The housing crisis in Canada is dissuading a growing number of foreign nationals from immigrating here, choosing other countries such as the United States instead, notes a report by Deloitte.
In Strengthening Canada’s Labour Market, the latest report in its The Future Role Of Government series the world’s largest professional services network warns that such disincentives to immigration to Canada could hamper the country’s economic growth.
“The current economic circumstances – rising living costs and a housing affordability crisis – exacerbate the situation by creating additional barriers for the skilled immigrants and global talent Canada needs,” notes the report.
“In comparison, the United States attracts and retains talent through a larger economic market, a robust start-up ecosystem, educational opportunities, and favourable immigration policies for skilled workers, such as the H-1B visa for skilled workers and the O-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary abilities.”
In its bid to attract world-class talent, Canada needs to streamline its immigration processes and make them easier to access online, the report recommends.
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“The current immigration process can be cumbersome and challenging, with finite government administration and case management resources,” the Deloitte report states.
“There are a lot of innovations that can help Canada establish an omnichannel, human-centred, digital immigration experience that is secure, equitable, inclusive, and transparent.”
In addition to the immigration programs themselves being accessible online, Deloitte is proposing that support services for immigrants also be online and easy to access.
“Once they land, newcomers and refugees would benefit from a digital platform that connects them to the necessary support systems and resources to create a seamless end-to-end experience as they integrate into the labour market and Canadian society,” notes the report.
The latest Statistics Canada data reveals how important immigration has been to resolving labour shortages in Canada.
The number of jobs going begging for a lack of workers has fallen by 39.7 per cent over the past two years.
While there were 990,900 unfilled positions in Canada in the second quarter of 2022, that number of vacant positions had fallen to 597,725 by March this year, reports the statistical and demographic services agency.
Immigration Is Vital To Economic Growth In Canada
“Immigrants contribute to our economy, not only by filling gaps in our labour force and paying taxes, but also by spending money on goods, housing and transportation.”
Statistics Canada reports that as of May 2021 immigrants aged 25 to 54 represented:
- more than 36 per cent of people working in accommodation and food services;
- nearly 38 per cent of those working in the transportation and warehousing sector;
- over 34 per cent of those working in professional, scientific and technical services, and;
- over 20 per cent of those working in construction.
“Economic immigration has always been the lifeblood of Canada’s economic success and has played a key role in the building of our great nation,” says Canadian Federation of Independent Business president and CEO Dan Kelly.
Foreign nationals can gain their permanent residency in Canada through several economic immigration programs, including the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Federal Skilled Trade (FST), the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) or the regional economic development programs including the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) or Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP).
Through the Express Entry system, candidates’ profiles are then ranked against each other according to a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The highest-ranked candidates will be considered for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Those receiving an ITA must quickly submit a full application and pay processing fees, within a delay of 90-days.
Through a network of Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), almost all of Canada’s ten provinces and three territories can also nominate skilled worker candidates for admission to Canada when they have the specific skills required by local economies. Successful candidates who receive a provincial or territorial nomination can then apply for Canadian permanent residence through federal immigration authorities.
Canada’s Aging Population Needs Influx Of Workers
“Thanks to immigration, Canada’s labour force continues to grow every year,” notes Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on its website. “While funds for public services are vital, welcoming immigrants is important in helping employers find qualified workers to fill available jobs.
“This is because Canadians are living longer and having fewer children. More people are retiring, and there are fewer students in schools. As a result, the pool of Canadian-born existing and potential workers is limited.
Canadian employers can also recruit and hire foreign nationals through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP).
The Global Talent Stream (GTS), a part of the TFWP, can under normal processing situations lead to the granting of Canadian work permits and processing of visa applications within two weeks.
