Moving in the Right Direction – A Progress Report on ... · Ontario’s economic success and social well-being . That was the thinking behind our government’s decision to release

Moving in the Right Direction

A Progress Report on Ontario’s Immigration Strategy


Table of Contents

Minister’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Moving in a New Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Attracting a Skilled Workforce and Building a Stronger

Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Progress to Date

Ontario’s Immigration Act

Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

Minister’s Employers Table

Maximizing the Potential of International Students

City of Toronto International Student Initiatives

Helping Newcomers and their Families Achieve Success . . . 8

Progress to Date

Ontario Temporary Health Program

Ontario Trillium Foundation

Student Refugee Program

Community Immigrant Retention in Rural Ontario

Migrant Farm Workers (Temporary Foreign Farm/Agricultural Workers)

Helping Temporary Foreign Workers

Ontario Award for Leadership in Immigrant Employment

Recipients of 2013 Ontario Award for Leadership in Immigrant Employment

Expanding Settlement Services for Vulnerable and Francophone Immigrants

Ambulance Dispatch Language Interpretation Service

Francophone Immigration

Healthy Communities Fund

Leveraging the Global Connections of our Diverse

Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Progress to Date

Pre-Arrival Services

Internationally Educated Health Professionals

Foreign Qualification Recognition

Ontario Bridge Training Program

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26


Minister’s Message

Every week, more than 1,900 newcomers arrive in Ontario to start a new

life . These people have made a tough and risky decision, one that demands

commitment and a will to succeed . And just as every immigrant who comes

here needs a strategy to succeed, so too does our province need an overall

strategy to ensure that immigration maintains its historical contribution to

Ontario’s economic success and social well-being .

That was the thinking behind our government’s decision to release A

New Direction: Ontario’s Immigration Strategy . As Minister of Citizenship,

Immigration and International Trade, I am pleased to present this first report

on the strategy’s progress .

We have made solid progress toward taking immigration in a new direction .

We are promoting Ontario to more skilled immigrants and engaging more

employers in the immigration process . We met with over 150 employers

during the first round of my Ministers’ Employers Tables and championed

employers by introducing a new Ontario Award for Leadership in Immigrant

Employment .

Our government also expanded services for Francophone immigrants,

introduced temporary health care coverage for refugee claimants and

improved supports for Ontario’s vulnerable workers .

Proudly, we have introduced legislation that would recognize and celebrate

the importance of immigration to Ontario and give Ontario the necessary

tools to welcome more skilled immigrants to grow our economy .

Increasing immigration and expanding trade are critical to Ontario’s

economic success and prosperity in the 21st century .

Ontario was built on immigration . With this strategy, we will continue our

work to help newcomers succeed and to ensure that Ontario continues to

be the best place to live, work and do business .

1

Michael Chan

Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade


Introduction

This is a progress report on Ontario’s first-ever immigration strategy that

was released on November 5, 2012 by the Honourable Charles Sousa, then-

Minister of Citizenship and Immigration . The strategy set a new direction for

how we select, welcome, and help immigrants settle in this great province . It

was inspired by the following vision:

A new direction for immigration in Ontario – attracting highly skilled workers

and their families, supporting diverse communities and growing a globally-

connected economy .

The need for a new direction in immigration is clear . Ontario’s labour force

will begin to shrink in the next couple of years and we will need more

immigrants to fill skilled jobs . To that end, this province needs to become

a full partner with Ottawa in deciding how many immigrants can settle in

Ontario, and how many of these are economic immigrants who are needed

to fill skilled job positions . That decision rests almost exclusively with the

federal government, which is pursuing a national immigration policy that is

not giving Ontario its fair share of skilled economic immigrants . Finally, we

need to help newcomers to this province settle and succeed, and extend

that same help and support to immigrants who are already here but are still

facing challenges .

