Canada: Question re: workers from other Commonwealth countries

Factual Questions
1

I’m currently visiting Canada (Toronto) for the first time in my adult life. I’m noticing the wide array of workers who seem to be from British Commonwealth countries–the UK, India, etc. I guess it only struck me because I’m so used to the service jobs being held by folks from Mexico out in the PNW, or by folks from the Caribbean or Eastern Europe in NYC, and I have yet to meet anyone obviously from those areas in my (extremely limited) travels here.

So my question: Does Canada have preferred immigration/guest worker/etc. relations with other countries in the British Commonwealth? Or is this just a sampling error on my part? It’s interesting; you don’t pay a lot of attention to your neighbor’s immigration and labor policies.

2

Welcome to Toronto! How many languages do you speak? :slight_smile:

Here’s a start to answering your question, anyways.

There’s a new program that lets foreign students work, and another that allows temporary foreign workers in. There’s also the Live-in Caregiver program. Foreign Affairs laso has info on work-abroad programs… presumably these are reciprocal.

3

This link may be interesting in terms of ethnic demographics.

As far as I know, Canada has no policies regarding preferential treatment for Commonwealth citizens immigrating to Canada. A quick search at Citizenship and Immigration Canada didn’t turn anything up.

4

Canada DOES give preferential treatment to immigrants who, if applying as “Economic” immigrants, speak English or French. That’s worth a lot - 16 points out of the theoretical maximum of 100, last I checked. Consequently, anyone from a Commonwealth country who speaks English (which is most of them) will have a big advantage in that immigrant class. There aren’t as many French colonies.

5

As a result of NAFTA, people from the US (and Mexico??) can get work permits more or less by asking. I think they have to have a job, though. There is, as far as I am aware, no preference for immigrants from the Commonwealth, although, as noted, being able to speak English is a big plus. There are lots of Filipinos since English is heavily emphasized in the Philippines.