Canada – A Preferred Immigration Destination

Canada has one of the most prosperous and successful immigrant population in the world. With a comparatively open immigration policy, Canada has an immigration rate of almost thrice that of the United States. More than one-fifth of Canadians are foreign-born.

Canada’s multiculturalism attracts people of various nationalities to seek greener pastures in the country. According to a statement from the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada federal department, Canada is targeting to welcome 300,000 new permanent residents this year.

Nepalese Immigrants in Canada

Canada has a relatively smaller number of immigrants from Nepal as compared to those from other countries in South Asia. Most of the members of the Nepalese community in Canada are well educated and have migrated in pursuit of the professional opportunities that the country offers.

The Nepalese population is primarily settled in the urban areas in the provinces of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.

Some of the notable people of Nepalese origin in Canada include mountaineer Sudarshan Gautam, entrepreneur and philanthropist Aditya Jha, biomedical scientist Drona Prakash Rasali, senior economist Sameer Sthapit-Rajbhandari and writer Manjushree Thapa.

Canada’s Open Immigration Policy

One of the major challenges facing Canada is an aging population. The increase in the number of senior citizens coupled with the low birth rate in the country have resulted in an increased burden on the working-age Canadians to support the health and social programs and the high living standards. Hence, immigrants are being welcomed with open arms as they can significantly contribute to the country’s economy and society.

According to surveys, support for immigration has increased in recent times with over 80 percent of the respondents feeling that immigration has a positive impact on the economy. Multiculturalism is also seen as one of the country’s positive features by two-thirds of those surveyed.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that diversity is Canada’s strength and that he will continue to promote the open immigration policy in order to build stronger and more resilient communities within the country.