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Immigration Barriers
Perhaps you will agree that the first year in Canada for new immigrants is the most difficult; it is when they most need help and support. Although you may have gathered the necessary information in advance and prepared for immigration, upon arrival you will still encounter many problems. Some problems you might not even have suspected and others you knew about but underestimated.
Immigration is not a tourist trip, when you can travel to a foreign country and return home. You arrive at a permanent residence in a country that has a different lifestyle and life values. I think it is appropriate to compare immigration to a sport, called "jumping barriers". I will show you 12 the most difficult barriers and tell what should be done to overcome them.
Barrier 1. Official Language
The main cause of unemployment among immigrants
After successfully passing the immigration process, usually new immigrants think that their English is good enough and upon arriving in Canada, immediately start looking for job in their occupation. However, very soon, many begin to realize that for skilled jobs, their language is insufficient. Many immigrants have difficulty in understanding everyday speech in the street and difficulty in completing the various documents in circulation at the Settlement Agencies and job centres. There are also problems with the resume and interview.
There is nothing surprising in this situation. The level of English required to pass immigration procedures should provide you with an opportunity to communicate without an interpreter but it is not enough to get into a Canadian skilled and highly paid job.
A survey of employers in Toronto showed that the main reason for the refusal to hire immigrants is a lack of knowledge of English. This reason was named by 87% of employers. On the other hand, the majority of immigrants believe that if they successfully pass the IELTS exam, successfully pass the interview at the Consulate of Canada and receive a visa to move to permanent residence in Canada, their knowledge of English is quite sufficient.
Must a programmer speak English?
Indeed, the Government of Canada recently strengthened requirements for English language for principal applicants, but there are immigrants for whom immigration authorities do not require knowledge of the language: the wife or husband of the main applicant, their parents who come as family class, and finally, refugees. Also, the confidence of principal applicant about his/her language proficiency is often overestimated because the language requirements of employers are much higher than the immigration officers. The higher the qualifications and salary are, the higher the requirements of knowledge of the language.
There are some illusions: I'll be a designer and have to deal with the drawings; I will be a programmer and have to deal with the computer. Here are some examples of unjustified confidence: A graduate of an overseas medical school as a physician spent nine years in Canada cleaning people's apartments because of poor language skills. A commodities expert, who graduated from an overseas university, spent six years in Toronto working as a helper on a construction site because of poor English.
Must a locksmith write English?
Let us look at the requirements in Canada as to the level of language needed.
First, the reader has to be acquainted with the recently adopted system of how to evaluate the level of language in terms of CLB (Canadian Language Benchmarks). You can find a description of this system on site www.language.ca.
Based on the CLB system, Red River College and Adult Learning Training Branch of Manitoba connected CLB points and occupations and created a table showing the required level of language for certain occupations. The table takes into account different requirements about the ability to speak, listen, read and write English. It seems that some workers do not need the ability to write English!
Following are the CLB points needed to work in Canada:
Occupation Speak Listen Read Write
Aircraft Maintenance Engineer 8 8 9 7
CNC Machinist at Bristol Airspace 6 6 6 3
Early Childhood Educator, Level II 5/6 5/6 5/6 5-7
Midwife 9-11 9-11 9-12 9-11
Motor Vehicle Mechanic 6 6 7 5/6
Occupational Therapist 8/9 9 8/9 8
Pharmacist 8/9 8/9 9/10 7/8
Sheet Metal Mechanic at Bristol Airspace 6 6 6 3
Source: www.ealmb.ca/pluginfile.php/183/mod_page/content/2/language-needs-mb-workplaces-2009.pdf. The table shows that CLB 6-7 points are enough to work in such professions as CNC machinist, early childhood educator, motor vehicle mechanic and sheet metal mechanic which are basically blue-collar occupations. Professionals required scores of 8 or 9, and in the field of medicine up to 12 points! By the way, to study at colleges or universities in Canada you need language level CLB 9.
Therefore, if after passing the IELTS test you were graded at CLB 6-7, in order to work as a professional, you need to improve your English language immediately.
Where immigrants can learn languages
Fortunately, in Canada, immigrants have a lot of opportunities to improve the language. The LINC school system offers free courses usually to the level of CLB 5-7 but there are also free courses in English as Second Language (ESL) where you can raise up to the level to CLB 8-9.
