Location Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta Key recommendations IAF is a good working example on how to improve efficiency of the Canadian immigration system -> more programs like this are needed Key populations Skilled immigrants Key findings Skilled immigrant workers are a key source of labour supply for addressing the expected labour market shortages in Canada. But they often lack the necessary accreditation to work at their chosen occupation in the Canadian market. The Immigrant Access Fund (IAF) provides loans to immigrants to cover costs for education, training, qualification assessment, etc. The typical loan IAF applicant: male and has been in Canada for 1 to 2 years before applying for a loan three-quarters of borrowers intend to work in occupations related to health (39 %), engineering (21 %), or finance/accounting (16 %) Effectively, each dollar that the government puts towards this program generates $3 or more in GDP Gaps identified Skilled workers often don’t have the necessary accreditation to work at their chosen occupation in Canada Immigrant workers’ professional experience often becomes devalued Lower literacy levels among immigrant workers compared to Canadians Community organizations NA Integration timeline At what point during the integration process the study was conducted? NA Open-access – No