3,800 immigrants in a week, cheap houses and other Canadian news
Here are the most important events of the week of July 18 to 24.
Payment to an immigrant
Over the past week, there has been both positive and negative news. An unprecedented case was heard in a Canadian court. An immigrant who has been waiting for his citizenship for more than 20 years has finally got justice. He applied in 1999, and since then he could not get a Canadian passport, so he decided to seek his rights through the court. Now the government is obliged to solve the problem and pay him a compensation of $65,000 CAD.
Canada's problems
The inflation in Canada is growing and the trend is likely to continue. The head of the Bank of Canada has warned that inflation can exceed the country's record 8%. Recently, the key interest rate was raised to 2.5%.
In this situation, houses in the country have become cheaper. In June, real estate sales fell significantly, especially in metropolitan areas, and over the past six months, houses and apartments have lost an average of $150,000 CAD in price. Buyers can take advantage of this, but keep in mind that the interest on mortgages is now higher, and many sellers have decided to postpone the sale of their houses.
Besides the inflation, another problem in Canada is the lack of medical staff. This is especially visible in the province of Manitoba. The elderly are the first to suffer because they may fail to receive proper care. Among the reasons are low wages. Caregivers in Manitoba start at $14 CAD per hour.
Rising inflation and problems in the health care system are some of the reasons why Canadians have a bad attitude toward their prime minister Justin Trudeau. During his governorship since 2015, residents have accumulated an impressive list of complaints. The prime minister is accused of incompetence, abuse of authority, problems in the economy, and so on. We have analyzed what exactly Canadians don't like and why.
Positive news
And still, we can't say that the government of Canada has no merit. On July 20, the Minister for Family Affairs announced new support measures. The maximum child benefit amount has increased to almost $7,000 CAD for a child under 6 years old and to almost $6,000 CAD for a child under 17 years old. Thus, Canada wants to support families during an inflationary period.
Also, Canada remains an attractive place for international students. Most students choose Canada for its security and stability, as well as for the excellent reputation of local universities. Approximately 70% of students want to stay in the country and get a Post-Graduation Work Permit.
Canada is also considered a perfect destination for IT professionals. Toronto was ranked third in the Tech Talent ranking in North America. Also, Vancouver got to the top 10, being in eighth place.
Immigration draws
Let's move on to the immigration draws. There were especially many of them over the past week, and a total of 3,877 people were invited.
After a long pause, the second Express Entry draw was held. 1,750 people received invitations. This is more than last time, but the passing score is still high.
By the way, changes in the system were announced to be planned in 2023. Canada wants to hold targeted Express Entry draws and invite candidates with in-demand occupations. We have analyzed in detail what can change.
On July 18, Alberta held a draw and invited 1,160 candidates who were already working in the province. On July 19, British Columbia chose 165 people in a targeted draw. Tech specialists, health care workers and childhood educators received the invitations. Another targeted draw was held by Saskatchewan on July 21. The province invited 797 in-demand specialists and 5 Ukrainian citizens.
If you're a young candidate and don't yet know how to move to Canada, the country has an International Experience program through which people under 35 can come to work. The program has several job options, and after it, you can get permanent residency in Canada.
Alex Pavlenko, founder of the emigration portal Immigrant.Today
