An expert's view on difficult Canadian immigration, its causes and solutions
9 May 2024
You may have heard that immigrating to Canada is getting harder and harder, and that's true when you consider the selection scores, who gets selected, and how. The current higher standards for federal immigration, coupled with the suspension of several provincial programs or changes to their requirements, have made it harder for people who were previously approved for permanent residency to get invitations. However, from our perspective, this is a temporary phenomenon that we don't expect to last long. It will take time, but I believe that scores will improve and programs that have been suspended will resume, but it's hard to predict when that will happen at this point. So, you may be wondering why immigrating to Canada has become so difficult. In this column, I'll discuss the reasons, the outlook, and the solutions.
Political considerations are likely one of the many reasons for the current tweaks to the immigration program, which can be traced back to a change in immigration ministers. I also suspect that there are calculations for next year's general election, which is likely to bring a large number of outsiders to Canada, driving up housing prices and inflation. Minimizing fraudulent immigration or study abroad consultancies, along with dwindling French language incentives, may also be a factor.
The Canadian government's intention to target immigrants in certain sectors is also a factor. The polarization of the Canadian economy and labor market, where preferred jobs are in short supply and undesirable jobs are in short supply, is having a significant impact on the Canadian economy and labor market. To address this issue, the government has made significant changes to the immigration system to focus on labor needs, making it easier for people in certain occupations to get permanent residency. This is shrinking the general immigrant applicant pie outside of those areas, which is driving up scores. It's also impacting rural revitalization in the same way. The majority of immigrants want to live in large cities, so we're seeing both communalization in rural areas and overcrowding in urban centers. As a result, Canada is implementing a strategy to reduce metropolitan immigration and increase regional immigration.
Due to a number of factors, Canadian immigration will remain the way it is for the foreseeable future, with a strong preference for essential occupations. However, we expect that there will be some shuffling of immigration categories, as applicants will likely switch to different occupations once they actually receive permanent residency. This is also true for regional migration. The regional preference program is also subject to people moving out of the region after being approved for permanent residency, so we expect the regional category to remain largely flat. However, all of these projections are subject to change depending on the general election next year, so we'll have to keep a close eye on political developments.
While it's certainly not easy to immigrate to Canada right now, we don't believe that this situation will last forever. The current situation is a combination of many factors - political, social, and economic - and we expect that in time, the scores will return to a more reasonable range. As such, applicants would be wise to prepare for immigration with a number of strategies in mind to help them navigate the difficulties. These strategies can be summarized in a few simple steps.
First, consider your geography. Thinking broader than just the big cities or popular neighborhoods will increase your chances. Second, target occupations that are in demand in Canada. In-demand occupations are here to stay, and this will help you in your life after permanent residency. Third, study the language. Language skills are one of the biggest keys to getting a high score. Fourth, take advantage of the timing of the pilot program. The start of a pilot program can be the right time. This is because the kinks are still being worked out, and there's an advantage to trying it out before the crowds arrive.
If you haven't figured out what your options are yet, it may be better to take a breath and prepare for now, but I would recommend that you build your application profile, work in Canada, and familiarize yourself with the Canadian culture and language, especially since language skills can be a big advantage in the process, not only to boost your score, but also to your practical life in Canada aside from getting permanent residency. After some difficulties, there are often greater benefits or rewards that follow. I think this is a period of waiting, preparing, and making better choices.
You may have heard that immigrating to Canada is getting harder and harder, and that's true when you consider the selection scores, who gets selected, and how. The current higher standards for federal immigration, coupled with the suspension of several provincial programs or changes to their requirements, have made it harder for people who were previously approved for permanent residency to get invitations. However, from our perspective, this is a temporary phenomenon that we don't expect to last long. It will take time, but I believe that scores will improve and programs that have been suspended will resume, but it's hard to predict when that will happen at this point. So, you may be wondering why immigrating to Canada has become so difficult. In this column, I'll discuss the reasons, the outlook, and the solutions.
Political considerations are likely one of the many reasons for the current tweaks to the immigration program, which can be traced back to a change in immigration ministers. I also suspect that there are calculations for next year's general election, which is likely to bring a large number of outsiders to Canada, driving up housing prices and inflation. Minimizing fraudulent immigration or study abroad consultancies, along with dwindling French language incentives, may also be a factor.
The Canadian government's intention to target immigrants in certain sectors is also a factor. The polarization of the Canadian economy and labor market, where preferred jobs are in short supply and undesirable jobs are in short supply, is having a significant impact on the Canadian economy and labor market. To address this issue, the government has made significant changes to the immigration system to focus on labor needs, making it easier for people in certain occupations to get permanent residency. This is shrinking the general immigrant applicant pie outside of those areas, which is driving up scores. It's also impacting rural revitalization in the same way. The majority of immigrants want to live in large cities, so we're seeing both communalization in rural areas and overcrowding in urban centers. As a result, Canada is implementing a strategy to reduce metropolitan immigration and increase regional immigration.
Due to a number of factors, Canadian immigration will remain the way it is for the foreseeable future, with a strong preference for essential occupations. However, we expect that there will be some shuffling of immigration categories, as applicants will likely switch to different occupations once they actually receive permanent residency. This is also true for regional migration. The regional preference program is also subject to people moving out of the region after being approved for permanent residency, so we expect the regional category to remain largely flat. However, all of these projections are subject to change depending on the general election next year, so we'll have to keep a close eye on political developments.
While it's certainly not easy to immigrate to Canada right now, we don't believe that this situation will last forever. The current situation is a combination of many factors - political, social, and economic - and we expect that in time, the scores will return to a more reasonable range. As such, applicants would be wise to prepare for immigration with a number of strategies in mind to help them navigate the difficulties. These strategies can be summarized in a few simple steps.
First, consider your geography. Thinking broader than just the big cities or popular neighborhoods will increase your chances. Second, target occupations that are in demand in Canada. In-demand occupations are here to stay, and this will help you in your life after permanent residency. Third, study the language. Language skills are one of the biggest keys to getting a high score. Fourth, take advantage of the timing of the pilot program. The start of a pilot program can be the right time. This is because the kinks are still being worked out, and there's an advantage to trying it out before the crowds arrive.
If you haven't figured out what your options are yet, it may be better to take a breath and prepare for now, but I would recommend that you build your application profile, work in Canada, and familiarize yourself with the Canadian culture and language, especially since language skills can be a big advantage in the process, not only to boost your score, but also to your practical life in Canada aside from getting permanent residency. After some difficulties, there are often greater benefits or rewards that follow. I think this is a period of waiting, preparing, and making better choices.
Justin Shim / Immigration Consultant
info@cannestimm.com, 604-662-3266