People were protesting the war in Ukraine. Photo by Mathias Reding, courtesy of Pexels.com
Leaving home is scary, especially when your home is 4,000 miles away.
Four different types of immigrants can arrive in Canada, and all have different rules and regulations for what happens once they are across the border… They include Humanitarian and Compassionate applicants, refugee class, family class, and economic immigrants.
These all fall under immigration, but there are different challenges or hurdles to overcome to get a working visa in Canada. With the war in Ukraine continuing more and more refugees are coming to Canada, plus more immigrants are applying for temporary working visas as a promise of a new future excites them.
Canada issues approximately 306,767 temporary working visas annually according to a study done by the Government of Canada in 2020.
Inna Belous, a 19-year-old refugee from Ukraine had no problems obtaining her visa when she applied for one. Her mom packed her bags and sent her to Canada in May of 2022.
“I had no problems. I applied for a visa and then received it after one month. Right now, for Ukrainians it’s different, there’s a higher need for them to get out of Ukraine. After I was accepted to have a visa, I received it in the mail two weeks later. My mom thought it be better if I was anywhere else than Ukraine”
As of October, she is now back home with her friends and family, hoping for peace.
According to statics Canada with Canada’s labour shortage increasingly rising, higher than ever with a 31 per cent shortage according to statistic Canada. Immigrants are being granted more working visas. But unfortunately, they still aren’t easy to obtain.
Nicole Janser arrived in Canada on Jan. 2, 2021, from Switzerland. She applied again for a working visa in June of 2022 to renew it so she could stay longer and continue her work. From first getting her visa and trying to get it renewed, Janser has always had trouble with this process.
“To come to Canada, you find an agency. They must find you a school or job so you can get a holiday working visa. Otherwise, you won’t get any breaks because you don’t bring money to Canada. Since Switzerland is so small you must get a visa in either Germany, Italy, France or Austria. You have to fly there for a five-minute appointment to see if you are eligible for a visa, and even then, you might not get one,” she added.
Still not knowing if she can stay for another year, Janser is stressed and scared about being sent home. You have one day to pack your things and go once the agency calls you. Janser is worried about her cats.
With the number of working visas Canada gives out each year they also offer 80 different immigration programs for skilled workers. Within that, Canada has over 500 immigrant-serving organizations. These organizations provide free supports to help immigrants integrate into Canada’s economy and society, according to a CIC News report done in 2020 and updated in 2022.
Geraldine Martinez has also had some trouble with her visa. Martinez moved to the United States and then to Canada from Peru.
“I applied for it in July 2021 and then I got it in November 2021. It was a long process. Having to the communicant with the immigration agency and my boss in Canada was difficult. I had to find people to help in Saskatchewan but I couldn’t get an answer for a while. Very stressful,” she said.
While many immigrants continue to have challenges obtaining visas for different reasons, one thing will remain, an abundance of people who want to call Canada home.
