3.51 AM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

UAE expat alert: Migration to Canada with job offer in hand could be reality soon

Published
By Majorie van Leijen

Canada plans to adopt a new model of immigration known as the Expression of Interest System (EOI) next year.

Currently the system is already in place in New Zealand, where it was designed and in Australia, where it was implemented last year to facilitate the economic immigration programmes.

"Under an EOI programme, prospective immigrants first complete an online form which states their interest in becoming a permanent resident of Canada.

“It is important to note that an EOI is not an application for a permanent resident visa. Rather, it indicates an individual's request to become a candidate for permanent residency," is explained on the Citizen and Immigration Canada (CIC) website.

"Not all individuals who submit an EOI application will be invited to apply for Canadian permanent residency, and not all those who are invited to apply will necessarily receive a visa," is added.

However, candidates will end up in a pool which can be used by employers and Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments to select those employees that are in demand. For immigrants, this could mean that they arrive in Canada with a secured job offer.

Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney was quoted as saying: "(Immigrants) would arrive in Canada as permanent residents with pre-arranged jobs and literally be going to work at their skill level within a few days of arrival."

Although Canada faces a shortage of skilled labour, immigrants do not always find a suitable job once they have arrived in Canada. The problem lies in an immigration system that is not tuned with reality, explained Sam Bayat, a Dubai-based immigration lawyer.

The implementation of the EOI system will be one of the final steps in a series of changes made to the immigration system, intending to provide with a more adequate approach to the country's labour demand.