Canada’s immigration policy is world renowned and globally respected – even the UK has realised it could learn a thing or two from the way the Canadian authorities handle and manage migration.  There is an annual cap on skilled migration to Canada for example, there are incentives in place to encourage good distribution of immigrants across the nation, and there are policies in place to support the long-term success of migratory commitment.

This has the effect of attracting good applicants, ensuring the whole of Canada benefits from immigration, and it means that migrants are supported in their transition too and are therefore far more likely to remain and become successfully integrated members of society who contribute positively to it.  Perhaps as an indirect consequence of the overall success of the immigration programme, Canada has survived the global economic financial meltdown far better than many other leading nations recently – such as the US, the UK and Germany for example.

Whilst Canada has seen economic contraction, it has not boomed and then gone bust and so it remains a very popular choice with would-be expatriates.  If you’ve been thinking about moving abroad and have considered Canada, some good news has been released that could make immigration easier for you.  A leading expert in migration has suggested that Canada needs a lot more expats…

As stated, Canada has weathered the global financial crisis well.  As a result it remains a strong nation – but because of its relative large size compared to its relative small population, one expert has suggested that if it expanded its immigration policy and attracted more high-grade, highly skilled migrants, Canada could become an even more dominant figure on the world stage.

In an essay in GlobalBrief magazine, which is a commentary on World affairs in the 21st century, Irvin Studin, a professor at the University of Toronto has suggested that Canada could advance its migration patterns extensively and create a much stronger country and society as a result.

Currently Canada has a population of about 33.3 million – but according to Professor Studin, if it advanced immigration by about 20 to 30%, by 2080 it could reach the 100 million mark and be a globally more powerful nation in terms of its output, economic standing and influence.

The professor has suggested that economically Canada would do well to consider expanding its immigration policy – because the tax revenue earned from such a population boost would of course enable the nation incredibly.  However, little comment or consideration has perhaps been given to how the Canadian people would feel about integrating that large an influx of people.  What’s more, where would jobs be created to result in demand for a population booster of this magnitude?

Following publication of the Professor’s thoughts on the matter, many have commented on the fact that perhaps the success of Canada’s migration policy is that it is contained, well managed and places emphasis on integrating entire families and multiple generations of the same family across the entire nation – and that to substantially expand the policy could result in the failure of it.  It’s a sort of ‘it it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ attitude.

Still, the findings are out there and available for further discussion and consideration – the theory on a purely fiscal/power level certainly works, but whether the plan is truly viable has yet to be seen.  The good news for those wanting to emigrate to live in Canada is that no one is for a moment suggesting Canada needs to shut its doors or limit the number of successful and skilled migrants it welcomes annually.

Irvin Studin, a professor at the University of Toronto, claims that pushing the Canadian population to 100 million would bring much needed “strategic power” to the country.

In an essay in the magazine Global Brief, Studin said that Canada had advantages worthy of a prominent world power, including abundant natural resources, fresh water and food supplies, and a stable government.

But its population of just 34 million was, he said, hindering the country’s ability to develop.

Canada needed “a far larger demographic base to build strong national institutions and structures across the vast territory of Canada, institutions that, while today are often absent or weak, would eventually serve as a bulwark for international strategic influence,” he said.

Studin, who previously worked for Canada’s Privy Council Office, said that provided there was “a proactive distribution of this increased population”, an aggressive immigration policy would boost economic and cultural output, making Canada “a serious force to be reckoned with”.

“Perhaps most signally, the increased national wealth (and tax base) would allow Canada to mobilise very significant quanta of money in order to properly lead in international interventions – non-military and military alike; through carrot and stick, in development, intelligence, reconstruction, war and peacemaking,” he added.

Studin concluded that the country could reach the 100 million mark, almost three times its current population size, by 2080 if it increased immigration by around 20 to 30 percent.

