CANADIAN IMMIGRATION NEWS

Alberta hopes to attract U.S. skilled workers

Tuesday, 30 September 2008

With the promise that they face a wait of only six to 18 months for permanent residency, the Alberta government has spent more than $500,000 US on an advertising campaign to attract foreign professionals living in the United States.

The highly skilled foreign workers, who are sometimes several years away from obtaining permanent residency in the United States, do not need to secure work before applying to Alberta's immigrant nominee program.

Radio, newspaper and online ads have rolled out across the country, targeting those only temporarily allowed in the United States using slogans such as, "Milk has an expiry date. You shouldn't."

"We did the research. We know, economically, it's time for us to be more proactive in the U.S. market," said Wendy Blackwell, executive director of Alberta's labour attraction branch.

Meanwhile, the government believes Alberta is now short 30,000 to 40,000 workers and will be short more than 110,000 workers in the next decade.

Despite significantly ramping up its foreign recruitment efforts, especially in the United States and United Kingdom, the government failed to meet its 2,500-person target for the province's immigrant nominee program, which fast-tracks Canadian immigration for workers who meet the province's employment needs.

Over the summer, cities such as San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston have been targeted with ads and information meetings at hotels and Canadian consulates. New York City in next on the list.

Among other professionals, the government is searching for engineers, geologists, nurses, physicians and accountants. It requires applicants to hold one of a variety of H-1 or E-3 skilled worker visas and have worked in the U.S. for at least a year.

Alberta Employment and Immigration spokeswoman Sorcha McGinnis said of 650 applications they have already received, 65 people have submitted full applications and eight people have already received nominations.

If you are interested in Visas to Canada, contact Migration Expert for information and advice on which visa is best suited to you. You can also try our visa eligibility assessment to see if you are eligible to apply for a visa to Canada.