It seems that immigrants as well as temporary migrants play an important role in Canada’s demographic pattern, besides their contribution to the Canadian economy. According to the reports from Statistics Canada, in the third quarter of 2009, the country’s population increased by 133,500, largely contributed by foreign migrants.

The aforesaid gain was the strongest demographic growth in the third quarter since 1990. From July to October, Canada welcomed a total number of 90,500 international migrants, which accounted for more than two third of the population growth. In the third quarter of 2008, overseas migrants totaled 90,000.

Amongst all the states in Canada, stronger demographic growth was recorded in Western provinces. However, this does not mean that other states did not welcome immigrants. Almost every province and territory in Canada saw demographic growth, barring the Northwest Territories.

To be very precise, British Columbia’s population grew by over 0.56% in the third quarter of 2009. During the same period, the province also recorded the largest inter-provincial migration gain since the third quarter of 2007. Similarly, Alberta’s population increased by 0.44%. Some other provinces that saw significant population growth in the third quarter of 2009 include Saskatchewan (0.47%) and Manitoba (0.35%).

Ontario also saw an increase of 0.38% in the third quarter, however the province’s inter-provincial migration declined to a record level since 2002. Quebec’s population also increased by 0.36%, mainly due to the flow of international migrants! This was highest population growth rate for Quebec since 1988!

Manitoba is one of the biggest Canadian provinces, which is driven by agriculture. If you are a tourist visiting Canada, ensure that you don’t skip Manitoba. Indulge in the following:

• The northern region of Manitoba is host to the northern lights which is a spectacular view to watch at starry nights. These could be best viewed between January and March on a clear night. This is also known as the one of the all time adventures experienced in a lifetime. These northern lights could be watched from the specially made see – through domes meant for this purpose.
• Bird watching is one exercise offering calm and peace to a traveler trying to connect with the nature. The province of Manitoba is home more than five hundred species of birds which is around two – thirds of the entire bird species found in Canada. During the spring season, north bound birds are a spectacular to watch flying over the lakes and forests in flocks. The North American Birding Hotspot at the Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre is a must visit. This place was awarded for the Best Environmental Experience by British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow in 2002. Other places offering similar experiences include those of Delta Marsh and the Riding Mountain National Park.
• The capital city of Manitoba – Winnipeg is the home of the polar bears. The tundra region is a must to be explored for which there are vehicles that have been designed for this purpose. The best time for viewing these bears is during October and November. They could be easily found roaming around the coastline waiting for the Hudson Bay to freeze. The place is decked to live, eat and sleep with the bears roaming by your side.
• Resting by the lake is the best form of relaxation that a traveler can get. Camping or a cottage to rest by the side of some of the biggest and the best lakes in the world could be done here. You can rest or dive in during the scorching summers or a calm walk in the moonlight, gazing at the stars would be the perfect way to spend a vacation.
• For those looking for some adventure, hiking and biking are the activities found here. The highest point in Manitoba – Baldy Mountain along with the ranges at the Duck Mountain Provincial Park is host to some of the ancient glaciers. Some of these formed almost 10,000 years ago. On the other hand, the Spruce Woods Provincial Park is host to the sand dunes. The ancient granite at the Whiteshell along with the waterfalls near the Paint Lake includes the other spots to be visited. With these are trails everywhere for the bikers and the hikers along the forests.
• The Canadian countryside offers something different. A vacation at the country side amidst the lush green fields is the perfect mode to relax. With this, you can get to witness many of the Canadian festivals and other fall suppers held in small towns.
• Last but not the least; indulge in some shopping as well. Winnipeg is one place where you can find a blend of everything. A combination of food and music. You can find many shopping malls along with casinos and museums and other historic sites.

However, there are many other sites and activities that are also a must visit! So, make sure that you cover all the major aspects of Manitoba while planning your vacation.

Recently, British Columbia came out with the “Enhanced” Driver’s license, which enables them to enter the US premises (while a passport at the airport is a must). Till now, the concerned licenses were given issued to five hundred Canadian citizens under the Beta format. These residents were the ones born in British Columbia and the activity was for the purpose of “testing.”

If the results come out to be in a successful manner, Canadian residents who are decked with legal driving license would be given new licenses all over the British Columbia.

Other provinces are showing their intentions of implementing this technology. For instance, Quebec has recently made an announcement that they have their sole interest in coming out with High Tech licenses, along with other places like Manitoba and Ontario holding the same intentions.

