Canada - how immigration policy changes under successive governments

Recent changes to Canadian citizenship laws show what a hot potato immigration issues have become. The European refugee crises seems to have shifted voters in western countries to polarisingly opposite positions - almost mirroring the socialist versus capitalist narrative that so often defines and dominates political debates.

While many citizens likely fall somewhere in between the opposing camps, those at the polar ends either see immigration as a self seeking policy tool - to encourage skills and cheap labour but protect the existing workforce - or as a tool of social justice - to be a haven and a beacon of hope for the disenfranchised and destitute.

immigration is seen either as a self seeking policy tool or as a tool of social justice

The sweeping and speedy reforms in Canadian policy are on the back of the current party making good on specific election campaign promises and show how the issue played a major role in the pysche of voters and therefore the political landscape.

It is as if citizens want the immigration and citizenship policy to reflect the heart and soul of the nation - much like a home with either a welcome mat in front of the door or a beware of the dog sign at the gate. As if the invitation you extend will define who you are as a people and how you react to international crises will mould you as a society into what values you want your children to stand for and fight for and pass on to their children.

It is as if citizens want the immigration and citizenship policy to reflect the heart and soul of the nation - much like a home with either a welcome mat in front of the door or a beware of the dog sign at the gate

Let's be honest, we all know anecdotal stories of border control staff that say so much about a country and before we even set foot within the place we often have a pre-conceived notion of what the residents will be like. Why? Because the border control staff are employed by the government to represent to outsiders what their policy represents. You are welcome here or beware of the dog. 

As I've said before, immigration policy is primarily designed for the benefit of the host nation and any benefit a new migrant receives is incidental to that primary purpose. The current Canadian government is shifting that somewhat and creating an image of an administration that is thinking outside of itself and beyond purely selfish gains to one where it selflessly wants to share some of its highly held val

ues with those who may not have more to give right now.

Some will view this as altruistic nobleness and others as a soft touch with likely damaging effects - either way the effects will be felt into the next generation for citizens and migrants alike. 

Interesting NZ Migration updates from OECD report

I was at a seminar hosted by Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand recently about the NZ economic outlook and a speaker used some interesting migrant statistics from recent OECD reports to support some of his assumptions on the economy, so I did some reading here at OECD info on NZ Migration and see some positive facts, such as "Relative to its population, NZ has the largest temporary labour migration flows in the OECD, which provides the feeder for permanent migration.."  

In fact this is the opening comment on the web page says "The report finds that by and large, the New Zealand labour migration system is functioning well. Several features of the NZ immigration system, such as the Expression of Interest system, are gradually about to become an example for selection systems elsewhere in the OECD. This also holds true for the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, which provides a good example of a managed seasonal labour scheme. A further innovative feature is NZ’s elaborate system of labour-market tests and exemptions, which aims at limiting negative impact on the domestic workforce while at the same time responding to employer needs.."    

So I suppose articles reporting the growth in net migrant inflows, such as this one highest gain in 10 years from earlier in the year, are not surprising, along with this website post from Immigration NZ Skilled Migrant Workers Still Needed. 

As a Licensed Immigration Adviser I'm hoping to help prospective migrants into New Zealand to benefit both them, and this wonderful place I have called home since 2003. This is not just a dream, but a reality for many who long to start a new life in a country that has great employment prospects relative to many countries of origin. 

According to an  IAA survey  conducted by the Immigration Adviser Authority, "Almost 90 per cent of migrants surveyed said they would recommend their licensed immigration adviser to family and friends, results of an independent survey show".

NZ ranks 5th on Index of Economic Freedom

http://www.heritage.org/index/country/newzealand

This is a great result on an impartial ranking scoreboard that bodes well for investors and working class immigrants alike who have chosen, or are considering, making New Zealand home. Having lived in NZ now for 10 years it is easy to become used to many of these facets of economic life as routine so this ranking is a good reminder that these criteria are not enjoyed equally across the globe. An important aspect of society in NZ is, of course, welcoming new migrants into this environment which may be vastly different from their country of origin. One would assume that it is these very differences that will have attracted them to choose NZ as their migration destination and that they will arrive respecting and valuing same. It is good to feel that there is a sense of rule of law and that society would be intolerant of certain economic and business behaviours. This allows people to get on with their goal of being productive and reaping the benefits of their labour without having to second guess the outcome.

"New Zealand’s economic freedom score is 81.2, making its economy the 5th freest in the 2014 Index. New Zealand was first graded in the 1996 Index, and its economic freedom score has advanced since then by over 3 points. Improvements in seven of the 10 economic freedoms, including business freedom, investment freedom, trade freedom, and fiscal freedom, have enabled New Zealand to move from “mostly free” almost 20 years ago to “free” today. Since 2007, New Zealand has been rated one of the world’s five freest economies.New Zealand’s modern and competitive economy benefits from a strong commitment to open-market policies that facilitate engagement in global commerce. Transparent and efficient regulations are applied evenly in most cases, encouraging dynamic private-sector entrepreneurial activity. Buttressed by a strong tradition of minimum tolerance for corruption, New Zealand’s vigorous defense of effective rule of law sustains the foundations of economic freedom and contributes to the high level of lasting prosperity."