According to the release of the latest report, the main plans and priorities for Citizenship and Immigration Canada were disclosed. The census and the report collectively stated on clear message that Canada will continue to depend upon immigrants to fuel its population and fill the labor shortages.
Similar to the previous year, the main concern for the immigration policy makers remains the economic and cultural integration of immigrants. At present the waves of immigrants are not benefiting Canada like previously. Over the past twenty years, the initial earnings of the immigrants have been consistently lesser than the average Canadian earnings. This statistic is not encouraging for a country that wishes to attract and maintain more skilled immigrants. Also, the fact that highly skilled immigrants are working at occupations that require lesser skills because their qualifications are not recognized in Canada does no good to compliment our immigration program. All these are a poor reflection of the federal skilled workers program.
What remains to be seen is the fact that whether or not the citizenship and immigration Canada is able to resolve the problem of underemployment by addressing the problem of credential recognition? Although the government committed to work towards achieving positive results, yet nothing concrete about the project has been produced following its announcement in March 2006. Over the past two years, the immigration ministers have been referring to its essential role in the immigration process.
All the new immigrants are unevenly distributed throughout Canada with more than 80 percent of them settling in Canada’s largest cities. The metropolises of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are wonderful gateways for new immigrants because they provide settlements services, an established network of friends and relatives and above all it offers great numbers of low skilled economic opportunities.
The immigration authorities of Canada cannot even think of tackling the discrepancies in the settlement patterns until they tackle the problem of credential recognition. Being succeeding to do so, they will make immigrants to settle in remote places as well as the immigrants will be able to be employed in the field they are trained in. It is vital for Canada’s future economic standing that our immigration program steps further ahead than the Skilled Workers program offered till now.
The federal government just cannot afford to stay even a bit away from the immigration process by simply providing the provinces with a steady supplement of highly skilled and qualified immigrants without making sure that the provinces are able to facilitate successful incorporation.