Kenney promises to help immigrants with advanced degrees get work

Alberta Opposition Leader Jason Kenney is promising new rules and legislation to reduce red tape to help immigrants with advanced degrees work in the province.

Kenney said professionals from abroad who need certification are being frustrated in some cases by red tape.

He said if his United Conservative Party were to win the spring election, it would pass legislation to ensure that regulated professions assessed foreign credentials fairly.

The goal would be for newcomers to have a clear answer within six months, and not have to wait for months or even years to try to meet a long string of demands and deadlines.

Kenney said $2.5 million would be set aside for the project.

The UCP leader said it’s not just about creating more jobs and helping the economy.

Amila Gammana, a director of the Drayton Valley and District Chamber of Commerce, believes it’s a good idea to have a strategy to entice newcomers.

“Anything to streamline and anything to increase the efficiency of bringing immigrants — skilled and contributing immigrants — to our province I support,” he said. “So if this new strategy is going to do that, then that’s a good thing in my mind.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Anything to streamline and anything to increase the efficiency of bringing immigrants — skilled and contributing immigrants — to our province I support," he said. "So if this new strategy is going to do that, then that's a good thing in my mind."

Gammana came to Drayton Valley from Sri Lanka in 2007. Along with serving as one of the chamber of commerce’s directors, he also owns Gamma IT Solutions and is a town councillor.

Gammana said if he was looking to come to Canada and this idea was in place, it would entice him even more.

“Sometimes when you send an application and you are the on the other side of the application waiting for results, then any time frame is too much,” he said.

President of the Cold Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce Ryan Lefebvre said the idea of bringing more professionals and working people to rural communities is exciting.

“It’s always been an issue or difficulty in attracting new — either professionals or entrepreneurs — people to rural areas,” he said. “They always seem to migrate to the urban centres, so I think if he was able to institute something like that it would be great for all of the small communities around Alberta.”​

– With files from Global News’ Cassandra Jodoin