The United States, as a country built by immigrants, has an immigration policy that would be considered more welcoming than that of most developed nations. According to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), there are currently two million immigrants entering the country annually, of which more than half arrive as documented permanent residents. However, the country is doing a poor job integrating these immigrants into the labor force. The MPI reports that more than 1.3 million college-educated immigrants are unemployed or working in unskilled jobs because they are unable to make full use of their academic and professional credentials.

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A new framework to speed the integration of foreign-trained immigrants into the Canadian workforce was introduced in late November as part of the Canadian Government’s strategy to attract and integrate “ the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world.”

Under the Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Qualifications, foreign-trained workers who submit an application to be licensed or registered to work in certain fields will be advised within one year whether their qualifications will be recognized. Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Co-Chair of the Forum of Labour Market Ministers, and Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism both endorsed the new framework on November 30 after it was officially introduced.


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