RFID Driver’s License, the new High Tech Driver License would enable the residents of Quebec to enter the US premises through land or water, however they will need a passport at the airport, just like Enhanced” Driver’s license for the residents of British Columbia.

The enhanced license is attired with high tech systems that enable the border officials to match the data of the cardholder with that of the info that is mentioned in the official database. Some of the information may be linked with the address proof, date of birth and name, the same essentials that are present in a passport. This all can be detected via a code, rather than having the whole information on the card. The code certainly protects the privacy of the card holder in a major way.

Now that you have landed in the new country, there would be many changes you would experience, some expected and others unexpected. This article gives you an insight on such instances.

It is always better to get acquainted with the changes you would need to adapt to. To help you with this, consult an Immigration and Visa Specialist who is adept with all the information in this regard. A Visa Expert would provide you with all the relevant information which would help you better adjust with your new environment. And the more you learn, the better it is.

Since, it is going to be extremely challenging dealing with the extreme weather or the culture shock, it is highly important that you are mentally prepared for the same. Some such challenges include the following:

• Canada could be considered as a mix of cultures where you can find people from different ethnicities from across the world. Thus, you would meet people totally different from you in all aspects. You would have to get used to the local customs and traditions followed by the citizens.
• You might end up feeling uncomfortable, alienated, insecure and uncertain of the decision you took. This would lead to an increase in your stress levels. You might feel helpless and how to react to situations initially.
• You might have to get used to the Canadian accent or even learn English or French according to the province in which you reside.
• Getting your children enrolled into a school, get yourself a job and a house to live in a decent community.

During such circumstances, it is important that you do not give up hope. It is all a matter of time for you to adjust to the new country. All you need to do is keep trying and learn at every step.

A Visa Veteran would help you contact an Immigrant – Serving Organization which would help you with the necessary resources to cope with the circumstances.

The Canadian government offers various services to all the newly landed immigrants on its soil. These are executed via the Immigrant Serving Agencies or organization in the various communities throughout the country.

For some of the provinces, the respective provincial governments are responsible are implementing such programs. These include British Columbia, Quebec and Manitoba. You can contact the concerned provincial authorities to know more on the same.

The various Immigrant Serving Organizations cater to the following services –

• Getting in touch with the local Canadian officials who could help with the various services.
• Housing and accommodation facilities.
• Applying for the Social Insurance Number (SIN) and a Health Insurance Card.
• Register with a Doctor to rush to incase of emergency.
• Helping to enroll your children in a good school.
• Availing language skills classes.
• Referring to the services offered by the government and the community.
• Making you familiar with the day to day activities such shopping, banking and so on.

To know more, contact an Immigration and Visa veteran who is updated in this regard. He would help you find an Immigrant – Serving Organization in your community which will make it easier for you and your family to better acquaint with the new country.

Treatment, evaluation and diagnosis of human communication disorders that comprise in language, voice, speech and hearing disorders are all taken care of by speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Extended care facilities, community centres, public health centres, rehabilitation centres, educational institutions and day clinics are the employers of these specialists. They also privately practice after immigration to Canada.

Example titles that are easily expected to get an approval under the NOCL occupation “Audiologists and speech-language pathologists” are: speech-language pathologist, research audiologist, certified audiologist, speech therapist, educational audiologist, clinical audiologist, speech-language pathologist, speech-language clinician and many others.

Given below are the primary duties that an audiologist willing to migrate to Canada must fulfill, in order to earn extra points granted to occupations listed under the NOCL:

Administering audiometric examinations and tests for the evaluation and diagnosis of the degree and the type of hearing impairment of the patient
Planning and implementation of rehabilitation/habilitation programs for the well being of patients. This would include selection, adjustment and fitting of hearing aids, providing counseling and teaching speech reading
Establishing personal care plans, working as an interdisciplinary team’s member
Conducting hearing-related research
Instructing students as well as other personnel of the health care industry

Duties that a speech-language pathologists are expected to fulfill are:

Administering examinations and tests and observing patients for evaluating and diagnosing voice, speech, swallowing, cognitive-linguistic, language and resonance disorders
Planning and implementing remedial programs so as to correct voice, language and speech disorders
Establishing personal care plans, working as an interdisciplinary team’s member
Conducting research on speech and various disorders of communication as well as design and development of diagnostic devices and procedures
May have to instruct healthcare personnel and students

Employment requirements for this occupation are:

A Master’s level qualification is required in audiology, for Canada immigration of an audiologist
A Master’s level qualification is required in speech-language pathology, if a speech-language pathologist wishes to immigrate to Canada
Speech-language pathologists and audiologists in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario
Membership in the Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists and national association may also be required
Under a few jurisdictions, audiologists may have to get a license for allowing patients to dispense their hearing aids

With these points in mind, if you think yourself to be an eligible applicant under the occupation “Audiologists and speech-language pathologists” of NOCL, do not delay the submission of your Canada visa application for you never know if you will get this opportunity again or not? An experienced immigration specialist is your best guiding star in the process and stays by your side as a constant support until your final settlement in Canada. So, hurry and get going. Canada is waiting for you!

