1. Immigration to Vancouver Island – facts, figures and resources
MINISTRY OF JOBS, TRADE & TECHNOLOGY

2. Presentation Outline 1. Immigration in Canada “Immigration 101”
Immigration in BC
Presentation Outline
1. Immigration in Canada
“Immigration 101”
2. Immigration trends to BC and Vancouver Island
3. Immigration resources
Employer Resources and Key Contacts

3. Fewer Young People Entering the Workforce
Canada’s Immigration System
BC’s Aging Demographic
Fewer Young People Entering the Workforce 3

4. BC’s Labour Market Outlook 2018-2028
Canada’s Immigration System
BC’s Labour Market Outlook
903,000 BC job openings in the next 10 years
27% are projected to be filled by immigrants 4

5. Unemployment Rates (%) All Ages, British Columbia
Supplementary Information
Economic Benefits
Immigrants account for nearly one quarter of Canada’s labour force
Immigrants accounted for 50.1% of BC labour force growth in 2017
More than 80% of the immigrants to Canada are under 45 years old
Lower unemployment rates for immigrants than non-immigrants in BC
Unemployment Rates (%) All Ages, British Columbia
Source: 2016 Census – Labour in Canada
Temporary residents and family

6. Canada’s Immigration System
Canada's Immigration System is:
Primarily federal jurisdiction but provinces and territories play a role
Managed with annual caps on admissions and selection processes
Focused on three main objectives: attracting skilled workers, family reunification, and playing a global humanitarian role
Economic Immigrants
Family Class
Refugees and Humanitarian
Skilled Workers
Provincial Nominees
Business immigration
Caregivers
Spouses and dependents
Parents and Grandparents
Sponsor commits financial support
Government Assisted
Privately Sponsored
Blended Visa
Asylum Claims
Federal targets for annual admissions in each category are tabled November 1

7. Immigration is Shared Jurisdiction
Canada’s Immigration System
Immigration is Shared Jurisdiction
Canada-BC Immigration Agreement defines BC’s role in immigration
The Provincial Immigration Programs Act governs the delivery of the BC PNP
Attraction
Selection
Integration
Citizenship
Federal Role
National-level awareness and attraction efforts
Annual immigration levels
Eligibility criteria
Assessment and selection
Settlement services for permanent residents ($100.7M for BC in 2018/2019)
Setting eligibility criteria and granting citizenship
BC Role
WelcomeBC.ca
Attraction campaign
International student recruitment
Provincial Nominee Program (program policy and criteria)
Settlement services for temporary residents, naturalized citizens ($12M)
Labour market services
Foreign Credential Recognition

8. Federal Immigration Levels Plan: 2019-2021
Canada’s Immigration System
Federal Immigration Levels Plan:
Immigration Category
2018
2019
2020
2021
Target
Federal Economic High Skilled1
74,900
81,400
85,800
88,800
Economic Pilots2 -Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program3
1,000
2,000
4,000
To be Determined
Economic Pilots2 -Caregivers
17,000
14,000
5,000
Federal Business4
700
Provincial Nominee Program
55,000
61,000
67,800
71,300
Quebec Skilled Workers and Business5
28,900
Total Economic
177,500
191,600
195,800
202,300
Spouses, Partners and Children
66,000
68,000
70,000
Parents and Grandparents
20,000
20,500
21,000
Total Family
86,000
88,500
91,000
Protected Persons in Canada and Dependents Abroad
16,000
16,500
18,000
Resettled Refugees - Government Assisted
7,500
9,300
10,700
Resettled Refugees - Blended Visa Office Referred
1,500
1,650
Resettled Refugees - Privately Sponsored
19,000
Total Refugees and Protected Persons
43,000
45,650
49,700
51,700
Humanitarian and Other6
3,500
4,250
4,500
Overall Admisssions7
310,000
330,800
341,000
350,000

9. Selection: BC Provincial Nominee Program
Immigration to BC
Selection: BC Provincial Nominee Program
Application to BC PNP
Provincial Nomination
Application for Permanent Residence
6,250 nominations for Primarily job-offer driven.
Outcomes data shows BC PNP is a key tool to address BC’s labour market needs
It offers a critical pathway to permanent residency (83% of nominees were TFW permit holders)
In 2016, 27% of PNP skilled immigrants and 57% of PNP entrepreneurs settled outside of Victoria/Greater Vancouver, compared to 14% of immigrants overall
BC nominees have higher average employment income then federal economic immigrants and nominees in most other provinces (except Alberta)

10. Share of New Immigrants, 2017
Immigration to BC
BC’s Share of National Immigration
BC received 13% of all immigrants Canada between and 2017.
Federal immigration levels targets are increasing – rising from 310,000 in 2018 to 350,000 by 2021.
Increased numbers of new immigrants being admitted to Canada will likely translate into higher numbers of immigrants coming to BC.
Share of New Immigrants, 2017

11. Number of New Immigrants to BC –Actual and Projected
Immigration to BC
Arrival Trends
Number of New Immigrants to BC –Actual and Projected
Assuming BC stays in the range of 13-15% of all immigrants to Canada, the Province is projected to receive 40,000 to 45,000 immigrants annually over the next few years 11

