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http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/13/4177280.html
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* T9 r7 J% S; Q3 x. RCALGARY — 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. 4 ?" W Z+ z" L! H
# k- e P3 m; s5 a" o8 C) t) q, R Q0 yAlberta Premier Ed Stelmach says the agreement will cut red tape and give the province increased influence and control of immigration.
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% n' N( }- q, uThe rise to 25,000 immigrant workers per year will happen over the next 10 years under the provincial nominee program. % Q/ i& \3 R I
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Right now, 2,500 workers per year come under the program. 3 l& ]8 A$ x0 e5 @, s
8 n& T6 W3 [- J* v1 H* p! `Federal Immigration Minister Diane Finley said the changes will be noticed by people offering their skills to Canada. / \' \% X: F* z! j% K& l
/ j# E8 `$ U6 `$ tThe 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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It’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.
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But Birjandian said Alberta’s often unaffordable housing remains a daunting hurdle for many newcomers. + W1 _+ U3 N( Y* C
; x: e9 q; \6 b% E“For people coming in, it is a bigger issue for settling in,” he said.
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3 @7 M- [, a( j“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.”
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8 [! {% J# k% ]: S9 |5 t2 E- NStelmach said the province is giving $285 million in new money for affordable housing and is trying to tackle that problem. |
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