Further, using the Enhanced English Training Program (CLB 10-12), you can begin to explore your professional terminology. These programs exist for professions such as information technology (IT), engineering and administrative positions, as well as in the fields of medicine, finance, trade and marketing.
By studying hard for the first year you can improve your language four levels, and the first barrier will be overcome!
Barrier 2. Licensing
Do you know how many immigrants would have to seek a certificate or license to work in their professions? All Canadian official information sources reported that regulated occupations accounted for 20% of the total number of occupations. Does this mean that out of ten immigrants, only two will have to overcome the barrier of a license? In my view, the opposite is true: eight out of ten immigrants will have to fight for a license. The fact is that the list of occupations that allow immigration to Canada consists almost entirely of regulated professions!
If you have a regulated occupation and want to continue a career in Canada without a license, you can not do it. You have to prove your education and work experience you got abroad, and be persistent in achieving your goal. Also, you will have to overcome Canada's protectionism policy, which protects domestic professionals from competition by foreigners, which, frankly, exists in all countries. Is it easy for the new immigrant to get a license? Unfortunately, it is not. Every reader probably has relatives, friends or acquaintances who cannot get a license in Canada.
To get a license, after arriving in Canada you must establish a connection with your professional association (regulatory body) and find out how to start. At most regulatory body’s sites on the Internet you will find a section for Internationally Educated Professionals (IEP), which describes in detail the process of licensing of foreign professionals and what documents you should submit to begin the process. Usually, the licensing procedure involves three steps. The first step is the assessment of your educational documents. If your education is insufficient, you will be asked to take additional courses at a college or university. In the second step, your work experience will be checked. You must have sufficient experience in your field, including at least one year in Canada. The third step is the licensing exam.
There are several types of assistance that you can get for licensing from the government and public organizations. Most professional associations offer training courses for obtaining a license. You can use the Bridging Program, which helps you to obtain a license for such professions as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, engineers, chemists, electricians, mechanics, accountants, teachers, and others.
Barrier 3: Credentials Assessment
Most immigrants come to Canada with diplomas and other documents of education received abroad. Will these diplomas be recognized in Canada? Not always. Going through immigration procedures, you may have had an assessment made of your qualifications in one of the Canadian organizations, and having received a positive response, were convinced that your diploma will be recognized in Canada and you will have no problems with credentials assessment. In fact, this first assessment was very preliminary and only served the purposes of immigration. Most likely, you have to go for an assessment again when you are already here in Canada, especially if you need to get a license to work in your profession.
Credential assessment for immigrants is made for such purposes, as:
• Employment, to present diplomas to the employer during an interview.
• Studying, to present a diploma to a Canadian institution.
• Obtaining a license, to present a diploma to regulatory body.
There are competent authorities in Canada who have been entrusted to carry out an assessment of diplomas, but often some regulatory bodies independently assess diplomas. During credentials assessment, the regulatory body determines if you can get a license, which subjects you may be credited for, and from what exams you may be exempt. To evaluate your diploma, usually you have to have documents translated into English. Often, a Canadian licensed organization requires that educational documents be sent directly from the institution where you studied. To help new immigrants who find it difficult to assess their documents or who do not know where to apply for credentials assessment in Canada, there is a center where you can ask your questions. It is called the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials.
Barrier 4. Unemployment
Frankly, the job market is a barrier not only to immigrants but also for domestic residents. However, unemployment is higher among immigrants, since they are less prepared and employers are more willing to hire Canadians. Canadians believe that it is not the one who has the best qualifications who quickly finds a job, but the one who knows the job hunting rules. Indeed, the job search is both a science and an art, which a new immigrant must learn.
In relation to jobs in Canada, we use the expression "job hunting” because hunting depends upon luck. One hunter brings home a bag full of game and the other returns empty-handed. There is no way to know in advance how much time you need to find a job; there are too many objective and subjective factors involved in this process. On average, a well-trained immigrant looks for a job in his occupation in Canada from six months to a year.
