News

The government’s latest plan for immigration to Canada, released on November 1, 2022, makes available 465,000 Canadian visas for permanent residency during 2023, which is significantly higher than the 2022 target of 431,645 immigrants.

Skilled immigrants will be the largest portion of these 465,000 new Canadians in 2023, including 105,500 through the Provincial Nominee Program, and 82,880 via the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program and Canadian Experience Class Program.

Foreign workers who apply for permanent residency in Canada through these four Canadian immigration programs can do so using the Express Entry system.

Express Entry is the fastest way for skilled foreign workers to immigrate to Canada as permanent residents.

To read more, click here!

Skilled immigrants are needed to help fill around 254,475 job vacancies in Canada’s French-speaking province of Quebec.

Employers are increasing salaries significantly in order to attract new workers and also to keep their current employees happy.

During the past few years, salaries have skyrocketed, especially in Montreal, the largest city in Quebec.

For example, a recruiter in Montreal says that senior engineers working in Montreal used to earn a base salary of between $130,000 and $150,000 CAD three years ago, but today they are asking for and receiving at least $170,000 CAD.

Quebec is a Canadian job seeker’s market right now and applicants know that they can ask for higher salaries and they are likely to receive them.

In fact, many Canadian job seekers who are looking for work in Quebec receive several job offers from different employers, which puts the applicants in a strong position to negotiate for a higher salary and better benefits.

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A recent survey conducted by ADP Canada and Maru Public Opinion has discovered that work-life balance is the top priority for people working in Canada. 

Work-life balance is how much time you spend with family and friends compared to how much time you spend working. 

The survey found that 31% of people working in Canada think having employment with good work-life balance is their #1 priority, while 20% of Canadian workers believe that receiving a high salary is the most important priority. 

According to this study, 37% of Canadian workers in the 18-34 age range said good work-life balance is their most important priority; 42% of workers between the ages of 35 and 54 expressed this view; and 38% of those 55 years if age or older held this perspective.

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On August 24, 2022, Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser issued a press release which said that the application processing time for Express Entry immigration to Canada has returned to its normal six-month standard, like it was before the global pandemic.

Express Entry is the Canadian immigration management system for skilled foreign workers who apply for immigration to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program or Canadian Experience Class Program.

Foreign workers also have the option to apply for immigration to Canada through the Provincial Nominee Program using the Express Entry management system.

The Canadian immigration minister reported that during the first seven months of 2022, there were a record 275,000 immigrants approved to become new permanent residents of Canada.

He further stated that Canada was on target to reach its goal for a record 431,000 immigrants to become Canadian permanent residents in 2022.

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Special ceremonies were recently held across Canada to grant Canadian citizenship to immigrants from several countries.

An immigrant only has to live in Canada as a permanent resident for at least three years during a five year period and meet other eligibility criteria before he or she can apply to become a Canadian citizen.

The Subair Family, which immigrated to Canada from Nigeria in 2018, took the Oath of Allegiance to receive their Canadian citizenship at a ceremony held in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

They had the honor of being the first immigrants to become Canadian citizens at an in-person ceremony since the start of the global pandemic and social distancing.

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Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto have been included in the list of top 10 most livable cities in the world for 2022 by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The EIU assessed 173 cities worldwide using different factors, such as Stability, Healthcare, Culture and Environment, Education, and Infrastructure.

A scale was used in which zero was the lowest possible score and 100 was the highest possible score that a city could receive for each factor as well as overall.

Calgary tied for third place with Zurich (Switzerland), receiving 95.0 for Stability, 100 for Healthcare, 90.0 for Culture and Environment, 100 for Education, and 100 for Infrastructure, giving Calgary 96.3 for its overall score.

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Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto have been included in the list of top 10 most livable cities in the world for 2022 by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

The EIU assessed 173 cities worldwide using different factors, such as Stability, Healthcare, Culture and Environment, Education, and Infrastructure.

A scale was used in which zero was the lowest possible score and 100 was the highest possible score that a city could receive for each factor as well as overall.

Calgary tied for third place with Zurich (Switzerland), receiving 95.0 for Stability, 100 for Healthcare, 90.0 for Culture and Environment, 100 for Education, and 100 for Infrastructure, giving Calgary 96.3 for its overall score.

To read more, click here!

Close to 50,000 immigrants relocate to Quebec each year to find good job opportunities and to enjoy a high standard of living in Canada. 

Quebec is the largest province in Canada, has the second biggest population in the country and it has the second strongest economy of any Canadian province. 

There are approximately 8.5 million people living in Quebec and the most populous cities in the province include Montreal (1.8 million), Quebec City (543,000), Laval (437,000), Gatineau (285,000), Sherbrooke (167,000) and Trois-Rivières (138,000). 

Not only does Quebec have the second largest economy in Canada, but it also has one of the lowest unemployment rates of any Canadian province or territory (only 4.2% in May 2022). 

This is much lower than Canada’s record low national unemployment rate of 5.1% (May 2022).

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The Canadian Social Survey recently gathered data from individuals 15 years of age or above and found that most people living in Canada are happy.

A scale or zero to ten measured the level of life satisfaction (i.e., happiness), with ten indicating “very satisfied” and zero meaning “very dissatisfied” with life.

In 2022, 51.7% of the people living in Canada indicated a high level of life satisfaction, including 52.6% of men and 50.8% of women.

It is worth noting that the 2022 United Nations World Happiness Report listed Canada among the top 20 happiest countries in the world.

The Canadian Social Survey also revealed that several provinces have a larger percentage of residents who are highly satisfied with life compared with other provinces in Canada.

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Canada’s job market is red hot, with a record low unemployment rate of 5.1 percent, over one million Canadian job openings available, and higher salaries being offered to new workers.

According to a report released by Statistics Canada on June 10, 2022, there were 39,800 new jobs added to the Canadian economy during May, which dropped the nation’s  unemployment rate to its lowest level since 1976.

Furthermore, over 135,000 people were hired for full-time jobs in Canada that same month.

The statistics show that there are now 500,000 more people working in Canada than before the start of the global pandemic in early 2020.

Nonetheless, Canadian job vacancies have risen to historic heights, reaching 1,031,200 in March.

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Vancouver is a beautiful and diverse Canadian city, which has the third most populous metro area in Canada (2.6 million people), as well as a strong economy and amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and the nearby North Shore Mountains. 

Located on the west coast of Canada in the province of British Columbia, Vancouver has a population of around 662,000 residents. 

As a major port city and Canada’s Gateway to the Pacific, Vancouver is a diverse city that is an attractive destination for immigrants from China, India, The Philippines, Latin America, Japan, South Korea, the Middle East, Africa (particularly Nigeria), along with other parts of the world. 

Many immigrants are moving to Vancouver because it offers them a high quality of life. 

For example, Vancouver has been ranked as the #1 city for quality of life in North America and also listed among the top 10 most livable cities in the world for several years in a row.

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Canada is considered one of the most family-friendly countries in the world.

In 2021, Canada was ranked as the world’s #3 family-friendly country, after #1 Italy and #2 Australia, and ahead of #4 New Zealand, #5 Spain, #6 Sweden, #7 Netherlands, #8 Norway, #9 Denmark and #10 Ireland, according to a global survey of 17,326 people carried out by the University of Pennsylvania, BAV Group and US News & World Report.

This same survey also found that Canada is considered to be the 5th best country for raising children, following #1 Denmark, #2 Sweden, #3 Norway and #4 Netherlands, and ahead of #6 Finland, #7 Switzerland, #8 New Zealand, #9 Australia and #10 Austria.

This evaluation was based on Canada being family-friendly, having income equality, giving importance to human rights, the happiness of its residents, having gender equality, a quality healthcare system, world-class education, and safety.

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The Canadian government’s Job Bank is an online platform that makes it easy to search for jobs in Canada by occupation, location, salary, date posted, etc.

You can also read about the salaries, education needed, skills required, career prospects and other useful information about various jobs in Canada on this government website.

For example, the Job Bank website is reporting in May 2022 that Canada’s national unemployment rate is a very low 5.2 percent, the average income of people working in Canada has increased to $1,161.49 per week, and there are currently 912,580 Canadian jobs available across the country.

As of May 2022, there were over 105,000 Canadian job openings posted on Canada’s Job Bank. Furthermore, Job Bank is available in English or French and it is FREE for anyone to use.

To read more, click here!

Northern Canada is a unique place to visit where you can discover natural wonders that are not found in the southern regions of this vast country.

Millions of tourists travel to southern Canada each year to visit Niagara Falls, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Vancouver, and the Canadian Rockies.

These are amazing places to visit in Canada, however, the northern regions of the country offer natural wonders and special experiences that are also worth exploring.

The aurora borealis, commonly referred to as the Northern Lights, is a spectacular natural phenomena that is best seen across northern Canada.

These colorful lights seen dancing in the Canadian sky are produced by electrically-charged particles that have been expelled from the Sun which react with oxygen and nitrogen molecules high in the Earth’s atmosphere.

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When you immigrate to Canada as a new permanent resident, there are important steps you should take before and after your arrival.

After you are approved for Canadian immigration, but before you travel to Canada, you should gather together documents regarding you and your family members (as relevant) to bring with you when you immigrate, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, death certificates, adoption documents, medical records, vaccination records, passports, Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), International Driving Permit and/or driving license, and educational certificates, diplomas, degrees and transcripts.

In the event that any of the documents is not in English or French, you should get certified translations of the document(s) into English (or French, if you will be moving to Quebec).

Another step to take before you immigrate is to arrange for where you will live in Canada after you arrive in the country, such as making reservations to stay at a hotel in a good location in the city where you plan to reside or making arrangements to live with friends or family.

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On May 2, 2022, Statistics Canada reported that the Canadian economy increased its Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by a robust 4.8% in 2021.

Economic growth was widespread across all of the Canadian provinces and territories except Saskatchewan.

The province of Ontario, which has the largest economy of any Canadian province or territory, accounted for 1.79% of Canada’s 4.8% Real GDP growth rate in 2021, followed by Quebec (with the country’s second largest economy) which added 1.12% to the national GDP increase.

The next largest contributions to Canadian economic growth came from British Columbia (0.84 percent) and Alberta (0.76 percent).

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British Columbia’s government is predicting that more than one million Canadian jobs will be created in the province during the next 10 years.

It is also forecast that almost 80% of these new jobs will require post-secondary education, such as a university degree, vocational school certificate or other skills training.

Approximately 63% of these positions will involve replacing retiring Canadian workers, while the other 37% of the job openings will be produced by economic growth, according to the provincial government’s report.

To read more, click here!

Most skilled immigrants who apply for Express Entry to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) will need to receive an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for Canadian immigration purposes.

The goal of the ECA is to confirm whether your certificate, diploma or degree received outside of Canada is valid and the equivalent of a certificate, diploma or degree earned at an educational institution in Canada.

A skilled foreign worker who attended an educational institution in Canada as an international student and received a Canadian certificate, diploma or degree, will not need to get an ECA.

To read more, click here!

When an individual or a family immigrates to Canada, one of the most important steps is finding a nice place to live. 

The Canadian publication Maclean’s, in collaboration with Environics Analytics, ranked 415 communities across Canada, based on their affordability, amenities, community, crime, health, Internet access, population growth, taxes, and weather. 

Coming in 1st place as the best place to live in Canada was Halifax, Nova Scotia. Halifax, which is located on the east coast of Nova Scotia, has a population of about 443,976 residents and its top three features are its Internet access, amenities and health. 

Some of the top business sectors in Halifax include shipping and trade; banking; health care; education; professional services; and public administration.

To read more, click here!

The Canadian immigration minister, Scott Fraser, recently announced that the government will resume processing new applications for Express Entry immigration to Canada starting in July 2022.

Earlier this year, the Canadian government announced a temporary pause to the processing of new Express Entry applications so the large backlog of applications that had accumulated during the pandemic disruptions could be taken care of.

Canada’s government also stated earlier in 2022 that $85 million CAD would be invested to hire more workers and to improve the Canadian immigration agency’s technology in order to process applications more efficiently.

According to the Canadian government, most of the new applications for Express Entry immigration to Canada will be processed within about six months.

To read more, click here!

One of the benefits of Canadian permanent residency and citizenship is receiving universal health care in the province or territory where you live in Canada.

The universal health care system in Canada is paid for with taxes, administered by each Canadian province or territory, and available to all citizens and permanent residents of Canada.

After you immigrate to Canada as a new permanent resident, one of the first things you should do is to apply for a Canadian public health insurance card (i.e., a “Health Card” or “Care Card”) with the province or territory where you are residing.

Some Canadian provinces or territories have a waiting period for new immigrants to receive universal health care which might be as much as 90 days, so you should find out if the province or territory where you will be living in Canada has such a waiting period and if so, how long it is.

You should also learn about what the public health care plan of a particular province or territory covers, because each plan is different in Canada.

When you visit your doctor or other health care professional, you will need to show your Health Card or Care Card.

To read more click here!

There are many great places for immigrants to live in Canada and Toronto is at the top of the list.

Over 1.2 million immigrants live in Canada’s largest city, Toronto, Ontario, accounting for around 47% of the city’s population of 2.9 million residents.

According to data from StatisticsCanada, 85.5% of the immigrants who move to Toronto each year are still living there five years later (the second highest immigrant retention rate after Vancouver, British Columbia).

Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world, where more than 160 different languages are spoken.

The city has several ethnic neighborhoods, such as Chinatown, Greektown, Little India, Koreatown, and Little Italy, so if you enjoy authentic ethnic foods, you will find plenty of variety to choose from living in Toronto.

Since there are many immigrants from various countries living in Toronto, the city is a popular destination for new immigrants who can find support from others who speak their language and share their cultural background.

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As a permanent resident of Canada who is at least 18 years of age, you will have the opportunity to apply to become a Canadian citizen after living in Canada for at least three years during a five-year period.

An immigrant who wants to become a citizen of Canada must also pass a Canadian citizenship exam if he or she is 18-54 years of age.

The Canadian citizenship exam is administered in either English or French (the two official languages of Canada), takes about 30 minutes to complete and includes 20 multiple choice and true or false questions about Canada’s history, economy, geography, symbols, laws and government.

At least 15 out of the 20 questions on the Canadian citizenship exam must be answered correctly to pass.

To read more, click here!

A worldwide survey of 8,048 women has found that Canada is considered to be the #4 best country to live for women, after #1 Sweden, #2 Denmark and #3 Norway, and ahead of #5 Netherlands, #6 Finland, #7 Switzerland, #8 New Zealand, #9 Germany and #10 Australia, among many other countries.

The survey conducted in 2020 had rated Canada the #5 best country for women, so the country moved a bit closer to the top position over the past year.

In the 2021 survey performed by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, BAV Group, and US News & World Report, countries around the globe were rated by women based on five factors: gender equality, safety, progress, income equality, and care about human rights.

To read more, click here!

After you immigrate to Canada, you will have plenty of opportunities to see some of the most beautiful and interesting places on Earth.

From the scenery of Banff National Park to the mighty roar of Niagara Falls, here is a “bucket list” of some of the top points of interest that you will want to visit while living in Canada. 

Banff National Park was established in 1885 as Canada’s first national park. Located in the province of Alberta just 90 minutes from Calgary by car, Banff National Park is one of the most beautiful places in the Canadian Rocky Mountains – and in the entire world!

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On April 8, 2022, StatisticsCanada (StatCan) reported that 77,500 new Canadian jobs were created in March 2022 and that the national unemployment rate in Canada dropped to only 5.3 percent, which is the lowest level ever recorded in Canada!

The Canadian government’s statistics agency also reported that the average hourly wages for people working in Canada increased by a healthy 3.4% between March 2021 and March 2022. 

For men 25 years of age or older working in Canada, the unemployment rate is now just 4.4 percent, while the unemployment rate for Canadian women in the same age group is a low 4.8 percent. 

Economists think that the Canadian unemployment rate will fall even further this year.

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Canada’s goal of adding 431,645 new immigrants in 2022 is on target, with 108,000 people being granted Canadian permanent residency during the first quarter of this year. 

Sean Fraser, the Canadian immigration minister, announced on March 31, 2022, that over 108,000 people were approved for immigration to Canada during January, February and March of 2022. 

This is just above 25% of the historic Canadian immigration goal that the government approved for this year, so the official 2022 plan for immigration to Canada is so far right on schedule. 

By comparison, a record 405,000 foreign nationals were approved for Canadian permanent resident status last year, which was an additional 4,000 immigrants over the ambitious level set for 2021.

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The United Nations released its 2022 World Happiness Report and listed Canada among the top 20 happiest countries. 

This is the 10th year that the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network has surveyed people in around 150 countries worldwide to measure and compare their levels of happiness. 

“Happiness” was measured using factors such as freedom to make life choices, GDP per capita, generosity, healthy life expectancy at birth, perception of corruption, and social support. 

After examining the results of the global survey, the UN researchers ranked Canada as the 15th happiest country in the world for 2022.

In a separate recent survey of approximately 2,500 adults living in Canada performed by the Gandalf Group and The Globe and Mail, it was discovered that a majority of Canadians (67 percent) reported being “very happy” and 68% of people living in Canada indicated they are “very satisfied” with their lives.

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Would you like to live and work in Canada as a permanent resident, but you’re not sure how? 

There are several Canadian visa programs available for skilled immigrants who want to become permanent residents of Canada, such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP). 

Application for Express Entry immigration to Canada can be made if you meet the eligibility requirements for the FSWP, FSTP, PNP or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program. 

Each of these Canadian visa programs for skilled immigrants and their family members has unique eligibility requirements that must be satisfied and particular application procedures that must be followed correctly.

To read more, click here!

On February 14, 2022, Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser released the new plan for immigration to Canada over the next three years, which sets a goal of granting permanent residency to 431,645 immigrants in 2022, 447,055 during 2023 and 451,000 in 2024.

By comparison, a record 405,000 immigrants were approved to become Canadian permanent residents in 2021.

According to the 2022 Canadian immigration plan, the government wants 431,645 people to immigrate to Canada through various visa programs, including 241,850 through different economic programs; 105,000 via programs for family members; 76,545 from programs for protected persons and refugees; and 8,250 through humanitarian and other programs.

Approximately 56% of the 431,645 people who will become a Canadian permanent resident this year will move to Canada through programs designed for "economic immigrants" (i.e., foreign workers) and their families.

The overall goal of 241,850 economic immigrants becoming Canadian permanent residents in 2022, includes 83,500 through the Provincial Nominee Program; 55,900 via the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class Program, and Federal Skilled Trades Program; and 6,250 with the Atlantic Immigration Program - along with others such as the Quebec Skilled Worker Program.

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The rate of population growth in Canada is faster than in any other G7 country and is being driven by immigration.

In fact, immigration to Canada is responsible for almost 80% of the country's population increase and 100% of Canadian job growth.

From 2016 until 2021, Canada's population grew at a yearly rate of 5.2% and added 1.8 million people to Canada's population, which currently stands at 38 million.

In terms of the other G7 countries, the population growth rate of the UK from 2016 to 2021 was 2.9 percent, the US was 2.6 percent, France was 1.2 percent, Germany was 1 percent, Japan's population shrank by 1.3 percent and the population of Italy decreased by 2 percent.

As one of the top destinations for expat workers and their families, Canadian immigration is the driving force in the growth of the country's population, workforce and economy.

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When Uwakmfonabasi and Mokutimabasi moved to Canada from Nigeria in May 2015, little did these teenage twins realize that they would one day have their images covering the side of a building in downtown Toronto.

After relocating to Canada, the two brothers settled in the Greater Toronto Area, where they attended a local senior high school.

As young newcomers living in Canada, the two brothers noticed that the climate was much colder than when they were living in Nigeria.

Nonetheless, they were happy to live in Canada and have so many opportunities.

The twin youths learned English while living in Nigeria and some of their fellow high school students in Canada initially made fun of their accent.

At first, Uwakmfonabasi and Mokutimabasi tried to be more like the other Canadian students, but after they started being themselves they discovered that their teenage peers appreciated their uniqueness.

Ultimately, Uwakmfonabasi and Mokutimabasi (who have the nicknames "Whak" and "Mo") became interested in photography and started posting images they took on social media.

They received favorable responses regarding their photos from their classmates and others.

Soon, Whak and Mo were getting modeling offers as more people noticed their talent behind and in front of the camera.

In 2019, the Nigerian-Canadian teenagers started modeling for Vogue Italia and also had a successful art show.

To read more, click here!

Skilled foreign workers have many excellent opportunities living and working in Canada.

Canadian jobs generally have high salaries and there are hundreds of thousands of open positions to choose from in a variety of business sectors.

According to Statistics Canada, the median salary for male immigrants working in Canada during 2019 was $62,300 CAD per year, while female immigrants earned a median yearly salary of $44,900 CAD for Canadian employment.

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On July 19, 2021, the Government of Canada declared that Americans who have received both vaccinations against the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus will be permitted to enter Canada effective August 9, 2021.

Furthermore, travelers from around the globe who are fully-vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to travel to Canada for non-essential visits starting September 7, 2021.

Foreign nationals who travel to Canada must provide documentation in the English or French language proving that they have received two doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccines which have been approved to use in Canada a minimum of 14 days prior to their arrival in Canada.

Everyone traveling to Canada will also need to enter their details in the Canadian government’s ArriveCAN online portal and if they satisfy the government’s criteria, they will not need to quarantine after arriving in Canada.

In order to handle the increase airline traffic expected when the borders are re-opened, several additional airports in Canada will be authorized to accept international flights.

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The Canadian government reopened the international borders on June 21, 2021, for new immigrants to move to Canada, as part of the process of ending restrictions on travel imposed in March 2020 to prevent the spread of Covid-19. 

People who have been approved for Canadian immigration and also possess a valid Certificate of Permanent Residence (COPR) can now relocate to Canada to begin their new lives in this immigrant-friendly country.

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Immigration to Canada is a popular choice for Nigerian middle class workers who are seeking a better future for themselves and especially for their children.

According to the Canadian government, Nigeria is now the fourth largest source country for immigration to Canada after #1 India, #2 China and #3 Philippines.

Since 2015, when the Express Entry Canadian immigration system was launched, the number of Nigerians immigrating to Canada as new permanent residents has tripled, reaching 12,595 in 2019.

The majority of Nigerians moving to Canada are middle class and university-educated professionals.

Many of these professionals had good jobs in Nigeria, but they are concerned about the political and economic situations in their country and they want their children to receive a high-quality education in Canada, which is the most educated country in the world.

There is ongoing political instability and violence in different parts of Nigeria, particular in northern sections of the country and in the Niger Delta area.

Canada, on the other hand, is a multicultural country (22% foreign-born) that is ranked as the #6 most peaceful country in the world in the 2020 Global Peace Index.

Although Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa, Bloomberg reports (March 15, 2021) that Nigeria has the second highest unemployment rate in the world (a staggering 33 percent), while Canada has much lower unemployment and the Conference Board of Canada forecasts that the Canadian economy will grow by an amazing 5.8% in 2021 and a robust 4% during 2022.

Nigeria replaced India in 2018 as the world’s #1 country with the most people living in severe poverty, whereas Canada is one of the world’s most prosperous countries and has the 10th largest economy.

In fact, despite the economic disruptions resulting from protective lockdowns during the global pandemic, people living in Canada saw their wealth increase an average of 12% in 2020.

As the economy creates more jobs in Canada and millions of Canadian workers retire this decade, the demand for skilled foreign workers from Nigeria and other countries is expected to remain strong.

In order to meet the growing demand for skilled workers, Canada’s government increased its goals for Canadian immigration to historic levels – 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021, 411,000 in 2022, and 421,000 new immigrants in 2023.

The Pew Research Center conducted a poll in 2018 which found that 45% of adults living in Nigeria say they are planning to relocate to another country in five years or less; 55% of Nigerian adults have collected information about immigrating to another country; and 34% of Nigerian adults have saved money to make their move abroad.

According to the statistics, thousands of Nigerians will choose to move to Canada this year.

If you would like to receive an eligibility assessment for immigration to Canada, click here!

Canadian Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said on June 18, 2021, that the government will authorize approximately 45,000 refugees for relocation to Canada this year, which is substantially more than the 23,500 originally planned for 2021.

By comparison, in 2019 there were around 30,000 protected foreign nationals welcomed to live in Canada.

Despite the travel restrictions due to the global pandemic, 9,000 refugees were allowed to move to Canada in 2020.

Mr. Mendicino also stated that the procedure to become a Canadian permanent resident will be made more efficient for over 40,000 protected persons who live in Canada already.

This year, Canadian permanent residency has been granted to 17,900 protected foreign nationals (such as refugees) who live in Canada.

Another significant action that the government is taking to help refugees relocate to Canada is to give $3 million CAD to several organizations that facilitate private sponsorship of refugees by Canadians.

Not only does the Canadian government arrange to bring thousands of refugees and other protected persons to live in Canada, but it also allows private citizens and organizations to sponsor the relocation of refugees.

The Canadian immigration minister said that people from around the world relocate to Canada looking for refuge and to start new lives, making significant contributions to the country along the way.

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A recent international survey conducted in countries around the world and involving 17,326 participants has discovered that Canada is considered to have the best quality of life and is the #1 country to live in overall.

For the past six years, the BAV Group, University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and US News & World Report have surveyed tens of thousands of people around the globe in order to evaluate the perceptions people have about different countries.

The researchers used 76 attributes and then grouped them into the following 10 sub-rankings: Adventure, Agility, Cultural Influence, Entrepreneurship, Heritage, Movers, Open for Business, Power, Quality of Life, and Social Purpose.

Survey participants were asked to indicate how closely they associated various countries with each of the 76 attributes.

When the survey results were examined, the researchers found that Canada was ranked #1 for Quality of Life, receiving a perfect score for this sub-ranking.

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Statistics Canada revealed on March 22, 2021, that children who immigrate to Canada have a higher probability of receiving a post-secondary education than children who are born in Canada.

According to the Canadian government’s statistics agency, 56% of 20-year-olds born in Canada were enrolled in post-secondary education during 2018; however, 70% of the children of immigrants who had moved to Canada prior to their 15^th birthday were attending higher education that year.

Immigrant children who are females have a greater probability of getting an education after senior high school than immigrant children who are males, according to the statistics.

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A recent analysis of online searches for information about relocation to other countries shows that Canada is the world’s #1 most desired “dream destination” for relocation. 

Google search data indicates that relocation to Canada is at the top of the immigration “wish list” for people living in 30 countries, including Nigeria, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Ghana, Mexico, India, Pakistan, Jamaica, Ireland, South Africa, Madagascar, Tunisia, Kenya, and Tanzania.

According to the data analysis, the top 10 “dream destinations” for relocation are: #1 Canada, #2 Japan, #3 Spain, #4 Germany, #5 Qatar, #6 Australia, #7 Switzerland, #8 Portugal, while the United States and United Kingdom were tied for 9th place.

