What’s the most popular study destination for young foreign students across the world?

What’s the top destination for any foreign skilled worker seeking a career abroad?

Skilled worker, entrepreneur, startup founder, businesspersons, students—what’s that one country that is the preferred destination for all categories of economic workers?

The three questions have the same answer—Canada.

The interesting thing is that Canada wasn’t always the top immigration destination across the world. For a very long time, Canada was just one of the choices that young students considered along with the UK and Australia. The US, of course, was the top choice.

But now, any skilled worker searching for a job abroad or any student looking for a foreign degree and post-graduation work options first considers Canada. Other options enter the picture only after it becomes clear that the Canada dream won’t come true.

So, What’s Changed with Canada Immigration?

A survey of more than 20,000 undergraduates in India had Canada as the preferred choice for more than half the respondents. Indians constitute the biggest chunk of foreign immigrants qualifying for permanent residence in Canada in the past decade.

Why exactly is Canada so popular? Is it because Canada has a lot of jobs for skilled workers? Or is it because getting a work permit, especially for tech workers, is very easy in Canada? Or perhaps the three federal programs for permanent residence are very popular? Or are the provincial nomination programs and pilot programs proving to be the X-factor for Canada?

It can be difficult to pinpoint a specific reason. Sure, Canada has many jobs and needs skilled workers from abroad due to various demographic and population challenges. But it is not as if the US doesn’t have job vacancies or has a very young population.

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Immigration, especially transparent and merit-centric programs, matters. However, even the UK and Australia have some point-based immigration programs similar to the federal programs covered under Canada’s Express Entry system.

Jobs? Yes, Canada has many job vacancies because of its aging population. This means Canada has greater need for foreign skilled workers. But, this does not mean there are no or very few jobs available for foreign workers in other countries.

Cultural integration is a key factor that immigrants consider, which means the presence of a large population of Indian or Latin-American immigrants is a plus for any young student or professional exploring study or work destinations across the world.

Top Immigration Destination—Canada Ticks All the Boxes

What makes Canada truly unique is that it ticks virtually all the boxes that foreign workers, students, or businesspersons consider when comparing immigration destinations.

Canada needs skilled immigrants and is not afraid to admit it. Unlike the US or even Australia, skilled immigration is not a controversial issue in Canada. Immigrants are not blamed for job losses or economic downturns. A majority of Canadians share the view that the country needs more immigrants and that boosting skilled immigration is good for the country.

Comparing the recent elections in Canada with the last elections in the US clearly highlights the difference. Skilled immigration was virtually a non-issue in the Canadian elections while there was a lot of political rhetoric around this topic in the US.

Next, Canada has backed its clear and public intent to boost immigration with strong programs and policies. The country is targeting more than 1.25 million immigrants over the next 2-3 years and has setup a transparent and reasonably efficient immigration system towards this goal.

One key factor that works in Canada’s favor is the absence of the top-down one-size-fits-all immigration programs in the country. Federal programs apart, there are scores of PNP programs where provinces determine key eligibility requirements related to work experience, educational qualification, and Canada experience.

Further, the Rural and Northern Immigration pilot and proposed Municipal immigration pilot will further decentralize the immigration system and give more powers to local stakeholders to design immigration programs best suited to their requirements.

Unlike other countries, Canada immigration offers great scope for eligible candidates to explore multiple options and routes at the same time. Not sure about permanent residence in Canada? Get a work permit and gain Canada experience and then take a call. If you choose to settle, then your status as a work permit holder will only make it easier to qualify for PR through Express Entry or any PNP stream.

Want to boost your qualifications first? Well, you can study in Canada, qualify for the Post Graduation Work Permit, and easily find a job in the country. Or you can opt for direct PR through the various PNP streams for international graduates. Or you can even setup your own business in the country and settle as an international graduate entrepreneur.

All these advantages combined with the inherent friendliness of Canadians makes the country the dream destination for any young foreigner seeking a better life abroad.