Moving immigration office to Edmonton from Vegreville more efficient: minister
OTTAWA — Immigration Minister John McCallum says the plan to relocate an immigration processing centre from Vegreville, Alta., to Edmonton will be more efficient and result in a net increase of jobs in Alberta.
Vegreville Mayor Myron Hayduk says the move, scheduled to take place in 2018, will be devastating to his community of 6,000 about 100 kilometres east of Edmonton, as well as surrounding towns.
Shannon Stubbs, the Conservative MP for the area, says the town has been blindsided by the move and she wants McCallum to reconsider.
The centre, which opened in 1994, has been a major employer in Vegreville, processing temporary and permanent residency applications, work permits, visitor records and study permits, while also backing up other centres across the country.