Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation

Immigration Task Force

“We’ve laid out an ambitious plan to create jobs in the BC Jobs Plan and we will need skilled immigrants to help fill more than one million job openings expected over the next decade. The goal of this task force is to assess all of the immigration programs currently available to B.C., address their effectiveness and recommend ways to improve the current system so that British Columbia can successfully attract more skilled workers every year.”
-Premier Christy Clark

On December 8, 2011 Premier Christy Clark announced the creation of the B.C. Immigration Task Force to review key government programs with the goal of increasing the number of skilled immigrants and investors in British Columbia. Over the next decade, British Columbia forecasts approximately one million job openings, one third of which are expected to be filled by immigrants.  Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan will promote economic development in key sectors that will further intensify labour market needs. 

The Task Force will examine the current system of economic immigration to Canada and B.C., focusing on the following programs:

  • the B.C. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
  • Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
  • Canadian Experience Class (CEC)  
  • Federal Immigrant Investor Program (FIIP)

The ten-member task force will undertake meetings and consultations with stakeholders across the province and submit a final report – which will be made public – to the Premier by March 31, 2012.

See the immigration task force announcement: http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2009-2013/2011PREM0160-001594.htm

Task Force members
The Task Force members are business and community leaders who understand the social and economic challenges of attracting, settling, integrating and retaining immigrants to the province. They are:

John Yap, chair Richmond-Steveston MLA
Tung Chan (Richmond) Former CEO SUCCESS/Chinese community leader

Stockwell Day (Penticton)                  

Government Relations Consultant/former Minister/MP

Yuen Pau Woo (N. Vancouver)

 CEO Asia Pacific Foundation

Grace Wong (Vancouver)   

Senior Advisor, International, Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic, UBC
Tim McEwan (Prince George) CEO, Initiatives Prince George

Sukhi Badh (Richmond)                      

College instructor/South Asian community leader

Michael Hwang (New West)              

Founder and Partner of Amicus Lawyers

Narindarpal Singh Kang (Vancouver)            

Founder, Kang and Company Law Firm, specializing in Immigration Law

Barj Dhahan 

 Chair, Canada-India Foundation

The task force wants to hear from you: Submit your ideas about how to improve immigration in British Columbia.