If your knowledge of the Canadian job market is not good. Visit a few workshops about the job market, which are regularly offered by Canadian newcomer information centres and the employment resource centres. Read a book related to Canadian job market for immigrants: Efim Cheinis and Dale Sproule, "How to Find a Job in Canada. Common Problems and Effective Solutions”.
Barrier 5. No Canadian Experience
Canadian employers sure that lack of Canadian experience is the most serious barrier for newcomers. Many believe that the refusal to hire an immigrant because of the lack of Canadian work experience is just an excuse not to hire an immigrant (employers prefer to hire Canadians) and accuse them of discrimination but if we look at it through the eyes of the employer, we find a grain of truth here.
The employer understands that from someone who came from abroad and has no experience in Canada, he/she can not expect that the new worker will immediately begin to work and will give good results. Does the new immigrant have a sufficient knowledge of language? Does he/she know Canadian standards, equipment, materials and technologies? Does he/she know the rules of workplace ethics and will he/she be able to fit into a multinational group? These are not idle questions. A Canadian employer thinks, "Why should I teach newcomer all of this? Let someone else do it”.
One way to acquire Canadian work experience is to work as a volunteer, which means work with no salary. What are the benefits of volunteer work? Working as a volunteer in an English-speaking team, you can: significantly improve your English, learn business etiquette, gain practical experience,
find new friends, receive a reference, which is very useful for employment and get hired!
A good way to get experience in your occupation is to use co-op programs. These programs are available in a number of educational institutions and Canadian English language schools for adults. Ask your social worker for the suitable program. Another way to get Canadian experience is to apply for Practice Firms. The purpose of Practice Firms is to give experience to people who have never worked in Canada.
There are other possible options to get Canadian experience. A very good way is the Internship Program, where you will receive a salary from the government but for the employer you work for free. There are also subsidized employment programs. The queues for these programs are large and you should enrol in advance.
Barrier 6. No Canadian Education
Of course, have a good education or you would simply not be allowed into Canada. However, you have foreign education and the local employers want Canadian diplomas. Who knows what you studied abroad? Also, if you show a Canadian diploma or certificate at the interview, your chances will significantly increase. Therefore, the need to study in Canada, regardless of your past education, is obvious. This is a good way to improve your competitiveness on the job market.
How do you know what courses you need? After becoming acquainted with the details of your occupation in Canada, you will find out what knowledge you lack, or the licensing organization will tell you which courses you should take to work in your profession. It is important to choose a school that has a strong and recognized expertise in Canada and accredited diplomas and certificates. Do not go to the first school; it is best to get advice from people who you trust. To become a skilled worker who is very valued in the job market, you must complete an apprenticeship program which means learning in the workplace.
For those new immigrants who came to Canada with incomplete education, the best way is to go to college or university. In Ontario, there are 29 colleges and 19 universities. If you want to find a job faster, go to college. However, university graduates have more interesting jobs and better wages.
Studying in Canada is quite expensive. You may have to work and learn at the same time. In Canada, there is a system of financial support for students. You can take out an interest-free loan and pay it back only after graduation. There are various types of non-repayable financial assistance to needy students and ways to encourage excellent students (scholarships). If you get unemployment benefits or welfare and decide to change careers, your school expenses may be paid by government. If you can not afford full-time education because of your full-time job, you can take evening classes or distant education.
Barrier 7. Lack of Information
The Canadian government believes that immigrants come to Canada not having enough truthful information. The Department of Immigration allocates millions of dollars to build new sources of information aimed to give accurate information about what immigrants should expect in Canada and what they should be ready for. "Unrealistic expectations are the most sensitive spot of immigrants”, said the Department of Immigration Canada.
Where and how do you find the true information? Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants designed the site, www.settlement.org, which is the best place for new immigrants to find information. Perhaps you cannot look over all almost 1,000 pages but using the search command, you can find answers to any question related to immigration. Be sure to check the section, "In my language", which is published in 30 languages. Among the English printed sources of information for new immigrants, there is a book written by Nick Noorani, "Arrival Survival Canada". Also, there are two English magazines: "Canadian Newcomer" and "Canadian Immigrant".
Recently, in Canada, a lot of information centres for immigrants were opened where you can learn about all programs for newcomers, find addresses and phone numbers of organizations serving immigrants and visit lectures and seminars where you will be acquainted with Canadian culture and traditions. Often a social worker will answer your questions in your language.