2


Permanent Resident Landings in Decline1

In 2013, Ontario received 103,402 permanent

resident landings, accounting for 40 per cent of the

total admissions to Canada . This is compared to

125,891 permanent resident landings in 2006 (50 per

cent of total landings to Canada) and 148,639 (59 .3

per cent of total landings to Canada) in 2001 .

1 Citizenship and Immigration Canada, PRDS 2013

3


Moving in a New Direction

Since the release of our strategy, we have taken some important steps in

our new direction on immigration . We have made real progress in some

areas, and gained a better understanding of the steps we need to put in

place to make progress in others . There are no quick fixes when it comes

to immigration, but where there are challenges there is also opportunity .

Our province has prospered at least in part because we have seized the

opportunities presented by immigration, and the strategy we released

in 2012 will allow us to continue on that path . What follows is a look at

the progress we have made with Ontario’s Immigration Strategy, focused

specifically on the targets set, and steps taken, towards reaching each of our

three overarching objectives:

• Attracting a skilled workforce and building a stronger economy;

• Helping newcomers and their families achieve success; and

• Leveraging the global connections of our diverse communities .

Attracting a Skilled Workforce and Building a Stronger Economy

Ontario’s economy depends on a strong and skilled workforce . Without

immigration, and without the right kind of immigration, we won’t be able

to maintain that workforce . Today, immigrants make up 29 per cent2 of our

province’s labour force, and if our economy is going to continue growing,

that percentage must also grow .

We not only need more immigrants coming to Ontario, we need a higher

proportion of economic immigrants who have the skills and the ability to

make an immediate contribution to our economy .

2 Annual (2012) Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey data

4

The Continued Decline in Economic Immigration3

In 2013, Ontario’s proportion of immigrants arriving

through the Economic Class continued its decade

long decline .

In 2013, Economic Class landings to Ontario were

47,670, representing 46 .1 per cent of all Ontario

landings, down from a high of 95,091 (64 .0 per cent)

in 2001 .

This same year, Ontario’s proportion of immigrant

landings who were economic (46 .1 per cent) was

the lowest among all provinces and well below the

average for the “rest of Canada” combined (64 .7

per cent) .

3 Citizenship and Immigration Canada, PRDS 2013

A Progress Report on Ontario’s Immigration Strategy 5

Moving in the Right Direction6

Progress to Date

Ontario’s Immigration Act

Arguably the most significant immigration development occurred when

the Ontario government introduced a new piece of legislation in February

2014 . Bill 161 – The Ontario Immigration Act – died on the Order Paper

when a General Election was called . However, the proposed legislation was

reintroduced on November 26, 2014 and is now before the Legislature for

consideration as Bill 49 – The Ontario Immigration Act, 2014 .

Building on the government’s Immigration Strategy, the proposed Ontario

Immigration Act, 2014 would, if passed, assist the province in maximizing the

social, cultural and economic benefits of immigration by:

•Facilitating Ontario’s work with the federal government on the recruitment,

selection and admission of skilled immigrants .

•Strengthening the province’s ongoing efforts to reduce fraud by

protecting the integrity of our immigrant selection program and

improving accountability .

•Increasing transparency and information-sharing with our immigration partners .

The Act would also provide the necessary legal infrastructure to strengthen

Ontario’s position with respect to the Opportunities Ontario: Provincial

Nominee Program (PNP) .

Opportunities Ontario: Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

The program enables employers to recruit and permanently retain skilled

workers and international students needed to fill their labour market

needs . It also supports investment projects in the province that need

immigration support and allows graduate international students to make

Ontario their permanent home . The demand for workers through the PNP is

growing, and in August, Ontario reached its federally imposed nomination

allocation of 1,300 nominees . The Immigration Strategy had set a target of

2,000 nominees for 2013, increasing to 5,000 in 2014 . In 2014, the federal

government increased Ontario’s nomination allocation to 2,500 . We believe

that this is a step in the right direction, though we are disappointed that this

is significantly below the requested allocation of 5,000 . We are committed

to promoting the benefits of immigration to all parts of the province with a

particular focus on rural, northern and Francophone communities .

