canadian press: I have always felt it was wrong for the heavy hand of the Canadian state to keep people apart for two years, McCallum said in an interview with The Canadian Press, according to CTV. The changes mean anyone with an application currently in the system will see a decision on their case by December 2017 at the latest, while about 80 per cent of new applications will be processed within the 12-month timeline. Current wait times ranging from an average of 18 months for overseas applications to upwards of two years for spouses already in Canada will plunge to 12 months, Federal Immigration Minister John McCallum said. The last federal budget set aside 25 million to help get family sponsorship wait times down and that money, along with a new application process and making more room in the immigration program for spousal sponsorship, are behind the change, McCallum said. In 2016, the target for admission is 60,000 and for next year, it will be 64,000. In 2015, the target was to admit about 48,000 people but there were over 70,000 applications, the Immigration Department said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

chris alexander: As federal Conservative leadership hopeful Chris Alexander slammed the record of Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley, the crowd of 1,000 outside the provincial legislature chanted loudly and clearly, Lock her up, according to Hamilton Spectator. This was, of course, the infamous cry heard at so many pro-Trump Republican rallies in the recent presidential election race. Canadians may assure themselves theyre immune to the vicious, divide-and-conquer populism that made Trump the next U.S. president, but a rally in Edmonton last weekend shows how wrong that assumption is. And it was always directed at Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, whom an obliging Trump vowed to have formally investigated if he won. Not only did he, unfortunately, fail to do this, video footage shows him smiling and nodding as the words were being screamed. As a former federal cabinet minister in a country with less extreme, dare we say more polite, politics, Alexander might have been expected to denounce the repeated demands to lock up the premier. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

year: But this year there is much to worry about as we recognize December 10, the anniversary of the day 68 years ago that the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, according to Huffington Post Canada. The United Nations this year is encouraging us all to push back against division and intolerance. We should be marking our successes, and showing the world how much we embrace and celebrate our differences rather than being afraid of them. The slogan for the 2016 Human Rights Day is We the People. It may not be deliberate, but it certainly appropriate, given the state of affairs in the United States. This sounds pretty American-oriented to me. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

families: The new one-year guarantee will apply to applications already in the queue and new applicants, according to CBC. This will be of direct benefit to the 64,000 spouses we will admit to Canada in the coming year, he said. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister John McCallum announced today in Brampton, Ont., that the current average two-year processing period will be reduced to 12 months. But it will be of benefit to all Canadians, because I think people are more productive citizens, they do better overall, when they are with their families than when they are isolated from their families. Canada to open door to more families Conservative MP seizes agenda More supports for refugees needed McCallum stressed the accelerated processing time will not mean cutting corners on security or medical screening, and said the same mandatory checks will be place. This measure will be positive for the whole country. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

german-born children: Merkel current centre-left coalition partners, the Social Democrats, insisted on dropping the requirement as part of their price for entering the government after Germany 2013 election, according to Huffington Post Canada. That was never popular with Merkel conservative Christian Democratic Union. Until two years ago, German-born children of immigrants from outside the European Union or Switzerland had to pick one nationality between ages 18 to 23 a rule largely affecting Germany Turkish community. Delegates at a convention in Essen narrowly backed a motion from the party youth wing that advocated returning to the old system. A giant setback for integration Wednesday decision appears to reflect a desire among some CDU members for a sharper conservative profile. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere had argued against the motion, noting that no potential coalition partner after next year election would agree to it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

germany election: Merkel current centre-left coalition partners, the Social Democrats, insisted on dropping the requirement as part of their price for entering the government after Germany 2013 election, according to The Chronicle Herald. That was never popular with Merkel conservative Christian Democratic Union. Until two years ago, German-born children of immigrants from outside the European Union or Switzerland had to pick one nationality between ages 18 to 23 a rule largely affecting Germany Turkish community. Delegates at a convention in Essen narrowly backed a motion from the party youth wing that advocated returning to the old system. Wednesday decision appears to reflect a desire among some CDU members for a sharper conservative profile. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere had argued against the motion, noting that no potential coalition partner after next year election would agree to it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

hand-over-hand youve: Signal right, he says, according to CBC. You cant be doing that ... theyll flunk you, says Wallace with a laugh. Youve gotta start doing hand-over-hand; youve gotta get rid of that habit OK Right turn here. That your father. Syrian refugees benefit from driving test in Arabic Putting Syrians back in the driver seat in St. Your father letting you get away with that. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

