Experts are increasingly saying that Canada's immigration policy is in crisis and needs to be changed urgently
It seems that in Canadian society there is still no consensus on whether immigration is needed for Canada, and in what form. Hence the fluctuations - sometimes towards opening the doors wider for immigrants, sometimes towards locking them more tightly.
Take, for example, the discrepancies between the statements of Liberals and Conservatives that immigration is vital to Canada, that it needs skilled personnel, and the decisions each party makes (while in power) that actually block the path to Canada for a huge number of genuinely needed specialists. In the case of the Liberals, it was the adoption of the IRPA law and the establishment of an absolutely unattainable points score; in the case of the Conservatives, it was the introduction of a completely unworkable list of priority occupations.
However, the very first thing that needs change is the policy on refugees. Currently, the situation is such that any person who enters Canada (whether legally or illegally) has the right to apply for refugee status in Canada on the grounds that they are being persecuted in their country of residence and that returning home would threaten their life. Moreover, a person applying for refugee status receives the right to live in Canada until a decision is made on granting or denying refugee status, to receive social assistance, to use medical services free of charge, etc. That is, the costs of maintaining refugees are quite substantial, and all of this falls on the shoulders of taxpayers.
Most importantly, refugees are typically people without any education, without English, with minimal professional qualifications, which makes their employment prospects rather uncertain. Although most of those who apply for refugee status are denied and forced to leave the country, they still remain under state care for a fairly long time. Undoubtedly, all of this does not greatly please ordinary Canadians, who mostly do not understand why they should engage in such charity while paying high taxes.
However, the main problem is still not this. Due to the fact that Canadian authorities fear an influx of refugees, they restrict entry for visitors from countries with which Canada does not have a visa-free travel agreement. That is, in virtually every person applying for immigration visas, they see a potential refugee. As a result, immigration authorities severely restrict entry into Canada for those coming as tourists, to visit friends or relatives, or who wish to do business with Canada, and so on. Because of these restrictions, the country loses huge amounts of money in the form of lost revenues from tourism and business development, and this already seems abnormal.
This problem attracted particular attention this summer, when Canada's Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration introduced visa requirements for two countries – Mexico and the Czech Republic. The reason was that a large number of Mexicans and Roma from the Czech Republic began coming to Canada with the aim of staying in hopes of obtaining refugee status. Moreover, while Mexicans used this opportunity solely to live legally in Canada for a year or two while their case was being processed and earn money, then leave, the Roma from the Czech Republic came exclusively in hopes of social assistance.
Canada's Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration found no better solution than to impose visa requirements on these two countries. This decision immediately provoked a strong reaction, especially from the Czech Republic and the European Union, which threatened to impose visa requirements for Canada for entry into the Schengen Area. Canada was quite rightly told that the problem is not the Roma coming to Canada, but Canada's immigration policy, which allows the Roma to stay in the country and no one can do anything about it.
Mexico was not as categorical, but Canadian business representatives actively opposed the introduction of visa requirements with Mexico. The fact is that tourism from Mexico to Canada is very popular, and the imposition of visa requirements (moreover, introduced without warning) sharply restricted the flow of tourists, which immediately hit companies focused on this business hard. It is worth adding that this all happened at the beginning of summer, i.e., at the height of the tourist season.
In addition, the visa problem is quite acute with regard to Romania, which also became a member of the European Union, requiring equal treatment on this issue for all its members. Given that Romania is the main place of residence for Roma in Europe, if visa requirements are lifted for Romania, one can reliably expect a sharp increase in the influx of Roma into Canada. How Canada will solve this problem is still difficult to say.
The problem with Czech Roma that arose in the summer of 2009 particularly highlighted the fact that Canada's immigration policy is in crisis and needs to be changed urgently. Being citizens of a country that is a member of the European Union, and having the opportunity to live and work in any EU country, as well as the ability to go to the USA, Australia, or another country with which the Czech Republic has no visa regime, the Roma nevertheless flocked to Canada en masse, because only here is it possible to receive substantial social assistance, and only here are there no effective mechanisms for deporting undesirable elements from the country. It is obvious that the refugee support system that has existed for decades has outlived its usefulness and brings nothing but harm to the country. Moreover, by granting refugee status to a person, Canada thereby strains relations with the country of which he is a citizen. After all, it thereby places that country in the category of undemocratic or even totalitarian states. Apparently, even from the standpoint of ordinary pragmatism, it is time to abandon those obligations under the refugee category that the country imposed on itself.
Recently, the issue of various immigration programs being used not as intended has also been actively raised. In particular, we are talking about the Study&Work program, which allows international students who came to Canada on a student visa to work during their studies to pay for their living and tuition. However, facts show that this program is very often used as an alternative to obtaining a work permit (which is very difficult to obtain). Many students do not attend classes at all, but only work. That is, what they paid for tuition is essentially a fee for a work permit, that is, for the opportunity to legally work in Canada.
Another example of the crisis in the Canadian immigration system is the situation with the Skilled Worker category. Over the past 10 years, the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration has been unable to find a way to organize the effective work of immigration departments in embassies and reduce processing times for immigration applications. The exception was the Moscow embassy, which in recent years worked quite efficiently and usually processed applicant cases within a year to a year and a half. True, recently certain oddities have been noted in the work of this embassy, and there have been signs that it has become less efficient than before. However, the main problem has been the completely unworkable list of priority occupations (List 38) and the work of the center in Sydney, which sometimes makes difficult-to-explain decisions.
Most importantly, despite all the absurdity and untimeliness of "List 38," there are still no signs that it will be abolished or, at the very least, changed in the near future. This is largely explained by the political situation in Canada, primarily by the fact that the Liberal Party has not been able to become a threat to the Conservatives in power. The Liberals' refusal to take decisive action in January 2009, when they had the opportunity to oust the Conservative government and come to power as part of a coalition government together with the Bloc Québécois and the New Democratic Party, as well as their subsequent indecisiveness throughout the year, played a cruel trick on them. On the one hand, the economic crisis, on the wave of which the Liberals were gaining points, ended, and the Conservatives appeared in the eyes of the public as a party capable of coping with economic difficulties. On the other hand, the Liberals' betrayal of the coalition and their support for the Conservatives in the spring-summer of 2009 led to the Bloc Québécois and the "New Democrats" themselves swinging toward the Conservatives. As a result, the first attempt by the Liberals to oust the Conservatives, which they made on September 18, 2009, led to nothing, as they were not supported by their former coalition partners.
However, this does not mean that the current situation will necessarily last long. The accumulated problems in immigration will sooner or later have to be addressed. If a second wave of the crisis hits the world (which could well happen this year) and affects Canada, the political situation in the country could change at any moment. Then the topic of immigration may again become a card that all parties try to play, and this will also push for solutions to problems in this area. All this gives hope that changes will still occur, and for the better.
As for what those who do not fall under "List 38" should do now, they still have to wait until changes finally happen, and the list is either abolished or changed.
Another option currently available is to come to Canada to study for 12 months, which removes the need to fit the requirements of "List 38." Studying also allows you to get a new specialty or take advanced training courses in your main specialty at a Canadian educational institution, improve your English, which will make it much faster and easier to find a job in Canada after completing the immigration process. However, this path will require money for tuition and living expenses, and the application is delayed by at least a year.
In light of the above difficulties with the Skilled Worker category, the Business Class category is becoming increasingly attractive. For those who have the means and have business experience, this category is a good alternative. Especially since recently it has become easier and much faster to qualify under this category. Particularly for those applying through the Moscow embassy – applications for business class are processed much more quickly there, compared to other embassies, or compared to the situation in Moscow itself 5-10 years ago.