UVic Economist says Immigration Change Will Have No Effect
Dr. Sajjad Akbar refutes a claim
made by the Canadian Bar Association last week that a change proposed
by the Immigration Department would limit the number of blue collar
workers allowed into Canada. The change would decrease the number of
points allotted to blue collar workers in their bid to amass at least
70 points and entry into Canada. Dr. Akbar says that in the short
term this change will have no effect because anyone who applies
before May 1 will be judged by the current system and that there is
an 18-month backlog in applications. Dr. Akbar also says the long
term effect won't be felt either because the government is just
"tinkering at the margins". "The fundamental thing that needs to be
recognized," says Dr. Akbar, "is that most white collar occupations
already have lower points compared to blue collar workers." Dr. Akbar
is a member of the West Coast Centre of Excellence for the Study of
Immigration and Integration.
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Keywords: uvic, economist, says, immigration, change, effect
