Canada Pledges To Use Immigration To Counter Labor Shortages
Canada immigration news recently intersected the economy and international politics. Immigration MInister Sean Fraser said changes to Canada’s immigration program next year will rebalance the world’s “most powerful economic migration system.” The government wants to help employers address labour shortages rather than just focusing on mainly “high skilled workers.”
Minister Fraser has revealed that he plans to introduce newer selection tools alongside with Canada’s new immigration plans. These rule changes will be linked with the rule changes made under the express entry system in June 2022.
“This is a completely different approach than what has been the case historically, which simply did a draw for the highest scoring people in the system regardless of which sector they were going to work in or which region they are destined to,” Mr. Fraser said in an interview.
These new selection tools supposedly will allow the government to fill job shortages around the country. Ministers will be able to address problems province by province with the new system.
Economists and business associations across the nation have mostly praised the federal government’s new plan. Using immigration to address labor shortages is the right solution in their mind.
Minister Fraser has also vowed to address immigrants not getting recognized for their skills.
“The idea that we have neuro and dental surgeons who are working as taxi drivers … is unacceptable,” the minister said. “It’s really frustrating for me when I meet talented people who have arrived in Canada but are not able to contribute at their full potential,” said Minister Fraser
Canadian immigration hits new peak of popularity among Chinese citizens
In the past few weeks, China has been met with protests by their citizens. Citizens have protested China’s zero-Covid lockdown policy. This turmoil around the nation has led immigration experts to predict there will be a surge in requests from Chinese citizens to live in Canada.
Immigration from China has bounced back from what it was during the peak of the pandemic. Immigration consultants also have reported there have been more inquiries about Canada.
Ryan Rosenberg a Vancouver immigration lawyer has said COVID restrictions have been a new motivator for potential Chinese immigrants.
“I think that what we are seeing is that COVID lockdowns really shocked people and it caused people to think that maybe China is not a good fit for themselves and for their families.”
During the quarter from July to September this year, there have been 9,925 new Chinese permanent residents in Canada. This is three times more than what it was during the pandemic (2,980). Quarterly admissions from China are at their highest since 2015 according to online statistics.
Politics are also a factor which has contributed to the increased interest in immigration. The confirmation of President Xi Jinping for his third term has worried some.
“(The) latest extension of Xi’s rule in China has also scared certain people, mostly business owners, and they are wanting to look at Canada as an option for themselves and their family,” said Ryan Rosenberg.
All of these factors have led to a surge in interest for Canadian immigration among Chinese citizens.
