OTTAWA, April 18 (Xinhuanet) -- The Canadian government announced Monday changes to Canada's immigration rules that will make it easier for immigrants to reunite with their parents and grandparents.

    Immigration Minister Joe Volpe also announced Monday that rules have been loosened for international college and university students, making it easier for them to work part-time in this country while they study.

    The measures are aimed at dramatically reducing the backlog of citizenship applications and cutting the waiting period for applicants in half. Applicants currently face up to a two-year wait for a decision.

    "This will ease the pressure that is currently placed by all ofthose who are in the queue to come here," Volpe told a news conference.

    On family reunification, the Immigration Department's goal is to cut down on the massive list of about 100,000 cases they have on file and process three times the number of applications per year -- from the current 6,000 to about 18,000 in 2005 and in 2006.

    The government will allow waiting parents and grandparents to use "multiple entry" visitor visas to allow them to visit their families in Canada while their sponsorship applications are being processed.

    Under the new rules, applicants over the age of 55 who fulfill the residency requirement will no longer have to take the languageand knowledge tests required for citizenship, Volpe said.

    As for foreign students, they have previously only been able toget on-campus jobs while attending school in Canada. Under the relaxed rules, they will be able to look for employment off-campus.

    "International competition for talented international students is fierce and today's announcement moves Canada even further ahead," said Volpe.

    He also announced incentives for foreign students to work outside of large urban centers. International students can currently work in the country for only up to a year after graduation. But if they take jobs outside Canada's three big cities of Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, they'll be able to workfor up to two years after graduating under the new rules. Enditem