help others like him

Josh Waters and his one-year-old English Staffy cross, Rocky. (Twila Amato/Black Press Media)
Teresa Drumel is frustrated with delays in her husband, Antonio Navarro Ochoa’s, application for Canadian residency. (Submitted photo)

‘It’s horrible being apart:’ Island couple kept separate by slow immigration application

Ladysmith woman tries to get her Mexican husband back to her through process that began in 2018

Teresa Drumel is frustrated with delays in her husband, Antonio Navarro Ochoa’s, application for Canadian residency. (Submitted photo)
Job vacancies are a growing concern on Vancouver Island and beyond. File photo.

Newcomers piece of Vancouver Island’s job vacancy solution, but barriers remain

IWC director: Credential recognition, language training, and soft skill teaching need improvement

Job vacancies are a growing concern on Vancouver Island and beyond. File photo.