Why do people immigrate to Canada?

The reasons behind a decision to immigrate differ from one person to another. Some of the reasons we find very common among our clients from the Maghreb and the Middle East are ``Children`s education`` and ``the Canadian Passport``

Most of the applicants under the economic class are people who are already well established in their respective home countries and are not after an economic or social gain. Indeed, many of our clients are doctors, engineers, financial managers and successful businessmen, and most of whom have made the decision to obtain status in Canada for reasons other than for a permanent stay in Canada.

For some, immigration is a way of getting their children enrolled in one of the best education systems while benefiting from the preferential tuition fees that are available for citizens and permanent residents of Canada. Canadians pay less than a third of what international students would pay in colleges and universities and benefit from totally free education in elementary and secondary schools.

For others, a permanent resident status is an obvious lead to Canadian citizenship. In fact, compared to other western countries, Canada offers one of the easiest and fastest ways to naturalization. Permanent residents should accumulate 1095 days of physical presence in Canada to apply for Canadian citizenship and obtain a Canadian passport. Canada is also one of few coveted western countries that allow its new citizens to maintain their original citizenship. A good number of these new citizens would move back to their country of origin once they receive their Canadian passport. To them, a Canadian passport is a form of insurance they can use in case they again change their mind for social or economical reasons and decide to move back to Canada. Others have also used it to escape internal conflicts and natural disasters. Many thousands of Canadian-Lebanese pulled out their blue passport to come to safety during the 2006 Lebanon-Israel war. Similarly, Canadian-Haitians are coming back to the safety of Canada after the devastating earthquake hit Haiti last week.

Obviously, we are not advocating that everyone who immigrates to Canada does it for pure financial gain or with the sole intention to obtain a Canadian travel passport. In fact, most new immigrants choose Canada to pretty much start a new life or start their life in a country that offers a lot. Many immigrants or naturalized citizens have had a great success and have decided to make Canada their permanent home.

In the end, these sought after privileges are only available to successful candidates who were able to break through the very selective Canadian immigration system. Canada chooses what it wants in its immigrants and immigrants pick what they want from Canada.

Fatima-Zahra Fahmi practices immigration law in Toronto at Canada Immigration International and is a member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants. email info@immig.ca or visit http://www.immig.ca

Federal vs. Québec Immigration program for skilled workers

As a specialist in Canadian Immigration Law, I regularly receive questions about the best course of action for a prospective skilled immigrant. I always assess my client’s profile against the eligibility criteria of both the Québec and the federal skilled workers programs and elect the one that serves best the client’s interests.

The biggest and most significant difference between the two programs is the processing time. The average time it takes to process a Québec skilled worker’s application for candidates in the Maghreb region is 3 years while the federal process can usually be completed in about 12 months only.

Although the short processing time makes the federal program more attractive, the Québec program stays more popular among candidates because it is more lenient in terms of the level of education and work experience requirements. An average young person with as little as high school diploma, few years of work experience and a good knowledge of the French language can qualify.

The federal program is pretty much confined to highly educated persons with several years of work experience in specific skilled occupations. Furthermore, since the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada issued his instructions in November 2008, only candidates with a work experience in one of 38 occupations deemed under pressure in Canada can qualify for processing under the federal skilled workers program. The list contains mainly skilled occupations in the fields of health, finance and accounting, information technology and some trades. For a complete list of the qualifying occupations, please visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website.

The federal program remains better suited for people that can meet the ministerial instructions requirements and the high standards of the program. However, the Québec program stays an alternative for people with less skills and qualifications or persons with work experience that does not fall under the ministerial list of occupations. Also, the Québec program is advantageous for candidates residing legally in Europe and the United States in terms of processing time versus if they were still residing in their country of origin in the Maghreb.


Fatima-Zahra Fahmi
for more information please write to : info@immig.ca or go to http://www.immig.ca
This article can also be found on moroccopost.com
Disclaimer: This information is intended to be of a general nature and do not constitute legal advice.