One of the major attractions of Canadian immigration is
access to Canada’s highly-rated educational system. In 2012, for example, a record number of
international students (100,000) were welcomed to Canada to attend educational
programs in the country. This represents
a 60% increase over the number of foreign students welcomed to Canada in 2004.
According to Jason Kenney, Canada’s
Minister for Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism (July 26, 2013), “Attracting
and retaining the best and brightest immigrants from around the world is part
of the government’s commitment to grow Canada’s economy and ensure long-term
prosperity.” He further declared, “The
steady growth in numbers confirms that Canada remains a destination of choice
for international students because of the remarkable educational opportunities
that exist in our world class institutions.”
Paul Davidson, President of the Association of Universities
and Colleges of Canada, echoed these remarks when he recently stated, “Canada’s
universities are pleased to see increasing numbers of international students
attracted by our reputation for excellence in education.”
Canada sees international students as an important economic
resource, since they bring in about $8 billion a year to the Canadian economy,
plus many international students have the work experience and education
required to fill various high-demand Canada job openings. In its attempt to retain the “best and
brightest” from around the globe to help the country meet its growing labor demands,
the Canadian government has created various ways for international students to
be issued a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada after graduation from educational
programs in the country. These Canadian
immigration programs include the Canadian Experience
Class (CEC) program and Federal
Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).
The Canadian government is not only seeking university
graduates to help fill numerous Canada job openings. Canadian businesses also need thousands of skilled
tradespeople (i.e., carpenters, electricians, oil and gas workers, plumbers,
welders, etc.). Thus, another way to be
issued a work visa to Canada is through the Provisional
Nominee Program (PNP) and the new Federal
Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Canada is experiencing a growing labor shortage as its
healthy economy continues to expand at the same time that increasing numbers of
older Canadian workers are retiring from the workforce. This situation has created the “perfect
storm” for Canadian immigration, since many parts of the world are still
struggling economically and Canada’s government is seeking skilled foreign
workers for thousands of Canadian jobs.
In fact, the Canadian government makes available a work visa to Canada
for around 250,000 qualified skilled foreign workers each year! Thus, if you’re looking for Canada job
opportunities and meet the requirements for Canadian immigration, now may be
the best time to apply
for a work visa to Canada!
