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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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- O/ c+ U a% [2 K6 t1 n( m! i6 R6 GAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration. 8 r- Q0 E' R" [4 e6 B) X$ Q
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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.
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! t3 [3 y2 B! XRight now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program.
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) {6 u9 H" X% \% w" F, uFederal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. 0 K: H/ l- W9 g
, v' M4 ^% R( jThe 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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) K- ?) y4 Q% bIt’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. " k) k D8 G' F. O4 p9 A
3 v" R; s# y( Q0 w W7 o* n3 `But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. 6 E: ^/ a2 T \
4 d& Z$ B1 k2 j9 @4 B9 Y“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said. 8 F2 p+ j6 _3 M( m2 r9 W
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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.” 9 @6 b1 J- X% t
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Stelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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