1. Supporting Immigrants and Immigration to Alberta
Alberta’s Strategic Policy on Immigration
Prairie Centre Annual Planning Meeting, February 10-11, 2006

2. Ministerial Report on Supporting Immigrants and Immigration to Alberta
Approved by Cabinet on September 7, 2005
The Government of Alberta vision:
Immigrants and their families choose to live in Alberta, where they are able to fully participate in community life and are valued for their cultural, economic and social contributions.
Prairie Centre Annual Planning Meeting, February 10-11, 2006

3. Alberta’s Strategic Policy Supporting Immigrants and Immigration to Alberta
The strategic policy has four broad policy objectives:
Welcoming Communities
Attracting Immigrants to Alberta
Living in Alberta
Working in Alberta
The policy is available on our internet site
Prairie Centre Annual Planning Meeting, February 10-11, 2006

4. Welcoming Communities
Strategies include:
Developing resources and programs to increase Albertan’s awareness and understanding of multiculturalism and diversity.
Prairie Centre Annual Planning Meeting, February 10-11, 2006

5. Attracting Immigrants to Alberta
2 objectives are:
Increasing the number of immigrants who chose to come directly to Alberta to minimum of 24,000 each year.
Working to remove barriers to permanent immigration faced by international students who complete their education in Alberta.
Prairie Centre Annual Planning Meeting, February 10-11, 2006

6. Attracting Immigrants cont.
International Marketing Strategy
Provincial Nominee Program
Euromission
Prairie Centre Annual Planning Meeting, February 10-11, 2006

7. Attracting Immigrants cont.
Off-Campus Work Permits for International Students
Prairie Centre Annual Planning Meeting, February 10-11, 2006

8. Living in Alberta Increase the retention rate of immigrants to 85%
Ensure supports are available to assist immigrants successfully settle and integrate into Alberta communities.
Prairie Centre Annual Planning Meeting, February 10-11, 2006

9. Working in Alberta
Work to ensure international education, skills and work experience are valued appropriately.
Assist employers to benefit from increased immigration to address skill shortages
Prairie Centre Annual Planning Meeting, February 10-11, 2006

10. Challenges and Opportunities
Government of Alberta policy and service coordination
Community engagement for broad participation to ensure successful integration
Addressing the broad range of labour shortages
Settlement funding
Temporary Foreign Workers
Prairie Centre Annual Planning Meeting, February 10-11, 2006

11. Policy Questions Successful retention strategies Regionalization
Community involvement
Needs of immigrant families
Prairie Centre Annual Planning Meeting, February 10-11, 2006