The Philippines has emerged as Canada’s top source of immigrants, surpassing India and China, according to latest government figures.
There are about 30,000 Filipinos who became Canadian permanent residents in 2014 while 47,000 Filipinos were issued visitor visas. This puts the total figure to an estimated 650,000 residents in Canada who originate from the Philippines, although some experts believe the number is much higher, according to Immigration.ca report.
Filipino citizens have been drawn to Canada as an attractive destination due to the country’s labor shortages, coupled with high quality of life. Canadian employers also favor Filipinos due to their English skill proficiency and admirable work ethic that adopts to Canadian way of life. The latter is manifested by the fact that many Filipinos choose to settle in smaller urban centers instead of bigger cities such as Montreal, Toronto or Vancouver, where many other immigrants choose to live.
“[Filipinos] are committed to being citizens, to being volunteers, to being public minded,” says Immigration Minister Chris Alexander. “People like them because they take up challenges beyond just working and finding a place to live.”
Canadian employers have been importing temporary workers from the Philippines in increasing numbers. Many of these workers can apply for permanent resident status within two years after arriving in Canada.