Minister’s Employers Table

Ontario is committed to consulting

with business leaders about

immigration matters by holding

an annual Minister’s table with

employers from across the province .

The first Minister’s Employers

Table (MET) was held in June 2013,

and included 59 CEOs, company

presidents, HR professionals and

leaders from ethnic chambers of

commerce . This was followed in

the summer and fall by six regional

METs, where over 150 employers and

business leaders were consulted .

The discussions during this first

round of METs focused on Ontario’s

determination to work actively

with the federal government to

develop the upcoming “Express

Entry” immigration program so it

meets the province’s need for skilled

economic immigrants . The tables

were well received by members of

the business community, and the

feedback collected was aggregated

into a report that was shared with

the federal Minister of Citizenship

and Immigration . Included in the

recommendations are employers’

calls for a system that is fast, but

also responsive to the specific labour

market needs of employers across

Ontario’s regions, industries and

sectors . The Ontario Chamber of

Commerce also released a report

with 13 recommendations for the

design of the Express Entry program .

Maximizing the Potential of International Students

Attracting and retaining highly-

skilled international students can

help us build a stronger economy .

In 2013, almost 75 per cent of all

Ontario provincial nominees were

international students .

This year, we provided international

students in London, Ontario with

information about services and

programs available to them including

how to facilitate their transition

to permanent residency . We also

created a new section on our website

OntarioImmigration .ca with additional

information and resources for

international students about studying,

working and staying in the province .

Additional outreach to attract more

international students is planned for

the coming years .

7A Progress Report on Ontario’s Immigration Strategy

City of Toronto International Student Initiatives

In 2013, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities helped sponsor

two City of Toronto initiatives that are geared to attracting and retaining

international students . The first was an airport welcome program at Lester

B . Pearson International Airport in August . Special booths provided

welcome kits and orientation to students arriving from abroad . The second

initiative was an International Students Festival that was held in September .

It focused on welcoming international students and providing them with

information and networking opportunities .

Helping Newcomers and their Families Achieve Success

Like immigrants everywhere, newcomers to Ontario face an array of

challenges as they begin their new lives . We owe it to them to do a better

job of helping them settle, and we owe it to ourselves to do a better job of

helping them succeed .

Progress to Date

Ontario Temporary Health Program

The Ontario Temporary Health Program (OTHP), launched on January 1,

2014, is a provisional program created to provide access to essential and

urgent health care . It also provides drug coverage consistent with the

Ontario Drug Benefit formulary to refugee claimants living in the province,

regardless of the status of their claim or the country they are from . The

OTHP was developed to address gaps created by changes the federal

government made to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) . Changes to

the IFHP have resulted in different refugee claimant groups receiving varied

health care coverage, leaving many with only very limited public health and

public safety coverage (e .g ., tuberculosis treatment) .


Ontario Trillium Foundation

The Ontario Trillium Foundation

(OTF) is a charitable organization

that was incorporated in 1982 . Its

mission is to build healthy and

vibrant communities throughout

the province, and to strengthen the

capacity of the voluntary sector

through investments in community-

based initiatives . Between

November 2012 and March 2013,

OTF provided 26 grants valued at

approximately $3 million to support

initiatives that help immigrants

and newcomers . For example, in

November 2012, the OTF awarded

$300,000 over 48 months to the

Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office

to support community engagement

and leadership programming for

newcomer children and youth

in Toronto’s Thorncliffe Park and

Flemingdon Park .

Student Refugee Program

In 2013-14, 27 refugee students

were welcomed onto university and

college campuses in Ontario . They

came from some of the world’s

most devastated conflict areas .

Their arrival here, and subsequent

education, was made possible by

the World University Service of

Canada’s Student Refugee Program .

