Canada Seeks Skilled Immigrants to Strengthen Its Economy
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
As an estimated large fraction of the Canadian workforce retires this coming year, Canada is expected to suffer a shortage of workers. Statistics show that there will not be enough new workers to fill in for all the people retiring. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has declared that there is a way to avoid this situation – by having immigrants take over a portion of the retirees’ jobs. For this purpose, the Prime Minister is advocating to reform Canadian immigration laws and to recruit skilled immigrants into the workforce.
Some reforms have already been set in motion in the recent past, but they are not enough. These reforms include, but are not limited to:
1. Restricting the quantity of applications that can be processed. For instance, the number of applications for the Federal Immigrant Investor Program was limited to only seven hundred applicants per year. This quota is normally filled within a week, and thus leaves many applicants having to wait to apply again the following year.
2. Changing the submission requirements and guidelines for a large number of immigration petitions.
These reforms also allow the Department of Citizenship and Immigration in Canada to select applications of immigrants who are applying for certain specific occupations. Further restrictions are most likely to be placed on immigration petitions in order for Canada to acquire a skilled labor force for the specific positions that are expected to become open this year. Yet, despite the increased restrictions, there are increasing opportunities for investors to invest in Canada’s economy and to immigrate there. This is because Canada emerged less scathed from the recession than many other first world countries and because it is currently experiencing steady economic growth. According to a statement made by Prime Minister Harper, “Canada’s entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy, creating jobs and driving economic growth in communities large and small across our country. […] We have listened and have taken decisive action to address their needs and concerns….” With these entrepreneurs working hard and employing immigrants, Canada’s economy will grow increasingly stronger in the years to come.
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