As we entered the spring of 2010, the Canadian immigration market was filled with rumors and uncertainty. Various immigration agencies have been using tactics such as price hikes and impending policy tightening to intensify their marketing efforts. So, what is the actual outlook for Canadian immigration? What changes will occur in Canadian immigration policies and application procedures? And how will these changes affect applicants from mainland China?
To answer these questions, we must first take a brief look at the history of Canadian immigration.
Canada's policy of accepting immigrants from mainland China began in the mid-1980s. Initially, the target group consisted of investment immigrants from Hong Kong and Taiwan, which immediately triggered a wave of immigration. Subsequently, as mainland China vigorously promoted its reform and opening-up policy and market economy, economic and educational standards improved significantly. Investment and skilled immigrants from mainland China began to become the main force in the wave of immigration to Canada. Especially in recent years, during the global financial crisis, China's effective control over its economic development made it a standout in the global economy.
Against this backdrop, a set of statistics from Citizenship and Immigration Canada clearly illustrates the "heat" of the mainland Chinese investment immigration market: from January 1 to June 30, 2009, there were a total of 10,451 investment immigration applications being processed by Canadian immigration authorities, nearly 6,000 of which came from the Canadian immigration offices in Hong Kong and Beijing. Just one month later, the total number of investment immigration applications reached nearly 12,000, with nearly 7,000 coming from the Hong Kong and Beijing offices. By the end of February 2010, the backlog of investment immigration applications with Canadian immigration authorities had reached over 15,000, with the Hong Kong office alone receiving more than 1,100 new investment immigration applications in February alone!
The ever-increasing number of investment immigration applications has placed tremendous pressure on Citizenship and Immigration Canada, which has responded in various ways. In 2008, Canada approved 2,042 investment immigration applications globally, with Hong Kong and Beijing accounting for 70% of the total approvals. In 2009, the approval rate for investment immigration applications at the Hong Kong office reached 93%. In 2010, the Canadian investment immigration quota was adjusted to 3,000! Despite this, it still cannot meet the "overheated" market demand.
Information obtained by the Debon Immigration Shanghai Center from reliable sources indicates that the measures the Canadian immigration authorities may take in the near future include:
1. Suddenly suspending the acceptance of investment immigration applications from the mainland and announcing an increase in the requirements for total assets and total investment.
2. Cracking down on illegal immigration agencies and "unauthorized agents" with greater force and more severe penalties. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney explicitly stated this to CSIC members on March 16.
In 2004, the Canadian authorities began to implement the CSIC authorization system, stipulating that "only authorized CSIC members or immigration lawyers have the right to represent immigration applications."
3. Launching online applications at an appropriate time.
4. Strengthening background checks and screening of applicants. This measure has already begun; recently, the Canadian immigration office in Hong Kong has started conducting telephone interviews with mainland investment immigration applicants who have submitted their applications before issuing file numbers!
In summary, if you have the intention to immigrate to Canada, you should act as early as possible to catch the "last train" and avoid unnecessary economic losses. At the same time, you should sign with a legitimate and capable immigration agency to ensure the success of your immigration application!