Under this program, students are

fully supported (tuition and living

expenses) for their first 12 months

and are eligible for Canadian

citizenship . In Ontario, the Ministry

of Training, Colleges and Universities

provides $150,000 per year to

deliver this program .

Community Immigrant Retention in Rural Ontario

The Community Immigrant

Retention in Rural Ontario (CIRRO)

initiative was launched in 2008 .

It helps rural communities better

understand how to attract and

retain the immigrants they need to

grow their economies . Since the

launch of the Immigration Strategy,

two CIRRO training sessions have

been held, attracting approximately

125 participants . In addition, 31

organizations have requested and

downloaded the CIRRO guidebook .


Moving in a New Direction

Migrant Farm Workers (Temporary Foreign Farm/Agricultural Workers)

The Migrant Farm Workers project

is delivered by the Occupational

Health Clinics for Ontario Workers

(OHCOW) association, and

funded by the Ministry of Labour .

The project aims to improve the

supports available for temporary

foreign workers in the province,

many of whom are new to Ontario

and Canada, challenged by

isolation, and language issues, and

often unaware of services that

are available to them . Services

offered through the project

include individual consultation

and workshops on occupational

health and safety issues as well as

educational materials specifically

designed for these workers . These

can include information about

sun safety, heat stress, pesticide

hygiene, back care, and general

health services eligibility . In the first

six months of 2013, four clinics and

nine workshops were conducted in

several communities .

Helping Temporary Foreign Workers

In December 2013, the Ministry of

Labour introduced legislation to

provide more protection to the

province’s vulnerable workforce . The

Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger

Economy Act, which received

Royal Assent on November 20,

2014, would, among other changes,

expand employment protections

to cover all foreign employees

who come to Ontario under an

immigration or temporary foreign

employee program . This would

mean protection against being

charged recruitment fees and

having personal documents, such as

passports, withheld by employers or

recruiters .

10

Ontario Award for Leadership in Immigrant Employment

This new award was created to recognize employers for their role in

championing diversity and supporting jobs in their communities . The award

highlights the benefits of creating a diverse workforce, both to individual

organizations and to the overall provincial economy . The inaugural awards

were presented in November 2013 in Niagara-on-the-Lake at the annual

Ontario Economic Summit . The ceremony was well attended by prominent

Ontario business leaders, and all of the recipients were thrilled to have

been recognized with this prestigious honour . Almost 30 organizations

and individuals were nominated in the three award categories: Employer,

Champion and Entrepreneur . Separate awards were given in sub-categories

for large or small to medium-sized organizations in the Employer and

Champion categories . Six recipients (see box) were chosen by a selection

panel, chaired by Robert Hardt, President, Siemens Canada .



Recipients of 2013 Ontario Award for Leadership in Immigrant Employment

12

Marion Annau, Connect Legal

Marion Annau

Champion Category: Small Organization

As Founder of Connect Legal in Toronto, the first

legal services clinic of its kind in Canada, Marion has

helped over 1,000 small business owners, including

immigrants, get their companies off the ground

through one-on-one legal advice and interactive

workshops .

Moving in the Right Direction: A Progress Report on Ontario’s Immigration StrategyA Progress Report on Ontario’s Immigration Strategy 13

Albert Yue, Dyversity Communications

Dyversity Communications

Employer Category: Small Organization

Dyversity Communications connects Canadian and

global brands with growing ethnic consumers in

Canada . Based in Thornhill, almost the entire team is

first generation immigrants, and the company invests

resources towards hiring, training and retaining its

employees .


Joseph Ng, JNE Consulting

Joseph Ng

Entrepreneur Category

Founder of JNE Consulting Ltd ., a full-service multi-

disciplinary engineering firm located in Hamilton,

serving a wide range of industries . His group of

companies employs hundreds of professionals, many

of whom are newcomers to Ontario .

