News Release

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

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Prime Minister promotes opportunity for new Canadians

Promises kept on foreign adoptions, right of permanent residence fee, settlement funding and foreign credentials assessment and recognition

May 12, 2006
Mississauga, Ontario

Speaking to an audience of new Canadians in suburban Toronto, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today that Canada will make it easier for parents to obtain Canadian citizenship for children they adopt overseas.

"Parents go to great effort and expense to bring these children into their families," said Prime Minister Harper. "They open their hearts and their homes to provide opportunities and want the very best for them."

To achieve this promise, the Government gave notice yesterday that Citizenship and Immigration Minister Monte Solberg will introduce amendments to the Citizenship Act on Monday that will facilitate the granting of citizenship for children adopted overseas by Canadian parents.

The amendment to the Citizenship Act is the fourth immigration promise Canada's New Government has delivered on since it was elected in January.

In the budget earlier this month, the Right of Permanent Residence Fee was cut by half from $975 to $490. The reduction applies to immigrants who become permanent residents under all social, humanitarian and economic classes, on or after May 3, 2006.

"This means that immigrants and their families will get to keep more money in their pockets when they're starting a new life in Canada," said Prime Minister Harper. "We said we would do this and we have."

The budget also provides over $300 million in additional settlement funding over two years as well as funding to address the assessment and recognition of foreign credentials, in consultation with provinces and territories.


The settlement funding will support services that immigrants require as they settle into their new lives in Canada while the earmarked funding for credentials assessment and recognition will help newcomers achieve their full potential in Canada.

"The goal for all of us will be to get those who are trained and ready to work in their fields of expertise into the workforce more quickly," said the Prime Minister.

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The Prime Minister’s Office - Communications
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