Since becoming Canada’s new immigration minister, Marc Miller has made initial public remarks through interviews with RedFM Canada, CBC Radio Canada, Bloomberg News, etc., indicating the fact that Canada’s immigration levels will either remain steady or continue to increase. These interviews give us some insights into his mindset as it relates to some critical areas of the Canadian immigration landscape.
Present Canada’s Immigration Levels & Value Of Increased Immigration
Marc Miller asserted that he views immigration as a key to addressing acute labor shortages in Canada. This includes industrial sectors, agricultural sectors, healthcare sectors, etc. According to him, immigration will make the country a better place & ensure that the economy is thriving.
Speaking further about the significance of Canadian immigration levels, Miller emphasizes that immigration helps the country combat its aging population. Therefore, IRCC plans to keep immigration levels the same or continue raising them over time.
The State Of Economic Immigration & Express Entry
Economic immigration will remain a priority for Canada. In addition, over 60% of immigration to the nation is currently ‘economically directed’. However, Marc Miller has clarified that IRCC intends to maintain this level.
Moreover, at the same time, he also acknowledges that the processing time for economic immigrants across the nation is not where IRCC would like them to be. He further states that the government is working hard to streamline processing times in the future.
However, as far as Express Entry is concerned, Miller stated that the federal government is focused on ensuring that Canada brings in skilled professionals who work in key trades required across the country.
Addressing International Student Fraud
Apart from Canada’s immigration levels, IRCC also recognizes international student fraud. This includes the case impacting over 700 international students across the country.
Miller understands that the present visa procedure for international students has led to ‘integrity challenges’. Well, this has caused a great deal of angst in some people seeking to pursue higher education. In addition, international students are being given ‘false hope’. As a result, they are sometimes unable to follow through on their ambitions as they are being misled.
To this end, IRCC understands that it must do an efficient job of protecting such students. This can be done by ensuring that fraudulent actors cannot take advantage of people simply looking to make a better life through Canadian education.
The Connection Between Housing Challenges & Immigration
According to Marc Miller, immigration is not why the nation faces housing supply challenges. He talks about this issue extensively, emphasizing that immigrants are often blamed for taking away homes from Canadians, thus resulting in housing inflation.
However, in reality, Miller argues that this conversation is often a lot more complex.
In addition, he tends to push back on the connection between housing supply issues & immigration. He emphasizes that the solution to these issues might be found in immigration itself.
He says that if people wish to have dental care, health care, & affordable housing, then the best way to do that is to get that skilled labor in the country.
The Future Of Canadian Immigration
To reassure Canadians as well as immigrants, Marc Miller reaffirmed his commitment to compassion & fairness as Canada’s new immigration minister.
IRCC is cognisant that the immigration system of Canada is not without its shortcomings. Well, this is specifically true with respect to foreign credential recognition in Canada. In fact, Marc Miller acknowledges that it is unfair that incoming immigrants are sometimes made to sacrifice the hard work & expertise developed in their trained occupations from their home country.
Therefore, he asserted that he is here to be a part of the government, which is open, fair, & compassionate regarding the immigration system. He further says that this is the nation’s future & he is happy to be a part of it!