12. Selection: Permanent Pathways
Immigration to BC
Selection: Permanent Pathways
The federal government selects economic and non-economic permanent residents
BC’s Provincial Nominee Program selects skilled international workers and entrepreneurs and nominates them for permanent residency
Economic*
22,255 (53%)
85% working age
BC Provincial Nominee Program
7,565 | 20%
Express Entry
9,995 | 26%
Live-In Caregivers
4,460| 12%
Family Sponsorship
13,425| 35%
Refugees and Protected Persons 2,695 | 7%
Business
230 | <1%
Other
130 | <1%
Non-Economic*
16,185 (47%)
72% working age
‘Economic immigrants’ refer to categories of permanent residents selected for their ability and skills to contribute to Canada’s economy * 2017 Data; total permanent residents = 38,435 12

13. Recent Immigrants by Place of Residence
24/04/2019
Immigration to BC
Settlement Patterns of Immigrants in BC
Recent Immigrants by Place of Residence
Recent immigrants represent 3.8% of BC’s total population, and 5.9% of the population in Vancouver.
2016 Census

14. Permanent and Temporary Pathways to BC, 2017
Immigration to BC
Pathways to BC
Permanent and Temporary Pathways to BC, 2017
(new immigrant arrivals or work/study permits issued in the calendar year)
Permanent
Temporary

15. Economic vs. Non-Economic
Immigration to BC
Economic vs. Non-Economic
Distribution between Immigration Categories in BC
Almost 60% of BC’s new immigrants are economic class, similar to the national proportion. BC receives a lower proportion of refugees (half the national average).
Economic immigrants represented a smaller proportion of immigration to BC in 2016 due to the Syrian refugee resettlement.

16. Characteristics of Immigrants in BC
Immigration to BC
Characteristics of Immigrants in BC 16

17. Characteristics of Immigrants in BC
Immigration to BC
Characteristics of Immigrants in BC

18. Outcomes of Immigrants in BC – Income
Immigration to BC
Outcomes of Immigrants in BC – Income 18

19. Outcomes of Immigrants - Income Over Time
The average income of immigrants increases with time spent in BC.
However, after 10 years average income remains lower than that for all British Columbians
Economic class immigrants have higher incomes than family and refugee immigrants
As indicated previously, recent immigrants tend to be younger and more educated than non-immigrants, so they bring a large amount of potential to the provinces.
Nonetheless, we can see in the data that there are challenges for immigrants in terms of their long term economic outcomes.
For example, although immigrants’ income increases with the length of time in BC, after 10 years they still on average make less than the BC average.
This “wage gap” in BC is on par with the national average (SK and MB have the highest wage gap, NS and NL the lowest).
That said, income varies substantially depending on immigration category. Suitably, economic class immigrants have the highest incomes; for example, Provincial Nominees earn on average $54,000 in their first year after gaining permanent residence, which is above the BC average. Understandably, Refugees have the lowest incomes and need more time to achieve income growth.
Data Notes:
Income data is available in the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB), which is an administrative database that combines an administrative landing file (i.e., numbers of new permanent residents) with the T1 Family File (T1FF) through exact matching record linkage techniques. The overall linkage rate is approximately 97%.
The IMDB consists of immigrants landed since 1980 and who filed taxes at least once since 1982.
All income, or the total income in the IMDB is the sum of employment income, self-employment income, investment income, and employment insurance benefits.
(Note: The definition of total income adopted by the 2016 Census does not correspond to that used by the Canada Revenue Agency for income tax purposes, which is what is reflected in the IMDB). 19
Source: Longitudinal Immigration Database

20. Categories of immigrants: 2011-2016
Immigration to S. Vancouver Island
Categories of immigrants: 20

21. Age of landed immigrants between 2011 and 2016
Immigration to S. Vancouver Island
Age of landed immigrants between 2011 and 2016 21

22. Immigrant highest level of education: 2011-2016
Immigration to S. Vancouver Island
Immigrant highest level of education: 22

23. Unemployment rate for recent immigrants
Immigration to S. Vancouver Island
Unemployment rate for recent immigrants 23

24. Median income: recent immigrants vs non-immigrants
Immigration to S. Vancouver Island
Median income: recent immigrants vs non-immigrants 24

25. Immigrant employment by sector
Immigration to S. Vancouver Island
Immigrant employment by sector 25

26. Immigrant employment challenges
Difficulties with recognition of foreign credentials
Difficulty obtaining / lack of Canadian work experience
Language barriers (incl. occupation-specific language)
Limited professional/employer connections
Perceived lack of “soft skills” (differences in cross cultural communication / knowledge of Canadian business culture)
Challenges navigating immigration system and pre-arrival information
Perceived employer bias 26

27. Who to contact in government for more info
Resources and contacts
Who to contact in government for more info
For general information about immigration, or if you don’t know who to ask and need to be pointed in the right direction:
Brian Vatne, Director of Immigration Policy
BC Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training
For practical information about navigating the Provincial Nominee Program or other federal government programs:
Aireen Luney, Manager of Program Development and Promotion
BC Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology; BC Provincial Nominee Program 27

28. Immigrant serving organizations you can contact
Resources and contacts
Immigrant serving organizations you can contact
Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria
Victoria/Duncan
(250) ;
Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre
Greater Victoria
(250) ;
Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society
Campbell River, Courtenay, Comox Valley, Ladysmith, Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni
(250) ; 28

29. Immigrant serving organizations you can contact
Resources and contacts
Immigrant serving organizations you can contact
Multicultural & Immigrant Services Association of North Vancouver Island Campbell River, Courtenay/Comox Valley
(855) ; 29

30. Resources and help with hiring immigrants
Resources and contacts
Resources and help with hiring immigrants
Who to contact for support with hiring immigrants:
Immigrant Employment Council of BC 30

31. Additional Resources Resources and contacts
Who to contact for support with hiring immigrants:
WelcomeBC.ca 31