For this reason, many of those planning to move to Canada start looking on forums and various websites for intermediaries who can help them obtain such an invitation. This is driven by the mentality of people from post-Soviet countries, which involves a firm belief that everything can be bought and sold, and if you pay, someone will do everything you want. However, in Canada, money matters little in such a situation. The law prevails, and completely different approaches are in effect. Therefore, it is almost impossible to get a real job offer through an intermediary you have paid. At the very least, a positive result can be considered a rare stroke of luck, as obtaining a job offer in Canada for a foreigner is very problematic. I will explain why.
Work Experience in Canada and Immigration
To call things by their proper names, there is no shortage of labor in Canada. Moreover, in recent years, the unemployment rate has remained at 7-8%, which is a fairly high figure. Therefore, there is no great need to attract workers from abroad. There are only imbalances in the distribution of specialists across different provinces and a shortage of specialists in certain fields, most often caused by the excessive regulation of the Canadian licensing system.
Another reason is that Canada is essentially a socialist state, where trade unions and various public organizations protecting the interests of Canadian workers play a significant role. As a result, one of the main tasks of Canadian immigration policy is to protect the Canadian labor market from an influx of foreign workers. Therefore, the rules regarding foreigners seeking work in Canada are fairly simple: they can be invited only if the employer cannot find the required specialist in Canada and can prove this fact.
A job offer in Canada is certified by the local Ministry of Labour – Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. Not every company is allowed to invite foreigners; there are certain requirements, including number of employees, annual turnover, etc. Usually, these are large companies that play an important role in the Canadian economy and need specific specialists they cannot find in Canada. HRDSC may, in turn, make a counteroffer to the company by suggesting candidates from among Canadian specialists. In the vast majority of cases, the company will not be able to refuse them. Therefore, to get a job offer in Canada, you need to be a truly unique specialist, i.e., one for whom there is an acute shortage in Canada.
Finally, there is the matter of Canadian work experience. The training of specialists and the specifics of work in Canada differ from those abroad. Therefore, foreign specialists often have to retrain. Consequently, an employer will not hire a specialist whose qualifications they are unsure of – no one wants a pig in a poke.
It is worth adding that many professions in Canada are licensed. This means that it is not enough to graduate from a specialized educational institution and obtain a diploma, for example, as an engineer. To start working as an engineer, doctor, or architect after university, you must first pass qualifying exams, then complete an internship (usually at least one year), and only then will you be given a license to work in your field. Therefore, for those foreigners who do not have a license, the chances of being hired in Canada are close to zero.
Finally, as a rule, employers need workers right now, and it makes no sense to invite a foreigner who will start work at best in six months. Moreover, the wait can exceed six months. For example, from current practice, individuals who had a job offer and applied for immigration in early 2010 received immigration visas only in early 2013. Therefore, you should not count on a job offer from a company that does not know you and, by and large, does not greatly need you.
Studying in Canada – as the First Step of the Immigration Process
A Canadian diploma in itself does not lead to permanent residence status, except for a few immigration programs designed for graduates of Canadian educational institutions. At the same time, studying in Canada can be considered a first important step toward obtaining a job offer.
A huge advantage of Canadian education is that you receive training that Canadian employers need. Moreover, Canadian colleges and universities do a lot of work to place their graduates, as this directly affects the attractiveness of educational institutions in the eyes of applicants. The chances of finding a job after graduating from a Canadian educational institution are quite high.
Another advantage of studying in Canada is that foreign graduates are granted an open work permit for a period comparable to the length of their studies. For example, if you studied in Canada for two years, upon graduation you will be given a work permit (Post-Graduate Work Permit) in Canada for up to two years.
Having a job offer (which is incomparably easier to obtain if you graduated from a Canadian educational institution), you can immediately apply for immigration under several priority programs.
If you do not meet the selection criteria of these programs, it is enough to work from three months to a year in order to apply for immigration under programs that target individuals with work experience in Canada. This primarily refers to the federal Canadian Experience Class program and a number of provincial programs.
An additional advantage of studying in Canada is that the spouse of a student during their studies can obtain an open work permit, which, under certain conditions, allows them to immediately apply for immigration as the principal applicant – for example, through the Federal Skilled Worker Class. After one year of work in Canada, the spouse becomes eligible to apply for immigration through the Canadian Experience Class, provided other selection requirements are met.
It should be added here that, among other things, studying facilitates adaptation to Canadian life, improves language skills, and helps build connections necessary for employment. Therefore, attracting foreign students who can find work in Canada after graduation is a priority of Canadian immigration policy.
A good option is to have children study in Canada – in colleges, universities, or private schools (with the prospect of entering colleges and universities). A great option here is studying in the senior grades of Canadian schools, as it provides them with the necessary preparation for university admission and allows them to decide in advance where to continue their education.
Moreover, a positive aspect of this option is that while the child is studying at school, one parent has the right to live with them in Canada as an accompanying person. Thus, the parent can better adapt to Canadian life, improve their language level, and find their place in Canadian society. Often, to obtain the possibility of further immigration, parents themselves enroll in colleges or universities, or start a business.