Professor Stephen Castles, an immigration expert at the University of Sydney, commented: “Canada has been very successful in achieving economic and demographic growth through a balanced, long-term immigration policy. For both economic and humanitarian immigrants, subsequent entry of close family members is encouraged, and seen as crucial to immigrants’ long-term commitment to Canada.

“However, Canada has always balanced immigration quotas with economic needs and community concerns. That is no doubt one important reason for the broad popular support for immigration in Canada. A very rapid increase in immigration - as apparently envisaged by Irvin Studin - might well erode community support, and would not necessarily lead to the benefits he claims.”

Professor Robin Cohen, director of the International Migration Institute at Oxford University, said that Canada’s immigration strategies were usually the subject of praise. “In the UK, immigration policy has been over a number of years aligning itself with the policies of Canada, a country that is widely admired for ‘getting it right.’

Canada’s population eclipsed the 34-million mark for the first time ever, Statistics Canada said in its latest look at the country’s population.

The federal agency said the country’s population stood at 34,019,000 on April 1, a jump of about 88,000 since it last counted Canadians on Jan. 1.

More than two-thirds of the growth can be chalked up to international migration. The rest was the result of existing Canadians making new Canadians the old-fashioned way.

StatsCan noted the rate of growth from immigration had slowed compared to previous years.

The Conservative government has made boosting immigration a top priority because it believes an aging Canadian population is going to soon need more workers if the country’s standard of living is going to be maintained as baby boomers leave the workforce. And it believes immigration is the only way to rapidly replace a retiring workforce.

From a regional perspective, the big growth was in the western provinces, particularly Saskatchewan which saw its biggest quarterly population increase since 1972.

All provinces saw their population increase in the first three months of

this year except for Nova Scotia, which is not attracting many new immigrants and saw more deaths than births in the in the first quarter.

Counting Canada

The latest population estimates from Statistics Canada, as of April 1.

CANADA 34,019,000 ( 0.26% compared to Jan. 1, 2010)

Newfoundland 510,900 ( 0.02%)

P.E.I. 141,600 ( 0.23%)

Nova Scotia 940,500 (-0.03%)

New Brunswick 751,300 ( 0.08%)

Quebec 7,886,100 (0.20%)

Ontario 13,167,900 (0.25%)

Manitoba 1,232,700 (0.30%)

Saskatchewan 1,041,700 (0.36%)

Alberta 3,724,800 (0.35%)

British Columbia 4,510,900 ( 0.37%)

Earlier this month, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) released preliminary data about the number of permanent and temporary residents Canada welcomed in 2009. The figures show that Canada continues to maintain a historically high rate of immigration.

A total of 252,124 permanent residents arrived in Canada in 2009, more than half of which were economic immigrants (newcomers who immigrated through the Federal Skilled Worker program, a Provincial Nominee Program, the Quebec Skilled Worker category, and the Canadian Experience Class category).

“The Government of Canada is maintaining immigration levels to meet Canada’s short-, medium- and long-term economic needs, help offset our aging population and low birthrate, and sustain our workforce,” said Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney

In addition, 178,640 temporary foreign workers and 85,131 international students began their temporary residences in Canada last year.

Kenney highlighted the benefits international students, many of whom choose to stay permanently in Canada through the various immigration options available to them, bring to the country.

“The number of foreign students who came to Canada grew by seven percent last year, resulting in the highest number of foreign students ever admitted to Canada. To be a more innovative society able to compete and prosper in a global, knowledge-based economy, Canada needs people with an international outlook, skills and experience. Attracting more international students is a priority for our government,” he said.

Even as Canada maintains its high rate of immigration, the federal government is currently reviewing the Federal Skilled Worker program with a view to modifying the 38 occupations that are currently “open” under the program. Applicants who currently qualify for a Canadian permanent resident visa would be wise to submit their applications as soon as possible, before any changes are announced.

Canada welcomed more than 500,000 permanent and temporary residents in 2009, according to preliminary data released by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) today.

Canada admitted 252,124 permanent residents in 2009, well within the government’s planned range of 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents for the year. This number is about 30,000 higher than the average annual intake of permanent residents in the 1990s. About 60 percent of those admitted were economic migrants.

