{"id":226790,"date":"2019-08-13T23:54:28","date_gmt":"2019-08-14T03:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=226790"},"modified":"2019-08-13T23:54:28","modified_gmt":"2019-08-14T03:54:28","slug":"canadas-economic-immigration-system-a-role-model-among-oecd-countries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/08\/13\/canadas-economic-immigration-system-a-role-model-among-oecd-countries\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada\u2019s economic immigration system a \u2018role model\u2019 among OECD countries"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Liebig said Canada\u2019s Express Entry system serves as a \u201crole model\u201d for managing economic migration that many OECD countries look to for guidance. (Pixabay photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Canada\u2019s economic immigration system is the \u201cmost carefully designed\u201d among the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation\u2019s 36 member countries and serves as a role model for those looking to improve how they manage migration, the Paris-based organization says.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to a new report, Canada has the \u201clargest, longest-standing and most comprehensive and elaborate skilled labour migration system in the OECD,\u201d whose members include Australia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.<\/p>\n

The report commended Canada for its success in the realms of attraction, selection, integration and retention of economic immigrants and for promoting a \u201cwhole-of-family approach\u201d\u00a0 that takes into account the needs of all family members \u2014 not just the principal applicant.<\/p>\n

Among other strengths, Canada builds on \u201ca welcoming host society, which considers immigration as a part of its national heritage,\u201d the report says.<\/p>\n

\u2018Improvement based on solid evaluation and research\u2019<\/h3>\n

At a gathering to unveil the report in Toronto, Thomas Liebig, a senior immigration specialist with the OECD, said the independent assessment of Canada\u2019s economic immigration system is the tenth in a series of reviews performed by the OECD.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, Canada is not the only country we have done, but clearly Canada stands out for a number of reasons,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Top of mind for Liebig was Canada\u2019s \u201cconstant drive for improvement based on solid evaluation and research.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liebig said this is most apparent in its approach to the\u00a0Express Entry system<\/a>, which manages the pool of applicants for three of Canada\u2019s principal economic immigration programs \u2014 the\u00a0Federal Skilled Worker Class<\/a>,\u00a0Federal Skilled Trades Class<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Canadian Experience Class<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The report calls Express Entry \u201cthe most elaborate selection system in the OECD,\u201d one that allows for \u201ca more refined selection of labour immigrants than in peer countries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liebig said Canada\u2019s Express Entry system serves as a \u201crole model\u201d for managing economic migration that many OECD countries look to for guidance.<\/p>\n

Since its introduction in 2015, the system has undergone two major reforms to address what Liebig called \u201cinitial shortcomings\u201d such as an over-emphasis on a job offer under Express Entry\u2019s\u00a0Comprehensive Ranking System<\/a>(CRS).<\/p>\n

\u201cThis quick reaction and constant improvement is actually a quite interesting contrast to the debates we have in other OECD countries on migration,\u201d Liebig said, claiming most countries don\u2019t like to tinker with their immigration system.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo system is forever, and I think the Canadian example shows this very clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liebig said Express Entry is also unique because it was designed based on a \u201ccomprehensive evaluation\u201d of the factors that are considered essential to an immigrant\u2019s success as well as interactions of these factors, such as foreign work experience and proficiency in English or French.<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s economic immigration system is also \u201chighly reactive to new developments,\u201d the report observes, and Canadian immigration policy is \u201cmore strongly evidence-based than elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liebig said the strength of Canada\u2019s immigration system has resulted in high public support for immigration among Canadians.<\/p>\n

\u201cHigh acceptance is linked with the perception that migration is both well-managed and beneficial to Canada,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Provincial Nominee Programs boost labour market outcomes and retention<\/h3>\n

Canada has also been successful in spreading the benefits of immigration beyond its most populated provinces, namely through its various provincial and territorial\u00a0nominee programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey succeed not only in providing not only for a more balanced distribution of migrants across the country, but also that they complement federal selection quite well because migrants selected by provincial governments have lower skill levels on average but generally boast better initial labour market outcomes and high retention,\u201d Liebig said.<\/p>\n

Increasing the amount of regional selection conducted through the Express Entry system is one of the OECD\u2019s key recommendations for Canada.<\/p>\n

Each Canadian province and territory with a nominee program\u00a0already has at least one stream that allows it to select or \u201cnominate\u201d Express Entry candidates.<\/p>\n

Express Entry candidates nominated by a province or territory receive an additional 600 CRS points and are effectively guaranteed an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.<\/p>\n

The report said directing future PNP growth through Express Entry is \u201ca way to ensure that selection of provincial nominees remains consistent with overall Canadian skill needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The OECD also highlighted the early successes of the\u00a0Atlantic Immigration Pilot<\/a>, an employer-driven program introduced in 2017 that allows employers in Canada\u2019s four Atlantic Provinces to recruit foreign workers for jobs they haven\u2019t been able to fill locally.<\/p>\n

Other recommendations included:<\/p>\n