Thus, it can be argued that studying in Canada is the first step towards immigration to Canada. Undoubtedly, education in Canada is not a mandatory condition for successful immigration, but it significantly increases the chances and provides a much greater choice of immigration programs.
Multi-step solutions
As already mentioned, to increase the chances of immigrating to Canada, one needs to have work experience in Canada, or a job offer from a Canadian employer approved by HRDSC. Finding a job without connections with a Canadian employer, or without unique skills or notable achievements in one's field, is quite difficult. Therefore, one must start by getting the employer interested. At the same time, the easiest way to get a job in Canada is to obtain a Canadian diploma, which allows one to get a work permit – the Post-Graduate Work Permit. If you still do not plan to study in Canada, even to find an employer, it makes sense to come to the country for a personal meeting with them.
The same applies to those who have chosen immigration through business programs, as recently an important factor has become the connection with Canada, the fact of organizing and running a business in Canada, etc.
Any of these paths will take at least 2-3 years and require significant funds for tuition and living expenses. At the same time, there is no guarantee that the conditions of the programs you initially target will not change by the time you can meet those conditions, or that they will not be canceled altogether. Unfortunately, changes, and dramatic ones, in the immigration field occur constantly and quite quickly.
How then to build a strategy for going through the immigration process to make it as effective as possible?
The most sensible approach is to follow the trends that underlie Canada's immigration policy for the coming years. As already mentioned, priority is given to individuals with a Canadian diploma and work experience in Canada. Therefore, it is advisable to meet these requirements. Which program to apply for immigration will depend on your current situation and the availability of those immigration programs whose selection criteria you meet.
In particular, as a basic option, you can choose the most reliable federal immigration program, the Canadian Experience Class. Nevertheless, at the same time, you need to monitor other programs, primarily provincial ones, as it is quite possible that going through them may be easier and faster for you.
For example, there are a number of provincial programs that allow you to apply for immigration either immediately after graduating from an educational institution, or immediately after receiving a job offer, eliminating the need to work in Canada for at least a year. There are also programs for individuals pursuing Master's or Ph.D. degrees, which do not require work experience or a job offer.
Thus, by following the general scheme of "studying in Canada – getting a job in Canada," at each stage, you can choose the most suitable program for you, through which either you or your spouse can immigrate. That is, you follow an adaptive approach, orienting yourself based on the situation and making decisions based on the opportunities available to you at the moment.
The same can be said if you plan to immigrate through business programs. Although many business programs are currently closed, they still exist. To choose a suitable program, it is advisable to determine what kind of business you plan to run, familiarize yourself with the situation in the country, and take the actions required for the chosen business program. For this, it is advisable to live in Canada for a considerable period of time and have permanent ties with it. A good option is to send children to study in Canada, as it creates a reliable channel of connection with the country for you.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, the previously existing algorithm for submitting applications, which sooner or later led to obtaining permanent resident status, was the most comfortable, as it did not require additional effort or large expenses. Immigrants faced problems only after receiving permanent resident status: upon arriving in Canada, they had to adapt quickly. Now the situation is fundamentally different.
The new approach to selecting immigrants significantly complicates life for those who want guarantees regarding obtaining permanent resident status in Canada. However, in fairness, it is worth noting that in practice it encourages potential immigrants and, to some extent, allows for selection at the initial stage, since only the most active and goal-oriented individuals remain—that is, exactly the category that is the driving force of progress and whom Canada would like to see among its citizens.
Moreover, the immigration policies of almost all countries are based on giving priority to individuals who have established close ties with the country, without providing them with any initial guarantees. So Canada in this regard differs little from the rest of the world.
Undoubtedly, due to the principles of the new immigration policy, residents of post-Soviet countries find themselves in a less favorable position, especially compared to those countries that are much closer to Canada politically and economically. For example, take residents of Ireland or the Philippines, from where a large flow of immigrants comes to Canada; it is much easier for them to adapt in Canada because they all speak English fluently, and there are large ethnic diasporas here that actively help immigrants, including with job placement, etc.
Residents of post-Soviet countries need to make more effort. The other thing is that it is worth it. Even if all efforts do not lead to obtaining a residence permit in Canada, the education received in Canada and work experience in a Canadian company are themselves of great value, which, combined with fluency in English, will allow you to build a successful career in any country in the world. This is especially true for young people who are just starting their lives.
To sum up, we can say the following. Canada encourages potential immigrants to visit the country, establish business and cultural ties, obtain education in Canada, find employers, and gain work experience in Canada before applying for immigration. The same applies to individuals who plan to do business here.
Most importantly, Canada is not closing immigration; only the principles of selection and the composition of immigrants the country would like to accept are changing. The quota for issuing approximately 250 thousand immigration visas per year remains, and it is possible that this quota may even be increased. Canada continues to be a magnet for those who want to find their place in this prosperous democratic country. All that is required is a clear understanding of what needs to be done to successfully complete the immigration process, and persistent progress along the chosen path.
Elena RYABININA,
«Russian Toronto».