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There were 259,200 new jobs in Canada during February, according to a report released by Statistics Canada on March 12, 2021.

This beat the expectations of economists who had predicted only 75,000 Canadian jobs would be added the second month of the year.

Statistics Canada also provided data that shows several business sectors had more workers in February 2021 than in February 2020 at the beginning of the global pandemic.

For example, 85,700 new Canadian jobs were added to the professional sector over the previous 12 months, along with 50,600 education positions and 38,700 jobs in Canada’s finance and insurance sector.

One economist said that she is confident Canadian job creation will maintain its momentum throughout 2021 as the pace of vaccinations increases and more businesses re-open.

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The consensus of top economists at the Economic Club of Canada yearly conference is that strong consumer spending is crucial to the Canadian economy’s recovery from the global pandemic.

Even with the lockdowns and other disruptions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, people living in Canada became much wealthier and have lots of extra cash available to spend.

Economists are optimistic that as more people living in Canada are vaccinated and businesses re-open, Canadians will go out and spend money on things that were largely unavailable during the lockdowns, such as eating out at restaurants.

This anticipated surge of spending resulting from pent up demand is expected to help fuel economic growth in Canada throughout 2021 and beyond.

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The Canadian Immigration Minister held a news conference on October 30, 2020, to unveil the country’s new goals for immigration to Canada over the next three years.

Since Canadian immigration levels will be lower in 2020 because of the pandemic and associated international travel restrictions, and because there are not enough skilled workers available for many jobs in Canada, the government wants 401,000 immigrants to move to Canada in 2021 (50,000 more than the plan announced in March 2020).

By comparison, a record 341,000 immigrants were approved for immigration to Canada as new permanent residents in 2019, with “economic immigrants” and their families accounting for 58% of the Canadian immigration visas granted that year.

According to the new three-year Canadian immigration plan, around 60% of new permanent residents will be economic immigrants and their accompanying family members.

Furthermore, the government is planning on approving 411,000 immigrants for relocation to Canada in 2022, and issuing 421,000 Canadian immigration visas in 2023.

Overall, the new three-year Canadian immigration plan has established a goal of welcoming 1.2 million immigrants to live and work in Canada as permanent residents during the 2021-2023 timeframe.

The previous plan for immigration to Canada announced in March 2020 had set a target of one million new immigrants over a three-year period.

Marco Mendicino, the Canadian Immigration Minister, was quoted as saying, “Immigration is essential to getting us through the pandemic, but also to our short-term economic recovery and our long-term economic growth.”

The Canadian Immigration Minister added, “As we look to recovery, newcomers create jobs not just by giving our businesses the skills they need to thrive, but also by starting businesses themselves. Our plan will help to address some of our most acute labour shortages and to grow our population to keep Canada competitive on the world stage.”

According to the Canadian government (October 30, 2020), immigrants living in Canada “account for 33% of all business owners with paid staff, and 25% of workers in our health sector are immigrants.”

Immigrants also account for around 22% of the 37.7 million people living in Canada and they are an important part of the Canadian economy, society and culture.

Although some countries have reduced their immigration levels in recent years and support for immigrants and immigration is lower in many parts of the world, Canada has steadily increased the number of immigrants it welcomes each year and support for Canadian immigration and immigrants among a majority of the people living in Canada is stronger today than it was in 2019.

If you and your family would like to be among the 401,000 new permanent residents who will immigrate to Canada in 2021, we would like to help.

To learn more about your Canadian immigration options, click here!

When you are searching for jobs in Canada, the salary is likely to be a key consideration, however, there are other factors that can affect the quality of Canadian employment.

Mediacorp published its list of the 100 top employers in Canada for 2021, which rates each employer based on its physical workplace; family, financial and health benefits; work environment; skills development and training; time off and vacation; involvement in the community; employee communications; and performance management.

These great places to work in Canada are listed in alphabetical order, starting with the 3M Canada Company (London, Ontario), which has approximately 1,967 people working in Canada and allows employees to own a part of the company through purchasing shares of stock.

Another top place for Canadian employment is Citi Canada (Mississauga, Ontario), which has about 1,494 employees working in Canada and offers new employee bonuses of around $2,000-$5,000 for recruiting friends to work there.

KPMG LLP (Toronto, Ontario) has about 8,399 employees and is a good place to work in Canada, because it makes inclusion and diversity a priority.

To read about more top places to work in Canada, click here!

Canada is the #1 most-accepting country in the world for immigrants, according to the results of a Gallup international survey conducted during 2019 in 145 countries, which was released on September 23, 2020.

Gallup’s Migrant Acceptance Index measures an individual’s “acceptance” of immigrants by asking them if they think it is good or bad if (1) immigrants live in their country, (2) immigrants live in their neighborhood, and (3) an immigrant would marry into their family.

The highest score possible on the Migrant Acceptance Index is nine if a survey participant responds “good” to all three questions, while the lowest possible score is zero if they answer “bad” in response to all three questions.

The higher a country’s overall score on the Migrant Acceptance Index, the greater the acceptance level of its population toward immigrants.

The Gallup survey results revealed that the overwhelming majority of people living in Canada have a positive perception of immigrants.

To read more, click here!

Canada's booming technology sector is attracting the largest high-tech companies as well as thousands of foreign IT professionals.

In fact, Toronto has experienced the largest increase of new technology jobs of any city in North America during the past five years.

The number of technology jobs in Toronto has soared by 54% since 2013, climbing from around 148,000 seven years ago to about 228,500 professionals working in the metro area's high-tech sector in 2019, leading some to refer to Toronto as a technology superpower that rivals California's Silicon Valley.

To read more, click here!

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) recently reported that Canadian immigration is crucial for the growth of the country’s economy.

Skilled foreign workers are especially needed to help fill jobs in Canada left vacant by millions of Canadian workers who are retiring, according to the RBC Economics report.

Record-breaking immigration to Canada has made the country one of the top relocation destinations in the world for expat workers and their families.

For example, 405,000 immigrants became Canadian permanent residents in 2021 and it is expected that over 431,000 people will immigrate to Canada in 2022.

The country’s strategy for maintaining economic growth relies on keeping Canadian immigration at high levels, due to the large number of workers who are retiring from their jobs in Canada.

To read more, click here!

The opportunity to work in Canada, the friendliness shown to newcomers and the high-quality lifestyle are some of the reasons that many immigrants are moving to Prince Edward Island (PEI).

Canada’s smallest province is located in the country’s Atlantic region, above Nova Scotia and east of New Brunswick.

The population of PEI is approximately 157,000 and the provincial capital and largest city is Charlottetown, which has around 37,000 residents.

Prince Edward Island is a beautiful place to live in Canada, boasting beautiful beaches, rolling hills and more than 30 golf courses.

An ongoing shortage of workers also makes PEI a good location for immigrants to find work in Canada.

Between 2018 and 2019, Canadian immigration to PEI increased by 7.8 percent, with 2,267 immigrants moving to the province in the 12-month period.

During the last few years, India has been the #1 country of origin for immigrants settling in PEI, replacing Chinese who now account for the second largest group of foreign-born residents.

This mirrors a national trend for immigration to Canada, in which individuals from India currently account for 25% of new Canadian permanent residents.

For example, around 74,455 people from India were approved for Canadian immigration in 2019.

Many people who immigrate to Canada and settle in PEI report receiving a warm welcome and plenty of support from the local residents as well as the provincial government.

If you would like to immigrate to Canada and live in a welcoming community with great job opportunities, whether a small province such as Prince Edward Island or a larger location like Ontario, there are several Canadian immigration programs available.

You and your family could be among the 341,000 immigrants who will be granted Canadian permanent residency during 2020, if you meet all of the eligibility requirements and complete the Canadian immigration procedure successfully.

To learn more about your options for immigration to Canada, click here!

Montreal has been named the 5^th best city in the world for expats to live abroad, according to the InterNations Expat City Ranking 2019 which was released in December 2019.

The largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec was also rated as the #1 city for expats to live in Canada.

Approximately 20,000 people in 187 countries took part in this evaluation of 82 cities around the world.

To be included in this global city assessment, a minimum of 50 survey respondents had to evaluate a city.

The survey participants were asked to rate the city where they were living based on 25 measures of urban life which were grouped into 13 sub-categories that were then used to create four major topical indexes: Quality of Urban Living Index, Getting Settled Index, Urban Work-Life Index, and Finance & Housing Index.

“Quality of Urban Living” included the health & environment, safety & politics, leisure & climate, and transportation sub-categories.

“Getting Settled” considered these sub-categories: local friendliness, feeling welcome, friends & socializing, and local language.

“Urban Work-Life” involved the job & career, job security, and work-life balance sub-categories.

Sub-categories for “Finance & Housing” were finance, housing, and local cost of living.

According to a press release issued by InterNations on December 3, 2019, “Montreal outranks the other Canadian cities in several areas: it is the best Canadian city in the urban work life, local cost of living and finance and housing indices.”

Internationally, Montreal was rated #3 for work-life balance, #5 for finance & housing, #9 for local leisure options, and #10 for urban work life.

InterNations also noted that, “Expats find it comparatively easy to get settled in all Canadian cities featured in the ranking,” which included Montreal, Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver.

Canadian cities differ on their strong points, however, all of them are great places to live in Canada and among the best places in the world for expats to move to.

If you would like to move to Montreal or live in Canada’s other amazing cities and towns, there are several Canadian immigration programs available for skilled foreign workers and their families.

To receive an assessment of your Canadian immigration options, click here!

A recent survey of almost 2,500 Canadian adults, which was commissioned by The Globe and Mail and conducted by the Gandalf Group, has found that 67% of the people living in Canada are “very happy” and 68% report being “very satisfied” with their lives.

The national survey examined the overall happiness of people living in Canada and how satisfied they are with particular aspects of their lives (e.g., family, financial, personal, social, work, etc.).

Canadian men and women are almost even in reporting happiness, with 69% of males and 66% of females saying they are very happy.

Individuals who are in a relationship and those with children had higher happiness levels than people who are not in a relationship and Canadians without children. According to the survey, 72% of Canadians who are in a relationship are very happy, compared with 59% who are not in a relationship. It should be noted that 62% of non-parents and 63% of parents with children under 18 years of age reported being very happy, however, parents with children over the age of 18 were the happiest of all (77 percent).

Employment was another factor that seemed to influence happiness levels. For example, the survey discovered that 66% of the respondents who are working in Canada said they are very happy, compared with 54% of those who are not employed, but the happiest Canadian adults are those who are retired, with 78% reporting that they are very happy.

There is a saying that money can’t buy you happiness, however, the survey discovered that Canadians with higher incomes reported higher levels of happiness. For example, 57% of survey respondents with yearly incomes below $50,000 said they were very happy, compared with 65% earning $50,000-$100,000, 71% of those making $100,000-$150,000, and 78% of Canadians with salaries above $150,000 per year.

Older Canadians reported higher levels of happiness than younger adults living in Canada. For example, 78% of Canadians 65 years of age or above said they were very happy, compared with 62% of adults in the 18-34 age range. For Canadians between the ages of 35 and 44, the survey found that 60% reported being very happy, while 61% of individuals in the 45-54 age range and 74% of adults 55-64 said they were very happy.

Where a person is living in Canada is also associated with their happiness level, according to the survey results. For example, the percentage of Canadian adults indicating they are very happy was the highest in the province of Quebec (74 percent), compared with 69% in Ontario, 67% in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 66% in Canada’s Atlantic provinces, 64% in Alberta, and 63% in British Columbia.

Canadian adults living in Quebec not only reported the highest levels of happiness compared with other regions of the country, but also had higher levels of satisfaction with their physical health, amount of sleep they receive, leisure time, relationships, and quality and number of friendships. Some of the theories offered by researchers as to why people living in Quebec tend to be happier and more satisfied than Canadians who live in other parts of the country include: stronger social support, relatively low cost of housing, and a sense of community among the predominantly French-speaking population of Quebec.

Although the percentages vary, this survey found that the majority of people who live in Canada report being very happy, regardless of the demographic, socioeconomic or other factors.

These findings are supported by the results of a separate 2019 survey of 20,300 people from around the globe conducted by US News & World Report, BAV Consulting, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, which ranked Canada as the #1 country for quality of life and the world’s #3 best place to live overall. US News & World Report also named Canada as the #1 best country for immigrants to live in 2018.

Therefore, if you and your family are looking for happiness, you may want to consider relocating to Canada.

To learn more about your options for Canadian immigration, click here!

The Canadian immigration system has received praise from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), particularly for its effective recruitment of skilled foreign workers and welcoming new immigrants to live in Canada. 

According to the OECD report, the Canadian immigration system is one of the most successful in the world and serves as an example for other countries to duplicate. 

The Express Entry system for immigration to Canada, which expedites the processing of Canadian immigration applications for skilled foreign workers, received high marks from the OECD.

To read more, click here!

According to the Job Vacancy and Wage Survey released by Statistics Canada in June 2019, there were 506,000 Canadian job openings during the first quarter of 2019.

This was 44,000 more Canadian job vacancies (an increase of 9.6 percent) compared with the number of open jobs in Canada during the first three months of 2018.

The Job Vacancy and Wage Survey also reported that six provinces and one territory experienced a rise in the number job openings in the first quarter of 2019 compared with one year earlier.

Canadian job vacancies were 21,400 higher in Quebec during the first quarter of 2019, which was a 23 percent increase versus Q1 2018.

British Columbia enjoyed the second largest percentage growth in Canadian job openings (10.1 percent), with an additional 9,300 unfilled jobs in Q1 2019 compared to one year prior.

Ontario had the third highest percentage increase (6.9 percent) of vacant jobs in Canada, however, it enjoyed the second biggest boost in the number of job openings, boasting 12,400 more unfilled jobs in the first three months of 2019 versus the first quarter of 2018.

The Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Canada's territory of Nunavut, all experienced more unfilled jobs in Q1 2019 than they had 12 months earlier.

Data was gathered from approximately 100,000 businesses across the country for the Canadian Job Vacancy and Wage Survey, which also found that the number of unfilled jobs in Canada went up in seven of the 10 biggest business sectors of the economy.

When the first quarter of 2019 was compared with 2018, the survey found that unfilled jobs jumped by an additional 19 percent (an extra 9,900 job vacancies) in the health care and social assistance sector; while there was a 28 percent rise for the professional, scientific and technical services (9,100 more Canadian job openings).

The manufacturing, retail trade, accommodation, food services, education, construction, administrative and support, transportation and warehousing sectors also experienced a rise in Canadian job vacancies.

Canada’s labor shortage is creating a challenge for employers in the majority of business sectors who are struggling to find enough qualified workers.

The fact that there are 506,000 unfilled jobs in Canada (80% of them full-time positions) is obviously good news for immigrants seeking Canadian employment, since there are plenty of opportunities to find work in Canada.

If you are interested in finding Canadian employment and want to find out if you qualify to live and work in Canada, the authorized consultants that we collaborate with can evaluate your details and explain the best options that may be available to you and your family.

To learn more about how to live and work in Canada as a permanent resident, click here!

Canada Day celebrations were held across the country on July 1, 2019, to mark 152 years since the Constitution Act of 1867 officially united Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia into a new federation within the British Empire known then as the Dominion of Canada.

People living in Canada celebrated this national holiday with parades, concerts, bar-b-ques, fireworks and other fun activities.

More than 1,000 permanent residents enjoyed an extra special Canada Day this year at 42 ceremonies held nationwide where they received their Canadian citizenship.

In Vancouver, 60 immigrants from 36 countries were granted Canadian citizenship at a special ceremony.

British Columbia's Lt. Governor officiated at the event and told the new Canadian citizens, “You may have faced great hardship and adversity before coming to Canada and you all made sacrifices to be here. I thank you for answering our invitation to make Canada your home.”

One of the immigrants present was a man named Jerry, who was able to relocate to Canada with his family from The Philippines in 2015 through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP).

Jerry is currently working in Canada in the information technology sector and said he is honored to become a Canadian citizen.

Calgary hosted another Canadian citizenship ceremony in the neighboring province of Alberta.

For an immigrant from Uruguay, the ceremony had additional meaning since he was able to become a Canadian citizen on the Canada Day holiday and because it was also his 26^th birthday!

Another immigrant who received Canadian citizenship at the ceremony in Calgary was originally from Romania.

She declared, “It’s a big opportunity for our kids, for the future of our kids – school, university, they have a real good future in Canada.”

Meanwhile, 30 permanent residents were granted Canadian citizenship in Regina, Saskatchewan.

One of the immigrants at the event expressed his gratitude by saying, “Thank you very much Canada for giving us this opportunity to apply for permanent residency and ultimately become a Canadian citizen.”

His wife also received her Canadian citizenship at the Regina ceremony and said it was a “memorable” occasion, particularly because it occurred on Canada Day.  

Several Canadian citizenship ceremonies took place in Ontario on Canada Day.

Thirty immigrants received Canadian citizenship at a ceremony in Ottawa.

One of them was an 11-year-old boy from Venezuela, who said he was concerned about the situation in his country of origin and exclaimed, "I am so proud to be a Canadian citizen and come to this country where it is safe."

In the Ontario community of Niagara Falls, 25 immigrants from 12 countries became new citizens of Canada, including two individuals from Cuba and Jordan who both said they appreciate the freedom they enjoy living in Canada.

An immigrant from India stated that she was honored to become a Canadian citizen and thankful for the opportunity to get a job in Canada and to purchase a house.

A guest speaker at the ceremony was the 2018 Miss Universe Canada, who was able to relocate to Canada with her family from Poland when she was a little girl.  

She said, "It gives me great pride to welcome all of you to Canada, the same way that Canada welcomed me with open arms all those years ago. Welcome home!"

If you and your family relocate to Canada as permanent residents, you could also have the opportunity to become a Canadian citizen after only three years living in this immigrant-friendly country. Who knows? You might be able to receive your Canadian citizenship during a future Canada Day celebration!

To learn more about living and working in Canada, click here!

In June 2019, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) announced the winners of its 2019 Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards.

This was the 11th annual recognition of 25 remarkable immigrants who have made significant accomplishments or contributions to society after relocating to Canada.

Immigrants were nominated by Canadians from across the country and then the top 25 were selected to receive recognition.

This year's winners are immigrants from China, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Lebanon, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Nigeria, South Korea, Syria, Uganda, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

Each of these 25 inspiring individuals has an amazing Canadian immigration success story to tell.

After immigrating to Canada from Lebanon in the 1990s, Rola Dagher went on to become the president of Cisco Canada.

In looking back on her Canadian immigration experience, she said, “The minute I landed on Canadian soil, I felt a moment of pure hope in this amazing land of opportunity.”

Another incredible immigrant is Giacomo Gianniotti, who became a successful actor after relocating to Canada from Italy.

His advice to other immigrants is: "Be yourself.

Bring us all the beautiful gifts and riches your country’s culture has to offer and become that which you have always dreamed of.”

Dr. Nhung Tran-Davies is originally from Vietnam and immigrated to Canada with her family in 1979 when she was five, after spending time in a refugee camp in Malaysia.

Receiving a Canadian education was her ticket to success and after completing her medical degree, she became a physician and founded the Children of Vietnam Benevolent Foundation.

She recently declared, “By never forgetting where I come from - from war and poverty - I remain grounded and humble in all that I do.

That is why I pay forward all the goodness that has touched my life.”

These are just three of the outstanding individuals who the 2019 Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards honored for their achievements while living in Canada.

They are examples of the millions of immigrants who have made their home in Canada, overcome obstacles, found opportunities, and made a difference in the lives of others.

They have demonstrated how the possibilities are limitless for immigrants living in Canada - a country that welcomes over 300,000 people from around the world each year and gives them the freedom and access to resources to make their dreams come true.

If you would like to write your own Canadian immigration success story and want to learn about your options to live and work in Canada, click here!

Whether you are currently living in Canada and planning your career path, or an immigrant searching for employment opportunities, the 2019 ranking of the 100 top jobs in Canada is worth checking out.

This informative career rating guide was published in May 2019 on the Canadian Business website and it has useful data about 100 of the best jobs in Canada this year.

In addition to seeing the overall ranking for each of the careers that are listed, you will find the five-year forecast (2019-2024), as well as data about the increase of salaries and jobs in Canada during the past five years.

The median annual salaries are also given for each of the Canadian jobs in the ranking.

There is a related section of the report that focuses on the top 25 Canadian jobs and it offers further details about each of these promising occupations, such as the job description and educational requirements.

When you review the full list of 100 top jobs in Canada, you will find occupations from a variety of business sectors, including healthcare, construction, engineering, energy, education, natural resources, business, finance, management, information technology and others.

Nurse Practitioner was named as the best Canadian career for 2019, boasting a median salary of $104,000 per year.

During the past five years, the number of people working in Canada as Nurse Practitioners has grown by an amazing 75 percent and their pay has increased a healthy 35 percent.

The demand for Nurse Practitioners is expected to keep growing rapidly and the future looks bright for this top Canadian profession.

Coming in second place in the occupational ranking is Dentist, which has a median yearly income of $93,600.

Canadian job growth for Dentists over the past five years rose by a whopping 63 percent, while their median annual pay soared by 45 percent.

As with Nurse Practitioners, the demand for Dentists in 2024 is expected to be higher than the number of professionals available to fill all of the Canadian job openings that are anticipated.

The #3 best career in Canada this year, according to the report, is Utilities Manager.

The median salary for Utilities Managers is $114,000 per year, but it can range, depending on the type of utility (e.g., electrical, water, natural gas, etc.).

This high-paying Canadian career enjoyed a 16 percent rise in salary during the previous five years and also a 16 percent increase of new positions filled.

Once again, the demand in Canada for Utilities Managers in 2024 is predicted to outpace the supply.

To further demonstrate that Canadian employment tends to pay well, here are some more examples of the yearly median salaries (2019) for various jobs in Canada that are given in the report: Aerospace Engineers ($81,994), Construction Managers ($83,200), Financial Managers ($95,992), Human Resources Managers ($93,725), Marketing and Public Relations Managers ($82,285),  Oil and Gas Drilling Operators ($79,040), Pharmacists ($104,000), Pipefitting Supervisors ($81,120), Power Plant Operators ($72,800), Secondary School Teachers ($85,717), Software Engineers ($90,002), University Professors ($95,992), and Veterinarians ($86,674).

It is no coincidence that many of the best Canadian careers for this year also qualify for Express Entry immigration to Canada.

Employers are looking for skilled foreign workers to fill thousands of Canadian job openings in several different fields.

To find out if you qualify to live and work in Canada, click here!    

The April 2019 Canadian jobs report revealed that hiring hit a historic high with the addition of 106,500 new jobs in Canada - the biggest monthly boost in Canadian employment ever recorded!

Data released by Statistics Canada (StatCan) on May 10, 2019, also showed that 73,000 of the 106,500 Canadian jobs filled during April were full-time positions and 83,800 of the job vacancies were filled with hiring by private sector employers.

This surge of hiring in Canada reduced the country's overall unemployment rate to 5.7 percent in April.

Nonetheless, four Canadian provinces enjoyed unemployment rates even lower than the national average:

British Columbia = 4.6%

Quebec = 4.9%

Manitoba = 5.2%

Saskatchewan = 5.4%

Ontario, which has the largest population and #1 economy in Canada, also had a healthy unemployment rate of 6.0 percent.

Employers are struggling to find qualified workers for Canadian job openings that remain unfilled, especially in cities with low unemployment rates (April 2019) such as:

Victoria (British Columbia) = 3.1%

Quebec City (Quebec) = 3.3%

Sherbrooke (Quebec) = 3.4%

Hamilton (Ontario) = 3.9%

Guelph (Ontario) = 4.0%

Vancouver (British Columbia) = 4.4%

Regina (Saskatchewan) = 4.5%

London (Ontario) = 4.8%

Halifax (Nova Scotia) = 5.1%

Winnipeg (Manitoba) = 5.2%

Montreal (Quebec) = 5.4%

Ottawa (Ontario) = 5.5%

In order to meet their growing labor demands, employers in Canada are seeking foreign workers with good English or French language abilities and other necessary skills.

Canadian job creation during April was indeed record-breaking; however, the world's #10 largest economy also produced an impressive track record over the previous 12 month period, according to the StatCan data.

Between April 2018 and April 2019, an incredible 426,400 new jobs in Canada were created and worker wages increased by an average of 2.5 percent.

The current Canadian immigration plan has a goal to attract more than one-million new permanent residents (mostly skilled foreign workers and their families) between 2019 and 2021.

With a booming economy and excellent Canadian employment opportunities available, right now is a great time to relocate to Canada.

To learn more about your Canadian immigration options, click here!

A Pew Research Center report published on March 14, 2019, says that people who live in Canada have the most positive view toward immigrants of any of the world's top 18 immigration destinations.

According to the international survey, 68% of individuals living in Canada believe that immigrants make their country stronger.

By comparison, most of the residents of these other top immigration destinations say immigrants make their country stronger: Australia (64 percent), United Kingdom (62 percent), Sweden (62 percent), Japan (59 percent), United States (59 percent), Germany (59 percent), Mexico (57 percent), Spain (56 percent), and France (56 percent).

Over half of the world's immigrants live in Canada and the other 17 countries whose residents were surveyed about their attitudes toward immigrants.

Canada is home to more than seven million immigrants, who account for approximately 22% of the country's 37 million residents.

A separate survey of people living in Canada that was conducted in February 2018 by the Environics Institute for Survey Research found that 80% of Canadians think that immigrants have a positive impact on the country's economy.  

These findings support other studies showing a 30-year trend in which the positive attitudes that Canadians hold toward immigrants are only growing stronger with time.

In fact, Canada's government has established an ambitious three-year goal for Canadian immigration which seeks to attract one million new permanent residents between 2019 and 2021 (the majority of whom will be skilled foreign workers and their family members).

This updated Canadian immigration plan increases the number of foreign nationals allowed to move to Canada as permanent residents from 310,000 in 2018 to 330,800 new immigrants during 2019, 341,000 in 2020, and 350,000 by the end of 2021.

If you want to learn more about living in Canada, the world's most immigrant-friendly country, click here! 

On December 7, 2018, the Statistics Canada (StatCan) governmental agency reported that employment in Canada soared to its highest level in more than 40 years.

During November 2018, an overall increase of 94,100 new Canadian jobs were added to the country’s growing economy, causing the unemployment rate in Canada to drop to just 5.6 percent.

The percentage of people working in Canada has not been this high since way back in 1976.

Additionally, 89,900 of the 94,100 new jobs in Canada filled in November were full-time positions.

The StatCan agency also reported that there were 218,800 more people working in Canada in November 2018 than there were in November 2017.

Nonetheless, thousands of Canadian job openings remain vacant because there are not enough qualified employees available to work in Canada.

