Written by Christopher Nye,
26th April 2018

People who move to Canada soon equal or exceed the Canadian average when it comes to earnings. Learn where and how you can earn more in Canada. 

The Canadian government recently commissioned a report to look into how new arrivals are doing in the country. The study found that those immigrants that entered Canada on a highly skilled economic visa quickly began to earn the same, or greater than the national average.

Anyone making a immigration application can do so with more optimism

It didn’t matter how they came to be in Canada either. Whether via a family or refugee programme, individuals that came to Canada eventually began to earn more in Canada. However it was the expats coming through the highly skilled immigrant programmes that benefitted most. The majority said they had done better than they expected and many quickly established themselves in professional or managerial roles.

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A Changing View

In the past the “highly skilled” Canadian immigration programmes favoured those with a job offer in hand when applying. This is still a strong selling point. However, over the last year or so the focus has shifted towards “human capital”. Immigration officials now scrutinise applications for work experience, educational attainment and language skills. They consider such factors a strong indicator of future earning potential. That means not only for the applicant, but for the country as a whole.

Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. Canada is a country for go-getting people (who don’t mind a bit of cold!). This latest report supports the Canadian government’s belief in the positive effects of immigration.

The focus has shifted towards “human capital”. Immigration applications are now scrutinised for evidence of past work experience, educational background, language skills.

Successful applications double

The new approach to evaluating immigration applications has been great news for those with the Canadian dream. The latest data shows that the number of people successfully applying for residency in Canada has doubled within the Federal skilled worker programme. The number of applicants invited to apply for permanent Canadian residency in the period rose from 25% to nearly 50%. In other words, almost half of people qualifying for the programme were allowed to emigrate to Canada, up from a quarter.

This is a great win for a Canadian government that believes in people. They sought to create a fairer and more responsive immigration system, and succeeded. Yet they have one that still addresses the economic needs of this great country. It’s great news for the new arrivals too, who soon find that they can earn more in Canada. Moreover, it’s nice to be welcomed. What a difference from the UK’s current Windrush scandal!

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