How Canadian Immigration Lawyers Believe They’ll Improve Unemployment Rates

Regulatory changes to the application process are only one of several difficulties those seeking Canadian immigration incur. One of the larger issues at hand is the economic transition they face upon arrival. In 2015, the unemployment rate for Canadians with a university degree was 3.2 percent, but for very recent immigrants (five years or less) with a university degree that number rises to 11.5 percent. In Canada, many immigration lawyers attribute this to inadequate economic integration. Although immigrants are accepted and awarded immigration for their skills and experience, once they arrive in Canada they find their education is still not sufficient to acquire a relevant position.

In response to this issue, the Canadian government has begun piloting and funding new pre-arrival training services. The first of such kind, the Canadian Immigrant Integration Program (CIIP), was piloted by the government in 2007 and fully approved by 2010. In Canada, immigration lawyers welcome the CIIP, which provides free pre-arrival orientation to economic class immigrants and their spouses while they await arrival.

In order to be eligible for the CIIP, the immigrants must meet one of the economic classes, i.e. Federal Skilled Workers, Provincial Nominees, Self-Employed Persons, Investors, etc. In Canada, an immigration lawyer can consult with potential immigrants to ensure they meet the requirements of the program.

Since its conception in 2007, the CIIP has helped almost 30,000 clients by providing them with comprehensive information, planning and support to help ease their economic transition and integration into Canada. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, almost every Canada immigration lawyer can agree more help is needed. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, between 2009 and 2014 almost 940,000 economic or skilled immigrants came to Canada, only 3.2 percent of which accessed pre-arrival programs.

Some of Canada’s immigration lawyers believe the answer to this shortfall is more approved pre-arrival services. Fortunately, the success of the CIIP has begun to inspire new pre-arrival programs. MOSAIC, a Vancouver-based immigrant settlement service, has just completed its second pilot online pre-arrival program. In addition, the Connector Program, a networking organization, will soon begin working with a pre-arrival program run by Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) to help connect newcomers to job opportunities. As for government funding, Canada immigration lawyers see the $35 million earmarked in the 2015 federal budget to make a Foreign Credential Recognition Loans pilot project permanent another step in the right direction.

In Canada, an immigration lawyer can consult with those seeking immigration and help eligible applicants obtain pre-arrival training. For more information, contact a Canadian immigration lawyer today.