This is a major reason why the Canadian government and businesses want thousands of foreign workers to move to Canada with their families so they can help keep the economy expanding at a healthy pace.

Statistics about Canada’s economy also revealed that 64,400 of the 89,900 Canadian jobs produced in November 2018 were created in only four of the country’s provinces: Quebec (26,000), Alberta (24,000), Ontario (20,000), and British Columbia (16,000).

In terms of the percentage of people working in Canada’s provinces and territories, British Columbia had the lowest unemployment rate at just 4.4 percent.

Other Canadian provinces with low employment included Quebec at 5.4 percent; Saskatchewan with 5.5 percent; Ontario at 5.6 percent; and Manitoba with only 5.7% unemployment.

In many cities and towns across Canada, the unemployment rate was even lower. For example, the unemployment rate in Guelph (Ontario) was a very low 3.0% in November 2018, while the rate was only 3.8% in Victoria (British Columbia), 3.8% in Quebec City (Quebec), 4.1% in Vancouver (British Columbia), and 4.6% in Ottawa (Ontario).

Several other Canadian communities had unemployment rates below the national average of 5.6 percent.

According to data released by Statistics Canada, the five-year trend for Canadian employment from 2013 through December 2018 has been going in only one direction – up!

It is no coincidence that the trend for Canadian immigration has also been soaring on the same upward trajectory.

Sustained economic growth is creating new jobs in Canada year after year, but as more Canadians retire, the demand for skilled foreign workers keeps rising.

To learn about your best option to live and work in Canada, click here!

Canada’s hunger for skilled foreign workers has led to a major boost in how many visas will be issued over the next three years, according to the updated Canadian immigration plan revealed on October 31, 2018.

Ahmed Hussen, who is the Canadian immigration minister, announced that the national government will allow as many as 330,800 individuals to permanently relocate to Canada during 2019.

The goals for Canadian immigration will rise to 341,000 in 2020 and reach 350,000 during 2021.

By comparison, the government’s target for new Canadian permanent residents was 310,000 in 2018, a year in which Canada’s population soared to a record 37 million people.

According to Statistics Canada, 80% of the country's population growth between 2017 and 2018 resulted from Canadian immigration.

The 2018 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration also reveals that a total of 286,479 foreign nationals were approved for Canadian immigration in 2017, with 56% of these new permanent residents moving to Canada through economic immigration programs (including 65,417 authorized for Express Entry).

Broken down by categories, 159,262 skilled foreign workers and their immediate family members were approved to live and work in Canada as permanent residents through economic immigration programs during 2017; another 82,470 people arrived through family unification programs; and 44,747 individuals were authorized for Canadian immigration through refugee, humanitarian, and compassion programs.

Of the 159,262 economic immigrants and their immediate family members moving to Canada in 2017, 49,724 received Canadian PR visas through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP); 29,451 were granted permanent residency via the Quebec Selected Workers (QSW) or Business programs; 22,550 were admitted through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP); 22,253 immigrants arrived through the Caregiver Program; and 1,875 immigrated through the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

Another 32,740 temporary foreign workers and international students who had already been living in Canada were granted permanent residency under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program which seeks to retain talented foreign nationals who can contribute to the economy.

The top destinations for new immigrants relocating to Canada in 2017 through various Canadian visa programs included Ontario (111,925) Quebec (52,388), Alberta (42,094), British Columbia (38,443), Manitoba (14,700), and Saskatchewan (14,680).

A significant number of Canadian newcomers also settled in Nova Scotia (4,514), New Brunswick (3,649), Prince Edward Island (2,348), and Newfoundland & Labrador (1,171) during 2017, while 238 new immigrants moved to Northwest Territory, 225 went to Yukon Territory, and 40 relocated to Nunavut.

Around 66% of the skilled foreign workers moving to Canada during 2017 settled in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, while 34% of economic immigrants relocated to other Canadian provinces that year.

According to the 2018 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, 61% of the 286,479 new permanent residents moving to Canada in 2017 came from the following top 10 countries of origin: #1 India, #2 Philippines, #3 China, #4 Syria, #5 United States, #6 Pakistan, #7 France, #8 Nigeria, #9 United Kingdom (and its overseas territories), and #10 Iraq.

The other 39% of people immigrating to Canada as permanent residents in 2017 arrived from a variety of countries around the globe.

Canadian Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, who is himself an immigrant, declared in the report, “Thanks in great part to the newcomers we have welcomed throughout our history, Canada has developed into the strong and vibrant country we all enjoy.

Immigrants and their descendants have made immeasurable contributions to Canada, and our future success depends on continuing to ensure they are welcomed and well-integrated.”

Canadian employment is at its highest level in 40 years and with the Canada's government planning to welcome 330,800 new permanent residents in 2019, this is a great time to immigrate to Canada.

To learn more, click here!

Canada’s population is growing rapidly, mainly due to Canadian immigration. Statistics Canada reported in September 2018 that the Canadian population is rising at a rate not seen in close to 30 years.

For example, there were an additional 518,588 people living in Canada in July 2018 compared to 12 months earlier, a surge of 1.4 percent.

This was the largest increase in the Canadian population in terms of the total number of residents since 1957.

Immigration to Canada was responsible for 80% of the growth in the overall population, with 303,257 new immigrants living in Canada compared with the previous fiscal year, according to information provided by the governmental agency.

In June 2018, Statistics Canada announced that the Canadian population had surpassed 37 million residents during April of the same year.

The government's statistics agency also revealed that it only took 26 months for Canada’s population to increase from 36 million to 37 million, which was the shortest amount of time ever recorded for such a large population surge.

Nonetheless, the number of people living in Canada is comparable to the population of the state of California in the United States.

Thus, although Canada has the fastest growing population of any of the G-7 countries, the world’s second largest country still has plenty of room for newcomers.

In fact, skilled foreign workers are in high demand to fill vacant jobs in Canada because of an ongoing labor shortage.

As more Canadians retire from the labor force, the need for immigrants to work in Canada is expected to increase further.

To find out how you and your family may be able to live and work in Canada, click here!    

There are many factors to consider when choosing where to live in Canada, so some recent reports may help to narrow down the search for that perfect place to call home.

For example, The Economist rated 140 cities around the globe and named Calgary as the 4th most livable city in the world in August 2018, while also ranking Vancouver in 6th place and listing Toronto tied with Tokyo for the 7th best place to live on the planet.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) 2018 Global Livability Index rated the livability of each city using 30 measures that were grouped into five larger categories (stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, infrastructure) and assigned a score for each category as well as an overall score on a scale of zero to 100.

Calgary, which is the largest city in the Canadian province of Alberta, received perfect scores of 100% for stability, healthcare, education, and infrastructure, while getting a score of 90% for culture & environment, and an overall score of 97.5 percent.

Vancouver, the largest city in the province of British Columbia, had perfect scores of 100% for healthcare, culture & environment, and education, while getting 95% for stability, 92.9% for infrastructure, and an overall score of 97.3 percent.

Toronto, which is the largest city in the province of Ontario as well as in Canada, was rated 100% for stability, healthcare, and education, while receiving 97.2% for culture & environment, 89.3% for infrastructure, and an overall score of 97.2 percent.

It should be noted that the EIU has included Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto among the top 10 most livable cities in the world for the past several years in a row, which reflects a consistency in the high quality of life found in these three incredible Canadian cities.

In July 2018, MoneySense.ca released its assessment of 415 cities and towns across Canada, rating each community on a scale of 0-100 based on 10 indicators: wealth & economy, home affordability, healthcare accessibility, nice weather, transit-friendly/commute, low crime, low taxes, demographics, culture, and amenities.

According to the MoneySense.ca ranking, the top 10 best places to live in Canada for 2018 were: #1 Oakville, Ontario; #2 Ottawa, Ontario; #3 Russell, Ontario; #4 Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec; #5 Lacombe, Alberta; #6 Milton, Ontario; #7 Canmore, Alberta; #8 Westmount, Quebec; #9 Saint-Lambert, Quebec; and #10 was Halton Hills, Ontario.

Besides the overall ranking of Canadian cities, a list of the best places to live in Canada for new immigrants was also provided, which included: #1 Oakville, Ontario; #2 Ottawa, Ontario; #3 Mont-Royal, Quebec; #4 King, Ontario; #5 Toronto, Ontario; #6 Milton, Ontario; #7 Brossard, Quebec; #8 Delta, British Columbia; #9 Westmount, Quebec; and #10 Vaughan, Ontario.

Quebec boasted six of the 10 best places for families to live in Canada, while Ontario had four of the top ten which were listed as: #1 Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec; #2 Saint Constant, Quebec; #3 Mont-Royal, Quebec; #4 Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec; #5 Oakville, Ontario; #6 Saint-Lambert, Quebec; #7 Lévis, Quebec; #8 Ottawa, Ontario; #9 Russell, Ontario; and #10 The Nation, Ontario.

These three ratings by MoneySense.ca used the same 10 factors to evaluate Canadian cities, but each factor was weighted differently in creating the rankings, depending on which factors were considered the most important to people in general, to individuals who immigrate to Canada, or to families.

Although each person and family has a unique combination of ingredients for what makes Home Sweet Home, these two reports show that there are many great places to live in Canada.

To learn about options that you and your family may have to immigrate to Canada, click here!

The Canadian province of Ontario continues to be the #1 destination for immigrants moving to Canada.

In 2017, 111,925 new immigrants out of the 286,480 relocating to Canada that year settled in Ontario, with 85,500 of these newcomers moving to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

By comparison, the French-speaking province of Quebec attracted 52,390 new immigrants in 2017; 42,100 moved to Alberta; and 38,445 decided to live in British Columbia.

There are several reasons why so many people who immigrate to Canada choose to live in Ontario.

Ontario has a growing economy which is creating thousands of Canadian jobs, particularly in the technology sector and manufacturing.

Both Toronto and Ottawa are key technology hubs in Canada where several high-tech companies are located and the strong demand for IT professionals is attracting skilled foreign workers from around the world (including the United States).

Toronto is also a multicultural city and a comfortable place for immigrants to live in Canada.

Of course, the high quality of life generally enjoyed by Toronto residents resulted in Canada’s largest metropolis being ranked by The Economist as the #4 most livable city in the world in August 2017.

With all that Ontario has to offer immigrants, this prosperous province was the top destination for skilled foreign workers approved to immigrate to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) between 2010 and 2015.

For example, 62% of the “economic immigrants” moving to Canada through the FSWP in 2010-2015 decided to live in Ontario, while 17% relocated to British Columbia and another 17% settled in Alberta.

Thus, while there are many great places to live in Canada, no other province or territory compares to Ontario in terms of the Canadian job opportunities that are available, plus the high standard of living there is hard to beat.

To learn more about relocating to Canada, click here!

In the 2018 Best Countries report published on January 23, 2018, Canada was ranked as the world’s best country for quality of life in 2018.

The Best Countries survey is conducted each year by US News and World Report, Y & R BAV Group, and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Researchers analyzed responses from 21,000 individuals in 80 countries who were asked to rate countries on 65 different measures which were then categorized into nine major indicators.

The key indicators used to measure global perceptions of countries were: adventure, citizenship, cultural influence, entrepreneurship, heritage, movers, open for business, power and quality of life.

Canada received the highest rating of any country in the world for quality of life in 2018, which was the same conclusion reached by thousands of participants in the 2017 and 2016 global surveys.

Overall, Canada was considered the #2 best place to live in the world for 2018, after Switzerland.

Canadian citizenship also received the fourth highest appraisal, with only Norway, Switzerland and Denmark rated higher for this indicator.

The 2018 Best Country report further found that Canada is viewed as the #7 top country in the world for business and for entrepreneurship.

Additionally, US News & World Report revealed that Canada is perceived as the #3 country for education (after #1 United Kingdom and #2 United States).

Canada is also ranked #2 in the world for transparency and is considered the #5 country for raising children, the #6 best place for women to live, and the #6 country for a comfortable retirement.

In sum, people who live in Canada enjoy a high standard of living as indicated by global perceptions of a variety of measures.

If you would like to live in Canada and have the opportunity to experience a high quality of life, click here!

Data released by Statistics Canada in January 2018 revealed that the economy created 422,500 new jobs in Canada during 2017, which brought the country’s unemployment rate down to just 5.7 percent (the lowest it has been since at least 1976).

Of the 422,500 new Canadian jobs filled last year, 394,200 were full-time positions, while only 28,300 of the new jobs in Canada were part-time positions.

There were 290,300 workers hired for service sector jobs in Canada during 2017, plus 132,100 people found Canadian employment in the goods-producing industry and 85,700 new jobs in Canada were filled in the manufacturing sector.

The Canadian employment picture also improved significantly in the oil-rich province of Alberta, which had been one of the top provinces for the creation of new jobs in Canada until global oil prices plunged a couple years ago (the oil and gas industry has been a major contributor to Alberta’s economy).

For example, Alberta accounted for around 26,000 of the 78,600 new jobs in Canada that were created in December 2017 and it is hoped that rising oil prices will continue to translate into the generation of more jobs in Alberta.

Even as the drop in oil process reduced the number of jobs in Canada produced in Alberta and neighboring Saskatchewan, the economy adjusted by creating more Canadian jobs in manufacturing, technology and construction, which boosted Canadian employment in places like British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario.

Thus, it is no coincidence that British Columbia boasted a 4.6% unemployment rate in December 2017 (the lowest of any Canadian province), while the unemployment rate in Quebec was an impressive 4.9 percent, in Ontario it stood at a healthy 5.5 percent and was just 5.7 percent in Manitoba.

Information provided by Statistics Canada also showed several Canadian cities in various provinces had low unemployment rates in December 2017, including: Victoria (3.4 percent) and Vancouver (4.1 percent) in British Columbia; Regina (4.7 percent) in Saskatchewan; Winnipeg (5.6 percent) in Manitoba; Hamilton (4.6 percent), Brantford 4.7 percent, Ottawa (5.7 percent) and Toronto (6.0%) in Ontario; Quebec City (3.9 percent),  Trois-Rivieres (4.5 percent), Gatineau (5.0 percent), Sherbrooke (5.9 percent) and Montreal (6.1 percent) in Quebec;  and Moncton (5.7 percent) and Saint John (6.1 percent) in New Brunswick.

In Victoria, the provincial capital of British Columbia, the city’s extremely low unemployment rate of 3.4% is a “double-edged sword” for the local economy, since most Canadians who want a job there are already employed, but the tight labor market in Victoria is also making it challenging for employers to hire enough qualified workers.

Consequently, one of the ways that employers in Victoria hope to meet their growing labor demands is by hiring more skilled foreign workers.

The Canadian employment scene looks encouraging entering into 2018 and skilled foreign workers who want to find jobs in Canada should have plenty of great opportunities waiting for them.

To learn if you and your family qualify to live and work in Canada, click here!  

People who live in Canada started 2018 confident about the Canadian economy, jobs and opportunities in the New Year.

According to the Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index which was released in January 2018, consumer confidence in Canada is close to a record high not seen since 2009.

Quebec had the highest level of consumer confidence of any Canadian province or territory as 2017 came to a close, due in large part to the very strong jobs market in this predominantly French-speaking province.

Nonetheless, consumer confidence is generally high all across Canada.

There are several reasons why people who live in Canada are so optimistic about the future.

The Canadian economy, which is the 10^th largest in the world, has enjoyed strong GDP growth and created almost 400,000 new jobs in Canada during the past year.

With the unemployment rate at just 5.9 percent and salaries rising, Canadian consumers feel more confident about spending, which boosts economic growth even further.

Consumers in Canada are also enjoying greater purchasing power due to a stronger Canadian dollar.

Additionally, many people who live in Canada are increasing in wealth as stock prices continue to soar.

The strong housing market has boosted the prosperity of Canadians, while also creating many new construction jobs in Canada.

Rising oil process have also energized Canada’s oil industry and improved the economies of oil-producing provinces, such as Alberta.

With a growing economy, plentiful jobs in Canada, and rising prosperity, the New Year of 2018 offers a bright future full of great opportunities, particularly for skilled foreign workers and their families.

During 2018, Canada's government has set a goal to grant permanent residency to 310,000 immigrants from all over the world, including 177,500 foreign workers and their family members.

To find out if you qualify to live in Canada as a permanent resident through one of several Canadian immigration programs, click here! 

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) reported in December 2017 that strong economic growth resulted in 361,700 jobs in Canada going unfilled during the third quarter of 2017 due to a shortage of qualified workers.

According to the CFIB report, this is the highest number of private sector Canadian job vacancies on record.

The report further stated that eight out of 14 major business sectors experienced higher job vacancy rates, particularly in construction, enterprise services, personal services and transportation.

With thousands of Canadian job openings available, finding work in Canada has never been easier!

British Columbia had the largest rate increase for unfilled private sector Canadian job openings, followed by Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, according to the CFIB report.

In terms of the number of unfilled Canadian job openings in the third quarter of 2017, Ontario led the other provinces with 149,600 job vacancies, followed by Quebec (85,000), British Columbia (60,100) and Alberta (33,900).

Thus, if you would like to live and work in Canada, this is the perfect time to explore your Canadian immigration options.

To learn more, click here!      

Almost one-million Canadian visas will be granted to new permanent residents over the next three years under Canada’s most recent immigration plan which was unveiled on November 1, 2017.

This is the first time that Canada’s government has released a three-year Canadian immigration plan.

For 2017, the official target for immigration to Canada was set at 300,000 new permanent residents and according to Ahmed Hussen, the Canadian immigration minister, this will be the new minimum goal for immigration to Canada each year.

Previous Canadian immigration levels had been approximately 260,000 new permanent residents annually.

Nonetheless, the three-year goals established for immigration to Canada substantially increase the number of Canadian visas for new permanent residents to 310,000 in 2018, 330,000 in 2019, and 340,000 in 2020 (a total of 980,000 new immigrants over the three-year period).

Foreign workers with the education, skills and experience needed to fill high-demand jobs in Canada will receive around 60% of the Canadian visas granted to new permanent residents each year (177,500 in 2018, 191,600 in 2019, and 195,800 in 2020).

Most of these foreign workers will immigrate to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) using the Express Entry system.

Several thousand Canadian visas will also be issued to foreign workers who want to live and work in the mainly French-speaking province of Quebec through the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSWP).

Additionally, a large number of Canadian visas will be granted through the Caregiver Program and the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program.

The increased number of Canadian visas being made available to foreign workers is great news for people in other countries who want to live and work in in Canada!

The new Canadian immigration plan also raises the number of permanent resident visas that will be issued to the family members of citizens or permanent residents of Canada between 2018 and 2020.

For example, the target for Canadian visas granted for family reunification is set at 86,000 for 2018, 88,500 during 2019 and 91,000 in 2020.

Family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents that may qualify for a visa to Canada through family reunification include spouses, partners, children, parents and grandparents who meet the eligibility requirements.

Canada is known around the world for its compassion, humanitarian assistance to people in need, and international peacekeeping efforts, so it is not surprising that thousands of Canadian visas will be granted for refugees and other protected persons, as well as for humanitarian reasons.

During 2018, the goal is to issue 46,500 Canadian visas through these programs, followed by 49,900 in 2019 and 53,200 in 2020.

A recent example of how Canadians have reached out to help people in difficult situations around the world is allowing tens of thousands of refugees fleeing the Syrian Civil War to immigrate to Canada.

Thus, if you and your family would like the opportunity to live and work in Canada as permanent residents, now is a good time to start the process.

To find out which Canadian immigration program you may qualify for, click here!

Moving to another country can often be a challenge, yet, millions of immigrants leave their home countries in search of better opportunities abroad, such as the 300,000 people who immigrate to Canada each year.

Over 25 years ago, a 16-year-old Somali refugee in Kenya named Ahmed Hussen was able to move to Canada and settle in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

After graduating from high school, he worked his way through university, earned degrees in history and then law and became an attorney, helping fellow immigrants in Canada and receiving much respect in the community.

In 2015, Ahmed Hussen was elected to the Canadian Parliament and was later appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to be Canada’s Minister of Immigration in January 2017.

Today, this Canadian immigration success story is married with three children and is a genuine inspiration for others who want to move to Canada for a brighter future.

If a refugee from Somalia can graduate from university, get elected to Parliament and become the current Canadian immigration minister, imagine what you and your family might achieve if you immigrate to Canada!

Canada is currently enjoying the strongest economic growth in the G-7 (countries with the world’s most advanced economies), according to figures provided by Statistics Canada on August 31, 2017.

Economists had predicted a healthy 3.7% annual growth rate for the Canadian economy in the second quarter of 2017, but very strong consumer spending and increased exports helped Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to soar to a yearly rate of 4.5 percent.

By comparison, the US economy grew by an annual rate of 3.0% during the second quarter of 2017. 

With the economy growing at its highest rate since 2011, producing thousands of new jobs in Canada, household spending surged to its strongest level in nine years as Canadian consumers expressed optimism at cash registers across the country.

Increased household spending is likely to boost more economic growth and generate additional Canadian jobs as businesses try to meet consumer demands for goods and services.

The ongoing economic expansion is putting pressure on Canadian employers, however, who are facing a challenge filling different kinds of jobs in Canada, ranging from skilled tradespeople to university-educated professionals.

All of this is good news for experienced foreign workers with good English or French language skills who want to live and work in Canada.

Canada’s government is granting Canadian permanent residency to thousands of skilled foreign workers and their family members every year to help employers find qualified employees and to keep Canada’s economy growing at a robust rate.

To find out if you are eligible to live and work in Canada, click here!

What do Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary all share in common?

All three of these Canadian cities have been ranked among the world’s top five most livable cities for the past four years in a row!

According to The Global Liveability Report 2017, which was released by The Economist in August 2017, Vancouver is the #3 “Most Livable City in the World” for 2017, while Toronto is ranked #4 and Calgary and Adelaide (Australia) are both tied for #5, out of the 140 cities that were evaluated around the globe.

Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary have now maintained these same impressive rankings for quality of life in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017!

Thus, if you and your family are thinking about where to live in Canada, you may want to consider moving to one of these incredible Canadian cities.

Every year, the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) assesses the quality of life in 140 major cities all over the world according to five major measures.

The cities receive scores for each of the five measures (culture and environment, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and stability) on a scale ranging from a low of zero to an “ideal” (perfect) score of 100.

An overall score (0-100) and ranking is also calculated for each city.

Vancouver received an overall score of 97.3 out of 100, Toronto was given 97.2 and Calgary attained a score of 96.6. By comparison, #1 Melbourne (Australia) was awarded with 97.5 and #2 Vienna (Austria) obtained 97.4 out 100 points possible.

As can be seen, there was not much of a difference in the overall scores of the world’s top five most livable cities.

Nonetheless, some cities scored higher on certain measures than others.

For example, Vancouver (British Columbia) received a perfect score of 100% on three out of the five measures of liveability (culture and environment, education, and healthcare).

Both Toronto (Ontario) and Calgary (Alberta) attained “ideal” ratings of 100% for education, healthcare and stability.

The “bottom line” is that people who live in Canada generally enjoy a high standard of living.

This is a major reason why approximately 300,000 immigrants move to Canada every year.

Canada is a multicultural country, with a beautiful environment, highly-rated education system, free healthcare, modern infrastructure and is one of the most stable and peaceful places on the planet.

Would you and your family like to move to Canada and have the opportunity to experience the high standard of living found in such amazing Canadian cities as Vancouver, Toronto or Calgary?

To find out if you quality, click here!

People who live and work in Canada have much to be thankful for as the Canadian economy continues to create thousands of jobs across the country.

For example, from July 2016 to July 2017, the economy produced 387,600 new jobs in Canada (of which 353,500 were full-time).

Not since 2007 has Canadian job growth been this high.

With more people working in Canada, the country’s unemployment rate (6.3 percent) also dropped to its lowest rate since 2008.

Thus, Canada’s sustained economic growth is providing Canadian citizens and permanent residents with many excellent employment opportunities.

The widespread availability of work in Canada is, of course, good news for the country as a whole.

Nonetheless, some parts of Canada are enjoying especially strong economic growth and job generation.

For example, the unemployment rate (5.8 percent) in the Canadian province of Quebec is at its lowest level since 1976.

In the Montreal metropolitan area, the unemployment rate (6.1 percent) is the lowest in a decade, while Quebec City enjoyed a very low unemployment rate of only 4.0% in July 2017.

Quebec's provincial economy also created 124,000 new jobs in Canada over the past 12 months (115,000 in the Montreal metropolitan area alone).

Furthermore, hourly wages in the province of Quebec were 3.3% higher in July 2017 compared to July 2016.

Therefore, if you want to live and work in Canada (and especially if you have good French language skills), you might consider moving to the primarily French-speaking province of Quebec!

Knowing which provinces and territories have the lowest unemployment rates can be useful information for people who want to move to Canada.

As of July 2017, Manitoba boasted the lowest unemployment rate (5.0 percent) of any Canadian province or territory.

British Columbia had the next lowest unemployment rate in July 2017 (5.3 percent), followed by Quebec (5.8 percent), Ontario (6.1 percent), New Brunswick (6.5 percent), and Saskatchewan (6.6 percent).

Nonetheless, most Canadian employment takes place in the cities, so it may be more helpful to find out which cities and towns are producing the most jobs in Canada.

Several cities across Canada had low unemployment rates in July 2017, including:  Kelowna, British Columbia (3.6 percent); Quebec City, Quebec (4.0 percent); Guelph, Ontario (4.5 percent); Victoria, British Columbia (4.6 percent); Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ontario (4.8 percent); Brantford, Ontario (5.0 percent); Vancouver, British Columbia (5.1 percent); Moncton, New Brunswick (5.2 percent); Hamilton, Ontario (5.4 percent); Regina, Saskatchewan (5.4 percent); Thunder Bay, Ontario (5.4 percent); Kingston, Ontario (5.5 percent); Winnipeg, Manitoba (5.5 percent); Gatineau, Quebec (5.5 percent); London, Ontario (5.6 percent); Sherbrooke, Quebec (5.6 percent); Abbotsford, British Columbia (5.6 percent); and Oshawa, Ontario (5.9 percent). Many other cities and towns throughout Canada also had low unemployment rates in July 2017.

This Canadian employment data, provided by Statistics Canada in August 2017, is a good indication that now is an excellent time to move to Canada.

With such low unemployment across the country, there is a need for skilled foreign workers to fill high-demand jobs in Canada that are currently vacant because there aren’t enough qualified Canadian workers available locally.

In order to help maintain the current economic expansion, Canada’s government has established a goal to approve 172,500 skilled foreign workers for Canadian immigration during 2017.

If you would like to live and work in Canada and want to find out if you are likely to qualify for one of several Canadian immigration programs available for skilled foreign workers and their families, click here!      

Canada has been named as the 2^nd best place in the world for immigrants to live, according to a recent survey conducted in 80 countries around the globe.