Moving in the Right Direction: A Progress Report on Ontario’s Immigration StrategyA Progress Report on Ontario’s Immigration Strategy 15

Anne Langille, WIL Employment

WIL Employment

Champion Category: Large Organization

Since 1984, WIL Employment has been helping

immigrants achieve success in London, Ontario,

through finding newcomers career and training

opportunities and assisting them in adapting to the

evolving expectations of employers .


Romy Thomas and Mario Longo, Mount Sinai Hospital

Mount Sinai Hospital

Employer Category: Large Organization

Mount Sinai Hospital employs a diverse team of

nurses, physicians and clinicians, to help them serve

the City of Toronto’s multicultural community . The

hospital supports its staff through mentorship,

training and strategic partnerships, so that their

patients benefit from culturally sensitive expert care .


Expanding Settlement Services for Vulnerable and Francophone Immigrants

Ontario’s settlement services help newcomers transition to life in Ontario

communities, access community and government services and gain the

knowledge and skills that they need to settle and prosper . Effective April

2013, the Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade (MCIIT)

expanded its Newcomer Settlement Program with an investment of an

additional $2 million over 2 years . This investment has allowed us to fund 22

new settlement agencies, improve services for vulnerable and underserved

populations, and expand services for Francophone newcomers . Each year,

over 80,000 immigrants and refugees receive support services through the

Newcomer Settlement Program .

In 2013, MCIIT also renewed support for the implementation of the

Orientation to Ontario pilot program launched in 2012 . The Orientation to

Ontario program is a collaborative initiative between the provincial and

federal governments to respond to the need for improved access to Ontario-

focused orientation information soon after newcomers arrive in the province .

The program offers a series of orientation workshops and online information

designed to provide standardized information about living and settling in

Ontario and various settlement related issues .

Language Interpreter Services

In 2013, we initiated a third-party review of the Language Interpreter Services

(LIS) program to assess the effectiveness of the program and to identify

options for improving the delivery and sustainability of the program . The

LIS program enables victims of domestic and sexual violence who do not

speak English or French or who are deaf or hard of hearing to access social,

healthcare and legal services with the support of an interpreter . Interpreter

services are available across the province on a 24/7 basis in more than 70

languages . In each of the past two years, the LIS program has provided

services to more than 6,000 victims and, by the end of March 2013, 25 per

cent more abused immigrant women accessed vital community support

services with the assistance of the LIS program .

Ambulance Dispatch Language Interpretation Service

Language is one of the significant challenges faced by many immigrants to

Ontario, and a big part of what makes our province attractive to immigrants

is the number of critical services that are offered in different languages .

Ambulance dispatch is one such service . Language interpretive services are

offered in more than 170 languages to Ontarians calling for an ambulance

who may not speak English or French . Since November 2012, there have

been calls requiring interpretation of 46 different languages . Because of the

success of this service, it will be continued through to 2018 .


Francophone Immigration

The Immigration Strategy sets a target of five per cent Francophone

immigration to Ontario . This target is being pursued in a variety of ways:

Launch of Francophone Municipal Immigration Information Online (MIIO) website

A new website (www .immigrationfrancophone-ontario .ca) has been

designed to promote Ontario’s communities to Francophone newcomers . It

will support municipalities by providing immigration information and tools

to help new immigrants . The site was launched on September 13, 2013 . The

MIIO program is a partnership between the provincial government and 28

municipal governments .

Expand Language Training Eligibility

The government program to provide non-credit English and French

language training has expanded eligibility criteria to allow immigrants

whose first language is French to access the ministry’s English as a Second

Language (ESL) course . This change could benefit more than 1,000

Francophone immigrants every year .

Expand Newcomer Settlement Services for Francophone Newcomers

Services for Francophone newcomers were expanded through the

Newcomer Settlement Program in Toronto, Ottawa, London and

Windsor . The program helps immigrants and refugees get settled in

their new communities, access community and government services

and gain the knowledge and skills they need to settle and succeed . The

overall investment also included improved services for vulnerable and

underserviced populations .