Proper maintenance of heavy-duty mobile equipment is no child’s play. Heavy pieces of equipment are used in forestry, landscaping, farming, material handling, land clearing, transportation, construction and many such activities. Repairing, overhauling, adjusting, maintaining and troubleshooting these pieces of equipment cater to the job of heavy-duty equipment mechanics.

Companies that deal in the manufacture and operation of these heavy pieces of equipment, dealers of heavy equipment pieces, service and rental establishments, urban systems of transit and railway transportation companies are the probable employers of these professionals of the NOCL occupation “heavy-duty equipment mechanics”.

Job titles that are accepted under this occupation are: heavy equipment mechanic, locomotive mechanic, heavy mobile logging equipment mechanic, farm equipment mechanic, tractor mechanic, construction equipment mechanic, diesel mechanic – heavy equipment, heavy-duty equipment mechanic apprentice and many others.

Before we move onto the job duties that come handy with this occupation, let us know about the employment requirements that an applicant must possess to qualify under this occupation. These requirements are given below:

• Secondary school completion
• Completion of an apprenticeship program of the duration of 3-5 years. Or, four years of trade experience along with any college, high school or industry level courses in the repair of heavy equipment is required, so that you are eligible to apply for trade certification
• To work in Alberta and Quebec, you must have the heavy-duty equipment mechanic trade certification but this is a voluntary requirement in other territories and provinces
• Another certification that is made available is farm equipment mechanic trade certification, though this is again voluntary in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Labrador, Newfoundland and Saskatchewan
• Interprovincial trade certification or Red Seal is another certification that is made available farm equipment mechanics and heavy-duty equipment mechanics, who are well qualified

If you know you can successfully qualify through this first phase of selection under the NOCL occupation “heavy-duty equipment mechanics,” do not be in a hurry to congratulate yourself for the second phase involves primary duties that you are expected to perform as a professional of this occupation. You can check these duties below:

• Checking bulldozers, graders, cranes and other such heavy pieces of equipment that are used in agricultural, mining, logging and construction for better performance. Equipment are also checked for malfunctions and faults
• Diagnosing malfunctions or faults with the use of computers and other equipment of testing to determine the repair required
• Adjusting equipment and replacing or replacing of components, defective parts by employing power and hand tools
• Testing repaired equipment for enhanced performance and to make sure that specifications of the manufacturer are met at work
• Cleaning, lubricating and performing other everyday maintenance work of equipment
• Working tools and service attachments, like tillage equipment, harvesting equipment, side booms, winches, ploughs and blades
• May have to repair heavy trucks
• May have to adjust new equipment for the farm and attach components
• Farm and heavy-duty equipment mechanics can have specialty in specific machinery types, like fuel injection, electronics, hydraulics, power shift transmission, tracked vehicle or engine overhaul

Being able to satisfy these requirements, make you eligible for Canada skilled migration with extra points earned under the NOCL’s occupation “heavy-duty equipment mechanics.” So, hurry and hire an experienced immigration consultant today.

Are you an immigrant to Canada? And you are searching for a job?

If the above questions hold true for you, this is the right page to land on. Carrying the right resume for the right job is a common phrase mentioned by all saints. But in Canada, sometimes having the right name which is easy to pronounce might lead you to a jackpot in the form of a desired employment opportunity.

Imagine your name being cooked and chewed nicely due to the lack of know – how of pronouncing your name appropriately? You obviously would not like your name being called in such a royal fashion that even you might not understand. What if this leads to missing your turn for a job interview? Now you would not want to lose out on such an opportunity just because your name has not been understood and pronounced properly.

The main reason for this is that most Canadian employers find it difficult to pronounce many international names. Mostly, the immigrants are from China, India and other parts of world who are often more scrutinized. Such people are suggested to provide with a nickname or a pseudo name which is easier for the Canadians to understand and pronounce.

However, your nickname should be clearly mentioned making it specific that your resume is a genuine one and not a fake one. In addition, immigrants are less preferred when compared to the local Canadians. So, it is important to take the right steps.

