Canada in Dire Need of Skilled Migrants
22/04/2008 by Tamar Blieden
Canada is in desperate need of skilled migrants, however massive backlogs in the immigration process have caused these shortages to remain despite high numbers of applicants - this is set to change.
Canada constantly wants to attract highly skilled workers. New government initiatives, educational endorsements and the promotion of an ethnically mixed community are the schemes used by the government to attract those foreigners who can actively bridge gaps in the workforce.
"Canada welcomes skilled immigration from overseas and values the diversity its multicultural society brings," says Liam Clifford from www.globalvisas.ca. He adds that Canada is a popular destination for migration, particularly because of its economic stability and low crime rate.
There are currently over 900 000 people waiting to migrate. These people are often skilled migrants and are sought after within Canadian society. Up to 700 000 people waiting to migrate are skilled.
However, processing times of immigration applications to Canada has risen by 20% since 2004; it is because of this that the Canadian government have proposed a new system where those with particular skills are pushed to the front of the immigration queue. This new process aims to reduce the waiting and improve the service.
It is the desire of the government to cut down the immigration process to just six to twelve months from application. At the moment, for example, a doctor will wait about five years in order to enter Canada.
"Our economy depends on immigration, and always has," says John Winter, president and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce. It is for this reason that Canada continuously attempts to attract foreign professionals.
Chinese immigrants are the most common in Canada, making up 13% of new residents, followed by Indians at 12%, Indian immigrants are the main source of skilled immigration to Canada, this is according to www.globalvisas.co.in.
The Canadian government has also begun favouring foreign students coming to Canada and ultimately perusing a career therein. Good salaries and benefits aim to persuade foreign students to stay and work in Canada after graduation. The mere fact that these migrants don\'t have to undergo conversion exams is an initiative to promote studying in Canada. There are currently 170 000 foreigners on student visas in Canada.
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