Destination Canada

Destination Canada is an annual Francophone promotion and recruitment

event that takes place in both France and Belgium . Co-ordinated by

the Canadian embassy in France, the event is held over four days in late

November . Destination Canada 2013 attracted more than 3000 highly-

skilled Francophones who are interested in moving to Canada . Our increased

participation in the event this year allowed us to better promote the benefits

of immigration to Ontario directly to highly-qualified Francophone immigrants .

18

Moving in the Right Direction: A Progress Report on Ontario’s Immigration Strategy

Francophone Immigrants in Ontario4

In Ontario is the number one destination for

francophone immigrants outside of Quebec . In

2011 and 2012, over 60 per cent of Francophone

immigrants outside Quebec were destined for

Ontario .

In 2013, Francophone immigration accounted for

2 .5 per cent of all immigrants to Ontario, the second

highest percentage in Canada (outside Quebec)

behind New Brunswick (9 .8 per cent) .

4 Office of Francophone Affairs, Ontario

French Language Population in Ontario (Census 2011)5

In 2011, 55 per cent of those outside Quebec who

reported speaking French at home (most often or

on a regular basis) lived in Ontario (611,500) – and

Francophones represented roughly 4 .8 per cent of

the total .

5 Office of Francophone Affairs, Ontario



Healthy Communities Fund

The Healthy Communities Fund

supports local, regional and provincial

health promotion initiatives, in order

to encourage and enable Ontarians

of all ages to improve their health

through physical activity, healthy

eating, injury prevention and mental

health promotion . The fund takes a

population health approach, meaning

that there is particular focus on those

communities and populations – such

as ethnic and visible minorities – who

might not have equitable access to

health promotion .

In 2012/13 the fund supported public

health regions across Ontario in

developing specific local action plans

to improve health by addressing

physical activity and healthy eating .

One such plan was developed in

Peterborough, where the Public

Health Unit is working to improve

the quality and quantity of fruit and

vegetables being offered in daycares .

Leveraging the Global Connections of our Diverse Communities

We know that immigration is

extremely important to the

economic health of the province . In

addition to filling a need for workers,

immigrants bring with them vital ties

to other economies that we can, and

should, leverage to ensure our own

growth and prosperity . The faster we

can integrate immigrants into the

Ontario economy, the sooner we can

begin reaping the benefits of these

international connections .

Progress to Date

Pre-Arrival Services

Ontario is taking the lead in offering

services to newcomers before

they ever arrive in the province .

These pre-arrival services facilitate

early settlement and help ease the

transition to life in Ontario . They also

help to ensure that people arrive

here with the correct documents,

have begun credential assessment

processes, are able to take

advantage of available settlement

services when they get here, and

generally know what to expect

when they arrive in their new home .

The Immigration Strategy calls for

the expansion of these services, and

this was started last year through

the summer and fall of 2013 . Fact

sheets were developed, welcome

letters were sent, orientation

material was delivered to people

destined for Ontario, and we worked

with our partners in India, China,

Philippines and the UK . Our goal is

to promote and attract registration

to the Orientation to Ontario

program that helps prospective

immigrants get ready to settle here .

20

Internationally Educated Health Professionals

Internationally Educated Health Professionals (IEHPs) are a vital resource for

the province’s health care system . The provincial government is committed

to ensuring that all Ontarians have access to health care providers when and

where they need them, and has developed programs to attract and retain

IEHPs who have received their training in other countries .

200+ postgraduate IMG training positions annually

Ontario continues to offer more than 200 new postgraduate training

positions for International Medical Graduates (IMGs), including immigrants

and newcomers, every year . This program allows individuals who have

received medical training abroad to receive the additional training they need

to become licensed in their profession . As of December 2012, there were

6,840 IMGs practicing as physicians in Ontario and there were 883 IMGs in

postgraduate training .

