There’s quite a lot of misinformation on-line about what it’s wish to dwell in Canada.
As one of many world’s hottest immigration locations, many individuals create an image of life in Canada that both focuses too intently on the positives of residing right here or solely spotlights the adverse facets of life on this nation.
To supply a extra balanced image of life in Canada, this text will deal with among the web’s most typical misconceptions about Canada.
False impression 1: Fast employment
Newcomers can instantly get a job of their business of selection upon arriving in Canada.
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Truth
Discovering a job in Canada is commonly a time-consuming course of for newcomers.
Just some job seekers are lucky sufficient to seek out employment shortly, and the job search generally is a prolonged course of for newcomers and established residents alike.
Getting a job interview is likely one of the first challenges. It might probably take weeks or months to be contacted by an employer. Then, when newcomers (and different Canadians) do ultimately get a job interview, employers can take a number of months to rent for a place. It’s because, as a whole bunch of individuals typically apply for a similar place, the interview course of itself may be an intensive endeavor. The truth is, TopResume.com, an internet resume-writing useful resource featured on CNBC and the Huffington Submit, means that the typical job search in 2024 can typically take between 5 and 6 months.
A extra newcomer-specific cause for a prolonged job search is what is often known as the newcomer expertise mismatch. That is the time period used to explain what occurs when, though a newcomer has in depth expertise in an occupation or business of their nation of origin, they wrestle to get a job of their discipline after arriving in Canada. This implies it could take newcomers longer than Canadians to seek out employment.
Nevertheless, this example is displaying some indicators of enchancment. Current Statistics Canada knowledge reveals that the variety of immigrants working in jobs becoming their {qualifications} has elevated by 4.4% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses.
False impression 2: Local weather
Canada is all the time chilly.
Truth
Your expertise with Canadian climate will rely upon the place you reside. Canada’s local weather, displayed in levels Celsius (°C), varies considerably, as some areas of the nation have harsher and persistently chilly climate whereas some areas profit from milder climate patterns.
One instance of this may be discovered when evaluating 1991 to 2020 Canadian Local weather Normals knowledge revealed by Setting Canada.
In keeping with this dataset, in Eureka, Nunavut ( a analysis base positioned in Canada’s far north) the best every day common temperature in any given month was 6.8°C (July). As well as, the every day common temperature throughout your entire yr was –18.1°C.
Eureka is taken into account certainly one of Canada’s coldest areas. The truth is, it charted a adverse every day common temperature (in Celsius) for 9 of the 12 months in a yr.
Alternatively, Victoria, British Columbia (B.C.) is taken into account certainly one of Canada’s persistently heat cities. In keeping with the identical dataset, Victoria had a month-to-month excessive of 17.2°C (every day common temperature) in July and a year-long every day common temperature of almost 10.3°C. Victoria additionally didn’t have any single month with a adverse every day common temperature.
Nonetheless, the climate in Canada modifications all year long.
As soon as once more utilizing B.C. for example, town of Lytton recorded the most well liked day of final yr at 42.2°C on August 15, 2023. In the meantime, a metropolis simply barely over two hours away from Lytton, Abbotsford, recorded a daytime low temperature of “between -11°C and -16°C” on January 12, 2024.
Even throughout the identical month and season, the highs and lows of Canadian temperatures can differ considerably.
For instance, in Saskatchewan, town of Regina has seen each extraordinarily sizzling and very chilly temperatures in October. In accordance the Setting Canada knowledge, Regina recorded an “excessive most” temperature of 32.0°C one yr, but in addition an “excessive minimal” of -26.1°C in 2011. This temperature doesn’t consider windchill, which may make it really feel even colder in winter.
False impression 3: Excessive value of residing
Residing in Canada is uniformly costly.
Truth
Though the price of residing entails quite a lot of components, a typical measure of residing prices for Canadian newcomers is the typical hire in several cities. Prices are sometimes larger in main cities similar to Vancouver and Toronto. In June 2024, these have been the typical prices for renting a two-bedroom unit throughout Canada in response to Leases.ca.
Notice: Scrolling over every bar within the chart will reveal the typical value (in Canadian {dollars}) of a two-bedroom unit within the metropolis.
False impression 4: Fast entry to free healthcare
Newcomers to Canada will get fast entry to Canada’s common healthcare system.
Truth
In Canada, a well being card permits all holders to entry public medical insurance of their province or territory.
Healthcare eligibility typically is determined by a newcomer’s standing in Canada. In different phrases, well being playing cards are often reserved for residents and everlasting residents of Canada, though some provinces enable momentary residents (worldwide college students, momentary overseas employees and so on.) to acquire public well being care protection.
The next webpages present extra data on healthcare protection eligibility in every Canadian province and territory:
In some provinces, new well being card candidates are additionally not instantly eligible for public healthcare protection. It’s because some provinces and territories require newcomers to attend as much as three months for his or her advantages to start. This will additionally apply for Canadian’s who transfer from one province to a different.
Notice: The one provinces with no ready interval are Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador.