On October 30, 2009  Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced, that persons in Canada inviting foreign guests shall provide personal information only voluntarily. In particular, that means that an immigration officer can not request such information as notice of assessment, mortgage and bank statements etc. from the applicant. This issue was clarified to further comply with the Privacy Act.

Another important statement is that a TRV application cannot be refused just because the host’s personal information is not provided with the application. 

From today (September 08, 2009), Citizenship and Immigration Canada accepts payment of processing fees for the Federal Skilled Worker applications by major credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express.

This long awaited option makes paying fees easier for most applicants, since credit cards are more common and much more convenient than the payment instruments accepted before (bank drafts, certified cheques, money orders).

Now every application under the Federal Skilled Worker immigration class must be submitted with one more form, namely the IMM 5620 Fee Payment Form. This form is required regardless of the payment method being used.

Effective July 14, 2009 visitors from Czech Republic and from Mexico need temporary resident visas to enter Canada. In both cases the reason for a restriction is that a number of refugee claimants from these countries soared recently.

Mexico became the number one source country for claims with its 9,400 claimants in 2008, which is 25% of all claims in total.

There were more than 3,000 refugees from Czech Republic since October 2007, while only few people sought refugee status in the year of 2006, when TRVs were required to enter Canada.

The Canadian government continuously implements various programs for Canadians and permanent residents to update or acquire new skills and, therefore, remain gainfully employed.

There is more good news for those who are willing to successfully adapt to the current downturn labour market conditions. Previously, under the auspices of the Human Resources and Social Development Canada eligible unemployed workers who required skills training to secure employment was given an opportunity to apply for Skills Development Program that provided financial assistance (including living expenses, childcare, tuition, books, disability needs, transportation and accommodation) to obtain the skills they needed to obtain new employment. With all its great advantages, the program has had a drawback as participants were normally required to make a partial financial contribution towards the cost of their training.

In the summer of 2008 the Ontario government launched a provincially-funded program called Second Career Program to help laid-off Ontarians identify and train for new careers in growing sectors.

These new enhancements allow more laid-off workers to participate and take advantage of the training opportunities available, and build new skills for the careers of the future.

The enhancements to Second Career are about ensuring more Ontarians have the opportunities and skills for success, so that they are working in well-paying jobs in a period of economic uncertainty,

announced John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Our government will continue to invest in skills and knowledge and to support Ontario families through a time of economic change.

In a nutshell, Second Career provides career planning and financial support specially designed to help laid-off Ontarians participate in long-term training for a new job. Second Career covers the costs of tuition and living expenses up to a total of $28,000 per person. The Second Career Strategy is part of the government’s three-year, $1.5 billion Skills to Jobs Action Plan announced in March 2008. Investing in skills training is a key part of the government's strategic planning of an economic stimulus that is helping Canadian families and businesses deal with the challenges of today's economy.