homeland security: But the man chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Homeland Security holds a more sombre distinction, according to CTV. The battle-hardened veteran, who served three tours in Iraq, is the highest-ranking officer to lose a child in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan. John Kelly carved out a reputation as a highly respected, but often outspoken commander who could roil debate with blunt assessments or unpopular directives on issues ranging from women in combat to the treatment of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. That status, as part of what the military calls a Gold Star family, puts him in the Cabinet of a presidential candidate who verbally attacked a Gold Star family the Khans, Muslim-American immigrants who lost a son in Iraq and had criticized Trump at the Democratic National Convention. Robert Kelly, was killed in November 2010 in Afghanistan. Kelly son, Marine 1st Lt. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

husband works: Facing the last months of her pregnancy alone, she decided to book a room in a Richmond birth house, a place that provides room and board for expectant mothers, according to CTV. The homes have popped up in Metro Vancouver in response to a spike in birth tourism, a phenomenon where pregnant women travel to Canada for the purpose of giving birth, so their children are born with automatic Canadian citizenship. Fiona Ren is a permanent resident of Canada, but her husband works in Hong Kong. Last month, Vancouver Coastal Health told CTV News that one in six babies born in Richmond are born to foreign mothers. Ren was sent from Richmond to Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver, where she gave birth to her son Hugo. The boom in birth tourism means some local mothers, including Ren, are being diverted to hospitals further away because the closest maternity wards are full. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

immigration: The university, she said, will continue to admit qualified students regardless of immigration status, give them access to services such as health care and keep their status confidential, according to Metro News. She said the university also will push for state legislation that would make more financial aid available to students without legal immigration status. The University of Connecticut says it will do all it can to support students who dont have legal immigration status even though it cant become a sanctuary campus.UConn President Susan Herbst told the university community in an email Tuesday campus police wont question immigration status or detain anyone based on administrative warrants from federal officials. UConn will do everything lawfully within our authority to provide an environment in which all students can feel secure as they pursue their education on our campuses, Herbst said. I think it was a very important step, but an email is not policy, said Eric Cruz Lopez, a junior whose family came to the United States from Mexico when he was 7 years old. But she also said the university, as a state institution, must abide by state and federal laws and cant unilaterally declare itself a sanctuary.A group of immigrant students, some living in the United States illegally, attended a Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday and called on the university to codify its intent to protect them. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canada: We have listened to Canadians and are delivering results, according to Guelph Mercury. Bringing families together makes for a stronger Canada. Starting immediately, most spousal sponsorship applications submitted in and outside Canada will be processed within 12 months, down from the current average of 26 months and 18 months respectively, according to an announcement to be made by Immigration Minister John McCallum on Wednesday. Canadians who marry someone from abroad shouldnt have to wait for years to have them immigrate or be left with uncertainty in terms of their ability to stay, McCallum said in a prepared statement. Complaints by Canadians and their foreign spouses and dependants over long processing times and lengthy separations had fallen on deaf ears under the previous Conservative government. What we are announcing today is a more efficient, more considerate process to reunite families. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

canadian press: I have always felt it was wrong for the heavy hand of the Canadian state to keep people apart for two years, McCallum said in an interview with The Canadian Press, according to The Waterloo Record. The changes mean anyone with an application currently in the system will see a decision on their case by December 2017 at the latest, while about 80 per cent of new applications will be processed within the 12-month timeline. Related Stories Canada Immigration cuts family... Current wait times ranging from an average of 18 months for overseas applications to upwards of two years for spouses already in Canada will plunge to 12 months, Federal Immigration Minister John McCallum said. The last federal budget set aside 25 million to help get family sponsorship wait times down and that money, along with a new application process and making more room in the immigration program for spousal sponsorship, are behind the change, McCallum said. In 2016, the target for admission is 60,000 and for next year, it will be 64,000. In 2015, the target was to admit about 48,000 people but there were over 70,000 applications, the Immigration Department said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

energy: Michael Chong called for a strategy that would both reduce greenhouse gases and result in timely energy project approvals by way of a regulatory process that consults indigenous communities and addresses environmental concerns, according to National Observer. Lisa Raitt said Energy East construction should have already begun, and blamed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the delays. The leadership contenders were then asked about improving the criminal justice system before the questions turned to matters of infrastructure and economic growth in particular the controversial Energy East pipeline project. Rival Maxime Bernier said he would institute policies to encourage more private-sector investment. Kellie Leitch, who supports Energy East, said she would allow Canada to diversify exports and broaden its energy economy. Stephen Blaney stopped the show at one point when he brandished what looked like a fuel bundle for a nuclear power plant while promoting his plan to develop and expand Canada nuclear energy industry. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

