I posed the following questions of some international friends of mine (who will remain anonymous here) who I met while they were in Canada to get an idea of why some people choose not to seek permanent residence in Canada and/or return to their home country after their visa expires. Here are the results which they gave me permission to post online.
Interviewee #1, Female, from Germany
Q: What type of visa did you first come to Canada on?
A: “I came with a work & travel visa (2012) but I had been to Canada twice before as an exchange student during high school (2001) and as a tourist visiting my host family again (2005).”
Q: Did you intend to stay in Canada permanently if you could?
A: “No.”
Q: If not, why?
A: “I love Canada but the great thing about living in a foreign country is that you start to appreciate your own country and culture more than you did before. I loved every single day I spent in Canada but towards the end of my stays I always realized that there were a lot of people and things I was looking forward to in Germany.”
Q: Would you ever consider permanently immigrating to Canada?
A: “Yes.”
Q: Why or why not?
A: “Canada would be the first country I would immigrate to if I could choose freely. Probably immigrating within the European Union would be much easier when it comes to paperwork etc. but I don't really know anything about those things. I would like to live in Canada because I speak the language, the Canadians were always very friendly and welcoming, as a European it is mostly quite easy to adapt to Canadian culture, I love the Canadian landscapes and the outdoor activities they have to offer. And one very important thing is that during my stays I also realized that Canada is not the land of milk and honey but has its downsides. The fact that despite of these I can still picture myself becoming very happy in Canada makes me even more sure about Canada being my first choice if I would ever consider to emmigrate [sic].”
Interviewee #2, Female, from Thailand
Q: What type of visa did you first come to Canada on?
A: “Student visa got me there.”
Q: Did you intend to stay in Canada permanently if you could? If not, why?
A: “I actually did if I can”
Q: Would you ever consider permanently immigrating to Canada? Why or why not?
A: “Yes i would.. but I have heard that it was so hard to not having the prefessional [sic] degrees in order to get the permanent residence.. and if I happened to study there, i wont have a chance doing a part-time work.. there were quiet a few limitations there..so yea.. I ended going to Australia where is a lot easier in getting a job, and getting permanent residence.. :)” [sic]
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So, what do you think readers? Would you immigrate to Canada if you could? Let me know in the comments or on twitter ( @MBlogger2 ) or by email ( comingtocanadablog@gmail.com )
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