An additional 178,640 temporary foreign workers and 85,131 foreign students came to Canada in 2009. Many temporary foreign workers, as well as foreign students who graduate in Canada, may apply to stay in the country permanently through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). : http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/cec/index.asp CIC accepted 2,544 CEC applicants in 2009. Many temporary foreign workers are also selected to remain in Canada permanently through provincial nominee programs.

“The number of foreign students who came to Canada grew by seven percent last year, resulting in the highest number of foreign students ever admitted to Canada,” said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. “To be a more innovative society able to compete and prosper in a global, knowledge-based economy, Canada needs people with an international outlook, skills and experience. Attracting more international students is a priority for our government.”

Last year, Canada also welcomed 22,844 refugees. This included resettling 7,425 government-assisted refugees and 5,036 privately sponsored refugees. The government also landed 10,383 refugees in Canada who had made successful asylum claims, and their dependants. Proposed refugee reforms will, if adopted, see the number of government-assisted and privately sponsored refugees resettled in Canada increase by 20 percent. View the complete set of preliminary data : http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/statistics/facts2009/index.asp released by the Department.

Immigration Minister Kenney recently launched a new interactive online resource, part of the official Canadian immigration  website that covers civics, history, and citizenship specifically for students and teachers.

The first module of the new internet based resource is called “A Fun Path to Learning” and is based on the new citizenship study guide Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship. Through games and activities the interactive guide will help students leave about Canada’s history and political institutions. There will be future modules that will help you learn about the monarchy and immigration.

“I encourage students and teachers to explore this new learning resource,” said Immigration Minister Kenney. “When I launched Discover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship, I said that it wasn’t just for newcomers – but, indeed, all Canadians. This web tool helps promote a solid understanding of Canada’s history, values, symbols and political institutions, and an appreciation of how ethnic and cultural communities have helped shape Canada’s national identity.”

According to Canadian Immigration the new internet based resource “A Fun Path to Learning” provides “interesting, challenging and fun learning opportunities for elementary, junior and high school students, their teachers, and even their parents”.

Since 2008, the Canadian federal and provincial governments have had programs in place to make it easier for individuals working or studying in Canada to obtain Canadian permanent residency. The governments recognize that individuals currently living in Canada, contributing to Canadian society and to the economy are likely to be successful Canadian permanent residents. There are four categories under which a person working or studying in Canada can qualify for a Canadian permanent resident visa.

• Canadian Experience Class: Individuals with some proficiency in English or French who have an intention to live in Canada, outside of the province of Quebec may qualify if they have Canadian experience as a:

o Foreign student having obtained at least a 2 year diploma or degree from a post-secondary institution AND at least 12 months of full-time work experience in a skilled, managerial or professional occupation in Canada, on a valid work permit; OR

o Temporary Foreign Worker currently working or having worked within the last year in Canada for at least 24 months of full-time in a skilled, managerial or professional occupation in Canada, on a valid work permit.

• Quebec Experience Class (PEQ): An individual may qualify if they have intermediate level French proficiency and are a:

o Foreign student having obtained a 2 year diploma or degree from an educational institution recognized by the Quebec Ministry of Education, while on a valid study permit; OR

o Temporary foreign worker currently working in Quebec for at least 12 months in a skilled, managerial or professional occupation in the 24 months prior to their application, while on a valid work permit.

• Provincial Nomination Programs: all of the remaining provinces and two of the territories in Canada have programs where they nominate individuals who intend to settle in that province. These programs are largely dependent on the applicant obtaining a full-time permanent job offer in a skilled occupation within the province, or having study and/or work experience in that province. Generally the provinces proceed quite quickly to issue nomination certificates at which point Citizenship and Immigration Canada completes their assessment of the application.

o Provinces and territories with nomination programs: Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Ontario, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Yukon & the Northwest Territories.

