Immigration Canada Launches Online Consultations to Improve Federal Investor Program

The federal government is launching online consultations today to get feedback from the public on how to improve the federal Immigrant Investor Program.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) today launched an online consultation campaign to solicit input from the Canadian public on ways to modify the federal Immigrant Investor Program (IIP) to increase the benefit it provides to the country.

“We can no longer be a passive player in the global competition for talent and investment. That is why we need to review our immigration programs to create dynamic opportunities that enable immigrants’ investments to directly benefit the Canadian economy,” said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney in a statement put out today.

Acceptance of new applications under the federal IIP was temporarily suspended on July 1st to give the federal government time to revamp the program to address shortcomings it had according to the Immigration Ministry.

One change that CIC has signalled it is considering is requiring immigrant investors to make an active investment in the Canadian economy. The current investment requirement for applicants under the IIP is to provide an interest-free loan of $800,000 to a province or territory for five years, which CIC representatives have argued is too passive and does not contribute enough to the Canadian economy.

The online consultations are open to the public until September 4th 2012, and CIC says it is planning to re-open the investor program in the beginning of the 2013.

4 comments

  • 1. PARENTS AND GRAND PARENTS FILES ALL 168000 TO BE ELIMINET OR ASK SPONSOR TO GIVE LIFELONG UNDERTAKING.
    2. STOP GIVING O.A.S. WHO NEVER WORK OR PAY ANY TAXES AND CHANGE RULES ON QUALIFICATION FROM 10 YEARS TO 20 YEARS .
    3. CHANGE RULES FOR P.R. HOLDER TO IF THEY STAY OUT OF COUNTRY MORE THAN 180 DAYS WILL LOSE THEIR STATUS.
    4. REFUGE GRANTED PEOPLE CAN NOT VISIT THEIR HOME COUNTRY LIFE TIME, IF THEY DO WILL LOSE THEIR STATUS EVEN THEY ARE CITIZEN.

  • Focus of program should include putting in place mecanisms that favor more retention than admission regardless of the amount that is asked to enter Canada. For this to happen, Immigration Canada should fund and partner with private and regional government economic development agencies across Canada that can specifically orient and connect them to business sectors, their main actors, funders and accredited professionals (management, legal, accounting…) inform, tool and offer them pre-qualified business opportunities which preferably complements or responds to existing value chain for each business sector. Funding preference should be given to intiatives that use the internet and W2 applications

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