The modern world is more globalized than ever before. With the introduction of digital technologies, faster means of transportation and communication, people from different parts of the world are closely interconnected. Moving to another part of the world is not a biggie nowadays as millions of people are migrating overseas in an effort to find a better living.
The main objective for the vast majority of migrants is to move to a wealthier country. Therefore, the biggest chunk of international migrants come from less fortunate nations, usually with large populations. For instance, some of the biggest migrant communities in the world are from China, India, Nigeria, other Asian or African countries. They move to more developed countries in Europe, the Americas, and Australia or New Zealand.
However, migration procedures in most cases are far from easy. People from developing or underdeveloped countries have to go through rather difficult and complicated visa procedures. Some of them even prefer to ask for asylum, hoping to eventually get it. However, the start is still not easy for the vast majority of those who make a big move.
Indian professionals are migrating to Canada more than ever before
As mentioned earlier in the article, India has one of the largest migrant communities on earth. There are an estimated 28 million Indians living abroad. The vast majority of them can be found in the United States, the United Kingdom as well as in almost all European countries. Yet, due to cultural proximity and close historical ties, many Indians still prefer migrating to the United Kingdom. The country has almost 1.5 million Indians, hence the highest concentration of this ethnicity across Europe.
The United States and Britain have always been hotspots for Indian migrants. However, one country that was previously not as interesting for those planning to move abroad has started to attract lots of attention. Canada is one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Both in terms of GDP per capita and human development, the country is leading the way globally. Therefore, it is no surprise that millions of people, including those from rather rich countries, want to move there.
However, migration has not always been simple to this Northern American country. For decades, moving to Canada was almost impossible, especially for those with south-Asian backgrounds or citizenships of less-wealthy countries. Canada was looking for highly skilled professionals in limited numbers which could not be found across Asia at a time.
Now, the Canadian population is aging. With the increase in life expectancy and average age, there is more need for the young migrant workforce than ever before. Indians were some of the first to start packing. It is estimated that throughout 2019, over 80,000 people from India were admitted as permanent residents in Canada which is a 105% increase from 2016. These numbers really show how the Indian professional community is expanding in Canada.
Canada-Indian business relations are quite special and profound
Besides Canada’s need for migrants, there are close business ties between the two nations. Importantly, they both are members of the commonwealth which has boosted investments from both sides. There are a number of associations working to foster economic relations, notably the Indo-Candian Business Chamber, which works hard to further bolster these ties.
Some areas of business are particularly well-cooperated between Canada and India. The South-Asian nation is home to a soaring number of software developers. Concurrently, in India, more and more people visit the VIP casino online, rather than physically. As a result, gambling businesses are rapidly moving onto the web. In this process, Indian developers are holding a crucial part. For almost a decade now, people from two different parts of the world have been working together on digital projects.
Today, with easier migration procedures, many digital casino companies are able to help their long-time employees in the process of moving to Canada. They are often given permission to migrate with families, significantly boosting the number of Indian migrants across Canada. The vast majority of them reside in major economic centers that tend to be more multicultural as well. Those primarily are Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Montreal, and others. Although, due to the language barrier, fewer Indians migrate to the French-speaking parts of Canada.
The Canadian government welcomes tech workers
The big Indian migration to Canada is primarily driven by significant numbers of Indian tech professionals. As mentioned above, Indian software developers have a long experience of working for Canadian online gambling platforms, as well as other businesses remotely. Now, many of them are trying to relocate Indians to their base cities in an effort to better the work process.
Many of the U.S. and Indian tech companies are also based in Canada. Setting up a business is much easier than the majority of countries. Canada comes in at the 23rd place in the ease of doing business index by the World Bank. Therefore, there is a big hype over foreign companies that are based in Canada.
As the country started to actively age, the economy simultaneously began slowing down. The government now is trying to attract as many foreign tech companies workers as possible, hoping that they will boost the economy. For this to happen in reality, Canada’s Liberal government introduced special visa procedures for tech workers, freelancers, and business owners. It has never been easier to move to Canada before and Indians are most certainly taking advantage of it.
Is this just a temporary process?
India is the second-largest country in terms of population with over 1.3 billion people. On the other hand, it as well is one of the poorest and most unequal ones. Highly skilled workers from India are flowing out of the country with hopes of finding a brighter future. This process has been happening for roughly a century now. However, Canada has just become an appealing destination for Indian migrants. In our globalized world, mobility is what truly drives the economy. Therefore, Indians, as far as there is a demand for it, will keep moving to Canada, contributing to the country’s thriving tech sector.