Immigration reform in Canada

by Marina Tanase (author of earlier posts, More on Globalization – Covid and its effects and The Real Story of Globalization)

If one were to ask me why I decided to write this article about immigration, I would not know where to start. I, Marina, have been, am, and will be an immigrant. This is the path I chose and one that I enjoy with no regrets.

Born and raised in Romania, a former Communist country (which I did not have the “pleasure” to experience), I decided to immigrate after graduating my faculty, first to Spain and then to Canada. And I know my road will not end here. I find pleasure in my adventure along with the continuous learning lesson.

You might wonder why I am not settling in one place, why always being a nomad?  The reason behind it is a very simple and genuine one. As cliché as it might sound, I have always been passionate about travelling, experiencing different cultures and cities, and learning and interacting with different personalities. I find it to be such a fulfilling experience, one that can set the tone for the whole life, for the whole journey.

For me personally, travelling and experiencing all these new paths was, is, and will be an escape to “boredom”, but not the one we are all thinking of. I am referring to the “boredom” of our ignorance, of our lack of knowledge and of our narrow mind.

My immigration road I chose a long time ago has constantly opened my mind, made me see and experience things, and helped me understand better our society in a way I would have not had the chance to if I were to stay in my “comfortable bubble”. And don’t get me wrong, there is nothing bad in staying in your bubble; everyone is the master of their own path, but it is me who decided to change my profession: that of being “an immigrant.” I could go for pages and pages to let you know, dear reader,  the reason for this interest in immigration, but this is not my purpose here. 

You might have heard this phrase so many times lately, but I will not get tired of repeating it. Last year was a very challenging one for everyone, one which changed and will change many aspects in our modern society. I am not an expert, nor a professional in the field, but I dare to say that I am a passionate and avid learner of immigration policy; therefore I decided to give you, dear friend, a very quick insight of how Covid impacted and changed the immigration reform in Canada.

This could be a very long article if I were to start tackling this extensive issue, one which I will probably not finish today. What I decided is to limit myself to just a few pages, to bring you, reader, just a sense of it, to try to make you hungry; and curious of reading more, allowing you to self-learn. There is nothing more beautiful than, after reading a small article on a certain issue, to have the passion awakened with the desire to read more and explore more. 

This is my intention here, and I hope I can achieve it. And if I will not capture enough of your interest to make you want to learn more, no problem. At least I hope I brought you something today, that I contributed just a tiny bit to your knowledge and interest.

Canada, the country I am currently living in, has been and is still being considered a country “open to legal, transparent, and fair immigration”. With a fairly recent history of no more than 153 years old from indigenous people to the multicultural environment, this country had always been in search of attracting and retaining immigrants. Without being boring, here is just a very quick insight of the immigration facts in Canada.

“There has been a significant history of “Chinese immigration”, with the first settlement of Chinese people in Canada being in the 1780s. 

“Chinese immigrants were originally considered an expendable source of cheap labour due to their economic depression. Between 1880 and 1885, the primary work for Chinese labourers in Canada was on the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).” (source: Wikipedia).

As one can see, in the beginning most of the immigrants were coming from China to contribute to the construction of the railway, which would have a great impact on the economic development of British Columbia.

Nowadays Canada is receiving immigrants from all over the countries and continents, and this is what makes it such a diverse country. With a stable economy, good health care system, and a well-established human rights system, Canada is attracting thousands of immigrants wanting to make it their “home”.  

As the senior economist at RBC said: “Without immigration over the past 15 years, Canada would have aged on a similar trajectory as Japan experienced during the 1990s.” Instead, Canada is one of the youngest countries in the G7”.

Immigration is the motor of the economy, and it is what made this country flourish. Agopsowicz, the RBC’s economist, noted that immigration has powered Canada’s economic engine, driving up gross domestic product in the largest cities at a faster rate than the national average. Without immigration, the populations in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver all would have all declined in 2019.

It has been experienced during the last years that immigration, both from skilled workers and unskilled workers, have a very positive impact on the economy of a country. With this past year’s experience, it is obvious that the number of immigrants declined by nearly more than 50%, which will have negative impacts on the long run.  

The present article will only focus on how the banning of traveling impacted international students to arriving in Canada, and therefore the economy and the steps Canada decided to take in order to reform the immigration policy, so that it will benefit to the recovery of the economy in the long run.

It is known that over the past years, international students were applying to the Canadian universities with the hope that they would be accepted and come to experience this beautiful country with all its benefits. But why were, and are still, international students so attracted to Canadian universities? A reason might be that it is one of the easiest paths of their immigration journey which leads them to so much desired permanent residency. Once a student finishes his/her degree in Canada, he/she can apply for an open work permit, allowing the student to stay for up to three years in the country and gain labour experience.

I find that the international student’s immigration system is pretty ingenious, for what the Government is trying to do is educate them in the Canadian spirit, and once this is accomplished, to allow the students to contribute to the economy with their gained knowledge through their studies and work. This system prepares students to become the desired labour market in the future for the Canadian economy. 

