Author
October 4th, 2018
When Montreal resident Martin Baneham was filling out his application to work in Canada under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program with the help of Moving2Canada a few months ago, he didn’t need a laptop or desktop, let alone an envelope and stamps. No, he did the whole thing on his smartphone.
“From learning about the program, creating my profile, uploading photographs and documents, and filling out forms, I just used my phone,” says Martin, who relied on Moving2Canada’s IEC and settlement updates while planning his move.
We have heard similar feedback from candidates for Canadian permanent residence through Express Entry who created their profiles on a mobile device. This is particularly the case in parts of the world where the number of phone connections far exceeds the number of personal computers owned. Canada’s immigration system is now responsive to the needs and habits of people in countries such as Nigeria and India, two of the top source countries of newcomers through Express Entry. And though new biometrics requirements rolled out this year and into 2019 may make the process trickier for workers and immigrants to Canada, we are confident that any teething issues with this process will be smoothed out in time. Canada has proven before that it listens to the concerns of new arrivals and those attempting to make the move.
Helping people move to a country that, despite its flaws, still listens to your concerns is one of the reasons we built this website in the first place, six years ago this month. We wanted to be there for you too. We still do.
The world, and Canada, has come a long way since 2012, when only one-in-three people in Canada owned a smartphone and workers looking to come to Canada were still mailing paper application forms. Today, nearly 80 percent of people in Canada own a smartphone, and that share is growing.
When we launched in October, 2012, mobile users made up a sliver of our community, the vast majority of whom reached for the mouse and keypad to enjoy reading our destination guides and employment advice. Now, Moving2Canada community members are more likely to whip out their phone to read the latest immigration and settlement updates on the go.
It’s a different world, a different Canada. We would venture to say it’s an even better Canada, more connected and diverse than ever.
In 2012, Canada’s main economic immigration programs operated on a first-come, first-served basis, with many applicants for permanent residence facing multi-year waits for news on their application. Express Entry, which came along in 2015, changed all that. Now, other countries look at Canada welcoming skilled newcomers and their families within a six-month turnaround and think ‘why can’t we do that?’ International students and foreign workers are enjoying even quicker processing times, often measured in weeks rather than months. Moreover, on arrival in Canada these newcomers have access to a growing economy, with opportunities across the country.
Immigrants, foreign workers and students are also benefiting from more targeted, exclusive and free information from Moving2Canada, which has teamed up with trusted partners to deliver special offers for newcomers. We are delighted to welcome some new partners over the past year, including HSBC, National Bank and BMW, as well as continue relationships with Moving2Canada stalwarts such as Scotiabank, CurrencyFair and a range of quality travel insurance providers and immigration consultants.
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