• Federal Skilled Worker Program: individuals who have legally resided in Canada for one year as a foreign student or as a temporary foreign worker are eligible for this program, without the requirement of one year of experience in one of the 38 eligible occupations. Individuals who meet this requirement will then be required to obtain 67/100 points based on six selection factors: education, work experience, official language proficiency, age, arranged employment and other adaptability factors.

Canada will have to increase the number of immigrants allowed into the country by about 100,000 a year and boost productivity to help pay for pensions, the Conference Board of Canada’s chief economist said yesterday.

Glen Hodgson predicted slow labor force growth in the coming decades, meaning there will be fewer workers contributing to pension plans, but more retirees drawing from them, he told an audience at the board’s 2010 Summit on the Future of Pensions. “We’ll have fewer workers coming in to feed the system … that’s going to suck the life out of our economy,” he said.

Currently 250,000 immigrants are allowed to enter Canada every year.

Canada is changing the rules for overseas applicants for Canadian visas. The changes fall in two main areas, which Canada immigration staff are applying in two stages. These involve changing the list of in-demand occupations and requiring applicants to demonstrate language proficiency.

First, on 16th March, Canadian Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced a review of immigration rules and procedures to ensure that they continue to provide a flow of immigrants who will help to meet the country’s economic needs. The main change is expected to be a change to the list of in-demand occupations for the Federal Skilled Worker Program. The list was introduced in 2008, and currently includes thirty-eight occupations which were most in demand in Canada at the time it was introduced. Canada immigration authorities are expected to make changes to this list effective from May 1st 2010, but no announcement has yet been made as to what those changes will be. Citizenship and Immigration Canada credits the list with reducing the backlog of applications in process by almost forty per cent since its 2008 introduction.

The second change, which comes into effect on April 10th, requires applicants to demonstrate their proficiency in either French or English, Canada’s two national languages. When they apply for a visa, applicants will either have to take a written test or produce documentary evidence to prove their competence in one of the two languages. The applicant’s ability in the language will result in points being awarded at the application stage. The sting in the tail of this change is that an applicant will not be able to retake the test at a later stage if they fail it, so non-speakers of either English or French will need to ensure that they have reached a reasonable level of proficiency before sitting the test.

While the modifications to the list of in-demand occupations are not yet clear, the changes are likely to be seen as a tightening-up of the Canada immigration requirements, and the language tests will put an obstacle in the way of applicants with a poor grasp of one of the national languages.

Liberals, anticipating a federal election as soon as this fall, are betting they can capitalize on key areas of public policy they believe Conservatives are ignoring.

Among them:

1. Educating Canadians for knowledge-based jobs of the future.

2. Facing up to the challenges of an aging society.

3. Sustaining a health care system that, fiscally, has already begun squeezing out other areas of public spending.

Participants at a Liberal party policy conference in Montreal on Friday were told by labour market consultant Rick Miner that, with an aging population, Canada is facing a prospect of “people without jobs and jobs without people.”

The president emeritus of Toronto’s Seneca College said severe labour shortages will coincide with a surplus of jobs requiring skills and educational attainment that — without major adaptation — won’t be available in the labour force.

By 2031, 80 per cent of all new jobs will require skilled workers (possessed of more than a high school education), up from 65 per cent today.

Immigration will not be sufficient to address the imbalance.

Jobs that come on line will be ones we cannot even imagine today — perhaps memory augmentation surgeons, old-age wellness managers, weather-modification police, commercial-space pilots.

Beefing up Canada’s education and learning network is essential and will require national policies, speakers at the conference agreed.

Anticipated “demographic changes [will be] so profound that, if appropriate policy responses are not devised, and quickly, they have the potential to shake the very foundations of our society and our economy,” says a report prepared by Miner.

University of Montreal economist Pierre Forin warned Liberals that as baby boomers retire, they’ll be supported by fewer and fewer workers even as they start incurring major health care costs.

“This will put Canada’s finances in dire straits. This is not a weather prediction. This is certain.”