World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. The weekly roundup includes research, stories, and events of interest to the Canadian immigration and settlement community. This content has been created by WES and is reproduced here with their permission, in partnership.
Newcomers falling out of love with Canadian citizenship (Institute of Canadian Citizenship)
Recent data from Statistics Canada has revealed that over the past 20 years there has been a 40% decline in the uptake of Canadian citizenship. Data from the 2021 census indicates that just 45.7% of permanent residents became citizens within ten years of arrival which was much lower than numbers in 2016 (60%) and 2001 (75.1%). Statistics Canada did not identify reasons that contributed to this trend, but the Institute of Canadian Citizenship suggests that higher cost of living and tough job prospects are some likely factors. With Canadian immigration targets rising to nearly 1.45 million newcomers over the next three years this declining citizenship rate is a problematic for the nation’s future economic and social prosperity.
New migration service launches to support international students in Canada (Cision News)
IDP Education – a popular international educational consultant provider – has announced a new suite of services to help international students in Canada access trusted and licensed immigration advice. In partnership with immigration consultants and lawyers at VisaPlace and WooW Canada immigration, the new services will support students with understanding eligibility and prepare applications for immigration and visa purposes. Research from IDP Education identified Canada as the most popular destination for international students and in response to student feedback, the service was created. Currently immigration services are available in person at a few select locations but it is also Canada-wide through virtual assistance.
Labour Shortages, Working Conditions, and the Care Economy (House of Commons)
The current labour crisis is being felt across economic sectors in Canada. Record level vacancies continue to deepen pandemic-related challenges and long-standing concerns. Strain is particularly being felt in professions within the care economy. As a result of recent internal deliberations and engagement through public consultations, proposed recommendations include:
Canada may fast-track immigration applications from people in earthquake zones (CTV News)
The federal government is considering fast tracking applications to come to Canada for displaced individuals from earthquake zones of Turkey and Syria. Death tolls continue to mount, with reported injuries and displacement on the rise as well. For those who have been displaced, stable access to food, water, shelter, and care becomes increasingly challenging. According to IRCC officials, a disaster assessment team has been sent to the region to evaluate and determine what additional aid from Canada might be needed. Several other countries have sent rescue missions to impacted zones including the US, EU, UK, Japan, India - where South Korea, Israel and Spain have sent military personnel. So far, Canada has committed to providing humanitarian assistance through a donation of CAD $10 million a pledge to match up to $10 million in aid to the Canadian Red Cross. Advocacy groups are urging the federal government to provide additional financing and resources and to expedite resettlement planning for those seeking refuge in Canada.