St. Lucia will no longer accept applications from Iranian citizens (regardless of their current country of residence), due to problems conducting due diligence checks in Iran. Also, banks in St. Lucia will not accept funds from Iran.
This change is effective immediately.
The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, completed a successful week‑long visit to the United Kingdom (U.K.), Belgium and Germany, where he met with key European partners and stakeholders to discuss global migration trends and speak to how Canada is growing our economy through diversity and immigration.
Minister Hussen highlighted immigration as a powerful economic tool as he led a fireside chat at the University of Oxford, provided the keynote address at a luncheon with the Canada‑U.K. Chamber of Commerce, delivered a speech at the London School of Economics and participated in a roundtable discussion with U.K. businesses that have invested in Canada. Through these events, the Minister outlined how Canada’s multi‑year levels plan and economic programs work to attract top talent to help grow Canada’s economy and meet labour shortages, which are a result of our aging population. The Minister encouraged European leaders and employers to look to immigrants for their innovative perspectives, entrepreneurial spirit, global experience and unique skill sets.
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“Bulgaria will formally apply on Wednesday to join the European Union’s banking union as part of its bid to enter the “waiting room” for euro zone membership, the Black Sea state’s finance minister said.
The euro zone’s finance ministers and the European Central Bank have already given Bulgaria the green light for the move and for its plans to adopt the euro.”
To read the full article, please click here.
Focusing on how Canada can grow its economy and strengthen its competitive advantage through immigration, Ministers noted that success will depend on a fast, flexible immigration system focused on a skilled and adaptable labour force. Ministers supported exploring the opportunity to collaborate on attraction, recruitment and retention efforts. Ministers discussed the importance of ensuring rural Canada benefits from increased immigration and the importance of increasing francophone immigration outside of Quebec.
Ministers also discussed the importance of highlighting the positive benefits of immigration to both our economies and communities.
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A recent Globe & Mail article states the following:
“For a country that prides itself on its openness to the world, Canada makes its
borders surprisingly impenetrable for millions of people who want to visit from
abroad.
Last year alone, Canada refused entry to nearly 600,000 people who wanted to
come for a short stay for tourism, school, business, academic conferences or simply
to see their families. And the refusals have skyrocketed: The number has more than
doubled since 2012, according to data obtained by The Globe and Mail.”
To read the full article, please click here.
Confederation Partners is pleased to introduce the new Bulgaria Fast-Track Citizenship Program. This program allows a family to quickly obtain both permanent residency (PR) and citizenship in a country of the European Union.
BENEFITS:
– Applicant and his/her family have the right to reside, work, and study anywhere in Europe after obtaining citizenship
– Visa-free access to approx. 142 countries (including Canada and Europe)
– Applicant receives PR in 3-4 months, and citizenship in less than 2 years
– Citizenship is transferrable by descent (to all children and grandchildren)
– Confederation offers a one-time “walk away” financing option
QUALIFICATIONS:
– Be 18 years of age or older
– Possess a valid passport and reside legally in a country
– Visit Bulgaria twice
– Pass a due diligence and medical check
– Make a declaration on source of funds
“Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, announced today during a meeting with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, that the Government is lifting the visa requirement for UAE citizens on June 5, 2018.
This decision is based on a comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the UAE against Canada’s visa policy criteria. The evaluation found that the UAE meets Canada’s criteria for a visa exemption.”
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Grenada: The age of dependent parents has been reduced to 55 years old.
Antigua: The age of dependent parents has been reduced to 58 years old.
Antigua (until Oct/18) and St. Kitts: The real estate investment may be split between two applicants.
Dominica has announced that its special fees (relating to the hurricane which devastated the island in the fall of 2017) will remain in effect until March 31, 2019.
On September 27, 2017 Statistics Canada published its preliminary provincial population estimates for July 1, 2017, as well as revisions to the 2013 to 2016 population estimates. As of July 1, 2017, Prince Edward Island’s population is estimated to be 152,021. This represents a yearly increase of 2,549 persons or a 1.7 per cent annual growth rate. This was the second highest growth rate in the country, behind only Nunavut at 2.2 per cent.
International immigration increased for the second consecutive year, rising by 12.4 per cent in 2016-17 following a 50.5 per cent increase in 2015-16. From July 2016 to June 2017, 2,264 international immigrants came to the province, as compared to 2,015 the previous year. At a rate of 15.0 per thousand1, the province had the highest immigration rate in the country, ahead of Saskatchewan at 12.4 per thousand. The immigration rate for Canada was 7.5 per thousand. In addition, other international migration components resulted in a net increase of 645 persons. This results in a total increase of 2,909 due to international migration, which is a new all time high for Prince Edward Island.
A total of 3,268 inter-provincial migrants came to PEI in 2016-17, while 3,704 people left the province for other areas of Canada for a net interprovincial loss of 436 persons. There were 1,448 births and 1,372 deaths on Prince Edward Island from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017, resulting in natural growth (births minus deaths) of 76.
 
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