Barrier 8. Lack of Network
You left many overseas relatives, friends and acquaintances with whom you regularly communicated, consulted and spent your time. They helped you in difficult times. Now you are missing them. The lack of friendly and business relations in the new country is a serious barrier to the adaptation of new immigrants into Canadian society.
You're lucky if you have relatives and friends around you in Canada. If not, after coming to Canada, you have to set a goal to build a network. Experts in employment in Canada believe that a network is the most important and effective tool for job search. When you are looking for a job, your circle of friends becomes an important source of information about the hidden job market, so as a first step use your network for employment.
Unfortunately, not all people are equally sociable; not all are able to quickly find friends. Nevertheless, there are plenty of books, pamphlets and manuals about the art of communication and how to use it to find a job. If you think that your networking skills are not good enough, it is never too late to improve them.
The easiest way to make acquaintances in Canada is to visit your ethnic centre, where you can meet immigrants from your country who speak your native language. You can even find people from your home town! Where is the best place to make friends? Visit some clubs, gyms and swimming pools and find friends at concerts, restaurants, theatres and other places of performance. Even in a house or apartment building where you live, you can find neighbors who speak your language.
Use modern communication tools, including the Internet and e-mail. On the Internet, there are many sites in your native language where new immigrants can talk about their experiences and share their impressions of Canada.
Barrier 9. Financial Troubles
One of the major reasons of immigration failure are financial problems. Many immigrants are seeking a better life in Canada and want to earn more money, achieve financial stability and not worry about tomorrow. Indeed, Canada is known for its high standard of living. Walking through the streets of your city in the summer, you can enjoy the beautiful cottages, good manicured lawns and flowerbeds, luxurious and expensive cars. Is all that owned only by millionaires? Of course, it isn’t. That is the Canadian style of life. You will live at the same level as well but not all at once; it will take time.
The Department of Immigration has established standards of financial support needed by immigrants. In order to move to Canada, a family of three must bring with them $15,500 which should be enough to stay for six months. With a modest lifestyle and careful planning of the budget, this money actually may be enough for six months. What's next? You have to pay housing rent and buy food, use public transportation, keep the children in day care, pay for education, buy your wife flowers, and your children ice cream. Where can you get money? If you are not prepared to play the violin in the subway underpasses, you must seriously consider how to earn money after arrival.
Unfortunately, immigrants who have to survive often take on any job and there is nothing humiliating about it. In Canada, this work is called a survival job. Usually, this is a temporary job to stay afloat, prior to learning the language, prior to the examination for a license, before finding work in your field. Domestic professionals often use a survival job also, while looking for a suitable job.
Another way to earn money immediately after arriving in Canada is to be self-employed. Can you give lessons in mathematics, music, tennis, swimming, or chess? Do you know how to sew and knit, do plumbing or repair computers? Advertise your skills in local and ethnic newspapers and start your small business.
You can choose a third way: to ask for help from the government. The most common type of financial assistance to immigrants is the so-called welfare program. In the province of Ontario, it is called Ontario Works. If you do not find a job after six months in Canada, you can apply for this kind of assistance, so do not be afraid in hard times: the government will help you.
Although Lady Thatcher said that free cheese is only found in a mousetrap, new immigrants have an opportunity to get some things for free. First of all, you can get free services provided by immigrant agencies in Canada. You can learn English for free. Concert halls regularly provide free performances and in museums, there are days when the entrance is free. There is a free medical and legal assistance and free libraries. There are free food kits (at food banks); you can get used furniture for free, as well. There are "Second Hand” shops where things are almost free. In university hospitals, teeth can be treated for a low price. In winter, there are free ice rinks; in the summer, there are free swimming pools and concerts out of doors. Lastly, the majority of ethnic newspapers are free of charge!
Barrier 10. Career Transition
When you thought about immigrating to Canada using the Skilled Workers and Professionals program, you probably found on the Internet a list of occupations that were subject to immigration. After finding your occupation in this list, you were sure that your occupation would be in demand in Canada. Then you made an assessment of your diploma and got a message that it met Canadian standards. Based on the above, you thought that there would be no problems with a job in Canada.
