Viral video explains why immigrants are leaving Canada in droves
A recent viral clip uploaded by a social media content creator in Ontario sheds light on why some immigrants who choose to live in Canada are forced to leave amid the region’s competitive job market, rising costs, and pricey real estate market.
The creator behind Canada Tried and Tested describes the page as a “sincere attempt” to give viewers first-hand information on how to independently immigrate to Canada, manage day-to-day expenses after making the big move, as well as how to secure temporary housing and employment.
A TikTok by the creator recently garnered over 70,000 views after he transparently discussed the challenges some high-skilled immigrants face after moving to Canada, specifically highlighting the “dream” versus the lived reality of working and living in the country.
“Friends, after 2015, if the largest number of people came from any country, it was India. There is no surprise in this. If you look at the current trend, many people are leaving Canada and going back to India,” he explains in the video.
Thank you @RedPilledVishal for getting this in English:https://t.co/epQK7ZZ8HX https://t.co/Uu09JjH9x5
— Justice_Queen 🎊🧧🥂 (@RE_MarketWatch) January 2, 2024
“Many people have gone to the US. Many people are talking about Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, and European countries. It’s not just Indians now. Many Canadians, first-generation, second, third, and fourth generation, are also leaving Canada and going abroad,” a translation of the video reads.
“So let’s know what is the reason. So the first thing is expectation versus reality in Canada. Because Canada has a picture of the best place to live on Earth, the best place to settle with family, etc. Canada needs people, and many Indians like such advertisement,” the creator goes on.
I know a PhD who is planning to stop working in her field (biology) so they can move to a lower cost of living area and her bf can work for a car company. She contributes so much to our company. Canada wastes huge amounts of human potential.
— Mark Dunham (@PAirbender) January 2, 2024
“They think that when they come to Canada, they will get the same level of job in Canada and they will be able to buy a house as soon as possible. When they come to the ground, the reality is very different for many people.”
While some stressed the importance of researching basic living expenses before moving to Canada, others highlighted all of the other unanticipated challenges high-skilled immigrants might face — including difficulty in finding comparable employment.
Immigrant here, too, who came in 2015 and worked very hard to make a very good life. Immigrants have no issues working hard as long as they see light EOT. But that light has dimmed in the past few yrs. Would I come to 🇨🇦 right now knowing what I know? It won’t be a resounding YES
— Tensenze (@tensenze) January 3, 2024
“I’m a new immigrant. Highly educated and 10 years of professional experience and guess what? I’m struggling for an odd job,” one person shared under the video.
“As an Indo-Canadian, I 100 per cent agree with the information shared by this guy. Very accurate, detailed, and most importantly unbiased analysis,” another comment reads.
Yes!
— Justice_Queen 🎊🧧🥂 (@RE_MarketWatch) January 2, 2024
The creator goes on to highlight some of the affordability issues faced by new immigrants, especially those who seek to regularly travel back home to visit their family or even assist loved ones in making the move to Canada.
“The people who come here to Canada face a very high barrier due to their weight of not being Canadian,” the creator continued.
In December, the federal government provided several updates for international students in Canada, including an update on work hours and requirements for applicants in an effort to reflect the financial realities of living in the country.
Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marc Miller, announced that starting on January 1, 2024, the cost-of-living financial requirement for students would increase so that “international students are financially prepared for life in Canada.”
Canada doubles financial requirements and cuts work hours for international students 👀 https://t.co/5p2MqRIakK #Canada #Finance #InternationalStudents #Students #PostSecondary #University #School
— blogTO (@blogTO) December 7, 2023
With the updated requirement, an applicant will need to show that they have $20,645, which represents 75% of the low-income cut-off (LICO) — the minimum income necessary to ensure that a person can survive without spending a greater portion of their income on necessities.
The federal government said that this cost of living requirement has not changed since the early 2000s when the requirement was set at $10,000 for a single applicant.
“The inflation here is so high, that it becomes very difficult to survive,” a translation of the viral video reads. “It takes a lot of time to settle down.”