Canada offers greener pastures for Punjab farmers

Chandigarh, Oct 5 (UNI) Farmers in the agrarian state of Punjab can seek greener pastures in Canada, which has included farming in the self-employed business category under its new Immigration regulations.

,''It is a great opportunity for farmers to avail of this benefit as Canada is three times bigger than India and has got a population of hardly three crore'', Worldwide Immigration Consultancy Services (WWICS) CMD, Col B S Sandhu said at a press conference here today.

Under Canada's new immigration regulations, the farmers have been included in the self-employed business category immigration and placed on a better footing than other business category immigrants, Col Sandhu said.

Detailing the new conditions, Col Sandhu said, the farmers have been exempted from the need to carry fixed funds to Canada and only need to have sufficient means to create own employment by purchasing and managing a farm in Canada and be able to support their families.

The visa granted to a farmer is for permanent immigration, he is not bound to give employment to any other immigrant/citizen of Canada as in the case of other entrepreneurs, he needs to have minimum of two years farming experience in the last five years, he is required to score 35 points on five parameters, namely, age, business experience, education, adaptability and language.

As the entrepreneur, the immigrant is supposed to have three lakh Canadian dollars worth net assets, it is assumed that a farmer should also have that much net asset, Col Sandhu said.

However, the aspirant immigrants must go through the proper channel and beware of fraud travel agents, cautioned Col Siandhu whose company is holding transcontinental series of free seminars on the issue from New Delhi to London.

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