Legislation & Public Policies

December 9, 2014/Toronto - The Auditor General (AG) of Ontario has found serious shortcomings in the Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) in her 2014 Annual Report, released on Tuesday December 9, 2014. The report makes several important recommendations, which when implemented will bring a transformation to ensure program integrity.

The PNP as a policy tool is critically important to Ontario, Canada's largest province, to compete with other countries as well as provinces and territories for highly qualified immigrants. 

The Ontario government is pushing Bill 18, Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014 through the legislature to have it passed as soon as possible. The Bill amends various employment-related statutes, with many of the proposed changes impacting temporary help workers.

Update: The government has included in the Budget Bill (C-43), provisions from Bill C-585 that may lead to refugee claimants being denied access to social assistance. The Budget Bill was introduced on Thursday October 23, 2014. It is making its way very quickly through the House of Commons.

Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration tabled the province’s first-ever immigration legislation on February 19, 2014, Bill 161, An Act with respect to immigration to Ontario and a related amendment to the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991. On April 15, OCASI and CERIS held a very successful joint panel event to discuss the implications of the Bill.

May 2, 2014 - Ontario Budget 2014 tabled yesterday in the legislature by Finance Minister Charles Sousa contains a variety of proposed investments that can benefit immigrants and racialized families and individuals, groups that are over-represented among Ontario’s low-income population.

OCASI appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration on April 30, 2014 to make submissions on Bill C24 - Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act .

The Bill was introduced by the federal government on February 6, 2014. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has said that Bill is meant to reduce citizenship fraud, increase efficiency of the system and reduce backlogs.

Ontario Minister of Immigration tabled Ontario’s first ever immigration legislation in the Legislative Assembly yesterday, February 19, 2014.

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For Immediate Release

TORONTO / Feb 14, 2014 / - A coalition of community based organizations and academic institutes across Canada are calling on the Hon. Chris Alexander, the Federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, to mark Family Day 2014 by making a commitment to strengthen the family class immigration program.

The following is OCASI’s preliminary comments on the federal budget, focused on areas that directly impact our sector (broadly defined):