Government of Canada to Fund Expanded Overseas Foreign Credential Recognition Services in China, India, the Philippines and the UK

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister, Jason Kenney, announced that more skilled immigrants to Canada will be able to access the help needed to jump-start their credential recognition process through expanded overseas orientation services. The Canadian Immigration Integration Project (CIIP), run by the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), will receive additional funding of $15 million over the next three years to expand services in India, China and the Philippines. A new office will also open in London, in 2011, which will also serve various Nordic and Arab states according to demand. The CIIP, run by the ACCC, began offering orientation services in the Philippines, China and India on a pilot basis in early 2007. The existing sites, along with the London office, will offer access to more than 70% of the selected federal skilled workers around the world. These locations will also offer access to approximately 44% of selected provincial nominees around the world.