More fun to see Pinoys work in Canada–chamber

ORE opportunities await Filipinos in Canada, as the country needs more immigrants to help grow their economy, said Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CanCham) president Julian Payne.

Payne described Filipinos as special immigrants in Canada as they “bring in family and religious values, smiles and happiness to the Canadian community.”

“If it’s more fun in the Philippines, it would be more fun to see a lot of Filipinos in Canada,” Payne said in his welcome speech during the celebration of the National Day in Canada at the Marco Polo Hotel Cebu last Monday.

Canada, according to Payne, has a low reproduction rate, which explains the country’s steady requirement for immigrants and overseas workers to boost its economy.

He noted the Philippines was the largest source of immigrants to Canada with an average of 25,000 to 30,000 Filipino immigrants a year.

“Our jobs in Canada are not limited to low-skill jobs. We have a quite range of opportunities for Filipinos who wish to work there such as in the fields of engineering, accountancy, and health professionals like nurses and caregivers,” Payne said.

These abounding opportunities were reinforced by Cebu-based migration consultancy firm PinoyCare Visa Center.

PinoyCare chief executive officer and president Prisca Niña Mabatid noted that 2013 will be “fruitful year” for immigrants with Canada’s updated immigration system coming into effect.

Mabatid said the Canadian government has put on hold the processing of immigration visas as they are updating their immigration system. Once that’s done, Mabatid said, the waiting time will be shortened.

“We are seeing an increase of immigration applications in the coming months with the new immigration guidelines set to take effect by next year,” she said. “Canada might even reconsider upgrading its current 29 job list categories to a hundred.”

Pinoy Care Visa Center is one of the newest members of CanCham. The country has deployed a thousand Filipino immigrants to Canada since it started operations in 2000.

Mabatid is optimistic more Filipinos would consider Canada as a destination for work and permanent residency.

“Opportunities abound. With countries like the United Kingdom and New Zealand becoming more stringent in accepting immigrants, Canada is the best country to go to,” she said.