Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the committee, ladies and gentlemen. As was mentioned, my name is Wadih Fares. I am the president and CEO of W.M. Fares Group, a real estate design and development firm in Halifax. With me today is Suzanne Ley, executive director of Nova Scotia O

Citizenship and Immigration committee  —on which pathway is more suitable, we are already further ahead. Going forward, the office of immigration will assist employees and employers, but the federal government is our key partner. You have the lion's share of control to set national policies. Appearing before you toda

Citizenship and Immigration committee  At the end of the day, for any immigration program to work, the business community will have to be part of it and will have to be the main one pushing for it. Employers are the business community. In what we've done in Nova Scotia, I believe we were successful in promoting the pr

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Obviously, for an employer to be accepted and approved, to be designated, a lot of research and assessment must go toward that application. Once the employer is approved, that means it's a good employer. We are sure that they are going to give good jobs and take care of the newco

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The reality is that for Canadians the birth rate is not there anymore. The old families used to have four or five kids, but no more. That doesn't exist anymore. That's number one.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We need to grow the population. We believe that immigration is one of the most important elements that we can use to grow the population.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  The challenge is not only in Canada but around the world. The whole world is competing for immigrants. Every country in the world is competing for immigrants.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I've never worried about an immigrant finding a job. I'll tell you one thing. If someone decides to leave their country, their parents, their home, friends, language, and culture, and go to a strange land, they're not lazy. They have the energy. They're out there and they came he

Citizenship and Immigration committee  They find their own jobs. They make their own jobs.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  That's easy: nine months. What's nine months?

Citizenship and Immigration committee  But nothing—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Nothing is so easy. You have to come here and get yourself familiar with the surroundings—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  I came when I was 18 years old.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  That's right, but allow me to say this. There are examples everywhere. I came when I was 18 years old. I didn't even speak English. I went to university. There are stories like that. What I'm saying is that immigrants prove themselves—

Citizenship and Immigration committee  We do have 7,000 international students in Nova Scotia. The international student is a big factor in our immigration programs.