I am really baffled that a lot of people buy into the "passport of convenience" rhetoric started by the government and some politicians. It is rather sad that as opposed to removing the wool from our eyes and seeing the hypocrisy behind it, a lot of us try to spend time proving that we are different from those who try to immigrate to Canada for that purpose...When in essence the idea of a passport of convenience is flawed.
I'll be the first to admit it if nobody does, I like convenience...as a matter of fact like is an understatement, I love it and need it. That was one of my major motivations leaving my country and making the decision to come here as an international student. I wanted to enjoy the convenience of going to class without the fear of government strikes or having to bribe a professor to pass a class. I wanted to enjoy the quality of good education associated with Canada. So I came and I saw and I conveniently acquired skills and graduated from a Canadian tertiary institution. I guess my degree should be called a "degree of convenience" but guess what, even though things became less difficult for me after obtaining a Canadian degree i.e the convenience of a good job, nice home e.t.c. It took a process that wasn't always convenient, it came at a cost that wasn't monetary alone. I made difficult sacrifices, I left the certain and adopted a culture that was new to me, I left loved ones behind and carried the pressure of great expectations as my luggage to a new country. A country I have now grown to love, a country that is now home...
In turn the government spreads the dangerous story of the passport of convenience, have they forgotten that they created the Canadian Experience Class to their convenience? They decided to keep international students, foreign workers because according to them we were the best of the crop. It was and is still convenient for them because they didn't/don't have to spend a dime on us but yet still reap the benefits of us having lived and being trained here. "It would be a shame to let them go and grow their own nations or as a matter of fact other nations...so let's keep them here(CEC)...after all they are 'cheap' quality"...we'll lure them with Permanent Residency because they have have Canadian Experience but when it comes to Citizenship, they don't really know "what it feels like to be Canadian". We are experienced enough to contribute to nation building, Phd students working hard at ground breaking research but even that is not good enough...we just want a passport of convenience.
Please somebody tell me of any Canadian citizenship route that doesn't come with huge sacrifices. Can someone please tell me of a route that is convenient because like I said earlier on, I love convenience...as a matter of fact like is an understatement, I love it and need it.
Some radicals would say "we" are the new slaves, some would describe it as post colonialism. Do they have a point?
My conclusion is that even if the initial intention for an immigrant is to obtain a Canadian passport of convenience, the integrity of the immigration system already in place deals with that concern. However the majority of us have put in our blood sweat and tears to be where we are now (we've earned it!) and we would NOT deny, neither would we deprive ourselves of the convenience that comes with a Canadian passport.
I'll be the first to admit it if nobody does, I like convenience...as a matter of fact like is an understatement, I love it and need it. That was one of my major motivations leaving my country and making the decision to come here as an international student. I wanted to enjoy the convenience of going to class without the fear of government strikes or having to bribe a professor to pass a class. I wanted to enjoy the quality of good education associated with Canada. So I came and I saw and I conveniently acquired skills and graduated from a Canadian tertiary institution. I guess my degree should be called a "degree of convenience" but guess what, even though things became less difficult for me after obtaining a Canadian degree i.e the convenience of a good job, nice home e.t.c. It took a process that wasn't always convenient, it came at a cost that wasn't monetary alone. I made difficult sacrifices, I left the certain and adopted a culture that was new to me, I left loved ones behind and carried the pressure of great expectations as my luggage to a new country. A country I have now grown to love, a country that is now home...
In turn the government spreads the dangerous story of the passport of convenience, have they forgotten that they created the Canadian Experience Class to their convenience? They decided to keep international students, foreign workers because according to them we were the best of the crop. It was and is still convenient for them because they didn't/don't have to spend a dime on us but yet still reap the benefits of us having lived and being trained here. "It would be a shame to let them go and grow their own nations or as a matter of fact other nations...so let's keep them here(CEC)...after all they are 'cheap' quality"...we'll lure them with Permanent Residency because they have have Canadian Experience but when it comes to Citizenship, they don't really know "what it feels like to be Canadian". We are experienced enough to contribute to nation building, Phd students working hard at ground breaking research but even that is not good enough...we just want a passport of convenience.
Please somebody tell me of any Canadian citizenship route that doesn't come with huge sacrifices. Can someone please tell me of a route that is convenient because like I said earlier on, I love convenience...as a matter of fact like is an understatement, I love it and need it.
Some radicals would say "we" are the new slaves, some would describe it as post colonialism. Do they have a point?
My conclusion is that even if the initial intention for an immigrant is to obtain a Canadian passport of convenience, the integrity of the immigration system already in place deals with that concern. However the majority of us have put in our blood sweat and tears to be where we are now (we've earned it!) and we would NOT deny, neither would we deprive ourselves of the convenience that comes with a Canadian passport.