germany election: Merkel current centre-left coalition partners, the Social Democrats, insisted on dropping the requirement as part of their price for entering the government after Germany 2013 election, according to The Waterloo Record. That was never popular with Merkel conservative Christian Democratic Union. Until two years ago, German-born children of immigrants from outside the European Union or Switzerland had to pick one nationality between ages 18 to 23 a rule largely affecting Germany Turkish community. Delegates at a convention in Essen narrowly backed a motion from the party youth wing that advocated returning to the old system. Wednesday decision appears to reflect a desire among some CDU members for a sharper conservative profile. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere had argued against the motion, noting that no potential coalition partner after next year election would agree to it. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

intolerance: It is time for us to speak up! Join us at a rally to oppose racism in our communities and to show that we welcome immigrants, and that we stand united against anti-immigrant predjudice and all forms of intolerance, according to Rabble. Elsewhere in the Lower Mainland, other neo-nazi alt-right groups have begun to show themselves as well. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

john kelly: John Kelly carved out a reputation as a highly respected, but often outspoken commander who could roil debate with blunt assessments or unpopular directives on issues ranging from women in combat to the treatment of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre, according to Toronto Star. But the man chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Homeland Security holds a more sombre distinction. Manuel Balce Ceneta / The Associated Press By Lolita C. Baldor And Julie Pace Associated Press Wed., Dec. 7, 2016 WASHINGTON Retired Marine Gen. The battle-hardened veteran, who served three tours in Iraq, is the highest-ranking officer to lose a child in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan. Kelly son, Marine 1st Lt. That status, as part of what the military calls a Gold Star family, puts him in the Cabinet of a presidential candidate who verbally attacked a Gold Star family the Khans, Muslim-American immigrants who lost a son in Iraq and had criticized Trump at the Democratic National Convention. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

leadership candidates: Michael Chong arrives at the Conservative leadership candidates bilingual debate in Moncton, N.B. on Dec. 6, 2016, according to Huffington Post Canada. Photo Andrew Vaughan/CP On one side, we have a candidate who suggests that immigrants are anti-Canadians and who proposed an exam. Chong used his closing statement at the Conservatives second leadership debate in Moncton to warn against the campaigns of Kellie Leitch and Chris Alexander. They insist that it is not race-baiting or anti-immigrant, but just yesterday their campaign was endorsed by a white supremacist group called the Council of European Canadians, Chong said of Leitch. On the flip side, I have another vision, the Ontario MP said. We have another candidate who stood idly by while protesters were chanting to lock up the democratically elected premier of Alberta, Chong said, referring to Alexander smiling presence at an anti-carbon tax rally over the weekend. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

mccallum: The changes won t just be good for those being admitted, McCallum said, according to Globe and Mail. People are more productive citizens when they are with their families, when they are at ease in their home life, so I think it is good for the country as a whole, he said. There is a current backlog of about 80,000 applications in the system, McCallum said. None of the mandatory security or medical screenings are being changed in any way, it is just that the system is being made more efficient, he said. About 280 people work in the Vegreville office and on Tuesday, the area member of Parliament, Conservative Shannon Stubbs, read letter after letter to McCallum about what it will mean for them to potentially lose their jobs in an economy already feeling the sting of oilpatch job losses. The need for greater efficiencies in immigration processing is one of the reasons McCallum has stood behind a controversial plan to close an immigration processing centre in Vegreville, Alta., and move its work 100 kilometres away to Edmonton by 2018. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

processing times: Starting immediately, most spousal sponsorship applications submitted in and outside Canada will be processed within 12 months, down from the current average of 26 months and 18 months respectively, Immigration Minister John McCallum announced on Wednesday, according to Toronto Star. We have listened to Canadians and are delivering results. Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO By Nicholas Keung Immigration reporter Wed., Dec. 7, 2016 Ottawa has vowed to cut the processing times and backlogs for spousal immigration applications by more than half with an expanded annual quota for 2017 and a new simplified application kit available next week. Bringing families together makes for a stronger Canada. What we are announcing today is a more efficient, more considerate process to reunite families. Canadians who marry someone from abroad shouldnt have to wait for years to have them immigrate or be left with uncertainty in terms of their ability to stay, McCallum told a news conference in Brampton. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

sanctions: In a further bizarre twist, Elizabeth May and others within the Green Party leadership have tried to obfuscate the extent of the membership support for Palestinian rights, according to Rabble. In August, the Green Party of Canada voted to support the use of divestment, boycott and sanctions BDS that are targeted at those sectors of Israel economy and society which profit from the ongoing occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories . While the new policy drops the BDS formulation, it supports economic measures such as government sanctions, consumer boycotts, institutional divestment, economic sanctions and arms embargoes and encompasses the Palestinian civil-society-led BDS campaign three demands. In addition, the resolution also demanded action to address the plight of Palestinian refugees and Palestinian citizens of Israel. It calls for the Green Party to respect the intent of UN Resolution 194, on the right of Palestinian refugees to return, as well as an accord to the Arab-Palestinian population of Israel equal political and civil rights. The new resolution also details Canadian complicity in dispossessing the indigenous people, calling on Ottawa to divest from any companies which are directly benefiting from activity within Israel illegal settlements or its occupation of the OPT and to ask the International Criminal Court to prioritize its investigation into charges of potential war crimes by members of the Israeli forces. It also calls to end Israel illegal occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories OPT and the Golan Heights, and Israel siege of Gaza. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

