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May 19 2014

Ontario Introduces New Immigration Legislation

"On February 19, 2014, the Ontario government introduced Bill 161, the Ontario Immigration Act, 2014, proposed legislation that would, if passed, create a new framework for the recruitment, selection and admission of skilled workers in the province, and establish a significant inspection, investigation and enforcement regime. Among other matters, Bill 161 provides for the establishment by regulation of an ""employer registry"" and a ""recruiter registry"", to identify employers eligible to make offers of employment to selected foreign nationals, and individuals authorized to provide certain selection program services. In addition, the proposed legislation would: empower the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Minister) to make orders establishing settlement and integration programs for immigrants or other specified individuals, permit the Minister to appoint broadly empowered inspectors to conduct inspections without a warrant or court order, and investigators to conduct investigations with a warrant, establish significant administrative penalties of up to $150,000 for each contravention on which the order for the penalty is based, establish offences for the contravention of specific provisions of the Act or regulations, subject to a fine of up to $250,000 and|or imprisonment, etc."