US News and World Report published its list of the Best Countries for Immigrants in July 2017 and rated Canada in 2^nd place following Sweden which came in 1^st place.

By comparison, Switzerland was the 3^rd best country for immigrants to live in 2017, Australia was ranked #4, Germany took the 5^th spot, Norway came in 6^th place, the USA was rated #7, The Netherlands was #8, Finland was ranked #9, and Denmark rounded out the top 10 countries for immigrants in 10^th place.

Approximately 21,000 people participated in this global survey which examined each country’s immigration policy, economic stability, labor market, inequality, and to what extent people would like to live in each country.

Canada not only came out ahead of the other 78 countries evaluated as a great place for immigrants to live, but the survey found that people who live in Canada enjoy the highest quality of life on Earth.

With its immigrant-friendly, multicultural society, strong economy and high standard of living, it is easy to understand why Canada is the #2 top country in the world for immigrants to live in 2017.

In addition to having the 10th largest economy in the world, Canada now leads the G-7 countries in economic growth, according to a report released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July 2017, which also helps to make Canada a prime immigration destination for job-seekers around the globe.

Furthermore, Canadian immigration policy has set a goal to have over 300,000 people from across the planet move to Canada each year.

This goal was met successfully in 2016 and it is expected that more than 300,000 immigrants will move to Canada in 2017 as well.

Most of the 300,000 people approved for Canadian immigration each year are skilled foreign workers and their family members who move to Canada for better job opportunities, excellent educational options, freedom, safety, and the chance to become Canadian citizens, among other reasons.

If you want to live in Canada and would like to receive a Canadian immigration assessment, click here!

Special “Canada Day” celebrations were held on July 1, 2017, as Canadians commemorated the 150^th anniversary of Canada’s confederation.

All across the country, Canadians turned out by the thousands to watch parades, view fireworks and enjoy a variety of festivities with family and friends.

In Canada’s national capital of Ottawa, approximately 25,000 people gathered on Parliament Hill, many dressed in red and white (i.e., the colors of the country's iconic "maple leaf" flag), to listen to speeches by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prince Charles, and to be entertained by Bono and The Edge from the U2 rock bank.

During his speech in Ottawa, Prince Charles declared, “Ladies and gentlemen, we should be clear and proud that we are celebrating a country that others look to for example” and described Canada as “An example of fairness and inclusion; of always striving to be better.”

Canadian citizenship ceremonies also took place in communities across the country as part of the Canada Day celebrations.

For example, 150 Canadian permanent residents became new citizens of Canada in a ceremony held outside of Ontario’s Legislature in Toronto on July 1, 2017.

Approximately 300,000 people from countries around the world immigrate to Canada each year as permanent residents, and one of the many benefits is the option to become a Canadian citizen.

If you and your family would like to have the opportunity to one day celebrate Canada Day as Canadian citizens, our Immigration Consultants that we work with can evaluate your eligibility to immigrate to Canada and even guide you through the process if you qualify.

To learn more, click here!

Skilled foreign workers seeking Canadian employment might want to review a report published in May 2017 which lists details about the 100 top jobs in Canada for 2017.

Each of the top 100 best Canadian jobs is ranked and includes details about its median salary, growth in salary/wages during a five-year period, increase of new jobs in Canada in the past five years, and the outlook for the occupation.

For example, at the top of the CanadianBusiness.com list of the 100 best Canadian jobs for 2017 is Director of Public Administration, which was ranked #1, has a median yearly salary of $106,662, boasted a 17.08% growth in salary between 2010 and 2016, enjoyed a 39.20% increase in new jobs in Canada during the 2010-2016 timeframe, and has a positive outlook for the future, according to the report.

Similar information is contained in the report about the other 99 best jobs in Canada, which include occupations in a range of industries, such as: nurse practitioner, mining and forestry manager, pipefitting supervisor, utilities manager, telecommunications manager, real estate and financial manager, director of economic development, lawyer, elevator mechanic, pharmacist, corporate sales manager, locomotive engineer, and aerospace engineer – among many others.

According to the report, there are also good Canadian employment prospects for occupations such as: construction manager, industrial technician, social policy researcher, purchasing manager, occupational therapist, manufacturing manager, business development officer, concrete finisher, registered nurse, avionics mechanic, college instructor, electrician, plumber and power plant operator.

Since there is an ongoing shortage of qualified Canadian workers for several of the top jobs in Canada, many of the high-demand occupations are eligible for Express Entry immigration to Canada, which was created to facilitate the Canadian visa application process for eligible skilled foreign workers and their family members.

In addition to meeting the education and work experience requirements for an eligible occupation, other criteria (e.g., English or French language skills, health, character, etc.) must be satisfied before a Canadian visa is granted.

To find out if you are likely to meet the eligibility requirements for immigration to Canada through the Express Entry system, or via another Canadian visa program, click here!

The United Nations (UN) released its 2017 World Happiness Report in March 2017 and ranked Canada the #7 happiest country in the world!

The team of experts who worked with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network surveyed people in 156 countries regarding their perceptions of happiness.

Several factors were used to measure “happiness” including: real GDP per capita; freedom of people to make life choices; healthy life expectancy at birth; perception of corruption; generosity; and diversity.

According to the 2017 World Happiness Report, the top 10 happiest countries this year are #1 Norway, #2 Denmark, #3 Iceland, #4 Switzerland, #5 Finland, #6 The Netherlands, #7 Canada, #8 New Zealand, #9 Australia, and #10 Sweden.

As one of the most multicultural countries in the world, Canada received especially high marks for diversity, with the UN report declaring, “Highly diverse societies, such as Canada, have been able to achieve relatively high levels of social trust through programs aimed at promoting multiculturalism and inter-ethnic understanding.”

Approximately one out of every five people who live in Canada is foreign-born, which helps to make Canadians some of the most tolerant, immigrant-friendly people on Earth, since many residents of Canada are immigrants or have family and friends who are immigrants.

On a related note, people who live in Canada tend to perceive that they have good social support among other Canadians, which is also important for immigrants who are becoming established in their new country.

Thus, if you and your family are seeking happiness in life, you might want to move to Canada!

In March 2017, the Mercer international human resources firm published its annual list of the world’s top cities for quality of life and ranked Vancouver (British Columbia) #5 in the world and #1 in North America, beating #29 San Francisco, #35 Boston, #36 Honolulu, and #44 New York, located in the United States.

Besides #5 Vancouver, other cities in Canada were also rated by the Mercer researchers among the best cities in the world for quality of life in 2017, including #16 Toronto (Ontario), #18 Ottawa (Ontario) and #23 Montreal (Quebec).

It is no surprise that these four Canadian cities are also top destinations for people who immigrate to Canada, since they offer immigrants a high quality of life that is hard to beat.

Mercer evaluated 450 cities worldwide for this study, based on 10 major indicators designed to measure quality of life, and then ranked the top 231 best cities for quality of life in 2017.

One of the goals of this yearly assessment is to provide relevant information to companies around the globe who send employees to work abroad.

This information can also be useful for individuals who are thinking about Canadian immigration or immigration to other countries.

According to Mercer, the world’s top 10 best cities for quality of life in 2017 are: #1 Vienna (Austria); #2 Zurich (Switzerland); #3 Auckland (New Zealand); #4 Munich (Germany); #5 Vancouver (Canada); #6 Dusseldorf (Germany); #7 Frankfurt (Germany); #8 Geneva (Switzerland); #9 Copenhagen (Denmark); and #10 Basel (Switzerland).

As this list reveals, #5 Vancouver was the only non-European city to be included by Mercer in the top 10 best countries for quality of life this year.

If you want to immigrate to Canada and would like to receive an assessment to find out whether you are likely to qualify for one of several Canadian immigration programs, click here!

Are you and your family looking for a higher standard of living and better opportunities in life?

If you answered “Yes” to that question, then you may want to move to Canada!

Why? According to the Best Countries Report 2017, which was published in March 2017, Canada is considered to be the world’s top country for quality of life and the #2 best country overall.

This study was jointly published by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, US News and World Report, and BAV Consulting.

Surveys were administered in 80 countries to around 21,000 people consisting of business leaders, average individuals and “informed elites” who were asked to evaluate countries based on nine key categories: quality of life, citizenship, entrepreneurship, being open for business, cultural influence, power, heritage, and adventure.

Canada was ranked #1 in the world for quality of life in 2017 and when all nine of these categories were taken as a whole, Canada came in second place (behind Switzerland).

The Best Countries Report 2017 found that people who live in Canada tend to enjoy a better quality of life than the residents of such developed countries as Sweden, Denmark, Australia, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and Germany, as well as 70 other countries that were evaluated in this large study.

Of course, the people who live in Canada already know what this large global survey discovered.

They live in one of the most beautiful countries on Earth which has one of the world’s strongest economies and they are among the most prosperous people on the planet.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents receive free healthcare and they have access to a variety of excellent educational opportunities.

People who live in Canada are generally friendly, polite and welcoming of immigrants from around the globe, which makes sense, because a large percentage of the Canadian population is foreign-born.

No wonder 300,000 people from around the globe move to Canada each year!

Canadian immigration has made Canada one the most diverse countries in the world and according to a new government report, this trend is only going to accelerate over the next two decades.

In January 2017, Statistics Canada predicted that immigrants or the children of immigrants will make up approximately 49.9% of the country’s population by the Year 2036, compared with 38.2% in 2011.

Although around 20.7% of the people who currently live in Canada are foreign-born, twenty years in the future immigrants will make up about 30% of the Canadian population, according to the Statistics Canada forecast.

Many of the major source countries for Canadian immigration include China, India and The Philippines.

As a growing number of people from Asia move to Canada, it is expected that around 60% of the Canadian foreign-born population will originate from Asia two decades from now.

Additionally, the report estimates that by 2036, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and other large Canadian metropolitan areas will be home to 90% of all the immigrants who live in Canada.

Toronto, Canada’s most populous city, already has a sizable immigrant population which is predicted to rise to 46-53% during the next 20 years.

These and other large cities tend to attract many people who move to Canada, since they have large ethnic communities, more Canadian employment opportunities and offer a high quality of life.

For example, Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary were ranked among the top five “Most Livable Cities in the World” by The Economist in August 2016.

With the overall population of Canada becoming more multicultural, it is only natural that the country’s workforce will also be more diverse.

According to the Statistics Canada report, around 30-40% of the people who work in Canada in the 15-64 age range will be a member of a visible minority group in 2036.

One of the key drivers of Canadian immigration and the diversification of its population and labor force is the growing shortage of skilled workers across the country.

An increasing number of Canadian workers are retiring and this is making it more difficult for many companies to fill high-demand jobs in Canada.

Consequently, skilled foreign workers with good English or French language skills are being hired for thousands of jobs in Canada that can’t be filled locally.

If you would like to live and work in Canada and want to find out if you are likely to qualify for one of several Canadian immigration programs, click here!

According to the Legatum Prosperity Index 2016, published in November 2016, Canada is the #5 best place to live in the world!

The London-based Legatum Institute assessed 149 countries, rating them on several sub-indexes: business environment; economic quality; education; governance; health; natural environment; personal freedom; safety and security; and social capital.

Each country received a ranking for each of the sub-indexes and was also given an overall ranking.

The Legatum Prosperity Index 2016 reported that “Canada is a consistent prosperity performer, sitting in the top five for eight of the last ten years.”

Only 1^st place New Zealand, 2^nd place Norway, 3^rd place Finland and 4^th place Switzerland were rated higher on the Legatum Prosperity Index 2016 than 5^th place Canada, which was ahead of #6 Australia, #7 Netherlands, #8 Sweden, #9 Denmark, #10 United Kingdom and 139 other countries.

By comparison, Germany was rated #11 overall, the United States was #17, France was #18, Japan was #22, Italy was #32, Brazil was #52, China was #90, Russia was #95, and India was #104 overall on the Legatum Prosperity Index 2016.

On the sub-indexes, the Legatum Institute considered Canada #2 for personal freedom; #3 for business environment; #3 for social capital; #9 for governance; #13 for economic quality; #14 for education; #16 for health; #19 for natural environment; and #22 in the world for safety and security, out of the 149 countries it examined. It is no coincidence that many people who live in countries with repressive governments or high inequality decide to move to Canada so they can experience the freedom, good governance and prosperity that Canadian residents enjoy.

Others who dwell in dangerous parts of the world want to live in Canada so they can have safety, security and stability.

One of the main motivations to move to Canada for many foreign nationals is that Canadian permanent residents have great opportunities to find jobs in Canada or to start their own businesses.

Canadian permanent residents also receive free basic healthcare and have many educational options available to choose from.

Furthermore, people who live in Canada are never far away from amazing scenery, whether in its incredible cities and towns or in the Great Outdoors.

As the Legatum Institute suggests, "prosperity" can be measured by a variety of indicators and on so many different levels, Canadians are among the richest people on the planet.

To find out if you are likely to meet the eligibility criteria for immigration to Canada, click here!

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives published a report in October 2016 which revealed the top cities for women to live in Canada.

This study examined 25 metropolitan areas across Canada and focused on gaps between men and women regarding access to leadership positions, economic security, education, personal security, and health.

Each metropolitan area received a score for these individual factors as well as an overall comparative ranking.

The gender equality index used in the report was based on the gender equality measures developed by the United Nations and the World Economic Forum.

According to The Best and Worst Places to be a Woman in Canada 2016, the top 25 metropolitan areas for women to live in Canada (in terms of the factors examined) are: (1) Victoria (British Columbia); (2) Kingston (Ontario); (3) London (Ontario); (4) Quebec City (Quebec); (5) Gatineau (Quebec); (6) Montreal (Quebec); (7) Sherbrooke (Quebec); (8) St. John’s (Newfoundland and Labrador); (9) Vancouver (British Columbia); (10) Halifax (Nova Scotia); (11) Toronto (Ontario); (12) Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (Ontario); (13) Hamilton (Ontario); (14) Ottawa (Ontario); (15) Abbotsford-Mission (British Columbia); (16) Barrie (Ontario); (17) Kelowna (British Columbia); (18) Regina (Saskatchewan); (19) St. Catharines-Niagara (Ontario); (20) Winnipeg (Ontario); (21) Saskatoon (Saskatchewan); (22) Edmonton (Alberta); (23) Calgary (Alberta); (24) Oshawa (Ontario); and (25) Windsor (Ontario).

For the second year in a row, Victoria, the provincial capital of British Columbia, came in first place as the best city for women to live in Canada, according to this report.

In addition to being ranked #1 overall, Victoria was rated #2 for women in leadership positions; #5 regarding economic security for women; #11 for educational attainment of women; #17 for health; and #18 for security.

Victoria’s strongest factor was leadership positions held by women.

For example, Victoria's mayor and most of the city council are women. The wage gap between men and women is also lower in Victoria than the other Canadian metropolitan areas in the study.

Furthermore, women who live in Victoria have a higher likelihood than men of completing secondary school, college or university.

The percentage of women in Victoria with high school, college or university degrees is also more than men who live in Canada and the Canadian national average.

Although inequality exists in countries around the globe, there are some places where there are higher levels of equality and opportunity for people from various demographic groups, including men and women.

For example, Canada is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, ranked #1 for personal freedom and #1 for tolerance toward immigrants by the 2015 Legatum Prosperity Index.

Women who live in Canada also enjoy one of the highest levels of equality in the world, comparable to women in the United States.

As one of the world’s safest and most prosperous countries, boasting some of the top universities in the world, Canada offers its residents from a variety of backgrounds – women, men and children – the opportunity to experience a high quality of life.

This is a major reason why Canada has one of the best reputations of any country on Earth and why hundreds of thousands of people immigrate to Canada every year.

If you are interested in Canadian immigration and want to receive an expert assessment of your best option to immigrate to Canada, click here!

The Canadian government announced its 2017 plan for immigration to Canada on October 31, 2016.

Starting in 2017, the baseline goal for Canadian immigration will be to issue up to 300,000 people a Permanent Resident (PR) Visa to Canada annually.

This is a significant increase in the previous goal of approximately 260,000 Canadian visas granted annually for permanent residency over the past several years.

For example, the Canadian government reports that an average of 259,542 people were approved for immigration to Canada each year between 2011 and 2015 (248,732 in 2011; 257,809 in 2012; 259,039 in 2013; 260,282 in 2014; and 271,847 in 2015).

A goal of 300,000 Canadian visas for permanent residency was set for 2016, including around 40,000 visas for refugees fleeing the Syrian Civil War.

The large number of Syrian refugees allowed to immigrate to Canada in 2016 was a compassionate response by the Canadian government and people to the emergency situation many Syrian refugees were facing and this partly explains why 300,000 people were authorized to immigrate to Canada in 2016.

What makes the 2017 Canadian immigration goal unique from the 2016 plan (and previous years) is that there is a now a higher baseline goal of at least 300,000 people per year who will be allowed to receive a PR Visa to Canada, up from approximately 250,000-270,000 Canadian visas granted annually during the last five years.

During 2017, up to 172,500 skilled foreign workers (57.5% of the total) will be issued a PR Visa to Canada through various Canadian immigration programs (e.g., Federal Skilled Workers Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Provincial Nominees Program, Caregiver Program, Quebec Skilled Workers and business immigrant programs).

Another 84,000 (28% of the total) spouses, partners, children, parents and grandparents can be sponsored for a PR Visa to Canada in 2017 through Canadian immigration programs designed for families (64,000 visas for spouses, partners and children plus 20,000 visas for parents and grandparents).

The Canadian government also plans to authorize as many as 40,000 (13.3% of the total) refugees and protected persons to immigrate to Canada during 2017.

An additional 3,500 immigrants (1.2% of the total) can be granted a PR Visa to Canada in 2017 through humanitarian programs or for other reasons.

A major motivation for increasing Canadian immigration levels is that many people who live in Canada are getting older and retiring from the labor force.

This is a trend that is expected to continue for several years and, therefore, more skilled foreign workers will be needed to fill thousands of jobs in Canada.

Thus, the 2017 Canadian immigration plan sets a goal to approve 73,700 skilled foreign workers for immigration to Canada through the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).

Another 51,000 “economic immigrants” may be issued a PR Visa to Canada in 2017 through the Provincial Nominees Program (PNP).

Skilled foreign workers who meet the eligibility requirements for one of these three Canadian immigration programs may also be able to apply for Express Entry immigration to Canada.

The predominantly French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec also needs thousands of skilled foreign workers, so 29,300 “economic immigrants” are authorized to receive a PR Visa to Canada in 2017 through the Quebec Skilled Worker and Business programs.

If you and your family would like to live in Canada as permanent residents and want to find out if you are likely to meet the eligibility requirements for Canadian immigration, click here!     

In October 2016, the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and the Environics Institute surveyed 2,000 people who live in Canada regarding their attitudes toward Canadian immigration and immigrants.

A key goal of this research was to find out whether increased immigration to Canada has had a negative impact on the views that Canadians have toward immigrants and Canadian immigration, as has occurred lately with increased immigration to Europe and the United States.

The results of the survey indicate that most people who live in Canada continue to hold a positive view of Canadian immigration and of immigrants, even though immigration to Canada has increased significantly in recent years.

This survey also discovered that 80 percent of Canadians think that people who immigrate to Canada contribute to the country’s economy.

Furthermore, the survey found that the majority of people who live in Canada do not believe that Canadian immigration levels are too high, while 90 percent think that a person who is foreign-born “is just as likely to be a good citizen” as a person born in Canada.

Not only do most people who live in Canada hold positive attitudes toward Canadian immigration and immigrants, but Canada’s government also thinks that immigration is important for the country.

The Canadian government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has declared support for increased immigration to Canada.

In fact, 320,932 people were approved for Canadian immigration between June 2015 and June 2016, which was the highest level of immigration to Canada on record.

Although skilled foreign workers are seen as an asset for the Canadian economy, the Liberal government of Prime Minister Trudeau also considers it important to allow more families and refugees to immigrate to Canada.

Under the current Canadian government, approximately 31,000 refugees fleeing the Syrian Civil War have already been able to immigrate to Canada and the government has been discussing allowing even more refugees to live in Canada as permanent residents.

Nonetheless, the largest numbers of Canadian visas are issued to skilled foreign workers who are needed to fill thousands of high-demand jobs in Canada.

The Canadian government is expected to maintain high levels of immigration to Canada to meet a growing labor shortage as more Canadians retire from the labor force.

Thus, while many countries and governments have taken a negative view toward immigration and immigrants, this survey reveals that Canada continues to be one of the most immigrant-friendly countries in the world.

Consequently, with Canada’s government, businesses and the majority of its population strongly supporting immigration and immigrants, now is a good time to apply for a Canadian visa.

To receive a personalized, professional assessment of your eligibility to apply for a Canadian visa to live in Canada as a permanent resident, click here!

Canada’s government reported a 33.3% increase in Canadian immigration levels during the last fiscal year.

Statistics Canada reported in September 2016 that a record 320,932 people were able to move to Canada through various Canadian immigration programs between June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2016.

This compares to the 240,844 people who were able to immigrate to Canada in fiscal year 2014-2015.

The previous Canadian immigration record occurred in fiscal year 2009-2010 when 270,581 immigrants were able to move to Canada.

Soaring Canadian immigration numbers during the past year pushed Canada’s population up to 36.3 million people (July 2016).

In absolute numbers, Canada’s population increased by 437,815 people overall from Canadian births and immigration to Canada.

Not since fiscal year 1988-1989 has the overall Canadian population grown this much, according to the report.

Sustained immigration to Canada over the years, which is currently at its highest level in around three decades, has made the Canadian population one of the most multicultural in the world, with 20% of all the people who live in Canada foreign-born.

Since immigrants make up a large percentage of the Canadian population, Canada is also known as the world’s most tolerant country and a place where people from various countries, cultures, ethnic groups and religions can feel comfortable.

People who live in Canada generally view immigrants favorably and the Canadian government considers people who immigrate to Canada as an asset to the country.

In fact, Canada’s government set an ambitious goal to boost Canadian immigration levels to 300,000 during 2015-2016, including approving 160,600 skilled foreign workers for a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada.

It is anticipated that when the Canadian immigration plan for 2017 is revealed in November 2016, it will likely call for maintaining high immigration levels, based upon statements made by officials of the Canadian government.

Canada’s government has also been gathering feedback from Canadians over the past several months in order to improve programs for immigration to Canada and, therefore, significant changes to Canadian immigration programs are also expected to be announced in November 2016.

In short, this is a very good time to apply for a visa to Canada.

If you and your family would like to move to Canada and want to find out if you are likely to meet the eligibility for Canadian immigration, click here!

Results of a global survey released in September 2016 reveal that Canada is considered to be the #3 best country to live and work for expats.

The 2016 HSBC Expat Explorer Survey asked over 27,000 people in 190 countries and territories to rate countries based upon 27 indicators that were grouped into three major factors.

Included in the “Experience” factor were the following indicators: property, healthcare, finance, safety, integration, making friends, health, culture, and quality of life.

Canada was rated #3 overall for “Experience” and received particularly high marks for integration, health, finance, and quality of life.

The “Family” factor consisted of these indicators: tolerance, social life, closeness with partner, school quality, childcare quality, overall cost of children, quality of life, health, and integration.

Overall, the survey ranked Canada #5 for “Family” and on the “tolerance” indicator named Canada #1 in the world.

The third major factor in the expat survey was “Economics” which was measured by the following indicators: job security, work/life balance, career progression, politics, entrepreneurship, economic confidence, savings, wage growth, and disposable income.

Canada was assessed to be the 10^th top country in the world for expats in terms of “Economics” and especially in regards to entrepreneurship and politics.

Furthermore, the 2016 HSBC Expat Explorer Survey Country Guide says that people who live in Canada enjoy a “life as sweet as maple syrup.”

(The national symbol of Canada is the maple leaf and the country is famous for its sweet maple syrup, among other attributes.)

The Country Guide also declares, “With a strong economy, magnificent scenery and an excellent social security system, Canada is a dream expat destination.”

In regards to immigration to Canada, the Country Guide states, “the second largest country in the world offers expats a warm welcome and great job opportunities, as long as you meet its strict entry requirements.”

Additionally, the Country Guide calls Canada “a very safe country” and says that many expats want to live in Canada because of “the great quality of life it offers.”

The Canadian cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, which boast the biggest expat populations in Canada, are described as having “multicultural communities that are open-minded and used to rubbing shoulders with people from across the world.”

Some of the best things enjoyed by expats who live in Canada include its low cost of living, great healthcare system, favorable home-ownership policy, excellent education system, and outdoor lifestyle.

As you have read, people who immigrate to Canada have the opportunity to experience a very high standard of living.

This multicultural country is very tolerant of newcomers and wants people from other countries to live and work in Canada to contribute to the Canadian economy and culture.

If you would also like to work in Canada and enjoy the warm, welcoming, high-quality Canadian lifestyle, the authorized immigration consultants who collaborate with Canadian Visa Expert can evaluate your eligibility to immigrate to Canada.

In the event that you are assessed as likely to meet the eligibility requirements for Canadian immigration, the experts who work with Canadian Visa Expert can also provide you with professional guidance throughout the process to apply for a visa to Canada.

To register for your personalized Canadian immigration assessment, click here!   

In August 2016, the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released its annual assessment of the world’s most livable cities and once again named three Canadian cities among the top five best places to live for quality life.

As occurred in 2015 and previous years, the EIU researchers ranked Vancouver as the 3^rd most livable city in the world, followed by #4 Toronto and #5 Calgary (which tied with the Australian city of Adelaide).

Each year, researchers at The Economist examine 140 cities around the globe and give them a “livability” score on a scale of 0 to 100.

Scores are based on five factors: stability, healthcare, culture & environment, education, and infrastructure.

The EIU rated Vancouver #3 in the world for livability with an almost perfect score of 97.3, while #4 Toronto also earned a very high score of 97.2 and #5 Calgary was given 96.6.

By comparison, the #1 most livable city in the world (Melbourne, Australia) had a score of 97.5 and 2^nd place Vienna, Austria, received 97.4 on the EIU livability scale.

Thus, there was only a fraction of a percentage point difference among the top cities.

Although Vancouver received an overall livability score of 97.3, British Columbia’s largest city was given a perfect score of 100 on three out of the five quality of life factors: healthcare, culture & environment, and education.

Vancouver’s stability rating was 95, while it received 92.9 for infrastructure.

Canada’s largest city, Toronto, was given a perfect score of 100 for stability, healthcare and education, while also receiving 97.2 for culture & environment, and 89.3 for infrastructure.

Calgary also obtained perfect scores of 100 for stability, healthcare and education, plus Alberta’s largest city was given a score of 89.1 for culture & environment, and 96.4 for infrastructure.

It is no coincidence that many people who immigrate to Canada choose to live in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary – all of which have large immigrant populations.

These three cities offer a high standard of living, have many job opportunities and are comfortable places for Canadian newcomers to settle.