shelter travellers: Because we are dealing with the largest displacement crisis since World War II, it has overwhelmed the global system, Power said, according to Metro News. She spoke after a tour of a way station for migrants in northern Paris, opened a month ago to shelter travellers for up to 10 days while helping them apply for asylum, then placing them in more permanent lodgings. Samantha Power said that from the United States to Europe to the Middle East no one was ready for the crisis. The centre can house 400 single men a far cry from the nearly 30,000 people taken off Paris streets over the past year. It opened two weeks after some 7,000 migrants, most trying to sneak into Britain, were evacuated from a camp in the English Channel port city of Calais and given temporary lodgings around France. But it is the first official attempt to organize and speed up asylum bids. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

something: It was happening in our own backyards, even in our own small town, according to Hamilton Spectator. I asked my parents why we were not part of it. I have strong memories of sitting at my parents dining room table with a newspaper open before me, looking at photographs of overcrowded boats and reading about Canadians who were helping the families from Vietnam to a new life in our country. Sponsorship was a big responsibility, they said, something only a group could take on. A club. A church, maybe. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

trump at-times: Retired Marine Gen, according to The Chronicle Herald. John Kelly has been selected to head the Department of Homeland Security, and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a climate-change denier whose policies have helped fossil fuel companies, is to be announced as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. It clearer by the day, underscored by Trump at-times contradictory words, that his actual policies as president won t be settled until after he takes his seat in the Oval Office. Trump DC hotel attracting foreign envoys and controversy Trump promises to heal divisions, plans visit to Ohio State Trump is Time magazine Person of the Year China warns US on Taiwan leader planned transit Separately, Trump named the former chief executive of World Wrestling Entertainment, Linda McMahon, to head the Small Business Administration. But he struck a softer tone in an interview published Wednesday after he was named Time Magazine Person of the Year. Trump long presidential campaign was in large part defined by searing rhetoric and his steadfast promises to build an impenetrable wall on the border with Mexico and crack down on immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

work experience: Bual saw a GoFund Me page for a woman with cancer who needed help covering her medical costs and immediately recognized his cheerful customer, according to Metro News. I felt compelled that I should do something for such a wonderful person, Bual said. She would come and talk to me all the time, said Bual, a bus driver in Calgary for 15 years. Khan, a U.S. citizen, moved to Calgary in 2008, and had healthcare coverage under the Canadian Experience Class CEC an immigration permit for foreign workers or graduates with relevant work experience who want to become permanent residents. Nearly 16 months later, she is still waiting for her extension to be approved. Her permit was due to expire, so Khan applied for an extension in early 2015. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

homeland security: But the man chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Homeland Security holds a more sombre distinction, according to Brandon Sun. The battle-hardened veteran, who served three tours in Iraq, is the highest-ranking officer to lose a child in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan. John Kelly carved out a reputation as a highly respected, but often outspoken commander who could roil debate with blunt assessments or unpopular directives on issues ranging from women in combat to the treatment of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. That status, as part of what the military calls a Gold Star family, puts him in the Cabinet of a presidential candidate who verbally attacked a Gold Star family the Khans, Muslim-American immigrants who lost a son in Iraq and had criticized Trump at the Democratic National Convention. Robert Kelly, was killed in November 2010 in Afghanistan. Kelly son, Marine 1st Lt. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.

ian mcleod: The figures cover the period from Nov. 4, 2015 when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his cabinet ministers were sworn in to mid-October this year, according to National Observer. Departments say they hired external media consultants to help senior officials and subject matter experts learn how to communicate clearly with the public. The details are contained in a response to an order paper question submitted by Conservative MP Jamie Schmale. Ian McLeod, a spokesman for the Department of Justice, said in an email that the 54,127 spent on media coaching was about making good on a promise to make subject matter experts more available to media. Mark Johnson, a spokesman for Environment and Climate Change Canada, said the department looks for outside help when the expertise they need including media training, psychological services, professional coaching and support for skill development is not available in-house. McLeod said hiring external consultants to do the training meant the media relations staff within the department could focus more directly on service delivery. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.