what is misleading about this?

Canada Immigration Forum (discussion group)

Subject: what is misleading about this?

it´s all here - no need for endless debate, or the battle of reports. everyone should read it - if they don´t, well... they don´t.

did you know that: Currently roughly 90% of the US population fall below the federal poverty threshold.

Wow, now that number seems outrageous and is, if you pair it with the qualifying documents. No point in throwing stand alone statistics unless you are able to qualify the numbers. Any statistician will tell you that percentages can be deceiving.

instead... have a look and tell me if Canada is fair in its presentation of the facts - it is there for all prospective immigrants to read - in 2 languages no less.

not sure how this can be taken as a glossy marketing ploy.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/welcome/wel-10e.asp

At first you may find it difficult to get work that matches your skills. It may also be difficult to find a job that pays as much as you want until you get Canadian experience. Try not to be discouraged. When the right job does come along, you will have the benefit of that previous experience. When you apply for a job in Canada, the employer will want some information about you. Bring a list of your education and work experience (a r?sum?). Also bring letters of reference from your former employers, your professional degrees and trade certificates. You may be asked to provide English or French copies of these documents.

Remember that certain trades or professions are regulated, which means that you must be licensed, registered or certified to practise them. In other words, you must meet certain standards that are set by the organization responsible for your profession in the province where you plan to work. The standards vary from province to province. So even though you may be qualified in another country, your qualifications must meet Canadian standards for you to be licensed to practise here.

Immigrant-serving organizations
If you cannot speak the language used by an employer, ask a friend to interpret for you, or get a translator through an immigrant-serving organization. You might also want to ask about job-finding clubs, workshops, and getting help with preparing a r?sum? or writing a letter. These services are often provided by immigrant-serving organizations themselves or by the province. Refer to the pamphlet Finding Help in Your Community in the back pocket of this guide.

Service Canada Centres
Many jobs are posted either on billboards or on self-serve computers at your local Service Canada Centre (SCC). The Canadian government runs SCC offices throughout the country. The centres provide information and services for people looking for work. Some offer the free use of computers, printers, the Internet, telephones, fax services and resource libraries. They may offer workshops on how to prepare a r?sum? or to look for work, as well as computer training and other courses.

Service Canada also runs the Job Bank, an electronic listing of jobs available at employers across the country. Visit the site at jb-ge.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca.

Another Internet site that may be useful is ?Worksearch.? This easy-to-use site can help you with all aspects of your search for work. The Internet address for this site is www.jobsetc.ca. The SCC also has a toll-free youth InfoLine: 1-800-935-5555 . You can find the nearest SCC office listed in the blue pages of the telephone book, under Service Canada Centre, or visit their website at www.servicecanada.gc.ca.

Using the newspaper and other resources
Many jobs are listed in newspapers. Look in the classified advertisements section under ?Help Wanted? and ?Careers.? There may also be a separate career section in the weekend paper.

Libraries are also helpful. They have books on how to find a job or write a r?sum?, and they often keep directories of businesses across Canada or in your area. These publications can help you find information about potential employers. Their ?periodical? section will also have copies of various weekly magazines that provide new listings of jobs across Canada. You can also access the Internet at most public libraries. Ask for more information at the reference desk.

?Networking? is also a popular way of finding a job in Canada. This means contacting all the people you know, including your friends and relatives, and letting them know you are looking for work. This may help you to find a job that is not actually advertised anywhere. Job-finding clubs run by immigrant-serving organizations may also be useful. There are also private job placement agencies that may be able to help you find permanent, temporary or contract work. Remember that since employers pay a fee to use these agencies, your salary may be somewhat lower than it would be if you found the job by yourself. These agencies are listed in the yellow pages of the telephone book. Look under ?Employment Agencies.?

Top of Page Documents and foreign credentials
You may need Canadian qualifications to work at a licensed trade or profession. You may have to write an examination or work as a trainee to qualify. The requirements vary from province to province and from profession to profession. You might want to contact the national or provincial association that looks after accreditation in your profession or trade.

The Canadian government offers information about foreign credential recognition and assessment through the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO). To learn more, visit the FCRO website at www.credentials.gc.ca or call Service Canada at 1-888-854-1805 or TTY 1-800-926-9105 (in Canada only).

You can also contact the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials, or other international credentials evaluation services. These are listed in the pamphlet Key Information Sources in the pocket at the back of this brochure.

Getting paid
Employers may choose to pay their workers every week, every two weeks or once a month. You can be paid in cash, by cheque or through a direct deposit to your bank account. Your pay stub (the piece of paper attached to your paycheque) shows how much you earned. It also lists any money taken off (deductions) for federal and provincial taxes, pension plans, employment insurance and any other items.

Working for yourself
The Business Start-Up Assistant provides essential business start-up information from the federal and provincial governments. Their website, organized by topic and province, provides reliable information on market research, business name and structure, preparing a business plan, financing, taxation, hiring employees, doing business on the Internet, and much more. For more information, visit their website at bsa.canadabusiness.ca.