This high quality of life is not unique to Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary. Canadians are generally some of the most prosperous and immigrant-friendly people on the planet, plus the Canadian government and businesses want more foreign nationals to immigrate to Canada.

Skilled foreign workers are especially needed for many jobs in Canada, but the Canadian government and people also want more families and refugees to live in Canada as well.

For example, approximately 160,000 people are approved to immigrate to Canada each year through Canadian immigration programs designed for skilled foreign workers and their families.

The Canadian government has also brought tens of thousands of refugees fleeing the Syrian Civil War to live in Canada over the past several months.

By the end of 2016, Canada’s government plans to approve around 300,000 people for Canadian immigration through different visa programs.

What do all of these numbers mean?

In short, people who live in Canada enjoy a high standard of living that makes this beautiful country one of the top destinations for immigrants looking for better opportunities in life.

If you would like to live in Canada, perhaps in one of the most livable cities in the world, the authorized Canadian immigration consultants who work with Canadian Visa Expert can evaluate your eligibility to apply for a visa.

Clients who qualify can also receive personalized assistance through each step of the Canadian immigration process.

To learn more, click here!      

People who immigrate to Canada not only receive many benefits from their new country, but they also contribute to Canadian society in a variety of ways.

In June 2016, Canadian Immigrant magazine and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) honored 25 extraordinary immigrants who have made a positive impact on the country.

People who live in Canada nominated immigrants whom they thought were making a significant difference in the country and then Canadians voted on the 75 finalists who had been selected from all of the nominations by a panel of judges.

Winners of the “2016 Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards” were announced in ceremonies held in Toronto on June 21^st and in Vancouver on June 23, 2016, and received a nice plaque plus a $500 contribution to their preferred Canadian charity.

One of these Canadian immigration success stories belongs to Leen Al Zaibak, who was able to move to Canada from Syria with her family when she was a little girl.

In addition to being named as one of the top 25 Canadian immigrants for 2016, she was also honored as the Torontonian of the Year in 2015.

After immigration to Canada, she went on to earn her Master’s Degree in International Relations and has been very active in helping Syrian refugees and other immigrants get settled in Canada.

She also helps Syrian children have the opportunity to attend university and facilitates Syrian refugee children living in different countries to receive an education.

According to Leen Al Zaibak, “We all came from somewhere and it is our responsibility as members of the human race to always help others who deserve the same rights and quality of life we are so fortunate to enjoy here in Canada.”

When Harjit Sajjan was only five years of age, he and his family were approved to immigrate to Canada from India.

After growing up in British Columbia, Harjit Sajjan joined the Canadian Armed Forces and rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel before being appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Canada’s Defence Minister at the end of 2015.

For his accomplishments and contributions to Canada’s national security, Harjit Sajjan was honored as one of the top 25 Canadian immigrants of 2016.

Twenty-five years ago, Josephine Etowa immigrated to Canada from Nigeria.

As a single mother, she benefitted from Canada’s excellent education system, earning bachelors and master’s degrees as well as a PhD in nursing.

As a professor at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Josephine Etowa has conducted research on healthcare inequality and given back to her new country by working to improve the healthcare system in Canada and internationally, especially for disadvantaged populations, plus she mentors new nurses.

Her efforts to make Canada and the world a better place to live did not go unnoticed, as she was among the top 25 immigrants to be recognized by RBC and Canadian Immigrant magazine this year.

These are just a few examples of the many people who immigrate to Canada, become successful and help to make this multicultural country one of the most desired places to live on the planet.

If you and your family would like to move to Canada and write your own Canadian immigration success story, click here!

According to information released in June 2016 by the Canadian government, immigrants now hold 25% of all jobs in Canada.

Furthermore, data provided by Statistics Canada reveals that the number of jobs in Canada held by immigrants has been growing steadily over time.

During the past decade, the share of foreign-born people who work in Canada has increased significantly from 20% in 2006 to 21% in 2011, 22% in 2014 and 25% in 2016.

In fact, the Canadian government also reported that there were 261,000 more jobs in Canada held by immigrants during May 2016 than there were in May 2015.

Thus, while immigrants account for one out of every five people who live in Canada, they now account for one out of every four people who work in Canada.

As increasing numbers of Canadian workers retire from the labor force, it is expected that a larger proportion of the jobs in Canada will be filled by immigrants.

Some experts believe that Canada has already reached a “tipping point” in which skilled foreign workers will increasingly be needed to replace older Canadians who retire, as well as to fill new jobs in Canada.

Canada’s government and businesses want to keep the economy growing strong and, therefore, several Canadian immigration programs have been created in order to attract talent from outside of the country.

If you and your family want to live and work in Canada, the time is right to apply for Canadian immigration.

To find out if you are likely to qualify for Express Entry immigration to Canada, click here! 

In June 2016, the Conference Board of Canada reported that four Canadian provinces are expected to have especially strong economic growth in 2016: British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.

The Canadian think-tank forecasts that British Columbia will likely lead the rest of Canada in economic growth in 2016 and 2017, with the province’s economy predicted to grow by an impressive 3% annually during the next two years, fueled by the construction, forestry, real estate and transportation sectors.

Vancouver, the largest city in British Columbia, is currently enjoying its lowest unemployment rate in seven years, at just 5.7 percent.

Ontario is also anticipated to experience a robust 2.8% increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during 2016 and 2.6% GDP growth in 2017, driven largely by the automobile industry.

Agriculture and services are forecast to boost Manitoba’s continued economic expansion by a healthy 2.1% in 2016 and 2.6% during the following year.

For the past several years, Manitoba has consistently had one of the lowest unemployment rates of any Canadian province or territory and this has attracted thousands of workers seeking jobs in Canada to move to Manitoba.

According to Statistics Canada, Manitoba boasted the lowest unemployment rate in Canada during May 2016 at only 5.9 percent, compared to the overall unemployment rate for Canada of 6.9 percent.

Meanwhile, expansion in the manufacturing and housing sectors is predicted to help Prince Edward Island to experience a 2.3% GDP growth in 2016, followed by 1.7% economic growth in 2017.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published a report on June 13, 2016, which said that the Canadian economy has seen a recent shift from an emphasis on natural resources to other business sectors and this has helped Canada to balance against the drop in global oil prices.

This readjustment in the Canadian economy has benefited provinces such as British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island, where thousands of new jobs in Canada are being created in construction, manufacturing and other business sectors.

Therefore, if you want to apply for jobs in Canada, you might consider moving to one of these four Canadian provinces where strong economic growth is generating excellent employment opportunities.

Data recently released by the Pew Research Center in May 2016 reveals that immigration to Canada has seen major changes over the past several years.

In the past, the largest number of people to immigrate to Canada came from European countries (such the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany) as well as from the United States.

As of 1990, for example, the #1 source country for immigrants living in Canada was the UK (690,000), followed by #2 Italy (340,000), #3 United States (240,000) and #4 Hong Kong, with Germany (170,000), China (170,000) and India (170,000) tied for 5^th place.

During the last decade, however, Canada has become an even more diverse democracy, with people from Asian countries now accounting for the biggest groups that have been approved for Canadian immigration.

The Pew Research Center (May 2016) reports that as of 2015, people originating from China were the biggest immigrant group in Canada (710,000), followed by #2 India (620,000), #3 United Kingdom (610,000), #4 The Philippines (550,000), and #5 United States (340,000).

Thus, while Canada was initially colonized and settled by European powers, such as the British and French, the Canadian population in 2016 has become one of the most multicultural in the world.

Canada’s increasingly cosmopolitan character reflects a global trend, in which millions of people from around the globe are moving to countries where they can find better opportunities for employment and a brighter future.

According to Trends in International Migration, 2015, published by the United Nations in December 2015, there are 244 million people living outside of their home country, with individuals born in Asian countries such as India, China, Bangladesh and The Philippines accounting for almost half of all international migrants living abroad.

The UN report (2015) also states that the majority of the 244 million international migrants are working age (median age 39 years-old).

Consequently, it is not surprising that thousands of skilled foreign workers from India, China, The Philippines and many other countries across the planet are choosing to immigrate to Canada which is one of the world's top immigration destinations, according to the UN's International Migration Report 2015, published in 2016.

Canadian immigration offers skilled foreign workers excellent career options, particularly since there is an ongoing shortage of qualified workers to fill thousands of jobs in Canada.

People who live in Canada also enjoy one of the highest standards of living on Earth in one of the planet’s most prosperous and peaceful countries.

Regardless of which country you were born in or where you are living now, Canadian immigration can open the door to a world of possibilities for you and your family.

To find out if you are likely to meet the eligibility requirements for immigration to Canada, click here! 

A key reason to apply for Canadian immigration is that there are many jobs in Canada available for eligible skilled foreign workers in a variety of occupations.

Some of these high-demand jobs in Canada require a university degree, while others need post-secondary training, such as from a trade/vocational school, community college, apprenticeship, etc.

In addition to having many Canadian employment opportunities, jobs in Canada also tend to pay well. According to Canada’s Best Jobs 2016, published April 28, 2016, several professions and skilled trades in Canada have excellent salaries and job growth potential.

Here are just some of the top 100 jobs in Canada for 2016 along with their median salaries:

• Audiologist and Speech Language Pathologist = $83,200 per year

• Chemical Engineer = $84,989 per year

• Civil Engineer = $80,080 per year

• Construction Manager = $79,997 per year

• Elementary School/Kindergarten Teacher = $74,277 per year

• Financial Manager = $97,074 per year

• Healthcare Manager = $89,440 per year

• Human Resources Manager = $83,200 per year

• Occupational Therapist = $78,395 per year

• Pharmacist = $99,840 per year

• Pipefitter and Sprinkler Installer = $70,720 per year

• Psychologist = $79,997 per year

• Registered Nurse = $74,880 per year

• Software Engineer = $88,005 per year

• University Professor = $87,277 per year

Keep in mind that the median salary is half-way between the lowest salary and highest salary, plus many factors can influence how much money a worker earns (e.g., education, experience, skills, business sector, company size and resources, location of the company, etc.).

Thus, some people who work in Canada may earn more than the median salary and others less.

These examples are used simply to illustrate that jobs in Canada often have good salaries.

Nonetheless, consider this: If the median salary for a Canadian kindergarten teacher or elementary school teacher is $74,277 per year ($6,189.75 per month), how much might you earn if you work in Canada?

Skilled foreign workers who want to live and work in Canada must be issued either a temporary work visa or a permanent resident visa to Canada.

A Canadian temporary work visa allows a foreign worker to live and work in Canada for a limited period of time.

Major advantages of a permanent resident visa to Canada include being authorized to live and work in Canada long-term; sponsor eligible family members for Canadian permanent residency; free basic healthcare; access to excellent educational options; and the possibility to apply for Canadian citizenship after living in Canada four years and meeting other criteria.

The Canadian government has established several programs for “economic immigrants” and their families who want to live and work in Canada long-term.

Examples include the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and Provincial Nominees Program (PNP).

Each of these Canadian immigration programs has its own eligibility requirements and also qualifies for Express Entry to Canada.

To find out if you are likely to qualify as an “economic immigrant” for Express Entry immigration to Canada, click here!

A new study conducted by Statistics Canada reports that immigrants are starting new Canadian companies at a higher rate than people who were born in Canada.

The Canadian government report, published in March 2016, says that 5.3 percent of immigrants have established their own business nine years after they move to Canada. This compares to 4.8 percent of individuals born in Canada who own their own Canadian companies.

Furthermore, the Statistics Canada research reveals that an additional 19.6 percent of immigrants become unincorporated self-employed people after they move to Canada, compared with 16.1 percent of those born in Canada.

The study also found that people who immigrate to Canada start businesses at different rates, depending on the Canadian immigration program they were approved for.

Thus, 15 percent of the main applicants approved to immigrate to Canada through the Business Class Canadian visa program have established their own incorporated businesses in Canada, versus 6.2 percent of skilled foreign workers approved for Canadian immigration through an “economic immigrant” program or 4.3 percent of foreign-born business owners who move to Canada through the Family Class program.

According to the report, most of the companies created by people who immigrate to Canada are in certain sectors of the Canadian economy, such as: accommodation, construction, food services, professional services, retail, scientific/technical services, transportation or warehousing.

Not only are many immigrants establishing their own companies after they move to Canada, but they are also creating new Canadian employment opportunities across the country.

These new jobs in Canada benefit both Canadian-born and foreign-born workers, all of which helps to stimulate Canada’s economy.

Whether you choose to start your own business or want to find good-paying Canadian employment, you and your family can enjoy a high standard of living if you immigrate to Canada.

To find out which Canadian immigration program you are eligible to apply for, click here! 

A new study conducted by Statistics Canada reports that immigrants are starting new Canadian companies at a higher rate than people who were born in Canada.

The Canadian government report, published in March 2016, says that 5.3 percent of immigrants have established their own business nine years after they move to Canada. This compares to 4.8 percent of individuals born in Canada who own their own Canadian companies.

Furthermore, the Statistics Canada research reveals that an additional 19.6 percent of immigrants become unincorporated self-employed people after they move to Canada, compared with 16.1 percent of those born in Canada.

The study also found that people who immigrate to Canada start businesses at different rates, depending on the Canadian immigration program they were approved for.

Thus, 15 percent of the main applicants approved to immigrate to Canada through the Business Class Canadian visa program have established their own incorporated businesses in Canada, versus 6.2 percent of skilled foreign workers approved for Canadian immigration through an “economic immigrant” program or 4.3 percent of foreign-born business owners who move to Canada through the Family Class program.

According to the report, most of the companies created by people who immigrate to Canada are in certain sectors of the Canadian economy, such as: accommodation, construction, food services, professional services, retail, scientific/technical services, transportation or warehousing.

Not only are many immigrants establishing their own companies after they move to Canada, but they are also creating new Canadian employment opportunities across the country.

These new jobs in Canada benefit both Canadian-born and foreign-born workers, all of which helps to stimulate Canada’s economy.

Whether you choose to start your own business or want to find good-paying Canadian employment, you and your family can enjoy a high standard of living if you immigrate to Canada.

To find out which Canadian immigration program you are eligible to apply for, click here! 

In March 2016, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network released its annual report on the happiest countries in the world and ranked Canada as the 6^th happiest place on the planet for 2016.

The UN researchers surveyed 3,000 people in 157 countries and asked them to rate their level of happiness on a scale ranging from zero to ten, with 10 being the highest level of happiness and zero considered the lowest happiness score.

Certain "happiness factors” were also assessed, including life expectancy, per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP), freedom to make life choices, social support, freedom from corruption, and generosity.

Canada came in sixth place in the UN global happiness survey with an overall score of 7.404 out of 10.

By comparison, #1 Denmark received the highest happiness score of 7.526, followed by #2 Switzerland (score = 7.509), #3 Iceland (score = 7.501), #4 Norway (score = 7.498) and #5 Finland (score = 7.413). Included with Canada in the world's top 10 happiest countries were #7 Netherlands (score = 7.339), #8 New Zealand (score = 7.334), #9 Australia (score = 7.313) and #10 Sweden (score = 7.291).

According to researchers, sense of well-being (i.e., happiness) is associated with worry and, therefore, the happiest people tend to be those who worry the least (or have the least to worry about). Consequently, Canadians are among the happiest people on Earth because they enjoy one of the highest standards of living on Earth and, in general, don’t have to worry about many of the things that preoccupy the thoughts of much of the world’s population.

For example, people who live in Canada can generally expect to live long lives of good health in the world’s 7^th safest country where basic healthcare is free. Canadians are also the 6^th wealthiest people in the world, plus they live in the #1 country for personal freedom, the #9 least corrupt country on Earth, and are the 3^rd most generous people on the planet. These are the same happiness factors that the UN researchers and others have linked with a sense of well-being.

Therefore, if you are seeking happiness in life, you should consider moving to Canada. To learn more about your Canadian immigration options, click here!

On March 8, 2016, the Canadian government announced its 2016 goals for immigration to Canada, which significantly increase the planned number of foreign nationals to be approved for Canadian permanent residency during 2016 to 300,000.

Most of the 300,000 people who will be approved for immigration to Canada through various Canadian immigration programs this year will be skilled foreign workers who can contribute to Canada’s economy.

John McCallum, the Canadian immigration minister, declared that the 2016 immigration plan “outlines a significant shift in immigration policy toward reuniting more families, building our economy and upholding Canada's humanitarian tradition to resettle refugees and offer protection to those in need.”

According to the 2016 Canadian immigration plan, 160,600 “economic immigrants” can be issued a Permanent Resident (PR) Visa to Canada through various programs designed for skilled foreign workers, such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Program and Provincial Nominees Program (PNP).

Skilled foreign workers who meet the eligibility requirements for the FSWP, FSTP, CEC and PNP Canadian immigration programs may also be able to apply for Express Entry to Canada.

A greater emphasis has been placed on reuniting families in Canada and, therefore, the 2016 Canadian immigration plan authorizes 80,000 foreign nationals to be granted a PR Visa to Canada through the Family Class immigration category.

This includes 60,000 Canadian visas for spouses, partners or dependent children and 20,000 permanent resident visas to Canada for parents and grandparents.

The new Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also increased the number of refugees to be issued a PR Visa to Canada to 55,800 this year, with an additional 3,600 people authorized to immigrate to Canada under the Humanitarian category.

As of the end of February 2016, Canada has already welcomed over 25,000 refugees fleeing the civil war in Syria and these new Canadian permanent residents are now in the early stages of starting new lives in one of the world’s most peaceful countries.

Although Canada’s government has increased the overall number of people that it hopes to grant Canadian permanent residency status to during 2016, there is a limit to the number of people who can be issued a PR Visa to Canada through each of the various Canadian immigration programs.

Therefore, it is important to begin the Canadian immigration procedure as soon as possible in order to take advantage of this great opportunity now available to people around the world who want to immigrate to Canada.

If you and your family would like to live and work in Canada and want to find out which specific Canadian immigration program you are most likely to qualify for, click here!

According to a new report released by the Conference Board of Canada on March 3, 2016, Vancouver is forecast to have the fastest growing economy of any Canadian city during 2016.

The "Metropolitan Outlook: Winter 2016" report predicts that Vancouver’s economy will enjoy an impressive 3.3% growth in real GDP during 2016, boosted by the construction, manufacturing, services, transportation and warehousing business sectors.

This will make 2016 the third consecutive year that Vancouver has experienced real GDP growth of 3% or higher.

This is good news for people who want to live and work in Canada in the Vancouver area, since 26,600 new Canadian jobs are expected to be created in Vancouver this year.

The Conference Board of Canada further reported that other cities in British Columbia are also likely to have strong economic growth in 2016.

For example, the Abbotsford-Mission area southeast of Vancouver is anticipated to have 2.8% real GDP growth this year, while British Columbia’s provincial capital of Victoria is forecast to have real GDP growth of 2.3% during 2016.

Several additional Canadian cities are expected to have healthy economic growth this year, according to the "Metropolitan Outlook: Winter 2016" report.

For example, strong growth in real GDP is forecast in 2016 for Halifax (2.9 percent); Toronto (2.8 percent); Winnipeg (2.5 percent); Montreal (2.3 percent); Hamilton (2.2 percent); and Quebec City (2.0 percent).

Many of the new Canadian jobs being generated in these and other cities across Canada are being filled by skilled foreign workers who have the education, job skills and other qualifications that are in high-demand by Canadian employers.

Therefore, if you and your family would like to live and work in Canada, you may want to consider seeking Canadian jobs in Vancouver, Halifax, Toronto, Montreal or other cities experiencing the strongest economic growth and best employment opportunities.

To find out if you are likely to qualify for Express Entry immigration to Canada as a skilled foreign worker, click here! 

Canada’s new Liberal government, led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has accomplished its goal to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada by the end of February 2016.

On February 27, 2016, the 25,000^th refugee fleeing the Syrian Civil War arrived at the airport in Montreal to start a new life in Canada as a Canadian permanent resident.

“This is a terrific day for us,” John McCallum, Canada’s Immigration Minister, declared at a press conference.

He stated further, “We have reached a significant milestone, but the work continues as we begin to integrate Syrian refugees into our communities.

Canadians from coast to coast will have a hand in welcoming, integrating and contributing to the success of our newest community members.”

Unlike the skilled foreign workers who immigrate to Canada as permanent residents through the Express Entry Canadian immigration system and have good English and/or French language abilities, the majority of the 25,080 Syrian refugees who have arrived in Canada so far do not know English or French (most speak Arabic).

Thus, one of the first important tasks for these Canadian newcomers is to learn English or French as soon as possible so they can more quickly get fully settled in their new country.

Part of the Canadian government’s settlement plan for the thousands of Syrian refugees who immigrate to Canada includes providing English or French classes for them in the communities where they live in Canada.

Canada’s government has asked Canadians to help the Syrian refugees find jobs in Canada and to feel at home in their new country.

Thus far, Canadians have welcomed the refugees with open arms.

This is not surprising since Canada is a multicultural country in which one out of every five Canadian residents is foreign-born.

In fact, the 2015 Legatum Prosperity Index declared Canada to be the world's #1 most immigrant-friendly country, with 92% of Canadians indicating that they are tolerant toward newcomers to Canada and saying that they think Canada is a good place for immigrants and for ethnic minorities.

While much work remains to help these 25,080 Syrian refugees adjust to living in Canada as new permanent residents, the Canadian government is moving forward with plans to relocate thousands of additional Syrian refugees to the safety of Canada.

The goal is to bring a total of 35,000-50,000 people fleeing the conflict in Syria to live in Canada by the end of 2016.

Approximately 250,000 people from around the world immigrate to Canada each year.

Most of the individuals approved for Canadian immigration do not arrive as refugees, but rather move to Canada as “economic immigrants” who already know English and/or French and have the education and work experience needed to fill high-demand jobs in Canada.

Skilled foreign workers who meet the eligibility requirements to immigrate to Canada through the Express Entry system are in a strong position to work in Canada in their occupation and to quickly adjust to living in their new country as Canadian permanent residents.

If you and your family would like to find out if you are likely to qualify for Express Entry immigration to Canada, click here!   

Five Canadian cities have been listed among the top 50 cities for quality of life in 2016 by the Mercer international human resources firm, with Vancouver ranked #5 in the world and #1 in North America.

In addition to Vancouver’s impressive rating, Mercer also considered Toronto the #15 top city on Earth for quality of life in 2016, with Ottawa #17, Montreal #23 and Calgary #32 out of the 230 cities evaluated around the globe.

For the past 18 years, Mercer researchers have assessed and ranked cities based on various “quality of life” indicators, such as their political and social environment; economic environment; socio-cultural environment; medical and health considerations; schools and education; public services and transportation; recreation; consumer goods; housing; and natural environment.

During the last several years, Vancouver and other Canadian cities have been listed among the best places on the planet to live in the annual Mercer rankings.  

According to the 2016 Mercer report, “Quality of Living remains high in North America, where Canadian cities dominate the top of the list.”

The survey further declared, “Canadian cities all rank high for personal safety, with Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver sharing 16th place, whereas no US cities make the top 50.”

If you and your family would like to live in Canada and enjoy the high standard of living found in Canadian cities, our Immigration Consultants that we work with can evaluate your relevant details and inform you about your best option for immigration to Canada.

To receive your personalized, professional Canadian immigration assessment, click here!  

A 20-year-old Canadian university student in Nova Scotia has won “Canada’s Luckiest Student” competition and been awarded amazing prizes worth $100,000.

Students from Canadian universities, colleges, and high schools participated in the contest, which was sponsored by the StudentLife Network, and Alex van der Valk from St. Mary’s University in Halifax was selected as the lucky winner.

Since August 2015, she had been successfully completing various online challenges as part of the nationwide student competition.

In January 2016, this lucky Canadian university student was notified that she was randomly chosen as “Canada’s Luckiest Student” and would receive prizes totaling $100,000.

Her prizes include a check for $20,000 from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC); a brand new car; free university tuition for one year; a $5,000 shopping spree for clothes; free groceries for the next twelve months; a European vacation; and concerts worth $4,000.

When Alex van der Valk was informed that she won this incredible contest, she said she couldn’t believe it.

One of her professors at St. Mary’s University was not surprised, however, saying that the student works hard both inside and outside the classroom.

The 20-year-old student said that she plans on using some of the prize money to do nice things for her friends who supported her during the competition.

Canada has a top-rated education system, including several of the best universities in the world.

In fact, the Legatum Institute considered Canada to have the #2 best education system on Earth in 2015.

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2015-2016 ranked the University of Toronto as the world’s 19th best institution of higher education; the University of British Columbia was rated #34; and McGill University came in 38th place in the global rankings.

Other respected rankings of universities around the planet have also listed Canadian universities among the top 100 in the world.

One of the advantages of Canadian immigration is access to Canada’s world-class education system and the great career options a higher education can provide.

For example, a 2015 study found that over 84% of children born to people who immigrate to Canada will receive a post-secondary Canadian education.

Whether you are looking for educational opportunities for yourself or for your family, immigration to Canada provides many possibilities for a better life.

To learn about your best Canadian immigration option, click here!

According to a survey of 16,000 people around the globe conducted by US News & World Report, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and BAV Consulting, Canada is ranked as the #2 best country in the world for 2016, after #1 Germany and ahead of #3 United Kingdom, #4 United States, #5 Sweden, #6 Australia, #7 Japan, #8 France, #9 Netherlands, and #10 Denmark.

This large survey conducted in four regions of the Earth measured 65 country characteristics which were grouped into nine major categories: adventure, citizenship, cultural influence, entrepreneurship, heritage, open for business, movers, power, and quality of life. Countries received a score and ranking for each major category as well as an overall ranking.

“Adventure” examined to what extent a country has a nice climate and is considered fun, friendly and beautiful. On this category, Canada was rated #15 in the world.

“Citizenship” measured such issues as gender equality, how much a country cares about the environment and human rights, the level of religious freedom, trustworthiness, how progressive the country is, distribution of political power, and respect for property rights. On these factors, Canada came in 2^nd place.

“Cultural Influence” investigated whether a country is perceived as possessing a modern, happy, fashionable, trendy, prestigious culture, with culturally significant entertainment. Canada was listed as #11 in this category.

“Entrepreneurship” looked at how well-educated a country’s population is, its technological expertise, the skills of its workforce, its level of innovation and entrepreneurship, how easy it is to access capital, how developed its infrastructure and legal framework are, and the transparency of business practices. Canada was ranked #5 in the world for having conditions favorable for starting a business.

Canada placed 29^th for “Heritage” which involved such items as the number of cultural attractions, good food, and having a rich history.

“Movers” measured how dynamic, unique, or distinctive a country is considered to be. On this topic, Canada ranked #34 in the world.

The “Open for Business” category focused on a country’s bureaucracy, whether its tax environment was favorable, the level of corruption, transparency of governmental practices, and how cheap the cost of manufacturing is. According to this survey, Canada is the #3 best country for businesses to operate in.