Yes, your occupation was accepted for immigration but does that mean that after arriving in Canada, you can immediately get a job in your field? Must you look for job in your field only? Perhaps you think that some immigration authority will check that after arriving in Canada, you have to work in the occupation that you stated in the immigration application? To all three questions the answer is no! Your career in Canada depends entirely on you; you can continue doing the same job that you did before or do something else.
Most immigrants do not plan to change careers in Canada and this is clear: you have the education and experience in your field; you have some ideas and achievements, references from previous employers, perhaps inventions, and even degrees. However, statistics show that over 60% of immigrants change their occupations in the first year after arriving in Canada. Some did it temporarily and some changed it forever.
There are special programs for immigrants who want to change their occupation. You will be tested and they will let you know what kind of work is better for you. To change your occupation, you may need to go back to school or get training in the workplace.
Barrier 11. Culture Shock
Canadian society is a unique mixture of people of different skin colors, cultures, languages and religions from 150 countries. The basic principle of peaceful co-existence in Canada means the recognition that all Canadians are equal and any discrimination will be prosecuted. However, after coming to Canada, many immigrants feel helpless and even shocked when they meet with an unfamiliar culture, language, way of life, manners and traditions. It is quite a well known and well-studied phenomenon which psychologists call "culture shock”, when it is impossible to keep the same lifestyle as you had before immigration. It is especially difficult for those who do not have relatives or friends in Canada or come without family and for those who have limited English.
While learning new cultural values in Canada, you do not have to lose your own culture. For this reason, the adaptation of immigrants into the Canadian environment is not called assimilation, when immigrants change their cultural values but integration, when immigrants adjust to other people's cultural values, without abandoning their own.
The Canadian government and society are making great efforts to overcome immigrants’ psychological problems in the first period of life in Canada. When necessary, you can get assistance from agencies that serve immigrants; their addresses can be found on the site: www.servicesfornewcomers.cic.gc.ca. The staff of these agencies includes psychologists who will assist you in your native language. Many immigrants can participate in the mentorship program, which connects them to Canadian families. There are clubs and centers of interest for students and youth; religious people are free to attend their religious institutions.
Barrier 12. The First Days in Canada
Will relatives, friends or acquaintances meet you at the airport? Will they take you to pre-leased housing? Congratulations, you are very lucky! However, if you are not met by anyone, do not worry; you will get help from the government. At the airport, ask for the Ministry of Immigration representative. He/she will give you an address where you can settle for the first time. Find the address of the nearest agency that serves immigrants. Get a brochure which explains your rights and responsibilities.
Don't make typical mistakes new immigrants make in their first days in Canada:
• Do not have a clear action plan.
• Want to get everything all at once.
• Quickly spend money which they brought with them.
• Grab the first available job.
• Grab the first available training.
• Trust strangers just because they are from the same country.
• Argue with the staff of immigration services.
• Decide that their immigration is mistake.
No matter how much you prepared for immigration, immediately after arrival you will have a thousand questions. Where do you get the information you need? Visit agencies that serve immigrants immediately. Do not be afraid to bother them with questions; they were established to answer your questions and are funded by government. You can learn the addresses of these agencies at the airport, or you can find them in the telephone directory or on the Internet. Many agencies have working consultants who speak different languages. They will tell you how to apply for the necessary documents. Visit the local library and ask about information for immigrants. And, of course, visit your ethnic centre. There, you will feel as if you never left your homeland.
What should be done to overcome immigration barriers? You need to do the same thing that an athlete who has chosen this sport of jumping barriers does. Continue to train, work hard and listen to the advice of coaches. Trainers in Canada abound. By that, I mean the state and public organizations that help new immigrants settle in Canada. They will help you master the language, explain how to obtain a license to work, teach effective methods of looking for job, provide financial support and help you find friends. You might even be surprised at how many people in Canada are engaged in assistance to immigrants. Do not neglect their services. However, you have to work hard. Imagine that you're an athlete and your chosen sport is jumping barriers. Will you going to ask your coach to reduce the number of barriers or reduce their height? Of course, not! You have chosen such sport and you must follow the rules.
