Smaller Cities In Canada Offering More Opportunities For New Immigrants

04 Feb 2020

Over the prior 20 years, Canada has sought to support more newcomers to move to its smaller cities. The principal tool it has applied to achieve this goal has been the Canadian Provincial Nominee Program (P.N.P).

The PNP allows territories and provinces across the nation to develop their eligibility requirements for economic class newcomers and then nominate newcomers who reach their labor market requirements for Canada PR.

The PNP has been active in decreasing the share of immigration to Canadian three biggest provinces (Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec) from 85% when the program was started in 1999 to around 70% today.

Programs Presently in Place to Encourage Immigration to Canadian Smaller Cities

On the other hand, the Canadian government and its provinces and territories understand that more work can be performed to increase immigration to Canada's smaller cities. This is the reason the federal government has started several new programs in the latest years such as Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP), Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP), and plans to start new programs like Municipal Nominee Program (MNP).

Several provinces run PNP streams to support cities outside of their corresponding capitals to bring more immigrants.

Job Opportunities in Several Smaller Cities

The main preference for current newcomers to Canada is getting a job. Immigrants are excited about the economic possibilities of Canadian major cities, but they must know that smaller cities also offer great opportunities. They may obtain a better job in smaller towns because they usually have a higher need for workers.

Consider that the Canadian unemployment rate attains at 5.7%, which is historically less largely due to the country’s aging population and less birth rate.

The rates of unemployment in the principal destinations for immigrants are as follows:

• Vancouver: 4.8%
• Toronto: 5.6%
• Montreal: 6.0%
• Calgary: 7.1%

Only Toronto & Vancouver are presently exceeding the national median.

Many Canadian smaller cities have lower rates of unemployment than the national median, which is something current immigrants should take into consideration when choosing in which community to make their lives.

An additional benefit for immigrants is that smaller cities have less competing labor markets, which may permit immigrants to find employment quicker than in bigger cities.

Above 80 Immigration Programs

Notwithstanding the appeal of Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver, current immigrants should give high consideration to going to a smaller Canadian city rather. Immigrants have access to a lot of job opportunities in such cities and also many immigration pathways to pick from. Canada presently offers higher than 80 economic immigration pathways, several of which exist to support newcomers to build a new life in smaller cities.

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