Comment by log0 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by log0 | Hacker News Reader

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Just to clarify in case people still have the impression that Canada is good for immigration: Maybe Canada is better than America for immigration, the experience is getting worse.

After the new immigration minister came up in July 2013, the government has changed policies to make immigration slow and the path to citizenship much harder.

1) A Labour Market Opinion (LMO), which is required before a work visa, itself used to take 6 weeks in 2008. This process now takes about 6 months (my case, which is not too slow) to 1 year (another friend's case, and plenty of people in forums). For the work visa, add another 2-6 months on top of it, and then you have to apply the temporary resident visa.

2) Path to citizenship (having work visa => permanent residence => citizenship) used to take a total of 4 years (roughly), now is changed to 1 + 2 + 4 (7 years), a significantly longer time frame.

I get the feeling that Canada is changing its opinion of welcoming immigrants.

Disclaimer: Used to live in Canada, but have left.

My wife and I befriended a couple from North Korea who, in the face of horrendous hardship that we can barely begin to imagine, managed to escape by way of China to end up in Toronto.

In short order they had setup a thriving massage studio based on traditional Chinese methods, had a child, and were able to afford a nice apartment and car. Apart from the the private Christian group that helped them enter Canada, they were entirely self-reliant.

They showed greater entrepreneurism and work ethnic than the majority of Canadians, by far. Despite their many challenges (including the presumed murder of their families in DPRK), they remained delightful, generous, and happy people that were a pleasure to be around.

I'm getting a little emotional as I write this because I was shocked -- disgusted really -- when I learned that the Canadian government was kicking them out of the country. They were forced to apply for citizenship in South Korea, and told only to return if they were rejected from S. Korea.

Unfortunately, I don't know how the story ended because, somewhat alarmingly, we've lost contact with them although my wife was speaking to the woman almost daily via WeChat before they left. I hope they are able to establish a more permanent home for themselves in S. Korea or wherever they ended up.

So, yes, I would say the government has changed its policies recently, and not for the better. Why these people would be forced to leave is beyond me.

Strangely with Canada, I think it depends on where within the country you immigrate to. As a native Canadian from the prairies who moved to Montreal 10 years ago, I have met and worked with so many immigrants here that I now believe I know more of them in Montreal than I do native Canadians. It makes for an extremely interesting cultural mix.

Apparently Quebec makes it much easier for citizens from a select list of countries to obtain permanent residency, as opposed to what you'll find elsewhere in the country. It still takes a long time dealing with loads of bureaucracy (especially the requirement for basic French language skills which can be handled via courses while here), but I haven't yet met anyone who has had to leave before they manage to obtain their permanent residency.

Random aside: Moldova has proven to be the source of my favourite people. There are so many Moldovans here due to a simplified immigration process for their country. There's just something so refreshing about how they carry themselves: friendly, humble, utterly proud and self-confident, and without ego. It's nice to meet people who are pleasant without plastering a fake-ass smile on their face all day long. When you see them smile or hear a laugh, you know it's genuine!

tldr; I believe Quebec is conditionally easier (based on country of origin) to immigrate to than other Canadian provinces. And, um, Moldovans are genuine people - more of you need to move here so I can eventually find a lifelong mate. :p

Moldovan (from Cahul) here. Many of my friends emigrated in Canada. Good friends, which I miss. While I appreciate your good impression of us, I don't share your wish for more of us going there. Although I'm somewhat content for those finding a better life than it could have been here, I'm not content with loosing our best and brightest among us, and thus not so content about Canada facilitating this brain drain in any way. In the end, although I'm fully aware what the subject of general discussion is (i.e. decrying the immigration hurdles), I have to say that for us who chose not to emigrate the changes in Canada's immigration policies comes as a good thing.

> I get the feeling that Canada is changing its opinion of welcoming immigrants.

Well, our government is at any rate. As a Canadian by birth I don't know that I feel we (the citizenry) have had a lot of input into the matter. :/

You're not a democracy that elects its representatives and government?

As with all ostensibly democratic states, there are undemocratic elements that act as a check on various things (including the will of the majority).

In Canada we elect representatives to a legislature, and those representatives effectively elect a government.

My representative won his seat with about 48% of the riding's vote, which is actually an extremely decisive victory for a representative, most of whom win on pluralities more in the range of 30-45%.

In total, approximately 39% of the 61% of the electorate that voted (or 23% of all eligible voters), voted in a legislature where the winning party took 53% of the seats and secured themselves virtually absolute power to enact their legislative agenda for up to 5 years.

I won't say we don't live in a democracy, but I do think we live in one that is only barely functional.

But to really specifically answer your question (which is actually two questions): I live in a democracy that elects its representatives. I do not live in a democracy that elects its government.

Being born in and still a citizen of a Commonwealth nation should make it easier for OP to emigrate to Canada.

(is it still called emigrate if it's from a country not your own to another?)

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