“Power” evaluated the global leadership of a country, the strength of its military and international alliances, and its economic and political influence around the world. On this measure, Canada came in 11^th place.

Canada was ranked #1 in the world for “Quality of Life” which assessed to what extent a country is affordable, family friendly, economically and politically stable, boasts a good job market, and possesses a well-developed public health system and education system.

Thus, while Canada received respectable ratings in all nine of the key categories of this global survey, it was particularly perceived as having the #1 highest quality of life on Earth and being among the top places on the planet for citizenship and business.

As this survey reveals, people who live in Canada enjoy a high standard of living in a scenic country which guarantees freedoms and offers great educational, employment and entrepreneurial options.

These and many other factors have helped to make Canada one of the most popular immigration destinations for skilled foreign workers and their families.

If you want to live in Canada and want to learn more about Canadian immigration, click here!  

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and expressed optimism about the future, declaring that, “There has never been a better time to look to Canada.”

In his inspiring speech made in English and French on January 20, 2016, the newly-elected prime minister of Canada spoke with confidence about being Canadian and promoted the virtues of the diversity and resourcefulness of the people who live and work in Canada.

Speaking with a fresh, positive perspective, the youthful Canadian leader expressed pride in Canada, declaring, “We have a diverse and creative population, outstanding education and healthcare systems, and advanced infrastructure.

We have social stability, financial stability and a government willing to invest in the future.”

He also explained that there is a relationship between Canada’s diversity and its creativity, telling his audience, “Diversity isn’t just sound social policy. Diversity is the engine of invention.

It generates creativity that enriches the world. We know this in Canada.”

The Canadian leader pointed out that while Canada is famous for its abundant natural resources, he wants people around the world to know Canada for the resourcefulness of its people.

Prime Minister Trudeau mentioned the University of Waterloo as an example of how Canadian diversity contributes to the innovation and resourcefulness of people who live and work in Canada.

He said that the well-respected Canadian university, which is located in Ontario, has a large number of international students who bring with them different ideas which foster innovation and make Waterloo University graduates a valuable asset, particularly for high-tech firms in Canada and the US Silicon Valley.

Canada’s popular prime minister also told the gathering of global leaders and international media, “Canadians are remarkably confident. We believe in progress. And we are willing to work very, very hard to make it happen.”

The confident optimism expressed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a common Canadian cultural characteristic that many people find very attractive.

Canada is a prosperous, progressive, multicultural country where people from different regions of the Earth come together and celebrate diversity as an individual and national strength.

Canadians have the opportunity to work hard and enjoy the freedom to create for themselves a high quality of life that is envied around the globe.

Would you like to live and work in Canada and experience this incredible, optimistic, multicultural society that values diversity and welcomes immigrants from all over the world?

As the Canadian prime minister declared, “There has never been a better time to look to Canada!”

In January 2016, the Canadian province of Manitoba announced that it will be inviting skilled foreign workers to conduct “exploratory visits” to the province as part of its Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP).

The exploratory visit is “by invitation only” and is one way for skilled foreign workers to establish a “connection” to Manitoba, which is a key eligibility requirement for immigration to Canada through the MPNP.

Other key criteria for the points-based MPNP include being between the ages of 21 and 45; having at least two years of full-time paid work experience within the past five years in an eligible occupation; possessing valid results from an authorized English or French evaluation test (such as the IELTS or TEF) taken within the past two years in which a score equivalent to at least CLB-6 was received; possessing a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree that took at least one year to obtain; and meeting other criteria.

Skilled foreign workers who would like to receive an invitation for an exploratory visit to Manitoba must send an email with their CV and IELTS or TEF test results to the MPNP while the 2016 exploratory visit intake period is still open.

After reviewing the skilled foreign worker’s details, the Manitoba provincial government may then extend an invitation to travel to Manitoba for an exploratory visit and provide the applicant with more details about the MPNP procedure.

During the MPNP exploratory visit, the skilled foreign worker will have an opportunity to visit cities like Winnipeg and other communities in Manitoba to look for potential places to live and work in Canada as a permanent resident, plus they will have a scheduled interview to meet personally with MPNP officials.

In short, the exploratory visit gives the skilled foreign worker a chance to assess if they think they will want to live and work in Manitoba and it also helps the MPNP officials to evaluate whether they believe the skilled foreign worker will be able to contribute to the province’s booming economy.

If officials in Manitoba consider the skilled foreign worker to be a good candidate for the MPNP, they may issue a provincial nomination which can allow them to apply to the Canadian national government for a permanent resident visa to Canada.

Why does Manitoba’s provincial government want skilled foreign workers to immigrate to Canada and settle in Manitoba?

The same major reason that thousands of skilled foreign workers and Canadian citizens also want to move to Manitoba – jobs!

Manitoba has one of the strongest economies of any Canadian province or territory, plus it has boasted one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada month after month for the past several years.

Thus, many people who are looking for jobs in Canada want to move to Manitoba where there are excellent employment opportunities.

Manitoba’s provincial government and businesses are also seeking qualified workers to help keep the economy growing.

In other words, there is a “win-win situation” in Manitoba that has many benefits for skilled foreign workers and their families, for companies in Manitoba, and for the province as a whole.

If you would like to find out if you are likely to qualify for the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) or one of several other Canadian immigration programs, click here!

On January 16, 2016, the New York Times published an article that seems to have stirred up a bit of a debate about Canada, entitled, “With the Rise of Justin Trudeau, Canada Is Suddenly ... Hip?”

The article basically argued that Canada is “cool” now that it has a young, good looking liberal Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, as well as a host of “hip” Canadian celebrities.

Popular singers such as Justin Bieber, Drake, and Tory Lanez are listed along with famous actors including Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, and movie director Xavier Dolan as just some of examples of the many “cool” Canadians who are making their mark in global pop culture today.

These and several other Canadian “hipsters” are offered as a stark contrast to old stereotypes about people who live in Canada.

The article is obviously written from an American viewpoint, as expressed in such statements as, “the notion that our neighbor to the north is a frozen cultural wasteland populated with hopelessly unstylish citizens is quickly becoming so outdated as to be almost offensive.”

What has been debated since the article was published is not so much about whether or not the examples of Canadian “coolness” are indeed “hip” or not, but instead mainly focuses on whether Canada has only now become “cool” or if Canada has been “cool” for quite some time, even if just recently recognized by its Superpower neighbor to the south (i.e., the United States).

Although Canada is larger than the USA, it has long existed in the “shadow” of its “big brother” below, which boasts the world’s strongest economy, most powerful military and whose culture has permeated much of the planet.

In other words, the measure of Canada’s “coolness” has frequently been made in comparison with the USA and, as is often the case, as defined by Americans.

Perhaps, however, Canadians have been “cool” all along and many Americans and others around the globe are only now realizing this.

Terms like “cool” and “hip” are, of course, rather subjective terms; after all, there are various ways to define what is “cool” and these evaluations often involve individual value judgments about what is important in life.

Rather than take sides in this debate, the following facts about Canada will be offered and you can decide for yourself whether YOU think it is “cool” to be a Canadian.

For example, do you think it is “cool” that:

Canadians are the 6th most prosperous people on the planet?

Canadians receive free basic healthcare?

Canada is one of the most multicultural countries on Earth?

Canada is ranked #1 in the world for personal freedom?

Canada has the #1 best reputation of any country on the map?

Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary are among the top 5 “most livable cities” in the world?

Canadians are some of the most compassionate people on the planet?

Canada is one of the most beautiful countries on Earth?

Montreal hosts one of the top international jazz festivals each year?

Toronto holds one of the premier annual international film festivals?

The UN considers Canadians to be the 5^th happiest people in the world?

Canada is ranked as the 7^th most peaceful country on the planet?

Canadian tap water is some of the cleanest drinking water in the world?

Individuals who live in Canada are among the world’s most educated people?

Canadians have one of the longest lifespans on the planet?

Canada is among the top 10 countries for freedom of the press?

Over 250,000 people immigrate to Canada annually?

Permanent residents of Canada can apply for citizenship in as little as four years?

The Canadian government wants more skilled foreign workers to move to Canada?

Immigrants are considered one of Canada's greatest assets?

So, do YOU think it would be “cool” to be a Canadian?

If you answered “yes” to this question, you may want to consider immigration to Canada!

To learn more about your Canadian immigration options, click here!  

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario is steadily becoming a key Canadian high-tech hub which is growing in importance as Canada seeks to diversify its economy.

For many years, the Canadian economy has placed a strong emphasis on its abundant natural resources, such as oil, natural gas, timber and metals.

This has produced great wealth for Canada in general, and benefitted the western Canadian provinces and territories in particular.

A recent drop in global oil prices, however, has demonstrated the need for Canada not to “place all its eggs in one basket” in terms of relying so heavily on prosperity produced from oil and other natural resources.

Thus, the balance of economic power in Canada is starting to shift away from a heavy reliance on oil extracted from western provinces such as Alberta and Saskatchewan and move more toward boosting other sectors of the Canadian economy, such as high-technology which continues to flourish.

Over the past several years, Canada’s high-tech industry has been concentrating in Toronto and neighboring cities in Ontario.

In fact, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is considered to be a top high-tech hub, right along with California’s Silicon Valley, Boston, Seattle and Washington, DC, in the United States.

In January 2016, Google opened its new engineering headquarters in the Toronto suburb of Kitchener, while Cisco Systems recently opened its new Innovation Centre in downtown Toronto.

Blackberry also has its headquarters in the GTA, plus there are hundreds of high-tech startup companies centered around Toronto.

The high-tech firms of the Toronto area are helping to create many good-paying jobs in Canada.

For example, construction workers have found employment opportunities building these new high-tech centers (e.g., for Google and Cisco Systems in Ontario), plus IT professionals (e.g., software developers, engineers, etc.) and other skilled workers (e.g., human resource, finance, marketing, management, etc.), have been hired to work at these technology companies after their new facilities have been built.

Now is a good time for skilled foreign workers in the high-tech industry to seek jobs in Canada due to an ongoing labor shortage in the country which has also helped salaries to soar.

While the largest number of tech jobs in Canada are found in the Toronto area, Ottawa (Ontario), Quebec and British Columbia are also key hubs of the Canadian high-tech scene with great employment opportunities.

Many additional occupations in the medical, financial, education, construction and other sectors of Canada’s economy are in high-demand and qualify for various Canadian immigration programs.

If you would like to live and work in Canada and want to learn more about applying for a Canadian visa, click here!     

Manitoba is steadily becoming a provincial economic powerhouse that is creating thousands of new jobs in Canada. The Conference Board of Canada reported in December 2015 that the Canadian province of Manitoba is likely to have the second highest level of economic growth in Canada during 2016 (after #1 British Columbia), with its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expected to grow by a healthy 2.5% this year.

Furthermore, the Conference Board of Canada forecasts that Manitoba is likely to enjoy the strongest economic growth of any province or territory in Canada by 2017, with its GDP predicted to grow by an impressive 3.0% next year.

Manitoba’s sustained stellar economic performance is attracting many skilled foreign workers who move to Canada, since Manitoba is one of the best places to find Canadian jobs.

Over the past few years, Manitoba has consistently had one of the lowest unemployment rates of any Canadian province or territory and this is likely to continue for at least the next couple years.

Consequently, not only are many people who immigrate to Canada settling in Manitoba, but Canadian citizens are also moving to Manitoba from other parts of the country to seek employment there.

Strong economic growth in Manitoba can be attributed to its diversified economy in which construction, manufacturing, mining, and the service industry are all doing well at the same time.

According to the Associate Director of the Conference Board of Canada, Marie-Christine Bernard, “Manitoba will be one of the country's strongest economic performers in 2016, thanks to healthy growth across key sectors, such as construction, manufacturing and service industries.”

The Conference Board of Canada forecasts that the construction industry in Manitoba will experience healthy growth of 1.4% in 2016, while the manufacturing sector in Manitoba is expected to enjoy a robust 3.4% growth rate this year.

Services in Manitoba are also predicted to do very well over the next couple years.

For example, the finance, insurance and real estate sector is collectively expected to grow by 3.4% this year as well as in 2017, while the transportation/warehousing industry is forecast to grow by 2.5% in 2016, followed by an incredible 4.1% growth rate next year.

Another reason business is booming in Manitoba is that its provincial government has significantly increased public spending for various projects in the province, which further stimulates Manitoba’s economy, according to the Michael Benarroch, who is the Dean of the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba.

Therefore, if you are considering Canadian immigration in the near future, you may want to move to Manitoba where the economy is expanding and there are jobs available in many high-demand occupations.

To find out if you are likely to qualify for immigration to Canada, click here!

In the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, poets in the city of Saskatoon are holding a special event to raise money to help Syrian refugees who will be settling in the community.

What makes this fundraising event extra special is that the poets themselves are people who completed the Canadian immigration process years ago and are now reaching out to help the latest newcomers to Canada.

During the Refugees Welcome Multicultural Poetry Night which is being held in the middle of January 2016 at the Fédération des francophones de Saskatoon, seven poets will share poems in English and their native language that are related to their various Canadian immigration experiences.

The poets are immigrants or refugees originally from countries ranging from Bosnia to Brazil.

In addition to raising money to help Syrian refugees arriving in Saskatoon, other goals of the event are to make refugees feel welcomed, as well as to educate the community about the experiences of people who immigrate to Canada.

Several refugees who have fled the Syrian Civil War have already settled in the city of Saskatoon and many more are expected to immigrate to Canada in the coming weeks and months and move to the province of Saskatchewan, as well as other Canadian provinces.

Canada is an immigrant-friendly country which has overwhelmingly opened its arms to help Syrian refugees. The goal of the new Canadian government is to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada by February 2016 so they can live as permanent residents of one of the most peaceful and prosperous countries on Earth.

In addition to welcoming refugees from Syria and other countries around the globe, the Canadian government and businesses are also seeking thousands of skilled foreign workers to immigrate to Canada so they can contribute to the economy.

Canada already has one of the most multicultural populations in the world and it is expected to become even more diverse in the coming years as more people move to Canada in pursuit of better opportunities.

Although some will arrive as refugees, the majority of people who move to Canada will arrive as “economic immigrants” through special Canadian immigration programs created to bring skilled foreign workers to Canada.

To find out which Canadian immigration program you are best-suited to apply for, click here!

Recent research conducted by a Canadian professor has found that immigrant youth are more likely to get a post-secondary education in Canada than the children of non-immigrant Canadians.

Professor Ross Finnie, who is the Director of the Education Policy Research Initiative at the University of Ottawa, has discovered that 86% of children who immigrate to Canada prior to age 15, as well as 84% of children born to immigrant parents in Canada, receive higher education beyond secondary/high school (e.g., at vocational school, community college, university, etc.), compared to 72% of the children of non-immigrant Canadians.

The study also revealed that immigrant youth in Canada were more likely to attend institutions of higher education regardless of the education or income levels of their parents.

This is the opposite of what is usually expected, since children whose parents have higher levels of education and/or income tend to be more likely to get a post-secondary education than children whose parents have a lower level of education or income.

Professor Finnie explains that immigrant youth in Canada are more likely to receive a higher education than children born of non-immigrant Canadian citizens, despite the education and/or income level of their parents, because immigrant youth see Canada as a country full of opportunities for immigrants and are they are, therefore, highly-motivated to succeed.

Another key reason, according to Professor Finnie, is that Canadian education is more egalitarian and is widely available to people who live in Canada, no matter what their socioeconomic status.

It has been said that “education is the great equalizer” which basically means that through education, people can obtain better career options and the chance to improve their lives.

Since Canada is an egalitarian, multicultural democracy, where men and women from different backgrounds have equal rights protected by law, and because Canadian citizens and permanent residents have access to many great educational opportunities, people who immigrate to Canada have everything they need to make their dreams come true.

This is particularly the case if they are highly motivated to succeed in their new country and willing to work hard to achieve their goals.

On January 7, 2016, the New York Times released its annual list of the “52 Best Places to Go in 2016” and ranked Canada’s largest city, Toronto, as the #7 top spot on the planet to visit this year.

Toronto is located along the shores of Lake Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario and is a relatively short drive away from majestic Niagara Falls.

Not only is Toronto Canada’s largest city, with over six-million people living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), but it is also the most multicultural metropolis in this beautiful immigrant-friendly country and famous for its many ethnic neighborhoods and restaurants.

Among the reasons the New York Times considers Toronto as the seventh best city in the world to visit in 2016 is the recent revitalization (June 2015) of the Queens Quay waterfront, which has a nice promenade and bicycle path that allows visitors to walk or bike along scenic Lake Ontario.

The cafes, bars and live music found in the “stylish” West Toronto Junction neighborhood are also given as reasons to visit Toronto.

Furthermore, this incredible Canadian city is a prime travel destination due to its various cultural events held throughout the year, such as the annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) which occurs each September, as well as exciting spectator sports activities that the public can attend, such as watching Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey matches or Toronto Blue Jays baseball games.

In short, the New York Times says, “Toronto is remaking itself as Canada’s premier city” (January 2016).

The Economist made a similar appraisal in August 2015, ranking Toronto as the #4 “Most Livable City in the World” out of the 140 cities it evaluated around the globe.

The high standard of living found in Toronto is a key factor that motivates thousands of people who immigrate to Canada to decide to settle in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

The cosmopolitan character of the GTA also makes it a comfortable, welcoming place for immigrants to call home.

Whether you choose to immigrate to Canada or simply visit for vacation or business, Toronto is a “premier” Canadian city that has a lot to offer!

Canadian employment went up by a net of 158,100 jobs during 2015, according to data released in January 2016 by Statistics Canada.

This healthy increase in overall Canadian employment last year included 151,000 full-time jobs in Canada.

Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia led the other Canadian provinces and territories in creation of new jobs in Canada during 2015.

In fact, 34,900 new Canadian jobs were produced overall in Ontario during December 2015 alone, with a net increase of 80,700 jobs created in Ontario last year.

By comparison, British Columbia enjoyed a net increase of 51,600 new Canadian jobs in 2015, while overall employment in Quebec grew by 48,300 last year.

The Statistics Canada data also revealed that the growth of manufacturing jobs in Canada is helping to offset the recent reduction of Canadian employment in the “oil patch” region of Alberta occurring due to the drop in global oil prices.

This has helped to boost Canadian employment in both Toronto (Ontario) and Vancouver (British Columbia), which are key centers for manufacturing in Canada.

Saskatchewan had the lowest unemployment rate (5.5 percent) in Canada in December 2015, followed by neighboring Manitoba which ended the year with an unemployment rate of only 5.9 percent.

In general, Canada experienced healthy job growth during 2015, even as hiring shifted from the oil industry in favor of the manufacturing sector.

Another long-term economic trend taking place across Canada is the ongoing shortage of qualified workers to fill thousands of Canadian job openings in various high-demand occupations.

Experts in the Canadian government and academia forecast that as growing numbers of older workers retire in Canada over the next several years, the demand for skilled foreign workers will continue to climb.

Thus, several Canadian immigration programs were created to grant permanent residency status to eligible skilled foreign workers and their family members so they can move to Canada and contribute to the economy.

If you and your family would like to live and work in Canada and want to find out which Canadian immigration program you are in the best position to apply for, click here!  

A foreign-born Canadian family that started a successful company in Vancouver has decided to “give back” to Canada by sponsoring Syrian refugees.

In 1991, Karina Hayat and five other family members decided to immigrate to Canada from Guatemala, where a civil war was raging.

As an 11-year-old Canadian newcomer, she was determined to learn English and soon mastered the language.

In 2001, while she and her husband, Zeeshan, were still in college, they launched a successful, award-winning marketing company in British Columbia which earns millions of dollars per year and employees 20 workers in Vancouver.

Now, in 2016, Karina and her husband have decided to help another family fleeing civil war by sponsoring refugees from Syria.

Their goal is to help the Syrian family to adjust to living in Canada as soon as possible so they can also have the opportunity to live the “Canadian Dream” just as they have.

This inspiring story demonstrates how people who immigrate to Canada can make their dreams come true.

It is also a good example of the warm welcome that Canadians extend to immigrants in this beautiful multicultural democracy.    

Canada is an immigrant-friendly country where new arrivals can feel right at home.

Since many Canadian residents are either immigrants or the children of immigrants, they understand the challenges that people sometimes experience when they first move to a new country.

Thus, all across Canada, people have been raising money and donating clothing or other items to help the thousands of Syrian refugees who will immigrate to Canada at the end of 2015 and during 2016.

Many Canadians, like Karina and Zeeshan Hayat, have even opened their homes to sponsor refugees and make it easier for them to get settled in their new country.

It should be encouraging to realize that if refugees fleeing conflict can move to Canada with few possessions and become successful business owners, the opportunities are even greater for skilled foreign workers who immigrate to Canada as “economic immigrants” possessing the English or French language skills, education, work experience and other traits in high-demand by Canadian employers.

To find out if you qualify to apply for Canadian immigration, click here!

One of the most important steps in the Canadian immigration process is to find work in Canada.

Many people intuitively think that the best place to look for jobs in Canada is in its largest cities, such as Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Depending on one’s occupation, this might be the case.

According to Statistics Canada, however, the top location for new immigrants ages 25-54 to secure Canadian employment is actually in the western half of the country.

Specifically, people who immigrate to Canada and settle in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta enjoy a much higher rate of Canadian employment than immigrants who move to other provinces or territories.

Furthermore, immigrants who live in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta have a significantly higher rate of Canadian employment than those who move to Canada and settle in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver.

A key reason that immigrants who live in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta enjoy higher levels of employment than immigrants residing in other parts of Canada is that these three provinces have consistently had the lowest unemployment rates in Canada over the past several years.

Thus, many people who are looking for jobs in Canada find excellent employment opportunities in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, due to the ongoing shortage of skilled workers there.

Additionally, these three Canadian provinces offer a high standard of living, yet, tend to have a low cost of living which many Canadian residents find attractive.

Therefore, if you want to live in Canada, you might want to consider moving to Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta where there is a high demand for skilled foreign workers.

To learn more about immigration to Canada, click here!

Canada is a vast land of spectacular scenery; a land of abundant natural resources; and a multicultural land of immigrants who have arrived from around the globe seeking better opportunities for life.

There are many Canadian immigration success stories of people from various regions of the Earth and diverse backgrounds who move to Canada and achieve remarkable accomplishments.

Thousands of immigrants find good-paying jobs in Canada, launch new start-up companies, earn university degrees or other post-secondary diplomas, send their children to university, enter academia, and even enter Canadian politics or work for Canada’s government.

These are just some examples of the achievements made by people who immigrate to Canada.

One inspiring Canadian immigration success story belongs to Ahmed Hussen.

In 1993, Ahmed Hussen was approved to immigrate to Canada from his home country of Somalia, which was engulfed in civil war at the time.

After this brave 16-year-old Somali refugee moved to Canada, he went on to graduate from high school, “worked his way through college” in Toronto, earned university degrees in history and law, and has worked as a Canadian attorney and activist in Ontario.

To this list of impressive accomplishments, Ahmed Hussen has recently reached one more amazing milestone – on October 19, 2015, he became the first immigrant born in Somalia to be elected to the Canadian Parliament. 

Ahmed Hussen wasn’t the only immigrant elected to the House of Commons in the recent national elections held across Canada.

Several foreign-born Canadian Members of Parliament were elected in October 2015, including:  Maryam Monsef who was born in Afghanistan; Geng Tan who was born in China; Sven Spengemann who was born in Germany; Kang Darshan Singh, Kamal Khera, Harjit Singh Sajjan, Ramesh Sangha, Bob Saroya, Jati Sidhu and Amarjeet Sohi who were all born in India; Majid Jowhari who was born in Iran; Fayçal El-Khoury, Eva Nassif and Marwan Tabbara who were all born in Lebanon; Iqra Khalid and Salma Zahid who were both born in Pakistan; Tom Kmiec who was born in Poland; Peter Fonseca who was born in Portugal; Ahmed Hussen who was born in Somalia; Ali Ehsassi who was born in Switzerland; Arif Virani who was born in Uganda; and Robert Gordon Kitchen who was born in the United Kingdom.

It should be noted that the majority of approximately 250,000 people who immigrate to Canada each year are not refugees, as in the incredible case of Ahmed Hussen.

Rather, most people who are approved for Canadian immigration arrive as “economic immigrants” whose occupations are in high-demand in Canada and who meet other criteria for skilled foreign workers.

Thus, if someone can move to Canada as a teenage refugee fleeing civil war and eventually become not only a lawyer, but a Member of the Canadian Parliament, imagine what you and your family could accomplish as permanent residents of Canada!

To find out which Canadian immigration program you are best-suited to apply for, click here!

A Harris poll of 2,766 adults who live in Canada which was conducted in October 2015 has discovered that the “Canadian Dream” is alive and well.

The survey results were released on December 16, 2015, and revealed that 86% of Canada’s residents believe in the Canadian Dream, which was defined as possessing a good-paying job in Canada that one likes, having enough free time available to enjoy life, and being a homeowner.

The October 2015 Harris poll also discovered that 87% of people born in Canada believe in the Canadian Dream, while 91% of people who immigrate to Canada think the Canadian Dream is a reality.

Furthermore, the survey discovered that 89% of all people who live in Canada, regardless of where they were born, consider the Canadian Dream as something they desire, with 77% saying they think they can achieve the Canadian Dream during their lifetime.

Additionally, 58% of all respondents indicated that they think they are already living the Canadian Dream.

When residents born in Canada were asked in the Harris poll what motivates people to pursue Canadian immigration, 95% said they thought immigrants wanted their families to have a better future, while 82% believed people immigrate to Canada seeking economic opportunities.

What is your Canadian Dream? Would you like to find a good-paying job in Canada or, perhaps, start your own business?

Do you and your family want to become Canadian homeowners?

Are you searching for educational opportunities for yourself of your family?

Do you want to live in a beautiful, peaceful country that welcomes immigrants with open arms?

Would you like to become a citizen of Canada and obtain a Canadian passport?

As these survey results strongly suggest, you and your family have a very good chance of making your Canadian Dream a reality if you immigrate to Canada.

To learn if you are likely to meet the eligibility requirements for Canadian immigration, click here!  

A popular late-night television program in the United States has a segment in which the host reveals his “Top Ten” list for various categories, starting with Number 10 and counting down to Number One.

So, here is a thoughtful list of 10 great reasons to move to Canada:

10.  Canadian Scenery – People who live in Canada get to enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth, such as Niagara Falls in Ontario; Banff National Park in Alberta; Prince Edward Island; Quebec’s Laurentian Mountains; and the Capilano River area in British Columbia.

9.  Canadian Cuisine – Whether you want to enjoy French-Canadian cuisine in Quebec or sample tasty treats at Canada’s many excellent ethnic eateries, Canadian restaurants have something savory to satisfy the preferences of practically any palate!    

