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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
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CALGARY — An agreement between Alberta and the federal government will allow 25,000 foreign workers per year to come to the province to aid in its worker shortage.
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& ^) ?% a: A$ A* v( WAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration.
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The rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. ! G# X5 y4 y2 z; h ^
0 g, b2 w* x5 ^) E& S. \Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
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Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. 3 B W% X) g0 W) O1 X' _
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The pact gives Alberta the power to nominate more immigrants possessing skills needed in the province and also provides more resources to help them settle here.
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It’s a step in the right direction in breaking down time-consuming, frustrating barriers facing immigrants seeking to ply their skills here, said Fariboz Birjandian, chairman of the Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies. * s9 W7 [4 e; a8 Z, l2 g
! P+ T" N3 `- fBut Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. , [! s" A5 O+ j; o7 M% ^
6 b/ a6 T: x5 Q“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. 7 x' \9 ^* x3 V# f7 y. E2 m* ]
# {' z6 p; d- s! e7 h2 @6 {“And we don’t want Calgary becoming a city where all the rich people live on one side and all the poor on the other.”
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, Q/ v& S; E, f& {" TStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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