Contact an Immigration and Visa Expert to know more on Resume Writing to apply for jobs in Canada.

Canada has always been a place of wonder for those living outside the country. This has been one of the main reasons for immigrants migrating to Canada. Most of the foreign nationals moving to Canada do not have the right picture about the country in their minds. This article is an insight into the country, especially for the immigrants thinking of moving to Canada.

Most of the immigrants who are well educated come to Canada end up with slightly odd jobs. However, these immigrants have no calms about it since they are earning well comparatively to their previous earnings in their native countries. Also, such jobs are because most of the Canadian employers do not identify these immigrants for any job in relation to their prior work experience. Some of the factors for such a hostile response are:

• Since the immigrants do not have a Canadian reference, it becomes difficult for a local employer to trust them as being credible. These references are an important aspect for employment opportunities in Canada. These work references basically involve someone to vouch for the candidate’s work experience, skills and behavior and so on. Thus, it is strongly recommended that newly landed immigrants network among the established Canadian residents and citizens to reach out to Canadian employers against such references.
• In many workshops regarding jobs and employment in Canada, it has been clearly stated that around 85% of the job market in this country is hidden. This could be interpreted as jobs not being advertised and only a few senior officials in an organization are aware of it. Hence, social and professional networking would help a lot in this aspect.
• Lack of proper communication. Those immigrants not fluent in English or French find it difficult to communicate with the local folks. This is a barrier to a good employment opportunity. Hence, attending English language classes would help to a large extent.
• Skilled migrants are an important source for driving the economy of Canada. However, this has led to a lot of repulsion from the local Canadians. This is because it has simply reduced the number of jobs for the local citizens.
• Having an employee of foreign origin raises a question of doubt. This is because it takes additional time for a new immigrant employee to get accustomed with the local work culture.
• Some employers tend to believe that when it comes to work, no other nationalities can outright Canadians.
• It is a custom in Canada for the employers to oblige people in their social circle. Thus, networking and mingling with locals again becomes very important.
• It can be said that there is no coordination between the Canadian employers and the Immigration Department. The immigration policies do not seem to cater to the needs of the job market. In other words, it could be termed as being obsolete. This has been especially true of immigration selection criteria till early 2008. Occupational lists that are open for immigration since Feb’2008 are more reflective of job situation in Canada.
• The Canadian employers including the top management and the supervisors are not trained appropriately to handle a multicultural workforce.

The reasons are not restricted to those of the above. The actual scenario consists of much more than what could be expressed on paper. After all, immigration is not a cakewalk!

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Supervising and coordinating the activities of licensed nurses, registered nurses and other such nursing personnel in patient care provision are all taken care of by professionals of the occupation “head nurses and supervisors.” Health care institutes like clinics, nursing homes, nursing agencies and hospitals usually employ the services of these professionals.

Given below are the primary duties that are performed by professionals of this NOCL occupation:

• Supervising licensed nurses, registered nurses and similar nursing personnel
• Evaluating the needs of the patients and ensuring that proper nursing services are rendered
• Setting up and coordinating nursing services along with other health-related services
• Making sure that quality nursing aid is rendered and all administrative procedures are rightly followed
• Assisting in establishing unit procedures and policies
• Administering the budget of the nursing unit and ensuring the availability of equipment and supplies
• Assisting in evaluation, professional development and selection of the nursing personnel
• Collaborating over research projects that are associated with medical and nursing care as well as multidisciplinary services
• May have to offer direct care to patients

Employment requirements that you must possess for this occupation are:

• Completion of any university, college or any other recognized nursing program is necessary
• Management courses, like Nursing Unit Administration Course from the Canadian Hospital Association is required, Or, administration or management degree, certificate or diploma is mandatory
• Registration as the registered nurse with a territorial or provincial regulatory body, in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and provincial registration is required as the registered psychiatric nurse
• Clinical experience is mandatory as the registered nurse

Job titles that are expected to qualify under this occupation are: nursing supervisor, psychiatric nursing supervisor, head nurse, patient care co-ordinator, public health nursing supervisor, nursing care co-ordinator and many more.

Immigration to Canada would become almost a cake walk for you, in case you are confident of qualifying under the occupation of “head nurses and supervisors” of the NOC List. After reading the above mentioned job duties and employment requirements that are expected from you, if you think that you can qualify for this occupation, you are advisable to get in touch with an experienced immigration consultant for the much-needed help and avoid any taking any risks in getting your visa.