Abstract
It is often believed that the settlement and integration of skilled immigrants is moderately easy in Canada, and that skilled immigrants do well in Canada after a brief adjustment period. However, numerous barriers prevent the effective integration of skilled immigrants in the mainstream society. Despite being famous for its Federal Skilled Worker Program, which includes the immigration of skilled workers through Express Entry, Canada shows disappointing results in the economic and social outcomes of the integration of skilled immigrants. This has socioeconomic implications for the immigrants and affects their health and wellbeing. Therefore, there is a need for all those who are involved with immigrant integration to explore and be conversant about the contexts and issues faced by skilled newcomers in Canada. In reviewing the academic and grey literature on the settlement and integration of skilled immigrants in Canada, this paper highlights the challenges faced by skilled immigrants in Canada and the needs experienced by them in facing these challenges. It provides an overview of the experiences and expectations of skilled immigrants related to their settlement and integration in Canada. This paper indicates a need to evaluate the availability of immigrant services focused on skilled immigrants and the effectiveness of the existing support offered to them by various government and non-government agencies.
Highlights
Compared to other industrialized countries, Canada has a fairly high net migration rate
Between 2011 and 2016, around 1,212,075 foreign-born people immigrated to Canada (Statistics Canada 2017), and, between 2004 and 2015, Canada has welcomed an average of approximately 250,000 immigrants every year (Citizenship and Immigration Canada (Citizenship and Immigration Canada CIC))
A large number of immigrants are accepted for entry under the Federal Skilled Worker Program to address labour shortages identified by the Government of Canada in the Canadian labour market (Sakamoto et al 2010)
Summary
Compared to other industrialized countries, Canada has a fairly high net migration rate (difference between total immigrants and total emigrants per 1000 population). Immigration has emerged as a de facto population and labour force policy which has provided solutions for several demographic challenges in Canada, such as an aging population and shrinking birth rate, a declining dependency ratio, and skills shortages in a global and information-based economy (Boyd and Alboim 2012; Elabor-Idemudia 2005). To address these challenges, Canadian immigration policy has evolved from being racially discriminatory until the 1960s, to introducing a purportedly objective point system in 1967, to adjusting the immigration inflow between the late 1970s to the early 1980s according to the fluctuating business cycle. The paper presents key concepts that are relevant to the settlement and integration of immigrants in Canada, discusses the challenges to effective social and economic integration of skilled immigrants, and makes recommendations for future research
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