8.  Sports – There are plenty of great sports to play or watch in Canada, including ice hockey, basketball, baseball, football/soccer, golf, lacrosse, rugby, cricket, tennis, curling, swimming, volleyball, and snow skiing. Of course, with so much natural beauty so readily available across Canada, other popular athletic activities include hiking, camping, backpacking, fishing, kayaking, and mountain biking (among others).

7.  Immigrant-Friendly Country – Approximately 20% of Canada’s 35 million people are foreign-born, which makes Canada one of the world’s most multicultural countries. In Toronto, Canada’s largest city, almost half of all residents are immigrants, plus there are significant immigrant communities in many other Canadian cities and towns. The diversity of Canada’s population has helped to make Canadian residents very welcoming to new arrivals. In fact, the 2015 Legatum Global Prosperity Index (November 2015) revealed that 92% of Canadians are tolerant toward ethnic minorities and the same percentage of people who live in Canada also “think the country is a good place for immigrants.”

6.  Free Basic Healthcare – Another good reason to move to Canada is that Canadian citizens and permanent residents receive free basic healthcare (unlike people who live in the United States, for example, who often have to pay a lot of money for health insurance and medical treatment).

5.  Educational Opportunities – People who immigrate to Canada have access to its excellent education system, which includes several of the world’s top institutions of higher education.

4.  Safety and Security – Canada is known for being one of the safest countries on Earth, both in terms of its relatively low level of violent crime as well as its political stability and location in a peaceful part of the planet.

3.  Freedom – In November 2015, the Legatum Global Prosperity Index declared Canada to be the #1 country in the world for personal freedom. Canada is a Western democracy which protects freedoms and human rights under the rule of law and where men and women of various backgrounds can live freely, without fear of government oppression.

2.  Incredible Cities – Many people decide to move to Canada so they can enjoy the high standard of living found in Canadian cities. For the past several years in a row, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has ranked Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary among the Top Five “Most Livable Cities” in the world, out of 140 cities evaluated around the globe.

1.  Jobs in Canada – There are great employment opportunities available to eligible skilled foreign workers who move to Canada. Thousands of foreign workers are needed by Canadian companies to fill jobs in Canada in a range of high-demand occupations, due in large part to an ongoing labor shortage.

Many people have multiple motivations to move to Canada, but a common thread is a desire for a better life.

Whatever your reason(s), Canadian immigration can provide you and your family with wonderful possibilities for a bright future, including the option to become citizens of Canada!

To learn more, click here!

Sometimes, there are news reports or articles claiming that the “Millennial Generation” has it rough compared to earlier generations; however, young adults between the ages of 25 and 34 who live in Canada actually tend to enjoy a rather high standard of living.

On December 1, 2015, TD Economics released a new report which details the many ways in which Canada’s Millennial Generation is doing significantly better than previous generations of Canadians in the same age group, as well as most “millennials” in the United States.

According to the two economists (Beata Caranci and Diana Petramala) who wrote the report, “Canadian millennials are faring better economically than is commonly portrayed.”

For example, the TD Economics report, reveals that Canadians born between 1980 and the Year 2000 (i.e., the “Millennial Generation”) have a higher rate of home ownership than earlier generations, with 50% of Canadian millennials owning their own home in 2015 versus 40-43% for Canadians from the “Baby-Boomer Generation” (people born around 1945-1965) and “Generation-X” (people born 1965 to 1980) when they were the same age.

In 2015, Canadian millennials also have a higher rate of home ownership than American millennials (50% of Canadian millennials own their own home vs. 36% of the young adults from the Millennial Generation in the USA who are homeowners).

Furthermore, Canadians in the 25-34 age group tend to have more education than earlier generations of Canadians, plus they owe less student loan debt and possess greater wealth than their American counterparts from the same cohort.

The report also says that while many Canadian and American millennials experienced difficult times during the recent “Great Recession” that started around 2008, young adults in Canada bounced back financially faster than those aged 25-34 in the United States.

These are just some examples of how young adults and their families who live in Canada are enjoying a high quality lifestyle. This is generally true for millennials who were born in Canada, as well as people aged 24-35 who immigrate to Canada.

In fact, the Canadian government recognizes that millennials are in the prime of life and have the potential to work in Canada and contribute to its growing economy for many years to come.

This is partially why skilled foreign workers in the 18-35 age group who apply for Canadian immigration through the points-based Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) can be awarded the maximum points possible for the age factor.

Points can also be given toward Canadian immigration under the FSWP for other factors considered important for skilled foreign workers to possess (e.g., English and/or French language skills, education, work experience, qualifying Canadian job offer, and “adaptability”).

Skilled foreign workers who receive at least 67 points out of the 100 points possible, pass health and character criteria, and meet other requirements, may be eligible to apply for “Express Entry” to Canada.

Therefore, if you are a “millennial” in your 20s or 30s (or even if you are a bit older from “Generation-X”) and want to find out if you are likely to qualify for Express Entry immigration to Canada, click here!         

According to the 2015 ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage Survey of 41,700 hiring managers in 42 countries around the globe, 38% of all employers surveyed reported difficulties filling job openings, which was the highest level since 2007.

The survey also discovered that 54% of hiring managers reported that challenges in finding qualified employees to fill job vacancies was impacting “their ability to serve client needs.”

Why are so many companies around the world finding it difficult to hire enough workers to fill job openings?

The 2015 ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage Survey reported that 35% of employers said there simply were not enough people applying for jobs available at their company; 34% of hiring managers stated that people who did apply for employment lacked the skills required for the job; 22% of applicants didn’t have enough work experience; 17% of people applying for jobs lacked soft skills; and 13% of potential employees were asking for higher salaries than employers were willing to pay.

Finally, the 2015 ManpowerGroup Talent Shortage Survey revealed that the shortage of qualified skilled workers varied in the 42 countries examined.

For example, an average of 38% of all hiring managers surveyed around the world reported difficulties filling job openings, but this figured ranged in different countries from a high of 83% in Japan to a low of 11% in Ireland, with 32% of Canadian employers surveyed saying they were experiencing challenges finding enough qualified workers to fill available jobs in Canada.

In a 2012 report titled, Labour and Skills Shortages in Canada: Addressing Current and Future Challenges, the Canadian Parliament examined the growing shortage of qualified skilled workers across Canada.

The report explained that, “As is the case for many developed countries, Canada has an aging population, mainly as a result of two factors: increased life expectancy and the fact that the baby boomer generation (born between 1946 and 1965) is reaching retirement age.”

It also stated that, “The aging of the population will have many consequences, such as slower labour force growth.

Furthermore, it will create an increased demand in certain sectors, such as the health care sector.”

The Canadian Parliament report (2012) went on to say that there is likely to be a rising demand for jobs in Canada in certain business sectors for two primary reasons.

“Labour shortages occur in an occupation when the number of new job openings, available as a result of retirement or an increased demand for people with the skills to fill these positions, is higher than the number of new job seekers in Canada, either recent graduates or people with foreign credentials in that field,” the report explained.

Specifically, the Canadian government reported (2012) that the following occupational categories are forecast to face challenges finding enough skilled workers to fill jobs in Canada: (1) sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) occupations; (2) information and communications technology (ICT) jobs in Canada; (3) healthcare occupations; and (4) skilled trades.

The economic theory of “supply and demand” can be seen at work in the Canadian job market, where the increasing demand for skilled workers, combined with the low supply of skilled workers, has contributed to rising salaries for many high-demand jobs in Canada.

According to research published on the CanadianBusiness.com website, many of the top jobs in Canada for 2015 also have some of the highest salaries.

For example, the website reported that the median yearly salaries for various high-demand jobs in Canada included the  following: Air Traffic Controller ($87,360); Construction Manager ($75,005); Crane Operator ($62,088); Dental Hygienist ($70,720); Engineering Manager ($94,994); Healthcare Manager ($90,626); Human Resource (HR) Manager ($83,200); Mining and Forestry Manager ($108,805); Pharmacist ($97,760); Power System Operator ($84,198); Registered Nurse ($74,672); Sales & Marketing Manager ($79,997); School Principal/Administrator ($93,995); Secondary/High School Teacher ($76,794); Software Engineer ($85,342); and University Professor ($85,717).

It should be noted that these are examples of the median annual salaries for some of the high-demand jobs in Canada, which means these salary examples are midway between the highest and lowest salaries.

Other factors can affect how much someone may earn if they work in Canada, such as their education level, years of experience, business sector, location of the job (i.e., big city vs. small town), etc.

The government and businesses in Canada are very much aware of the important role that skilled workers play in contributing to the Canadian economy.

As Perrin Beatty from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce declared in testimony to the Canadian Parliament on May 28, 2012, “Canada must be more aggressive in its immigration efforts. We must move now. We are in competition with many other countries in order to attract the most talented people in the world. We have very little time to deal with labour shortages and the lack of skilled workers.”

Consequently, the Canada’s government launched its “Express Entry” system on January 1, 2015, in order to more efficiently select skilled foreign workers for Canadian immigration so they can help fill high-demand jobs in Canada.

If you would like to work in Canada and want to find out if you are likely to meet the criteria for the Express Entry Canadian immigration system, click here!

Multiple assessments of institutions of higher learning around the globe have reached the same conclusion – Canada has several of the best universities in the world!

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2015-2016 considered the University of Toronto to be the 19th top university in the world, plus it ranked the University of British Columbia #34; rated McGill University #38; and declared Canada’s McMaster University tied with Georgetown University (USA) as the 94th best university on the planet.

Also receiving respectable ratings were the University of Montreal which tied for #113 with Purdue University (USA) and Pierre and Marie Curie University (France); the University of Alberta #137; and the University of Waterloo which was ranked #179 in the world.

According to the QS World University Rankings 2015/2016, McGill University is the 24th best university on Earth; the University of Toronto is #34; the University of British Columbia is #50; and the University of Alberta is the #96 top institution of higher education in the world.

Other Canadian universities that received high marks in this evaluation were the University of Montreal #115; McMaster University #149; the University of Waterloo #152; and the University of Western Ontario at #192.

In the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2015, several universities in Canada were included among the world’s top 100 institutions of higher education.

For example, the University of Toronto was ranked in 25^th place; the University of British Columbia came in 40^th place; McGill University was in 64^th place; and McMaster University came in 96^th place out of the thousands of colleges and universities around the globe.

One of the many advantages of being issued a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada is having access to the highly-rated Canadian education system.

While this article focuses on Canada’s excellent institutions of higher education, it should be noted that Canadian primary and secondary schools, as well as its trade/vocational schools and community colleges, are also known for the high quality instruction and other benefits they provide their students.

Many foreign nationals want to immigrate to Canada so they can receive a world-class Canadian education and enhance their career options (among other reasons).

This might include earning a first university degree (e.g., Bachelor’s Degree) or, perhaps, acquiring a graduate degree (e.g., Master’s Degree, PhD, MD, etc.) in Canada.

In other cases, skilled foreign workers who immigrate to Canada have already obtained a good education, but they want their children to have the chance to attend a highly-rated Canadian educational institution and then be able to legally work in Canada using that education.

Whatever the motivation, being granted a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada offers many great educational, career and other opportunities for a better life. If you want to immigrate to Canada and would like to learn more, click here!       

In December 2015, the Canadian Baby Center released its annual list of the top baby names selected by parents in Canada.

During 2015, the most popular baby names chosen for boys born in Canada included: #1 Liam, #2 Jackson, #3 Logan, #4 Lucas, #5 Noah, #6 Ethan, #7 Jack, #8 William, #9 Jacob, #10 James, #11 Thomas, #12 Alexander, #13 Oliver, #14 Mason, #15 Carter, #16 Benjamin, #17 Hunter, #18 Ryan, #19 Lincoln, and #20 Caleb.

The favorite baby names given to girls in Canada in 2015 included: #1 Emma, #2 Olivia, #3 Sophia, #4 Zoe, #5 Emily, #6 Avery, #7 Isabella, #8 Charlotte, #9 Lily, #10 Ava, #11 Maya, #12 Aria, #13 Madelyn, #14 Mila, #15 Mia, #16 Chloe, #17 Abigail, #18 Ella, #19 Madison, and #20 Isabelle.

These are the 20 most frequently selected baby names for boys and girls born in Canada during 2015. The full list containing the top 100 names for boys and girls born in Canada during 2015 can be found on the Canadian Baby Center website.

While on the topic of Canadian babies, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that babies born in Canada in 2013 can be expected to live 82 years on average.

In terms of gender, WHO also reports that girls born in Canada during 2013 have an average life expectancy of 84 years, while boys born in Canada during 2013 on average can expect to live 80 years.

As these figures reveal, children born in Canada have some of the highest average life expectancies on Earth.

Babies born in Canada tend to live much longer than children born in many other countries for a variety of reasons, including access to free basic healthcare, good nutrition, excellent educational opportunities, and life in one of the most peaceful and prosperous countries in the world.

If you would like to raise your family in Canada and want to find out which Canadian immigration program you are best-suited to apply for (based on a professional assessment of your personal profile), click here!

If you are thinking about Canadian immigration, here are some helpful tips arranged as an acronym to spell C-A-N-A-D-A (to make them easier to remember).

CONDUCT research – The first step is to conduct research about Canada so you can make an informed decision about whether Canadian immigration is a good option for you and your family. This may include learning about Canada’s provinces, major cities, economy, demand for your occupation, standard of living, healthcare, educational opportunities, culture, climate, visa programs, etc. You will find that much of this essential information has already been provided for you on the Canadian Visa Expert website!

ASSESS your options – After you have “done your homework” about Canada, you may want to assess your potential options. Key issues to consider might include: Why are you thinking about Canadian immigration (e.g., jobs in Canada, freedom, standard of living, safety, opportunities for your children, educational options, Canadian citizenship, etc.)? Where would you like to live in Canada? What are your employment options? Which Canadian immigration program should you apply for and what does the procedure involve?

NEVER be afraid to ask for help – As you examine the various issues related to Canadian immigration, you might feel a bit overwhelmed, but you should never be afraid to ask for assistance. You might seek insights from family or friends, but they may lack accurate knowledge about immigration to Canada to help you make a well-informed decision. Therefore, you may want to pay for professional Canadian immigration assistance from “authorized representatives” approved by Canada’s government, such as the experienced immigration consultants working with Canadian Visa Expert who are members of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC).

APPLY for Canadian immigration – The next step is to apply for the Canadian immigration program that you are best-suited for. This procedure will normally involve submitting an online application to Canada’s government, along with the required documents (e.g., medical and police certificates, English/French language test results, etc.) and paying any necessary fees.

DECISION – A decision regarding approval of a Canadian visa is often received about 6-12 months after submitting a complete visa application, but it may take longer, depending on the Canadian immigration program and other factors.

ARRANGEMENTS – If you and your family are approved for Canadian immigration, you will need to make certain arrangements before you travel to Canada. This may involve selling some possessions (e.g., home, car, furniture, etc.), making sure you bring important documents (e.g., educational diplomas, medical records, etc.), knowing what you can take with you on your trip so you can pass through customs smoothly, plus arranging for travel to Canada and accommodations when you arrive.

This is a simplified list, of course, so if you would like to live and work in C-A-N-A-D-A and want to learn more about Canadian immigration, click here!   

Millions of people around the world are on the move in pursuit of better opportunities in life and one of their top destinations is the beautiful country of Canada.

According to the United Nations (UN) International Migration Report 2013, there are 232 million migrants around the globe who are living outside of their countries of origin.

The UN (2013) further reported that Europe is the top regional destination for international migrants, followed by #2 Asia, #3 North America, #4 Africa, #5 Latin America and The Caribbean, and #6 Oceania.

More recent UN statistics released in 2015 report that there are 244 million migrants living outside of their country of origin.

The UN further forecasts (2015) that the world's migrant population could soar to as many as 590 million by 2050.

Between 1990 and 2013, North America had the biggest increase in migrants, with 25 million people from across the planet moving there, according to the UN (2013).

While the United States remains the world’s  #1 immigration destination in absolute numbers, with approximately 42 million of its 318 million people (13 percent) born overseas, Canada actually has a higher percentage of its population who are foreign-born (seven-million out of 35 million or 20 percent of Canadian residents).

Sustained Canadian immigration has helped to make Canada one of the most multicultural countries on Earth.

In fact, around 250,000 people are issued a permanent resident visa to Canada each year.

Canada’s government reports that 51.4% of the people granted Canadian permanent residency in 2014 originated from the Asia/Pacific region; 23.9% from Africa and the Middle East; 11.6% from Europe and the United Kingdom; 9.6% from South and Central America; and 3.3% from the United States (sources of origin were not provided for the remaining 0.3%).

Why are hundreds of thousands of people moving to Canada each year? The reasons are as diverse as Canada’s cosmopolitan population, but one word that describes a common motivation is: opportunities.

Canada is an immigrant-friendly land of opportunities for people seeking a better life.

For example, the 2015 Legatum Prosperity Index rated Canada #1 in the world for tolerance toward immigrants, #1 for personal freedom and #6 for prosperity, while The Economist (2015) declared Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary to be three of the top five “most livable cities in the world.”

Boasting one of the highest standards of living on Earth, it is not surprising that the UN considered Canadians to be the fifth happiest people on the planet in 2015.

Canada’s multicultural character, abundant opportunities and quality lifestyle also help explain why so many people move to this incredible country every year.

If you would also like to move to Canada and want to find out if you which Canadian immigration program you are best-suited to apply for, click here! 

Canadians have extended a warm welcome to Syrian refugees who recently arrived in the country as new permanent residents of Canada.

On December 10, 2015, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, along with Ontario’s Premier Kathleen Wynne, personally greeted Syrian refugees upon their arrival at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.

The 163 new Canadians had flown from Beirut, Lebanon, to Toronto, Ontario, on a special flight sponsored by Canada’s government as part of its ambitious plan to re-settle 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada by February 2016 (with a total of 35,000-50,000 expected to immigrate to Canada by the end of 2016).

The refugees were fleeing the ongoing civil war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in Syria.

Before the flight full of new Canadians touched down in Toronto, Prime Minister Trudeau delivered an inspiring speech to the crowd that had gathered at the airport to greet them.

The Canadian leader declared, “This is a wonderful night where we get to show not just a planeload of new Canadians what Canada is all about, we get to show the world how to open our hearts and welcome in people who are fleeing extraordinarily difficult situations.”

Prime Minister Trudeau went on to say, “Tonight they step off the plane as refugees. But they walk out of this terminal as permanent residents of Canada, with social insurance numbers, with health cards, and with an opportunity to become full Canadians. This is something that we are able to do in this country because we define a Canadian not by a skin color or a language or a religion or a background. But by a shared set of values, aspirations, hopes and dreams that not just Canadians but people around the world share.”

Canada has received praise from around the globe for the warm welcome Canadians have shown to the Syrian refugees.

There has also been increased interest in Canada and Canadian immigration by thousands of people across the planet, particularly in the Arab World, who have been impressed by the kindness of Canada’s government and residents toward newcomers.

As one of the world’s most immigrant-friendly and multicultural countries, Canada is naturally a top destination for people who are seeking better opportunities in life.

Every year, approximately 250,000 foreign nationals are issued a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada through various Canadian immigration programs.

Many of these new Canadian permanent residents are refugees fleeing difficult situations, such as those who recently arrived from Syria, but most are actually skilled foreign workers whose occupations are needed in Canada.

Just as the Canadian government has reached out to help refugees, it has also tried to attract thousands of “economic immigrants” who can fill various high-demand jobs in Canada and contribute to the country’s economy.

To find out which Canadian immigration program you and your family may be eligible for, click here!

According to the 2015 Legatum Global Prosperity Index, published in November 2015, Canada is the top country in the world for personal freedom.

The London-based Legatum Institute evaluated 142 countries around the globe based on eight major factors and then assigned each country an overall prosperity score.

The factors that were assessed included: economy; entrepreneurship and opportunity; governance; education; health; safety and security; social capital; and personal freedom.

On these factors, Canada was ranked 8^th in the world for its economy; 15^th for entrepreneurship and opportunity; 7^th for governance; 2^nd for education; 11^th for health; 9^th for safety and security; 6^th for social capital; and #1 for personal freedom.

When all eight factors were taken into account, the Legatum Institute researchers considered Canada to be the #6 country on the planet for prosperity out of the 142 countries examined.

In regards to personal freedom, the 2015 Legatum Global Prosperity Index reported that “94% of Canadians believe that they have the freedom to choose the course of their own lives – the fifth highest in the world.”

The report also declared Canada to be the #1 country in the world in terms of tolerance toward immigrants, with 92% of Canadians saying they “think the country is a good place for immigrants.”

Furthermore, Canada is the 5^th most tolerant country toward ethnic minorities (who may or may not be immigrants), with 92% of Canadians indicating that they are tolerant of ethnic minorities.

With one out of every five Canadian residents foreign-born (seven million of Canada’s 35 million people), and an even larger number of Canadians being the children or grandchildren of immigrants, this positive attitude toward newcomers and ethnic minorities is understandable.

Are you and your family looking for the freedom to make your dreams come true in one of the world’s most prosperous countries?

Then you should move to Canada – the “land of the free” and the #1 most immigrant-friendly country on Earth!

Three Canadian cities have once again been ranked among the world’s best places to live.

In August 2015, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) published its annual assessment of 140 cities around the globe and Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary were included among the Top 10 Most Livable Cities in the World.

British Columbia’s largest city, Vancouver, was rated by the EIU researchers as the world’s #3 top city to live. Ontario’s biggest city, Toronto, which is also the largest city in Canada, came in 4^th place on the 2015 EIU global ranking of cities.

Alberta’s most populous city, Calgary, tied with the Australian city of Adelaide as the 5^th best place to live on the planet. This is not the first time that Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary have received this international honor – all three of these incredible Canadian cities were also listed among the top 10 best cities for quality of life by The Economist in its 2014 and 2013 rankings!

This respected evaluation of 140 cities around the world was based upon 30 quantitative and qualitative factors that were grouped into five major categories: (1) Stability; (2) Healthcare; (3) Culture and Environment; (4) Education; and (5) Infrastructure.

“Stability” accounted for 25% of the overall score in each city’s EIU livability rankings and included the following factors: prevalence of petty crime; prevalence of violent crime; threat of terror; threat of military conflict; and threat of civil unrest/conflict.

The “Healthcare” category made up 20% of the rating and included such factors as: availability of private healthcare; quality of private healthcare; availability of public healthcare; quality of public healthcare; availability of over-the-counter medication; and general healthcare indicators (which were adapted from World Bank criteria).

A city’s “Culture and Environment” accounted for 25% of its livability score and included: humidity and temperature rating; discomfort of climate to travelers; level of corruption; social or religious restrictions; level of censorship; availability of sports; cultural availability; food and drink; and consumer goods and services.

The “Education” category made up 10% of a city’s livability score and was based on the following factors: availability of private education; quality of private education; and public education indicators (which were adapted from World Bank criteria).

“Infrastructure” accounted for 20% of a city’s rating for quality of life and included such factors as: quality or road network; quality of public transportation; quality of international links; availability of good quality housing; quality of energy provision; quality of water provision; and quality of telecommunications. Cities received an overall score that ranged from a low score of 0 to a perfect score of 100.

Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary received some of the highest overall livability scores of any of the 140 global cities surveyed and on several of the major categories were awarded perfect scores of 100!

For example, the EIU researchers gave #3 Vancouver an overall livability score of 97.3 out of 100 (Stability = 95.0, Healthcare = 100, Culture and Environment = 100, Education = 100, and Infrastructure = 92.9).

Fourth place Toronto had an overall livability score of 97.2 out of 100 (Stability = 100, Healthcare = 100, Culture and Environment = 97.2, Education = 100, and Infrastructure = 89.3). Tied for the 5^th highest quality of life on Earth, Calgary obtained an overall livability score of 96.6 out of 100 (Stability = 100, Healthcare = 100, Culture and Environment = 89.1, Education = 100, and Infrastructure = 96.4).

With amazing cities like Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary, excellent employment and education opportunities, highly-rated healthcare, and some of the most spectacular scenery on Earth, Canada continues to attract hundreds of thousands of immigrants every year.

Sustained Canadian immigration has also made Canada one of the most multicultural, immigrant-friendly countries on the planet where new arrivals can feel welcomed and comfortable.

In fact, one out of every five people living in Canada is foreign-born!

The Canadian government is also among the most pro-immigrant governments in the world and has created several Canadian immigration programs designed to give thousands of eligible foreign nationals a chance to live and work in Canada and enjoy the high standard of living available across this beautiful country.

If you and your family would also like to live in Canada and want to find out which Canadian immigration program you may qualify for, click here!    

In June 2015, the winners of the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards For 2015 were honored in ceremonies held in Toronto and Vancouver.

For the past seven years, nominations have been received from the Canadian public for “inspirational immigrants” from various backgrounds who achieve success and make a positive difference after they immigrate to Canada.

This year, more than 650 Canadian immigrants were nominated, 75 finalists were selected by a panel of judges, and then over 45,000 people from across Canada cast their votes online to choose the 25 winners.

The fifteen men and ten women who were honored for their Canadian immigration success stories had moved to Canada from a variety of places on the planet, such as:  Bhutan, Burundi, Chile, Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Vietnam and Yemen.

Hundreds of thousands of people from around the globe immigrate to Canada every year in pursuit of better opportunities in life.

For example, Susur Lee decided to move to Canada from Hong Kong and became a top Canadian chef in Toronto.

Vikram Vij chose to immigrate to Canada from India and became a famous chef in Vancouver as well as a successful entrepreneur with several popular Indian cuisine restaurants.

Another Canadian immigration success story is Alice Chung who is originally from Malaysia and established a chain of 29 health supplement stores across Canada.

Maria Nieves Santos-Greaves immigrated to Canada from The Philippines and opened three hearing aid clinics in British Columbia.

Sherif Guorgui and his family moved from Egypt to Canada looking for equal opportunities and a brighter future and is now a successful pharmacist in Toronto.

Kim Thúy immigrated to Canada from Vietnam and became a world-famous writer who makes her home in Montreal.

Henri Boyi decided to move to Canada from Burundi and enjoys a satisfying career teaching and inspiring students as a professor in Ontario.

These and the other Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winners help to illustrate the fact that Canada is one of the most multicultural countries in the world and offers immigrants many excellent career options.

If you and your family would like to write your own Canadian immigration success story and want to find out if you are eligible to immigrate to Canada, click here!  

Canada’s middle class is shrinking, but don’t be alarmed!

There are less middle class Canadians because more people who live in Canada are joining the wealthy class.

The respected Pew Research Center recently examined 111 countries around the globe and reported (July 2015) that Canadians are getting richer at a rapid rate as incomes soar across Canada.

