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Saturday, August 06, 2005

Barred From Eden

Many bloggers have commented on the article discussing lower emigration to Canada from the US for the six months after the 2004 election:
Data from the main Canadian processing center in Buffalo, NY shows that in the six months up to the U.S. election there were 16,266 applications from people seeking to live in Canada, a figure that fell to 14,666 for the half year after the vote.
I'm sure some people were just blowing off steam, but a lot of bloggers seem to be missing the reality that many would-be emigrants simply were not acceptable to Canada, as some of the comments on this DU thread show:
Its not because we didn't want to

That's right. I didn't pass the test.

Neither did I - too old.
Can't afford not to have an immediate job, either.

Me either; my income as a self employed person fell short of the requirement.

You mean a couple can't get in if one doesn't have a job offer?
Crap! I'm working on getting my LVN/RN... was hoping it would get me into Canada.

Not unless you're independently wealthy and can support yourself
WITHOUT ANY JOB for at least a year or more! Nice "welcome".

no the poster upthread is correct
we're too old and we're not very welcome
cut-off is age 45 on their own website

Canada has a test for getting in...It has questions about bilingualism (French), trade/professions, having enough savings to live for 6 months without an income, etc.

I took it but didn't pass. I mean, I didn't think Canada would let me enter on a probationary basis with the understanding I get my grade up...
So there you have it. When a country has a comprehensive system of social benefits, it has to stop people from coming to take advantage of those benefits. It's the same as a city or a state. Canada is a huge country with a small population, and it can't afford to have tons of Americans coming there and living off the natives, so its immigration criteria are structured to try to ensure that doesn't happen very often. The exception, of course, are asylum seekers but it is hard for US citizens to make that claim.


Comments:
That's really true, Gindy. I read about a city in CA that had enacted special benefits for homeless people. Not surprisingly, their population of homeless people rapidly increased.
 
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