Canada has always been popular among foreigners, and the government intends to take advantage of this. Determined to welcome some 500,000 immigrants per year by 2025, the government is launching a new communication campaign and rolling out the red carpet to candidates for expatriation. Age, degree, languages spoken, and professional experience are the new grail. But what are the best profiles for immigrating to Canada?
Immigration to Canada: who are the best candidates?
The ideal immigrant to Canada is an experienced young graduate with a perfect command of English and/or French (having a good knowledge of both is a definite advantage). In March 2022, Statistics Canada released an update to its 2015 survey titled "Which immigration selection factors best predict the earnings of economic principal applicants?"
This is the basis for the Canadian authorities to develop typical profiles of foreigners who best meet the country's economic needs and who are most likely to immigrate to Canada on a long-term basis. These surveys are also used to update the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), which ranks expatriate candidates eligible for Express Entry permits.
The first selection criterion is set before arrival in Canada. Unsurprisingly, foreigners with professional experience have an advantage. They are even more so when they are native English or French speakers and young. The 25–29-year-olds get more points than the seniors. Holders of a Bachelor's or Master's degree are preferred to non-graduates. They are even more valued if their expertise lies in a sector under pressure. The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Montreal reports an unprecedented labor shortage. On October 9, journalist Emmanuel Langlois interviewed Julien Tougeron, the new director of the CCI, for Radio France. He had this to say: "There is a shortage of 1 million [workers] across Quebec, and soon 3 million across Canada."
Labor shortages and ideal profiles to immigrate to Canada
The ideal profile of an immigration candidate is not just an abstract fact. It not only increases the chances of immigrating to Canada, but it also leads to higher earnings. According to Statistics Canada, each year of experience can lead to up to 50% higher earnings (on medium-term earnings). Similarly, younger immigrants earn, on average, 27-35% more than older ones. Bachelor's degree holders earn about 14-21% more than non-graduates. Language of origin also pays off: native English and French speakers generally earn more than others (about 42% more). Similar patterns are observed for both short and long-term immigration. Work experience prior to arrival is even more favorable in the short term (+84% more income). On the other hand, it can lead to a loss of income when it is "too much": a long career (more than 10 years) often means an older age: the older the age, the less interesting the immigrant's profile.
All of this must, of course, be weighed against the entire immigration plan and the position sought, as pointed out by Statistics Canada. In November, twenty or so jobs were particularly in demand in Canada. These included retail and wholesale managers, administrative assistants, nurses, health care assistants, cashiers, waiters, cooks, and food service supervisors. But beyond these technical occupations, unskilled jobs also need to be filled and are often held by international students. Canada also lacks general practitioners and specialists, dentists and pharmacists in the health sector. But foreign health professionals are held back by restrictions regarding the recognition of qualifications. Foreign teachers with diplomas not recognized in Canada face similar issues. Besides, the country is looking to hire more than 256,000 apprentices over the next five years in other sectors facing labor shortages: cooks, electricians, mechanics, painters and welders.
The objectives of Canada's new immigration policy
On Tuesday, November 8, Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, unveiled the new thresholds that Canada must reach to ensure its economic prosperity. The goal is ambitious, as the government plans to welcome 500,000 new immigrants per year by 2025. While visiting New York, the Minister said, "Our plan has a focus on economic growth. By the third year of this plan, 60 percent of new immigrants will be admitted under economic immigration categories.” More specifically, the new federal plan calls for 465,000 new immigrants starting in 2023, rising to 500,000 by 2025.
As Fraser insists, economic immigration is the priority. The same plan calls for taking in fewer refugees and curbing the growth of family reunification. But Justin Trudeau leaves no room for controversy and points out that Canada is already a world-leading place of asylum for Syrian, Afghan and Ukrainian refugees. But will the country be able to process new applications from prospective immigrants?
Immigration Canada, the department in charge of immigration programs, has been heavily criticized for its considerable delays, worsened with Covid. While Sean Fraser promised to hire 1250 new agents, in September, the Canadian government admitted "inadvertent" discriminatory practices against students from French-speaking Africa. Shortly afterward, Indian students denounced the perverse effects of the Canadian policy, which allegedly confined them to poorly paid sectors.
Canada has labor shortages in many unskilled jobs. The government promises to look into these cases of discrimination (a promise already made last year) and is determined to maintain a strategy that has already proven its worth: attracting young, qualified and experienced workers to boost the country's growth.