During the 10-year period between 2001 and 2011, the wealth of people who live in Canada increased at the seventh highest rate of any of the 111 countries studied.

Only residents of #1 Norway, #2 Denmark, #3 Luxembourg, #4 The Netherlands, #5 Iceland and #6 Finland saw their wealth grow at a faster pace than people who live in Canada.

The Pew Research Center further reported (July 2015) that 56% of four-member households in Canada were in the high-income bracket in 2011, which was the same percentage as in the United States that same year and much higher than the 44% in Western Europe and 5% in Eastern Europe.

In 2011, 36% of four-member Canadian households were in the upper-middle class category, compared to 32% in the USA, 43% in Western Europe and 27% in Eastern Europe.

Only 6% of Canada’s four-member families were in the middle class in 2011, compared to 7% in the United States, 10% in Western Europe and 40% in Eastern Europe that year.

At the other end of the economic spectrum, just 1% of Canadian four-member households were categorized as low income in 2011, which was lower than the 3% in the USA, 2% in Western Europe and 28% in Eastern Europe.

Considering the differences of income levels in these four geographic regions, it is interesting that less than half-a-percent of four-member households in Canada and Eastern Europe were poor, compared to 1% in Western Europe and 2% in the United States, according to the study.

In terms of the pace at which people who live in Canada became wealthier, Pew researchers reported that the percentage of high-income four-member families in Canada increased from 49% in 2001 to 56% in 2011, while the percentage of four-member Canadian families in the middle income bracket dropped from 9% in 2001 to just 6% in 2011.

This drop in the percentage of middle-income Canadians was a result of more people who live in Canada moving higher up on the "income ladder" between 2001 and 2011.

By comparison, four-person families in the high income bracket dropped in the United States from 58% in 2001 to 56% in 2011, plus the percentage of four-member American families in the middle income bracket also fell from 8% in 2001 to 7% in 2011.

According to the data analyzed by the Pew Research Center, “Not only is income inequality lower in Canada in comparison with the US, but, unlike in the US, there was no increase in inequality in Canada from 2001 to 2011.”

This 2015 Pew Research Center report is supported by the 2014 Prosperity Index published by the Legatum Institute in London, which ranked Canada as the 5th most prosperous country in the world out of the 142 countries examined (only residents of #1 Norway, #2 Switzerland, #3 New Zealand and #4 Denmark were assessed to be more prosperous than people who live in Canada).

For example, the Legatum Institute reported in its 2014 Prosperity Index that the average net worth of Canadians was $442,130 in 2014, which was among the highest found anywhere around the globe.

In sum, these studies and other research confirm that Canadian residents are among the wealthiest people on Earth.

Jobs in Canada, particularly in certain high-demand occupations, tend to pay very well, and this helps Canadian residents to increase their wealth and enjoy one of the best standards of living on the planet.

The abundance of Canadian jobs and other factors also make it possible for there to be less inequality in Canada than exists in the neighboring United States and other countries.

There is a famous saying that “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer,” but in Canada, as this research suggests, “the rich get richer and the middle class get richer, too!”

In its 2015 international survey, the Reputation Institute discovered that Canada has the best reputation out of the 55 countries in the world with the highest gross domestic product (GDP).

During the February-March 2015 timeframe, researchers from the Reputation Institute polled 48,000 individuals living in the G8 countries, plus they surveyed another 30,000 people residing in non-G8 countries with large economies (such as China, India and Brazil), asking the participants questions that were designed to measure global perceptions of a country’s (1) appealing environment, (2) advanced economy, and (3) effective government.

According to the 2015 Country RepTrak: The World’s Most Reputable Countries, published in July 2015, the Reputation Institute declared Canada to have the #1 overall positive image of any of the 55 countries evaluated, ahead of #2 Norway, #3 Sweden, #4 Switzerland, #5 Australia, #6 Finland, #7 New Zealand, #8 Denmark, #9 Netherlands, #10 Belgium, as well as 45 other countries.

Canada received its highest ratings for perceptions that it has an “appealing environment” (i.e., beautiful country; friendly/welcoming people; appealing lifestyle; enjoyable country).

In general, the report concluded that, “Canada is perceived as the top country in quality of life.”

This is not the first time that Canada has been perceived as having the best reputation of any of the world’s most economically advanced countries.

Between 2010 and 2015, Canada has either been ranked #1 or #2 in the world for positive global image in the Reputation Institute’s annual international survey.

As already discussed, Canada has the #1 reputation in the world in 2015; was in 2^nd place for global popularity in 2014; was again the world’s most favorable country in 2013, 2012 and 2011; and had the 2^nd highest reputation in 2010.

Thus, Canada has consistently been perceived as one of the very best countries in the world over the past five years and this favorable international image has been a strong factor motivating Canadian immigration.

Over 250,000 people from across the planet move to Canada every year so they can also experience the high standard of living enjoyed by Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

In fact, people who live in Canada, whether they were born there or were approved for Canadian immigration, also perceive their country as a great place to live.

The 2015 Reputation Institute survey found that people who live in Canada have the #2 best self-image (“internal reputation”) of any of the 55 countries examined (after Australians, who had the highest self-image in 2015).

In sum, there is an overwhelming consensus that Canada is one of the most incredible countries on Earth.

Canada has a good reputation for its high standard of living; spectacular scenery; excellent employment opportunities; world-class education system; and friendly, multicultural society.

These are just some of the many positive attributes that make Canada the most popular country in the world and drive hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals from diverse backgrounds to apply for Canadian immigration.

If you would also like to move to Canada and want to find out which Canadian immigration program you are best-suited to apply for, click here!     

Many people who immigrate to Canada dream of opening their own business and for good reason – Canadian early stage entrepreneurship is the second highest in the world, just behind the United States and tied with Australia!

The Centre for Innovation Studies (THECIS) in Calgary conducted research in conjunction with the London-based Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) in the United Kingdom and reported that early stage entrepreneurial activity in Canada is at a higher level than most of the developed world, including the majority of the G-7 countries.

Canada is one of the best countries in the world for an entrepreneur to start a new business.

According to the 2014 GEM Canada National Report, “The Canadian environment and culture for entrepreneurship is healthy.

Entrepreneurship is seen as a good career for which opportunities exist within the capacities of a large segment of the population.”

In fact, approximately 13% of Canada’s 35 million residents are taking part in early stage activities to start their own business, with people 45-64 years old representing the largest demographic segment for entrepreneurship, although many younger

Canadian residents were also engaged in entrepreneurial activities.

While some people start their own business because they have experienced difficulty finding suitable work, this study reveals that, “Canadian entrepreneurs report opportunity as their motivation much more often than necessity.”

Many new Canadian companies have been started by foreign nationals who were looking for better opportunities in life and decided to immigrate to Canada.

The Canadian government wants more qualified foreign entrepreneurs to move to Canada and start their own businesses, since this creates new jobs in Canada and boosts the Canadian economy.

There is also a strong demand for skilled foreign workers to fill thousands of jobs in Canada that companies have not been able to fill with Canadian citizens or permanent residents due to an ongoing labor shortage.

Thus, Canada’s government launched its Express Entry Canadian immigration system on January 1, 2015, to more efficiently bring tens of thousands of skilled foreign workers to the country to fill jobs in Canada in a range of high-demand occupations.

Whether you and your family are entrepreneurs who want to start a new business in Canada or you are a highly-skilled foreign worker seeking better career options, Canadian immigration can open the door to a world of possibilities.

In either case, if you are approved for a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada, you and your eligible family members will have the opportunity to live, work or study in this incredible country and, if you have what it takes, to even start your own business.

To find out if you are likely to meet the eligibility requirements to immigrate to Canada, click here!

If you are seeking happiness in life, you may want to move to Canada!

According to the 2015 World Happiness Report published in April 2015 by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Canada is ranked as the world’s 5^th happiest country out of the 158 countries assessed around the globe.

Factors that UN researchers used to evaluate “happiness” included the availability of social support; generosity; healthy years of life expectancy; income; perception of corruption in business and government; and perception of personal freedom.

Each of the 158 countries examined received an overall score between 0 and 10 (with 0 being the lowest score and 10 being a perfect score).

Canada came in fifth place on the happiness scale with an overall score of 7.427, which was not far from first place Switzerland which received a total happiness score of 7.587 from the UN researchers.

Many people from around the globe who are looking for better opportunities in life decide to move to Canada.

In fact, Canada is one of the world’s top immigration destinations, with approximately 250,000 foreign nationals approved for Canadian immigration each year.

It’s easy to understand why people who live in Canada are so happy.

After all, Canada is one of the world’s wealthiest countries and boasts one of the highest standards of living on Earth.

Canada is also famous for its spectacular scenery and for welcoming immigrants from every region of the world.

So many people have been approved for Canadian immigration that Canada has become one of the most multicultural countries on the map, with one out of every five Canadian residents originating from outside of Canada.

If you would also like to live in Canada and want to find out if you are likely to meet the eligibility requirements for Canadian immigration, click here!  

The Canadian city of Vancouver has been ranked as having the #1 best quality of life in North America by the international human resources firm Mercer.

In its 2015 “Quality of Living Rankings” released in March 2015, not only did Mercer consider Vancouver to be the top city in North America for standard of living, but it also listed Vancouver as having the 5^th highest quality of life out of 230 cities evaluated around the world.

Other Canadian cities listed among the best places on the planet to live included #15 Toronto and #16 Ottawa.

Thus, if you and your family would like to enjoy one of the highest living standards on Earth, you may want to move to Canada!

Now is a good time to move to Canada, particularly after the new Express Entry Canadian immigration system was launched on January 1, 2015.

Qualified skilled foreign workers and their eligible family members who meet the criteria for Express Entry can now receive a decision within six months after submitting their complete application for a Permanent Resident (PR) Visa to Canada.

Express Entry was created to more efficiently bring skilled foreign workers to Canada who can quickly start working in their field and contribute to the Canadian economy.

Hundreds of high-demand occupations are eligible for Express Entry.

Examples include various professions that usually require a university degree (such as accountants, engineers, healthcare professionals, managers and educators, among many others) and skilled trades (including carpenters, electricians, mechanics, plumbers, welders, etc.).

In order to meet the eligibility requirements for Express Entry to Canada, a skilled foreign worker must qualify for one of the Canadian “economic immigration” programs participating in the Express Entry system and they must also file an online Express Entry profile.

There are, of course, other eligibility criteria that must be met for Express Entry to Canada. If the Canadian government reviews the Express Entry profile and issues the skilled foreign worker an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for the PR Visa to Canada, they will then have 60 days to submit a complete Canadian PR Visa application and should receive their visa decision within six months in most cases.

Just think – if you are approved for Express Entry to Canada, you and your eligible family members could soon be enjoying the high standard of living that Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and other Canadian cities are known for!

To find out if you are likely to qualify for Canadian immigration, click here!    

On February 2, 2015, the Canadian government announced that it had issued 779 skilled foreign workers an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada under its new “Express Entry” immigration system.

Among those who received an Invitation to Apply for a PR Visa to Canada were skilled foreign workers in the construction and electrical trades, as well as professionals in applied and natural sciences.

According to Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Chris Alexander, “Express Entry is already getting impressive results in its first month. The fact that everyone who was invited to apply for permanent residence in this round of invitations already has a valid job offer or provincial nomination shows that Express Entry is working to fill Canada’s existing labor market gaps.”

He further declared, “With Express Entry, highly skilled candidates with a high chance of success in Canada are invited to apply for permanent residence, bringing them to Canada more quickly and easily than ever before.”

The new Express Entry Canadian immigration system was launched on January 1, 2015.

As its name suggests, the Express Entry system was designed to speed up the process of selecting and approving the most qualified skilled foreign workers to be issued a PR Visa to Canada so they can more quickly arrive in the country and contribute to the Canadian economy.

For example, the 779 skilled foreign workers who were issued an Invitation to Apply for a PR Visa to Canada on January 31, 2015, will have 60 days to submit their complete visa applications, along with all of the required documents and fees, and will then receive a visa decision within only six months in most cases.

If you also want to live and work in Canada and would like to find out if you and your family may be eligible to apply for Canadian immigration through the Express Entry system, click here!

Whether you are planning a vacation to Canada or considering Canadian immigration, 2015 may be the perfect year to travel to Toronto!

The respected Canadian travel website Vacay.ca has released its list of the best cities in Canada to visit during 2015 and named Toronto as its top pick for the New Year, ahead of #4 Vancouver, #8 Montreal and #10 Calgary.

Although Canada’s largest city is a great place to visit or to live long-term, there are several reasons why you may want to visit or even move to Toronto in 2015.

Toronto is a popular destination for people from around the globe who immigrate to Canada and, thus, Toronto is an interesting, cosmopolitan city with an endless range of ethnic eateries with which to tantalize your taste buds.

For the past several years (including 2014), the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has rated Toronto as the 3^rd “most livable city in the world” out of the 140 major international cities examined each year, based on such factors as culture and environment, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and stability.

With its close proximity to magnificent Niagara Falls, there is much to see and do both in and near Toronto.

These are just some of the quality of life features that motivate many foreign nationals approved for Canadian immigration to move to Toronto and which draw tourists from across the Earth.

With all that this incredible Canadian city regularly has to offer tourists and residents, 2015 is an especially good time to travel to Toronto due to several major events being held there this year.

In addition to the Beaches International Jazz festival (July 17-26, 2015) and the 40^th Toronto International Film festival (TIFF) taking place September 10-15, 2015, approximately 250,000 athletes and sports spectators from around the globe will gather in Toronto for the Pan Am Games occurring July 10-26, 2015 and the Parapan Am Games to be held August 7-15, 2015.

This is just a taste of some of the many terrific places and events you and your family could enjoy if you travel to Toronto this year!

Canada’s government reported in December 2014 that over 260,000 immigrants were granted Canadian citizenship during 2014, which was double the number who received Canadian citizenship in 2013!

One of the main reasons that so many people who had been issued a Permanent Resident (PR) Visa to Canada were approved for Canadian citizenship in 2014 was that a new “streamlined” decision-making process went into effect in August 2014 which helped to speed up the process of approving immigrants for Canadian citizenship.

The Canadian government also reported that since 2006, 1,550,000 foreign nationals who have immigrated to Canada have become new Canadian citizens.

Sustained Canadian immigration has given this incredible country one of the most multicultural populations in the world in which 20% of its 35 million residents are foreign-born.

Among the hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals who received Canadian citizenship during 2014 were Stanley Chikombero, his wife Diana Dinala, and their two sons who were approved for immigration to Canada from Zimbabwe and settled in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

At the Canadian citizenship ceremony held in Ontario on December 23, 2014, Mr. Chikombero was quoted as saying, “This is a place for success and I want that for my children. They will have a future in a great country and I hope they can contribute.”

His wish is similar to that expressed by many foreign nationals who immigrate to Canada.

Approximately 250,000 people from all over the world are approved for a PR Visa to Canada through various Canadian immigration programs each year.

The Canadian government recently announced an ambitious goal to issue a PR Visa to Canada for 260,000-285,000 foreign nationals during 2015, of which 181,300 would be through different “economic immigration” programs.

In order to speed up the process of approving eligible skilled foreign workers for these “economic immigration” programs (i.e., Federal Skilled Workers Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class Program), Canada’s government is launching its new “Express Entry” system on January 1, 2015.

Skilled foreign workers who are issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a PR Visa to Canada through the “Express Entry” system and who submit a complete visa application and pay the required fees will receive a decision from the Canadian government regarding their visa application within only six months!

People who receive a Canadian PR Visa are authorized to live and work in Canada long-term, have access to Canada’s excellent education system, receive free basic healthcare (after a brief waiting period), and can enjoy the high standard of living that Canada is famous for.

One of the most important benefits of being issued a PR Visa to Canada is the option to apply for Canadian citizenship after living in Canada at least four years in the six year prior to applying for citizenship.

Just think – If you and your family are approved for immigration to Canada, you may also be able to join the 260,000 permanent residents who became Canadian citizens this year!

To find out which Canadian immigration program you may be eligible to apply for, click here!   

Canada’s government is preparing to launch its new “Express Entry” immigration system on January 1, 2015, which is designed to improve the processing of applications for a Permanent Resident (PR) Visa to Canada through certain “economic immigration” programs.

The Canadian government recently announced its goal to issue a PR Visa to Canada for 260,000-285,000 foreign nationals during 2015, with 181,300 of these Canadian visas planned for eligible skilled foreign workers.

The new “Express Entry” immigration system will speed up the process of applying for a PR Visa to Canada through the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP); Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Program.

Foreign workers can also apply for the Provincial Nominees Program (PNP) using the Express Entry system or by applying the “traditional” way.

The “Express Entry” Canadian immigration system will involve two major steps.

First, applicants for a PR Visa to Canada through one of the economic immigration programs (i.e., FSWP, FSTP, and CEC) will submit an online “Express Entry Profile” to the Canadian government which will include details about their education, work experience, job skills, language abilities, age and other factors.

If the applicant does not already have a qualifying job offer from an employer in Canada, they should also register with the Canadian government’s Job Bank.

Employers in Canada, as well as Canadian provinces and territories, will be able to search the Job Bank database for qualified workers to fill various jobs in Canada.

The Canadian government will review each “Express Entry Profile” and those who appear to meet the qualifications for one of the Canadian economic immigration programs may then be moved into the “Express Entry Pool” of Canadian immigration candidates.

In order to move out of the “Express Entry Pool” by receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for a PR Visa to Canada, a candidate will need to obtain a qualifying job offer from an employer in Canada OR be nominated by a Canadian province or territory through the Provincial Nominees Program (PNP) OR receive one of the highest scores on the "Express Entry" Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Candidates who remain in the “Express Entry Pool” for 12 months without receiving an Invitation to Apply will be removed from the pool, but they may then re-submit a new “Express Entry Profile” and, if they still meet the eligibility criteria for one of the economic immigration programs at that time, may have another chance to enter the pool for another 12 months.

During the second step of the Canadian immigration procedure, a skilled foreign worker who receives an Invitation to Apply (ITA) will have 60 days to submit their application for the PR Visa to Canada, along with all of the necessary documents, plus they will need to pay any required fees.

The applicant will receive a decision from the Canadian government within six months after they submit their complete PR Visa Application and, if all goes well, may be approved for immigration to Canada!

Canadian Visa Expert closely monitors the latest developments related to immigration to Canada and the authorized immigration consultants that it works with will evaluate clients based upon their personal profile and the most up-to-date Canadian immigration regulations.

To receive your personalized professional Canadian immigration assessment, click here!      

If you are looking for prosperity, freedom and tolerance, then you may want to move to Canada!

According to the 2014 Prosperity Index published by the London-based Legatum Institute, Canada ranks #5 in the world for prosperity out of the 142 countries evaluated, behind #1 Norway, #2 Switzerland, #3 New Zealand and #4 Denmark.

Canada was also rated highly for freedom, with 92% of the people who live in Canada reporting that they have the freedom to decide on the best economic and social course for their lives (compared to just 10% of the residents of the United States).

In terms of education, one of the factors making up the Prosperity Index, Canada was ranked #2 in the world after Australia (by comparison, the United States was rated 11^th in the world for education).

With one of the highest standards of living of any country on Earth, it is not surprising that thousands of people from around the globe want to move to Canada.

Canada’s government announced on October 31, 2014, that it is planning to substantially increase the number of foreign nationals that it will authorize to live in Canada long-term in 2015.

The Canadian government has established a goal to issue a Permanent Resident (PR) Visa to Canada for between 260,000 and 285,000 people from around the world in 2015, which is an increase of 19,000 over Canadian immigration for 2013.

Of those who will be granted a PR Visa to Canada in 2015, the goal is for 181,300 “economic immigrants” to be approved to move to Canada; an additional 68,000 foreign nationals will be allowed to live in Canada through family sponsorship; and 29,800 individuals will be admitted into the country for humanitarian reasons.

Thus, if you are seeking jobs in Canada and want to live in freedom in one of the most prosperous countries on the planet, now is a great time to apply for Canadian immigration!

According to a survey of 203,756 people around the globe published in October 2014 by the Boston Consulting Group, Canada is the #3 top destination in the world for job seekers, after the US and UK.

While many people from around the globe consider Canadian immigration an attractive alternative to living and working in their own country, the survey found that individuals from the United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Mexico are especially interested in seeking jobs in Canada.

Three Canadian cities were also listed among the world’s most desirable cities for skilled foreign workers in the global survey, with Toronto ranked 8^th, Montreal 21^st and Vancouver in 23^rd place.

The survey discovered that Canada is very attractive to skilled foreign workers for several reasons.

A key motivation, of course, is that there are thousands of jobs in Canada that are available to qualified skilled foreign workers.

Many global job seekers also want to work in an English-speaking country such as Canada since English is either their native language or they learned it as a second language.

Another major motivation to move to Canada cited in the survey is a desire for security, safety and stability.

Having access to Canada’s excellent healthcare system and the country’s spectacular scenery were also noted as top reasons to move to Canada.

Not only are thousands of people throughout the world interested in Canadian immigration, but Canada’s government is also seeking thousands of qualified skilled foreign workers to help fill jobs in Canada that cannot be filled by Canadian workers.

This has been a major factor contributing to Canada being the world's third most popular destination for international job seekers.

With thousands of older Canadian workers retiring at the same time that Canada’s economy continues to expand, there has been an ongoing shortage of skilled labor across Canada in various high-demand occupations.

Thus, the Canadian government and businesses have encouraged skilled foreign workers with certain qualifications to move to Canada to live, work and help keep the Canadian economy growing.

If you also want to move to Canada and would like to learn more about Canadian immigration, click here!

Employment in Canada reached its highest level since December 2008, as 74,100 new Canadian jobs were created during September 2014.

This significant increase of jobs in Canada dropped the Canadian unemployment rate down to 6.8% (the lowest unemployment rate in Canada in six years).

According to the new data released by Statistics Canada (October 2014), 69,300 of the 74,100 new Canadian jobs were for full-time employment.

Furthermore, the 74,100 new jobs in Canada that were created in September 2014 beat the expectations of many economists who had forecast that 20,000 new Canadian jobs would be created.

Although the overall unemployment rate for Canada fell to 6.8 percent, some provinces did better than others in Canadian job creation.

For example, Statistics Canada reported (October 2014) that Ontario led the other provinces and territories in the expansion of employment, adding 24,700 new Canadian jobs in September 2014, while Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland & Labrador also saw impressive gains in employment that month.

Statistics Canada reported additional good news about the Canadian economy in October 2014, stating that the majority of businesses in all sectors across Canada indicated that they plan to hire more employees over the next 12-month period.

This is great news for qualified skilled foreign workers who want to apply for jobs in Canada.

The Canadian economy is continuing to expand and as it grows, the demand for skilled workers to fill thousands of new jobs in Canada continues to increase.

This is a major reason that the Canadian government has established several programs designed to encourage skilled foreign workers to immigrate to Canada where their education, experience and job skills are in high-demand.

To find out which Canadian immigration program you may be eligible to apply for, click here!

For people who want to move to Canada, one of the most important decisions to make is where to live in their new country.

Therefore, a new report released in September 2014 by the Conference Board of Canada may provide some helpful insights on the best cities to live and work in Canada.

The Conference Board of Canada ranked 50 Canadian cities on such key factors as education, environment, health, housing, innovation and society and in its 2014 City Magnets report, considered Calgary, Ottawa, Richmond Hill, St. John’s, Vancouver and Waterloo among the top cities to live and work in Canada.

All six of these highly-rated Canadian cities received an overall excellent grade of “A” which means they had a “strong magnetic pull” that attracted new residents.  By comparison, Markham, Mississauga and Toronto received a “B” grade, meaning they are also “very good” places to live in Canada.

Each of the top six Canadian cities had particular strengths that made them attractive to foreign nationals who move to Canada.

For example, the City Magnets report says that “Waterloo shines as one of the top cities for migrants, thanks to its well-earned reputation for innovation and education.

The city ranked first in education, second in innovation, and third in the economy category.”

The study states that Vancouver is also “one of the key destinations” for people who move to Canada, due in large part to its “overall high quality of life.”

The Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill is the third most multicultural Canadian city, with 59.3% of its residents foreign-born, plus it “boasts the highest number of graduates in engineering, science and math per capita.”

It is not surprising, therefore, that Richmond Hill was highly rated for “education, innovation and society.”

The city of St. John’s in Newfoundland & Labrador received high marks for the quality healthcare available to its residents, while Canada’s capital city of Ottawa was noted for its economy, education, innovation and society.

Calgary was “the only city to rank first in two categories: economy and innovation.”

Other recent studies have also stated that Canadian cities are great places to live.

For example, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranked Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary among the top 10 “most livable” cities in the world in August 2014.

One of the major reasons that hundreds of thousands of people from around the globe move to Canada each year is because it offers its 35 million residents one of the highest standards of living on Earth.

If you would also like to live and work in Canada and want to find out if you are eligible to apply for Canadian immigration, click here!

In August 2014, the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) released its annual list of the world’s “most livable cities” and once again included three Canadian cities in the top ten.

The Economist researchers evaluate 140 major cities around the globe each year based on five key “livability” factors (culture and environment; education; health care; infrastructure; and stability) and give each city an overall score on a scale ranging from a low of zero to a high of 100.

This year, as was the case in August 2013, the EIU experts ranked Vancouver the 3^rd most livable city in the world, while Toronto came in 4^th place and Calgary tied with the Australian city of Adelaide for the fifth highest rating.

It is not surprising, therefore, that thousands of people who immigrate to Canada each year decide to settle in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary – some of the world’s top five most livable cities!

Growing numbers of individuals and families in different regions of the globe want to move to Canada so they can also enjoy the high standard of living found in Canadian cities, towns and rural areas.

Many people who immigrate to Canada, particularly from the Pacific Rim area, prefer to live in Vancouver, the largest city in the Canadian province of British Columbia, due to its relatively close proximity to their home countries, the large immigrant communities there (particularly from Asia), many economic opportunities, incredible lifestyle and spectacular scenery.

Thousands of foreign nationals who move to Canada also make their homes in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which includes Toronto (Canada’s largest city) and several surrounding municipalities, such as Mississauga, Brampton, Richmond Hill, and Hamilton (all of which have substantial immigrant populations).

In addition to being one of the most cosmopolitan Canadian cities, Toronto is also attractive to people who immigrate to Canada because of the great career options available there, various entertainment venues, cultural activities, educational opportunities, plus magnificent Niagara Falls is just a short drive away!

Between Vancouver and Toronto is Calgary, located in the scenic province of Alberta. Calgary is a top destination for many who immigrate to Canada, not only due to the abundance of jobs there and elsewhere in Alberta, but also because it is situated next to the beautiful Canadian Rockies and many wonderful places to enjoy the “Great Outdoors.”

Whether you want to live in an exciting big city, peaceful small town or picturesque rural area, you can enjoy a high quality of life if you move to Canada!