Standardized evaluation and orientation services for international medical

graduates

The Centre for the Evaluation of Health Professionals Educated Abroad

(CEHPEA) provides evaluation and orientations services to IMGs . These

services include examinations for people applying to entry-level medical

postgraduate training positions and mandatory evaluations of all applicants

to advanced level post-graduate training positions . These evaluations ensure

that IMGs meet Canadian standards for training and practice, improving their

chances of obtaining residency positions and eventually becoming licensed

physicians . Since November 2012, 242 candidates have attended educational

programs at CEHPEA .

The CEHPEA also delivers the Internationally Educated Nurses Competency

Assessment Program (IENCAP) . The IENCAP is a standardized examination

for internationally educated Registered Nurse (RN) candidates that

evaluates knowledge, judgment, skill, language fluency, and comprehension

related to nursing practice in Ontario . The IENCAP helps identify entry-to-

practice competency and, if needed, recommends additional training to

meet Ontario’s nursing registration requirements . The IENCAP complements

and strengthens the current registration process for Internationally Educated

Nurses (IENs) in Ontario, with an ability to assess over 800 RN candidates

annually .



Primary Care Paramedic Equivalency Process

Paramedics or individuals from other disciplines (such as doctors or nurses)

who wish to work as paramedics must complete the Standard Paramedic

Equivalency Process if they received their training in other countries . This

ensures that their skills and training meet this province’s standards . Ontario

has been offering the Standard Paramedic Equivalency Process since 1996 .

HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency Access Centre

Funded by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, The HealthForceOntario

Marketing and Recruitment Agency (HFO MRA) Access Centre is the first

central point of contact for internationally educated health professionals .

The Centre offers a range of services at no cost to help these health

professionals through the licensure and registration process . In 2012/13,

3,024 new internationally educated health professionals registered with

HFO MRA .

Foreign Qualification Recognition

If we are to achieve our immigration goals in this province, we need to

improve foreign qualification recognition (FQR) of internationally trained

professionals . Ontario has implemented a number of interventions and

investments to help highly skilled immigrants get their credentials and

experience recognized . This includes enacting proposed legislation, funding

and supporting programs and services, and working with other jurisdictions

across Canada . Bill 49, the proposed Ontario Immigration Act, would

improve fair access to regulated professions by aligning requirements in the

Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) with those in the Fair Access

to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act, 2006 (FARPACTA)

related to timeliness in decision making, fees information and access to

records . The Immigration Strategy also commits Ontario to conduct a third-

party review of gaps and opportunities in Foreign Qualification Recognition

(FQR) in partnership with other Ontario government ministries . In May 2013,

KPMG LLP was contracted as the third-party reviewer, with results expected

in 2015 .

Office of the Fairness Commissioner (OFC)

In The Office of the Fairness Commissioner is an

arm’s length agency of the Ministry of Citizenship

and Immigration responsible for assessing and

monitoring registration practices to ensure

compliance with FARPACTA and the RHPA fair

access provisions . In 2013, the OFC:

•Released A Fair Way to Go: Access to Ontario’s regulated Professions and the Need to Embrace Newcomers in the Global Economy,

which examines fair access work: advance and

challenges .

•Developed computer-based training on fair

registration practices for assessors and decision

makers in regulated professions .

•Launched the Exemplary Practices Database, a

tool to assist regulatory bodies in the continuous

improvement of registration .



Ontario Bridge Training Program

The Ontario Bridge Training Program helps skilled newcomers obtain

employment that is commensurate with their skills and experience . In 2013,

there were 87 active Ontario bridge training projects across the province,

offering internationally-trained individuals the occupation-specific training

and services required to help them prepare for licensure in regulated

professions, or to obtain work in highly skilled, non-regulated professions .

Since 2003, the program has helped close to 50,000 people .

