WHATSAPP
Thanks to the Provincial Nominee Programs, immigrants are finding it easier to migrate to the smaller cities of Canada. These cities offer numerous job opportunities and affordable yet high quality living.
The provinces of Canada are running Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) with an aim to attract more immigrants to cities outside their capital. PNPs have helped to bring down the share of immigration to three of the largest provinces in Canada–Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia–from 85 per cent in 1999 to about 70 per cent today.
Besides the PNPs, the federal government has also launched a few immigration programs such as the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) and Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot to promote regional immigration. The government is also planning to launch the Municipal Nominee Program (MNP) to promote immigration to smaller cities.
Provinces also operate immigration streams under their respective PNPs in order to attract more immigrants to smaller cities. The Regional Immigration Pilot launched by Ontario in early 2020 is a good example for this. In Ontario, 80 percent of the immigrants go to its capital region called the Greater Toronto Area. As a result, other cities in the province are struggling to attract enough immigrants to support their economies.
Benefits of moving to smaller cities of Canada
Job opportunities
Workers from other parts of the world immigrate to Canada mainly for good job opportunities. The smaller cities of Canada offer excellent opportunities as they have greater demand for workers. The number of young people is lower in these destinations and they require immigrants to fill the vacancies left by the retiring Canadians.
Many smaller cities in Canada have a lower unemployment rate compared to the national average, which is a great advantage for newcomers who prefer to settle in these places. Moreover, smaller cities of Canada have lesser competitive labour markets and that helps newcomers find employment faster.
Affordable accommodation
The cost of living is much higher in major Canadian cities such as Toronto and Vancouver compared to smaller cities. Even if the newcomer is lucky enough to find a high-paying job in one of these cities, they will have to spend a significant part of their earning on housing. On the contrary, the smaller cities offer affordable housing to their residents. While the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Toronto is $1600, it is only about $900 in Moncton and $600 in Trois-Rivieres.
High quality of life
Another advantage that the residents of a smaller city enjoy is the better quality of life. The time you take to commute to work in these cities is low as there is less traffic. There are also opportunities to involve in cultural and recreational activities similar to that of larger cities. In some areas, you can go for outdoor activities such as skiing and hiking. It is also easier to build friendships in small cities, which have more tight-knit communities.
Are you interested to migrate to Canada but don’t know which part of Canada is best for you? Seek the help of expert immigration consultants of CanApprove to take the best decision for your future. Contact us now!
