Don't Fall for the Hype: Why Canada is Still a Dream Destination for Immigrants

A few viral videos on social media and your friend’s cousin might have told you how everything is going wrong with Canada. But that is far from the truth. As someone who works directly with international students and immigrants in Canada, I am here to share what’s wrong with the Canadian immigrant economy, and why Canada is still one of the best countries to live in.
 

Wrong choice of institutions:

Wrong choice of institutions: Most international students do not understand the difference between “university” and “college”. With the former being more prestigious and well-liked, the latter is a ‘filler’ meant mostly for international students. The best Canadian employers hire from universities and not colleges, and most universities continue to enjoy a high rate  of  employability  (equivalent  to “placement rate”). The problem arises when many international students sign up to study at “plaza colleges”, a term used to denote small 1/2 unit colleges with no real classes. While the federal government continues to clamp down on such institutions, many students sign up for such colleges without doing adequate independent research or asking probing questions. If a student picks a university over a college, their career trajectory in Canada will turn out to be very different.

 

Ill-fitting students:

As an educator, I have given multiple keynote speeches in all types of educational institutions in Canada and have noted many international students to be a mismatch for the economy. Some cannot speak English or French fluently after spending months in the country, while many do not understand networking and business English. Some cannot use the existing resources well and many fail to understand that the job techniques in Canada are very different and unique. The food, weather, clothing, and culture are all different. One cannot expect to use their home country’s life and job techniques in Canada and hope to have a successful outcome. Knowing what you are getting into and how different the market is helps you prepare the right way.

Why Canada works?

Stable politics:

As many Western countries undergo their election cycles and the anti-immigrant sentiment rises, Canada continues to enjoy a bipartisan pro-immigrant stance. Irrespective of the election outcomes, Canada plans on getting immigrants in, offering them easier access to permanence and integrating them into the Canadian story.

Immigration support:

As an international student, you can get up to 3 years of work permit, additional points for education and work, and access to many provincial programs to help you settle in.

Existing immigrant diaspora:

With major metropolitan cities in Canada reporting more than 55% of visible minorities, Canadian cities are a home for everyone; you will always find someone like you here.

Healthy job market:

StatCan data shows 500,000+ jobs are going unfulfilled every month in 2024. Immigration numbers are soaring. And the market is still welcoming to newcomers.

If you know how Canada runs and are willing to put in the hard work and take the risk, this country will reward you more than you expect.