Ontario is a state of newcomers According to Monte McNaughton, Minister of Economic Needs, Labor, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development.
The state will negotiate a new Federal Ontario Immigration Agreement this fall, as well as an agreement with Quebec, with the goal of filling an estimated 340,000 jobs. , Seeking more control. Said.
“In the last 18 months, we have changed the priority of migrants required by Ontario, so skilled trade workers and healthcare professionals are prioritized through the Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP). A ranking expert, McNaughton said on Saturday. "But for now, the federal government can only choose 9,000 new entrants out of the 125,000 people who come to Ontario each year."
Given the large population of Ontario, he said, he has a disproportionately small voice regarding the choice of new entrants compared to other Canadian jurisdictions.
As a first step, he said, the federal government should immediately double the number of new entrants through OINP to 18,000 a year.
McNaughton said he had already contacted counterparts in other parts of the county to determine common grounds and goals before approaching the federal government at a joint session at the end of the month. ..
"Thus, Ontario and Canada have been built over the last 155 years by attracting newcomers with the right skills to build the future of our country." Said McNaughton. "And that's what we want from the federal government."
The freedom to choose newcomers based on skill sets is a better match with the labor market. He said it meant more success for new immigrants.
"Only 25% of migrants here in Ontario today are actually working in the fields they studied," he said.
He said the Dougford government has been on the agenda for labor and immigration for several years and became Canada's first government to recognize all foreign qualifications other than health care.
He said Ontario is now launching all training programs as widely as possible, including newcomers, social aids, and criminal records.
"My message is that if you have the skills and want to work, Ontario needs you," McNaughton said.
He said the significant time lag in the federal immigration approval process remains a challenge for some applicants who have been waiting for years.
He said Ontario offers its own resources to accelerate the process.
"I want to give the federal government more voice to speed up the process and ensure that immigrants with the right skills to build the future of Ontario are brought in. I can't put enough pressure on it, "McNorton said.
aartuso@postmedia.com
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