Canada Business Service Centres provide a central resource for Canadian business information, especially government information. You can find them in every province and territory. They offer service on the Internet or you can speak directly to a business information officer. To find the Canada Business Service Centre nearest you, look in the blue pages of your telephone book under the federal government.

The Small Business Loans Act helps small businesses get loans from banks and other lenders. Contact Industry Canada in the federal government listings in the blue pages of your telephone book for more information.

The Business Development Bank of Canada also provides a book for newcomers interested in working for themselves called Starting a Business in Canada: A Guide for New Canadians. They also offer management training, counselling and planning services for entrepreneurs. Call their toll-free number for more information at 1-877-232-2269 or visit their website at www.bdc.ca.

Top of Page Business and travel
Although the Canadian government realizes that travel is often part of doing business, you may lose your permanent resident status if you stay outside the country for extended periods of time. Before you leave for business, you should check with the CIC Call Centre or visit the CIC website at www.cic.gc.ca.

If you are an entrepreneur who has been admitted to Canada on certain conditions, CIC will check to see how your business is doing. The Department will also provide special counselling services to help you. If after three years, you have not fulfilled the conditions under which you were admitted, you and your dependants may be asked to leave. Remember, this only applies to those who come in as entrepreneurs under certain terms and conditions.

Day care
When you do find work, you must remember that it is illegal in Canada to leave children under the age of 12 at home by themselves. You may need to pay someone to look after your children while you work. There are several options you can look into, such as licensed day-care centres, home-based day care, nursery schools, and ?drop-in? day-care centres. You can also hire someone to come into your home and look after your children. Look in the yellow pages under ?Day Nurseries? or ?Day Care.? Also check the classified advertisements section of the newspaper under ?Employment Wanted? to find a caregiver in your area. Government-subsidized day care exists for low-income families.

Labour laws and human rights
In Canada there are provincial and federal labour laws designed to protect employees and employers. These laws set minimum wage levels, health and safety standards, hours of work, maternity leave and annual paid vacations, and they provide protection for children. There are also human rights laws that protect employees from unfair treatment by employers based on sex, age, race, religion or disability.

You also have the right to join a labour union in Canada. Unions negotiate wages, hours of work and working conditions. Union fees will be deducted from your salary. If you feel you are being treated unfairly by your employer, you may seek advice or assistance from an officer of the Ministry of Labour in the province where you work. You can also contact the Canadian Human Rights Commission or a Service Canada Centre, where you can talk to a federal government labour affairs officer.

Volunteering
You might wish to help out in an agency or a community organization as a volunteer. This means that you volunteer your time but you do not get paid. However, volunteering can help you develop Canadian job experience, get a practical knowledge of the Canadian workplace, practise your English or French and make new friends, as well as help others. You can find volunteer centres in the yellow pages of your telephone book, or contact your local community agency.

An example of volunteering is the Host program. The Canadian government funds the Host program to help newcomers adapt, settle and integrate into Canadian life. Host volunteers are Canadians who offer their time to be with newcomers and introduce them to the Canadian way of life.

For more information on the Host program, contact one of the local immigrant-serving organizations listed in the pamphlet called Finding Help in Your Community, in the back pocket of this guide.

There are two official languages in Canada: English and French. Almost everyone in Canada speaks at least one of these languages and millions of Canadians speak both. There are Anglophone and Francophone communities in every province and territory. English is the language of the majority everywhere in Canada, except in the province of Quebec where French is the official language. French is spoken in many communities in other provinces, especially New Brunswick, Ontario and Manitoba. New Brunswick is an officially bilingual province.

One of the most important skills you will need to adapt to life here in Canada is to speak English or French. Once you learn one or both of these languages, you will find it easier to get a job, to understand Canada, and to communicate with your children, who will be busy learning English or French at school. You will also need to know English or French to become a Canadian citizen. Knowing both languages is strongly encouraged because bilingualism makes it easier to integrate into Canadian society and especially into the labour force.

There are many language courses available, and many of them are free. Sometimes these courses are called ?ESL? for English as a Second Language, or ?FSL,? for French as a Second Language.

Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC)
The Government of Canada, in cooperation with provincial governments, school boards, community colleges and immigrant-serving organizations, offers free language training across the country to adult permanent residents. In most provinces, the name of the program is LINC. (In French, this program is known as CLIC, for Cours de langue pour les immigrants au Canada.) LINC can also assess your current language skills to find out which training program would be best for you.

LINC offers both full- and part-time classes to suit your needs. Most LINC centres can also refer you to other non-LINC classes in your area, and some offer free child care while you attend classes.

Remember, language classes are available for all the adults in your family, not just the person who may be looking for work.

For more information
To find out where you can take LINC classes in your area, see the listing of LINC assessment centres in the pamphlet called Language Training, in the back pocket of this guide. You could also contact your local immigrant-serving organization. They will likely refer you to a LINC assessment centre, which will then refer you to organizations offering LINC classes. You might also want to telephone your local school board directly to find out about classes in your community.

Most universities and community colleges also offer language classes, as well as some private language schools and community organizations. You can contact these groups directly for more information. Remember to ask about fees, since these courses may not be free.

[07-02-2008,20:27]
[**.155.160.37]
Sharon