In the 2013 budget the government committed an additional $15 million

over three years for bridge training, for a total provincial commitment of

$21 million annually . In addition, Ontario has negotiated a new contribution

agreement with the federal government for $16 .6 million over three years to

supplement Ontario’s contribution and to support and expand the program .

24

Success Story

Ontario Bridge Training Program Helps Newcomers Succeed in their Profession

Sunitha Kshatriya arrived in Ontario in 2009, eager

to use her skills as a Human Resources Professional .

She quickly found, however, that jobs in her chosen

field were not easy to find . That’s when she tried the

Bridge Training Program at York University . After

taking the program, she is employed full-time as

a Program Leader, and also works part-time as an

instructor at a local college .

“The York Bridge Training program helped me reach

my career goals, by giving me the training I needed

to be successful in the Canadian workforce . I would

recommend bridge training to any internationally-

trained professional who has the drive to succeed in

this province .”

Sunitha Kshatriya, PhD, Ontario Bridge Training graduate



Conclusion

Since the release of our strategy, we have laid a strong foundation, and we

continue to make progress on achieving our immigration objectives . In the

coming months and years, we will build on that foundation and make the

important changes that will take immigration in a new direction for both

newcomers and for our province .

Immigration has helped shape this province for nearly 150 years and the

changes we are putting in place will help shape it for many more years to

come . The strategy was never about quick fixes — it is about progress and

continuous improvement .

That’s what we are achieving . From increasing our influence in the selection

of immigrants to our Minister’s Employers Table and the expansion of

Francophone immigration, we are taking big steps towards achieving our

immigration objectives . By introducing a Temporary Health Program for

refugee claimants, and by improving supports for migrant farm workers, we

have shown that Ontario continues to be a place where newcomers can feel

safe and secure .

Canada’s Constitution describes immigration as an area of shared

jurisdiction, and Ontario is working in partnership with the federal

government . Examples of the partnership in action include our:

•Joint commitment to increasing Francophone immigration .

•Developing and funding Orientation to Ontario .

•Contribution to Ontario’s Bridge Training Program .

•Common objective of reaching 70 per cent economic immigration

nationally and by jurisdiction .

To that end, in the coming year we will focus on working with the federal

government to increase the number of economic immigrants to Ontario .

26

Changes to federal immigration policies are coming . Ottawa has committed

to developing an “Express Entry” program for Canada as a way to select

economic immigrants to the country, based on a system implemented in

New Zealand and more recently in Australia .

Ontario is working with Ottawa and other provinces and territories to

develop this program that modernizes and transforms selection for both

federal and provincial selection programs, including a possible role for

employers . The objective is to transform Canada’s immigration system into

one that is fast, flexible and demand-driven, responding to the labour market

and including a defined role for employers . It is anticipated that the Express

Entry program will be launched on January 1, 2015 .

In addition, we will continue to improve the process of attracting and

retaining foreign-trained professionals . As noted earlier in the report, KPMG

LLP has been retained to conduct a review of the process of verifying that

the knowledge, skills, work experience and education obtained in another

country are comparable to the standards established for Ontario professions

and how it can be improved . The results of that review are expected in 2015 .

Pre-arrival services remain a top priority, and in the coming year we will

enhance online pre-arrival and on-arrival tools to allow immigrants to assess

their language skills and academic credentials before they get here .

Ontario remains a beacon for immigrants the world over . The challenge in

coming years will be to regain the immigration advantage we enjoyed for

many decades . In the years ahead we will need the skills and innovation

that immigrants bring to an economy more than ever . This is an ambitious

plan and we cannot do it alone . We will continue to work with our

municipal government partners as well as continue coordination across our

government to ensure this success of this strategy .

We are well on our way to making immigration work better for newcomers

and for our province . We are, indeed, moving in the right direction .


English:

© Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2014

ISBN 978-1-4606-5031-8 (PDF)

Available in French .

Documents

Moving in the Right Direction – A Progress Report on ... · Ontario’s economic success and social well-being . That was the thinking behind our government’s decision to release