Ottawa targets Windsor area for immigration pilot project

Good news coming your way! On June 28, 2021, Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada made an exciting announcement for immigrants. He expressed the interest of considering Windsor as a part of a pilot project launching to address the shortage of labour in local markets.

The area of Windsor is being considered to be a part of an innovative pilot project created with the following objectives:

• enabling municipalities bridge the gaps in the labour pool
• Boost economic growth

There are 5000 immigration slots available country wide in this Municipal Nominee Program. Currently for participation,  they are looking for 20 communities within Canada. The program is set to launch in the Fall 2021 by the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

As per Marco Mendicino, it is a regional pilot program. Post the launch of this program, the municipalities across Canada will be able to file applications for many assigned slots. These slots created will work adjacent to:

• Local settlement service providers

• Chambers of Commerce

• City leaders

To further coordinate the rising need of the workforce and local economy with the skilled and experienced newcomers.

Also, this pilot program is a foundation for the best results of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program. Like the Municipal Nominee Program, the AIPP intends to promote international students planning to stay in Canada post-graduation. The success of the pilot program led to the permanence of the immigration program.

Not only this, but the discussion held about the program also shared the agenda of the importance of the International Students Program in boosting the local economy. The support required to help new immigrants smoothly move to the region.The Municipal Nominee Program and International Students Program, are a part of the government’s plan to help drive more immigrants from big cities to mid-size communities.

The primary objective of keeping the International Students’ Program operational even during the pandemic was to boost Windsor’s economy.  It is a win-win situation for both international students and Canada. International students get a world-class education. Whereas Canada gets young, creative and educated people willing to begin inProgramswing.

Mendocino also discussed the competency of Canadian universities and colleges in drawing international students from across the globe. This has further not only amplified the local economy but also acted as an attraction for companies to find the best talent in the world.

After the COVID-19 impact of lowering the number of new immigrants, the federal government has set a new target. It is the target of attracting 401,000 new applications in 2021.

The pandemic has affected the Canadian immigration system. But the government has still managed to shield the corridors of the country, yet come up with new plans to meet the targets. And this pilot program is one of such initiatives benefiting Windsor as well as Canada.

And the best part is, besides this pilot program, the Canadian government is also working on introducing new pathways. These will be for migrant workers to get permanent residency. Special focus on the workers helping maintain the food supply chain of Canada during the pandemic.