OnePacificNews, June 1 2015, Monday

Entrepreneurs from China hoping to migrate to Canada are protesting the BC government’s plan to require them to demonstrate working knowledge of at least one of the country’s two official languages or it won’t support their application for permanent residency. With Ottawa already imposing the minimum language requirement under the Federal programme, business applicants have turned to BC’s provincial nominee programme (PNP) as the last remaining channel to migrate to Canada without English or French language skills.

The Canada Chinese Business Professionals Association (CCBPA) will be hosting a press conference in Richmond, BC on June 2 to air what they say are the Chinese community’s concerns that the ruling might hurt the flow of new investments into Canada at a time of slowing economic growth in the country.

Entitled, “Does it really help our economic growth?”, the press conference will also discuss concerns that the new ruling could be interpreted to discriminate against Chinese business migrants.

“Most of the Chinese community and business leaders were puzzled by this proposed requirement for the BC business immigration application,” the association said in a press release.

“We have to speak up for our BC economy,” it said adding that the issue was raised at a round table discussion last Friday with a BC cabinet minister.