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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html0 c% {/ z9 I0 q7 A" U
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1 A( ~( {# c* _5 MCALGARY — 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. , Z2 O( n5 u- U. e7 d
9 J# y- r0 c% l5 ?' {Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration.
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7 Y- X9 v: [; V# N+ D6 z$ WThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. 0 @' @ o* _: S( A: k
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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
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2 X2 }2 z' w, |$ ]9 x7 _" _Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. / ]- @6 B3 A) K% E, q5 O
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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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5 Q' D, F6 T* P8 _% gIt’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. . G5 u5 [! @! {. H, f5 u
% }( S. z* N- G3 G( |But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. # }# ^$ k. h6 K
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“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. ( C( Q2 |3 }1 D n
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“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.” 2 k6 J% l: W# n4 d, U! Z
' R# F! z3 Q5 R1 [! VStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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