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Canada has become an attractive pole for immigrants from around the world who are looking for a host country that will give them good opportunities. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canada’s annual immigration flow is now proportionately one of the highest among OECD members, at 0.7 per cent of its population.

In 2011, there were 249,000 new permanent residents, after a record year of 281,000 in 2010. (The official planned admission range is between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents a year.) That is not counting the 190,800 temporary foreign workers that were admitted in 2011 as well as the 98,400 foreign students who came to benefit from our universities and may decide to stay and put their skills to use in Canada’s industries.

There are many myths floating around about immigrants, ranging from them being low-skilled workers to them having difficulty integrating into the labour force. A quick read through the OECD’s 2013 International Migration Outlook debunks all of those myths – and makes the reader realize just how well Canada is faring on the immigration front.

Canada’s strong economic performance since 2008 is explained by many factors, including well-capitalized banks, massive public infrastructure spending – and a strong influx of immigrants. Immigration last year explained two-thirds of Canada’s population growth of 1.2 per cent, well ahead of the 0.7 per cent and 0.3 per cent seen in the United States and the euro zone, respectively.

Why is this so important? Because without this immigration flow, Canada’s population aged between 20 and 44 years old would be declining. That cohort, which constitutes most of the labour force, is the one that creates new households, buys new houses, has children and pays the greater part of taxation revenue. Without immigration, Canada’s natural population growth would not be enough to sustain economic growth and welfare. Quebec, given its demographic structure, especially needs immigration to increase its labour force in the short term so as to sustain the costs of its social programs.

We also note that a large percentage of every province’s immigrants are in the 20-to-44 age group, meaning that the benefits of household formation are spread all across Canada. This helps explain why the housing market in Canada has been so resilient during the past five years.

I am happy to see that one of Canada’s strengths is clearly working in its favour. As Canadians, we need foreign talent to sustain the country’s demographic and economic growth, and we have just the labour market to attract it. Canadians need immigration just as much as immigrants need a destination such as Canada. Immigration, as it turns out, is most likely the key to Canada’s prosperity.

Source: www.theglobeandmail.com

Discrimination is real
One(no name mentioned or privacy) is at a senior position at a top educational institution in Saskatchewan. He is currently pursuing his PhD, is happily married and is a Canadian citizen. Yet, the 40-year-old Pakistani-born immigrant is all set to leave Canada for good in 2013.
There is a study that shows that 40% of immigrants who entered Canada in the skilled worker or business class left Canada within their first 10 years.
A previous study by Statistics Canada  indicated that one-third of male immigrants (aged 25 to 45 at the time of landing) left Canada within 20 years after arrival. More than half of those who left did so within the first year of arrival.
“I feel like my career is going nowhere. I am overqualified for the position that I have currently,” sMost people says

Someone else claims that his work has been constantly nitpicked, he was stared at during meetings (which in his words comprised of all “white folks”) and on one occasion was completely sidelined when his boss was on leave. “I hold the second most senior position in my organization, but I don’t think I will ever be made director here. They [the management] completely ignored the fact that I was supposed to be made acting director,” he says. He, who was on a committee of the British Columbia Human Resources Management Association (BCHRMA), says that what he heard at a committee hearing about hiring immigrants in Canada shocked him. “Major Canadian multinationals in B.C. are on record saying that immigrants cannot express themselves well in interviews and therefore it is difficult to consider them for senior positions. I found that ridiculous. There are plenty of well-educated professionals who come to Canada, even get themselves accredited to suit Canadian standards and yet fail to reach their full potential because of the discriminatory attitude of employers. I don’t think I can tolerate such behaviour anymore,” he says. Mir admits that he will miss the pristine beauty of Canada and the clean air, but it is a very small price to pay when it comes to being professionally satisfied.

Canadian experience matters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Someone else who lived in scenic Washington State in the United States. But his daughter’s educational prospects prompted the successful marketing professional to move bag and baggage to Vancouver in 2004. Though he was employed immediately, something was missing. “The salaries in Canada are abysmal. I do not mean to compare, but the difference in compensation is just too much. In Switzerland I was being paid about $350 an hour, and in Canada I started at $20 an hour. It is not about the amount, but a huge blow to one’s self-confidence,” he says. This was due to his lack of Canadian experience !!!!!!!!!!
But he did not give up and applied everywhere for a better position with better wages. He tried enlisting the support of a mentor through an immigration support program in Victoria and also applied for government positions. “I applied for quite a few jobs, and got a total of two interviews. Two! With both positions I came in second; in one position they clearly preferred a Canadian with more Canadian experience and they even told me to my face: ‘She [the winning candidate] knows someone at the Globe and Mail.’ I did not stand a chance, did I?” he says.

Besides his claim that the skilled worker program is misleading, the other form of bias that he feels is rampant is age discrimination. He has been told that he was not in the preferred age group for a particular job, despite his experience. Add to that the constant rejections due to his educational credentials and he had had enough. He is leaving Canada for good this spring.

source: www.canadianimmigrant.ca