9. The new point system to come into effect in June, 2002. (2 January 2002)
The new point system for immigration to Canada will come into effect in June 2002. It will significantly change the points for education and language. Under the old system, the highest achievable for post-graduate or higher education was 16 points. Under the new system, the highest points for doctorate and master’s degrees are 25 points.
Canada has two official languages, English and French. Under the previous system, the highest number of points for fluency in the first language was 9 and the second language was 6. Under the new system, those who are highly functional in the first language will get 16 points and those moderately functional in the second language would score 8 points.
In the old system, one could claim some points even for some basic working knowledge of English or French. Not any more. Under the new system, that will be effective from June 2002, the basically functional knowledge is not good enough and will result in a score of 0.
The occupational list of jobs will no longer be used. In the old system, the applicants and their advisors tried torturously to fit the applicants under specific job categories for which it was assumed that jobs would be available in Canada. After the arrival of the immigrant, the professional bodies rarely granted recognition of the person’s skills and many did different jobs. Under the new system, it would not be necessary to categorize the applicant by jobs to gain entry. The emphasis on the previous point system was on selecting candidates with technical and trade backgrounds. In the new system, it is the highly educated professionals that will stand a better chance.
Job experience is still relevant. Up to 25 points will be granted for someone with 4 or more years of recent work experience in the job done by the applicant. One year will fetch 10 points, two years allow 15, three years allow 20 points and four years of experience will score the full 25 points.
The discretion granted previously to the immigration officers to give up to 10 points at the interview has been withdrawn. Under the old point system, it was called "personal suitability." If the officer saw you as suitable for adjusting to life in Canada, he could grant you up to 10 points. The commonly granted range of points was between 5 at the low end and 8 at the high end. This discretion is replaced by the "adaptability" measured by tangible criteria of academic achievement of the spouse and the applicant’s connection with Canada by virtue of having completed education in Canada, having an informal job offer in Canada, work experience in Canada, or having a family member in Canada.
For a spouse with a master's degree or a Ph. D., one now will score 5 points, and 4 for Bachelor’s and 3 for one or two years of post-secondary education of the spouse. Informal job offer gets you 5 points. A minimum 2 years of full time study in Canada would bring 5 points and having a family member in Canada would bring another 5 points. The total of adaptability points cannot exceed 10.
A job letter validated by the Human Resources Development of Canada, where no local candidate can be found for the job, there are now 10 points.
If you put all these together and create a profile of the person that is likely to be a good candidate for immigration to Canada, it is a person with good education and profession from a predominantly English speaking country. These changes will not likely restore the position of England or Ireland as main source countries for the new wave of immigrants in the new century. Commonwealth countries fit the profile. The chances of a person with a trade or just technical skills is reduced. If you had some connection with Canada by virtue of your education, a relative, or a job offer, you are more likely to fit the profile. Your spouse’s education definitely enhances your position.
Legislative equality between French and English is maintained in the new law, but if you study the static of the immigrants coming to Quebec, which has French as its primary language, it becomes clear that the number of newcomers settling there is smaller than the rest of Canada that uses English as the primary language. Quebec maintains its own immigration system and the French colonies will do doubt contribute talented French-speaking people for migration to Canada.
The point system will benefit applicants from India and other commonwealth countries, where English is spoken. Applicants from countries like Iran, the middle east, and mainland China, where English is not a dominant language, will be at a disadvantage unless they begin to brush up on their language skills. English Language schools will flourish in these countries.