Dear Readers,
It has been a hectic week and by the time I could reel from it, another starts. I recently had a little taste of the much-talked about weather mood swings of the mighty West, and I have to admit, getting caught in the rain in Toronto is not fun. It was freezing and seemed to pinch like a thousand needles. A lot of you who know me have asked why I migrated. Honestly, it was one of the most calculated and logical decision I have ever made. I weighed the prospects of living in a new country, job market, cost of living, social acceptance, financial future, and a lot of other areas.
When faced with the question of whether I would want to shift countries, my answer was a swift "No". Why leave a secure, well-paying job behind to start from scratch in a country where you might not even be welcome? However, with the pressure of considering the option became pressing, I spoke to a ton of agents. Canada was a collective recourse. The country is a geographical giant known as the land of the immigrants, and most importantly, it was welcoming migrants by the hundreds.
As I dug deeper into its prospects, I realised a bunch from my own social group were preparing to take the leap. The process was easier as compared to other countries. For starters, it provides a bigger range of immigration and visa programs for all categories, on top of work permits and student programs. Standards of health and education are the highest among the world, and in addition to that, it also provides some of the best world- recognised social programs.
No, this column is not a 'Welcome to Canada' advert piece sponsored by Justin Trudeau. It is more of an appreciation post for the Great North. When it comes to jobs, there are numerous opportunities for the qualified and skilled migrants. Demand created by the thousands of people who fly in on a daily basis, has made way for a regular supply of jobs in all sectors. With an employment rate lower than 10 per cent, there are reportedly 58,900 jobs created each month in Canada. Another part I considered was the fact that a Canadian passport holder also enjoys a visa free travel for almost all major countries across the world.
Not to mention Canada's beautiful homogeneous peaceful society. Considering the almost 300,000 annual newcomers into the country, Canada has a large population of immigrants from several different religious and cultural background. It is said that 1 out of every 5 Canadians were born outside of the country and chose to settle here. The three largest visible minority groups - South Asians, Chinese and Blacks - accounted for 61.3 per cent of the visible minority population.
Hindus represented 1.5 per cent of the total population, Sikhs 1.4 per cent, Buddhists 1.1 per cent. There are 122,460 Gujaratis of various religious backgrounds living in Canada. Toronto is only second to New York as home to the largest Gujarati community in North America. It is also home to the largest Navratri raas garba festival in the continent.
What I am fishing to prove here is that in more ways than one, Canada is the new 'American Dream'.
