In one speech to the British parliament president Barak Obama lauded the British saying they taught the world government administration. If you wish to immigrate to Canada you may be interested in knowing that Canada is not a republic. Like I indicated in TwCN June 20, 2024 the Canadian government is administered by a prime minister and a cabinet. The head of state is the British monarch, who is represented in Canada by the governor general. The goodness of Canada lies in the fact that the prime minister and members of parliament are elected by Canadians.
Coming from Africa, you might think that being Canadian is whitish! No! Being Canadian, like being British or American, is not tied to race or language. Rather it is tied to belief in human ideals of democracy, individual rights, peace, freedom and prosperity. Like the UK and America, Canada is for people who want to be free, who want peace and who want to prosper out of hard work and rule of law.
Being tied to the British implies that Canada is excellent in administration. From my experience here, the government leaves nothing to chance. To this end, although seemingly overwhelmed, the immigration process is well administered. You need to work through it with diligence and determination.
How does the Canadian government know how many people to admit into Canada every year? The government ascertains how many people the country needs to ensure that all sectors of the economy are supplied with human resources. The government monitors job creation, retirements, births and deaths, and graduates from high school and colleges and ascertains whether there are enough people in the country to fill all the new jobs being created and existing jobs falling vacant. These statistics inform government policy on immigration.
On November 1, 2023 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released details on the Government of Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan for 2024-2026. Here is some information from that report.
“Following the trajectory of the 2023-2025 Plan, Canada aims to welcome 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024, 500,000 in 2025 and plateau at 500,000 in 2026. This plan prioritizes economic growth, and supports family reunification, while responding to humanitarian crises and recognizing the rapid growth in immigration in recent years.
Immigrants have an important role to play in the labour market and growing our economy now and into the future, helping to ensure Canada has the skills needed to meet key goals such as supporting sustainability initiatives to transition to a green (net-zero) and digital economy, and so that labour force gaps in critical sectors (e.g. health, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), trades, transportation and agriculture) are not a barrier to the success and expansion of Canadian businesses.
For the Family Class, having family support is important for newcomers’ well-being and social adaptation, and it also provides an economic benefit. Spouses and partners often join the workforce and help supplement household income, and parents and grandparents often provide childcare, enabling their sponsors to enter or remain in the workforce.
Canada has a strong and proud tradition of offering protection to those in need and the Government’s dedication to fulfilling humanitarian commitments continues. Welcoming newcomers is not just about the admissions targets set, but must also consider supports and services required by newcomers and Canadians alike, including housing and healthcare.
Coordination, collaboration, communication and partnerships are instrumental to welcoming newcomers, and ensuring that appropriate supports are in place to help them achieve positive outcomes. In line with this, to inform this plan, IRCC has undertaken early efforts to establish a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to admissions planning in order to promote integrated planning and coordination across levels of government and with partners and stakeholders.” In this respect TwCN plays a crucial communication role for Zambians and other Africans wishing to immigrate to Canada.
How do the numbers look in detail? Please see the breakdown of the 2024 to 2026 immigration levels here. Also see 2024 immigration fees here. How do you react to these numbers? Being positive and including yourself in the count of these numbers should be your attitude. Good things do not come to spectators. Rather good things come to people who are participants in the game. You need to see yourself as being included in these numbers as you begin to work on your project of moving to Canada.
Strictly speaking, immigration fees are the fees that you pay to the Canadian government visa office for processing your application and issuing you a type of visa you need in order to enter Canada. However, there are other fees that you need to bear in mind that you pay in the process of preparing to enter Canada. These fees include photocopying or printing charges for preparing your various documentation, medical examination charges, police clearance charges, commuting charges and cost of air fare for travelling to Canada.
TwCN advises that if you are considering immigrating to Canada you need to prepare a budget so that you know how much money you need in order for the process to work for you. Therefore, organizing yourself is one key to success in this process.
Lastly, the numbers shared here are true for 2024. For future years please seek updated numbers. All the best in your journey leading to Canada, one of the best places to live on the globe. TwCN
