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On Friday, Canada announced it is resuming Express Entry draws to all candidates in early July. This will allow more immigrants overseas to pursue their goal of moving to Canada. This is major news since Express Entry is the main way the federal government welcomes skilled immigrants.
Canada has been ranked the top nation for immigration in the world, according to the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index of 2021. People from all over the world come to Canada to seek a better life. Whether it is for political stability, career prospects, or for the future of their children, Canada is a land of possibilities.
Here are some of the reasons why people uproot their lives to live in the north.
Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration
Canada has long experienced labour shortages, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Unemployment rates are at record lows. Meanwhile, job vacancy rates are at record highs with Canada recently reporting more than 900,000 unfilled jobs.
Despite the tight labour market, Canada’s economy not only rebounded by the end of 2021, but it also grew from its pre-pandemic state. Canada’s GDP grew 6.7% in the fourth quarter on an annualized basis, exceeding analyst expectations of 6.5%, according to CBC.
Canada is considered to be a very stable democracy. In 2020, it ranked number five on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s world democracy index, ahead of all North American nations.
Last year, U.S. News named Canada number one in its Best Countries report. Canada took the top score in the report’s Qualify of Life and Social Purpose metrics.
Canada is considered one of the safest destinations in the world. According to insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection‘s 2022 report, Canada is the third safest country in the world, and the Canadian city of Montreal is the number one safest city in the world. These results were determined using a compilation of survey results, along with data on risk, crime, and climate resilience among others.
Canada offers free health care to citizens and permanent residents. Each province and territory has its own health plan that covers different products and services. Newcomers can sign up for their province’s health insurance system and get a health card. Through the public healthcare system, Canadians do not have to pay for most medical and emergency services.
According to an OECD report on literacy rates, immigrant students in Canada reported higher reading levels than non-immigrant students. Also, Canadian students were top performers in reading compared to other OECD countries.
There is a wide range of universities and colleges in Canada. The University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University and McMaster University are within the top 100 universities in the world, according to the Times Higher Education.
In 1988, Canada passed the Canadian Multiculturalism Act into law. One of the first of its kind in the world, it enshrined into law the federal government’s commitment to fostering a diverse society.
Today, Canada is home to people from more than 200 countries, and a vast range of races, religions, and cultures.
Canada has more than 100 immigration programs for economic-class immigrants alone.
This coming July, Canada will once again accept applications from its main immigration programs. These programs are managed by what is called the Express Entry system. People who are eligible for Express Entry are put into a pool of candidates and given a score based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The top-scoring candidates get invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
It is free to enter the Express Entry pool, and doing so not only provides an opportunity to apply for Canadian immigration, but it also opens eligible candidates up to receive a provincial nomination from an enhanced Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Those who receive the nomination are effectively guaranteed to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence, as it comes with an award of 600 CRS points.
Canada offers settlement support to immigrants, starting from before they even arrive in the country. The country spends about $1.7 billion CAD on settlement services every year to support newcomers, more than anywhere else in the world.
Immigrants can access settlement services by both Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) for Quebec-bound newcomers.
There are settlement services funded by multiple levels of government. IRCC at the federal level has about 1,200 service providers across Canada listed on its website.
Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration
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PORT ALBERNI, B.C. – RCMP say the body of a second person has been found inside their vehicle after a road washed away amid pouring rain on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Police say two vehicles went into the Sarita River when Bamfield Road washed out on Saturday as an atmospheric river hammered southern B.C.
The body of the other driver was found Sunday.
More coming.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
The B.C. Greens say Sonia Furstenau will be staying on as party leader, despite losing her seat in the legislature in Saturday’s provincial election.
The party says in a statement that its two newly elected MLAs, Jeremy Valeriote and Rob Botterell, support Furstenau’s leadership as they “navigate the prospect of having the balance of power in the legislature.”
Neither the NDP led by Premier David Eby nor the B.C. Conservatives led by John Rustad secured a majority in the election, with two recounts set to take place from Oct. 26 to 28.
Eby says in a news conference that while the election outcome is uncertain, it’s “very likely” that the NDP would need the support of others to pass legislation.
He says he reached out to Furstenau on election night to congratulate her on the Greens’ showing.
But he says the Green party has told the NDP they are “not ready yet” for a conversation about a minority government deal.
The Conservatives went from taking less than two per cent of the vote in 2020 to being elected or leading in 45 ridings, two short of a majority and only one behind the NDP.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio is making a difference, 4,175 kilometres away from home.
The 32-year-old Canadian international midfielder, whose parents hail from Colombia, has been working with the Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization, a charity whose goal is to help disadvantaged youth in the South American country.
Osorio has worked behind the scenes, with no fanfare.
Until now, with his benevolence resulting in becoming Toronto FC’s nominee for the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award, which honours an MLS player “who showed outstanding dedication to charitable efforts and serving the community” during the 2024 season.”
Other nominees include Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and CF Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
The winner will be announced in late November.
The Canadian Colombian Children’s Organization (CCCO) is run entirely by volunteers like Monica Figueredo and Claudia Soler. Founded in 1991, it received charitable status in 2005.
The charity currently has four projects on the go: two in Medellin and one each in Armenia and Barranquilla.
They include a school, a home for young girls whose parents are addicted to drugs, after-school and weekend programs for children in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, and nutrition and education help for underprivileged youth.
The organization heard about Osorio and was put in contact with him via an intermediary, which led to a lunch meeting. Osorio did his due diligence and soon got back to the charity with his decision.
“It was something that I wanted to be a part of right away,” said Osorio, whose lone regret is that he didn’t get involved sooner.
“I’m fortunate now that to help more now that I could have back then,” he added. “The timing actually worked out for everybody. For the last three years I have donated to their cause and we’ve built a couple of (football) fields in different cities over there in the schools.”
His father visited one of the sites in Armenia close to his hometown.
“He said it was amazing, the kids, how grateful they are to be able to play on any pitch, really,” said Osorio. “But to be playing on a new pitch, they’re just so grateful and so humble.
“It really makes it worth it being part of this organization.”
The collaboration has also made Osorio take stock.
“We’re very fortunate here in Canada, I think, for the most part. Kids get to go to school and have a roof over their head and things like that. In Colombia, it’s not really the same case. My father and his family grew up in tough conditions, so giving back is like giving back to my father.”
Osorio’s help has been a godsend to the charity.
“We were so surprised with how willing he was,” said Soler.
The TFC skipper has helped pay for a football field in Armenia as well as an ambitious sports complex under construction in Barranquilla.
“It’s been great for them,” Figueredo said of the pitch in Armenia. “Because when they go to school, now they have a proper place to train.”
Osorio has also sent videos encouraging the kids to stay active — as well as shipping soccer balls and signed jerseys their way.
“They know more about Jonathan than the other players in Colombia,” Figueredo said. “That’s the funny part. Even though he’s far away, they’ve connected with him.”
“They feel that they have a future, that they can do more,” she added. “Seeing that was really, really great.”
The kids also followed Osorio through the 2022 World Cup and this summer’s Copa America.
Back home, Osorio has also attended the charity’s annual golf tournament, helping raise funds.
A Toronto native, he has long donated four tickets for every TFC home game to the Hospital for Sick Children.
Vancouver’s Berhalter was nominated for his involvement in the Whitecaps’ partnership with B.C. Children’s Hospital while Montreal’s Sirois was chosen for his work with the Montreal Impact Foundation.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
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