Immigration Minister Charles Sousa: Ontario

Ontario Dept: In unveiling the province s new immigration strategy Monday, Immigration Minister Charles Sousa said Ontario must attract a better-skilled workforce by raising the ratio of economic migrants and expanding the federally imposed quota of provincial nominees immigrants the province has a role in choosing five-fold, to 5,000 a year by 2014, according to The Star. Ontario has seen its share of immigrants to Canada drop by one-third, from 148,640 in 2001 to 99,000 in 2011. In other provinces, seven out of 10 immigrants settling in other provinces belong to the economic class skilled workers and investors, as opposed to refugees and people reuniting with family members. But economic immigrants account for only 52 per cent of newcomers to Ontario and ontario wants more control of immigrant selection in its attempt to wrestle with declining immigration, newcomers poor job prospects and unmet labour market needs. This is a bold new direction for immigration in Ontario. It sets a path so we can attract highly skilled immigrants and investors that we need to fuel economic growth and help build stronger communities, said Sousa, who will discuss the plan with federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney at a meeting in mid-November. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.