Due to the global pandemic, the number of international students who came to Canada dropped significantly. International students pay 50% more on tuition fee than the domestic students, so one can see the importance of the international money coming from overseas students. 

Banning international students to come and study made a significant impact on the universities, real estate market, and other services and goods. Over twenty percent of the population in Canada is composed of immigrants who consume services and goods, leading to the growth in the job market. 

Seeing the whole picture and looking into the future of the Canadian economy, the Government came up with an immigration plan for 2021-2023. Canada wants to target over 400,000 immigrants per year. It will aim to welcome 401,000 immigrants in 2021, another 411,000 in 2022, and 421,000 in 2023. Canada is maintaining high levels of immigration to offset the negative economic and fiscal impacts of its aging population and low birth rate.

The country has one of the world’s oldest populations, with nearly 18 percent of its population being aged 65 and over. It also has one of the world’s lowest birth rates, at 1.47 births per woman. As such, Canada will face the challenges of growing its economy and supporting government spending in the future. These challenges can be countered by welcoming more immigrants to support the labour force and economic growth.

Since its founding in 1867, Canada has welcomed at least 300,000 immigrants in just one year. It is currently welcoming 0.9 percent of its population of immigrants, which is three times higher than the per capita newcomer intake in the United States.

With all these facts in place, the country came up with a very interesting immigration reform for students. In order to attract new international students, the Government created new paths for students coming from Hong Kong and for those taking online courses. 

As per the Government of Canada, international students bring annually to the economy more than $21 billion, supporting the communities and the real estate market. For most of the holders of the postgraduate open permit (PGWP), the pandemic had put a hold on their opportunities to obtain work experience and apply for permanent residence. 

As part of the Government’s efforts to support international talent, on January 8, 2021, the Minister of the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship announced that: “Former international students who hold or held a PWGP will have the opportunity to apply for one. The immigrants in Canada affected by the pandemic with an expired PGWP will have the chance to apply for another one. The permit will be valid for 18 months and will allow students to seek employment and build their future in Canada and contribute to its economy.” (source: Government of Canada). 

The reform is a strategic one as it is encouraging international students to settle permanently in Canada and help create jobs and fill shortages in the labour market. The Government efforts are heading towards bringing the international experience along with Canadian education. This is the reason why international students are seen as a great potential for applying to a permanent residence status. The government plan and immigration reform are intended to attract skilled immigrants as they contribute to the growth of the economy and its recovery after the pandemic.

The above-mentioned path was just one of the measures Canada announced in order to combat the long term negative effects of the virus.

On February 12, 2021, the Minister of the Immigration and Citizenship announced another measure in order to assist the international students. Due to the online system put in place, the Government announced that studies completed outside of Canada will count for a future PGWP and will allow the international students to complete their entire program online from the foreign country and still be able to get their PGWP, which will eventually lead to their permanent residency. These measures had been put in place in the efforts to help the international students to settle in the country. And this was not the only measure the Government took in order to easily attract skilled students and potential workers who will contribute to Canada’s future.

On February 4^th, 2021, Canada launched the Hong Kong pathway that attracts recent graduates and skilled workers with a quicker path to permanent residency.

“The ties that bind Canada and Hong Kong run deep. The first Hong Kong residents arrived here over 150 years ago, contributing immensely to Canada’s economic, social and political life. Canada continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Hong Kong and is deeply concerned about the new National Security Law and the deteriorating human rights situation there.” (source: Government of Canada). Therefore, the Minister of Immigration announced several paths to help Hong Kong residents to come and settle in Canada. 

 “Hong Kong residents will be able to apply for new open work permits beginning on February 8, 2021. Valid for up to three years, these permits will allow Hong Kong residents to gain valuable employment experience and make significant contributions to Canada. Hong Kong residents must have graduated with a Canadian post-secondary diploma or degree in the last five years, or hold an equivalent foreign credential. A post-secondary diploma program must be a minimum of two years.

“In addition to open work permits, the Government of Canada continues to implement two other pathways to permanent residence for young Hong Kong residents, which will be available later this year. The first will be for Hong Kong residents with at least one year of work experience in Canada and who meet the language and education criteria. The second will be for Hong Kong residents who have graduated from a post-secondary institution in Canada; who can then apply directly for permanent residence. More information will be available in due course.” (source: Government of Canada). 

The actions that the Government is considering are showing the long-term strategy which will bring so much benefit to Canada and its economy in the long run. It has been shown in history how important immigrants are for the economic stability of a country. As we are moving towards the digital era, we all need to adapt. From day-to-day life to universities, workplaces to governments, we all need to contribute, be flexible; and creative, and find paths to grow the world’s economy. 

Immigrants and international students are just a tiny part of an example of a flexible attitude during the long process ahead of us.

I myself as an avid learner would like to open a discussion and ask you, dear reader, what is your country immigration policy? What measures do you think should be put in place in order to adapt to the new norm?

Marina Tanase, originally from Romania, earned a graduate degree in Malaga, Spain before moving to Calgary, Canada and then to Vancouver, BC. Ms. Tanase has degrees in Environmental and Natural Resource Law and in Business Administration and has worked in legal services, tourism, and education.