Life in Urban vs Rural Canada

Are you considering immigrating to Canada, perhaps with your family? You might be weighing up your options about where to live once you’re successful with your application. Popular cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal may be at the top of your list, especially if you’re seeking to provide the best for your spouse and children. Over 70% of immigrants choose to first settle in these major cities but these are not always the regions where crucial labour market occupations are in need.

Your Canadian visa application could even have a better chance of being considered if you’re applying to a smaller community or less-populated province/territory because these areas are in more dire need of skills and have quite a few specific occupations to fill that are not being replenished by locals. These communities are also better-positioned to welcome immigrants with more space and a cheaper cost of living.

Trends in Immigration

There has been a mass influx into larger cities due to their high visibility in international communities. While Canada’s metropolitan centres are diverse, vibrant and provide a wealth of opportunities, its smaller centres are often forgotten when it comes to immigration, especially for the skilled worker visa application.

The provinces and territories in Canada that are less populated include some of the more recently introduced regions such as Newfoundland & Labrador which only gained its official name in 2001. This means that immigration programs have been slower to gain traction in these areas simply because of not having existed for as long as others while at the same time not being hubs of corporate industry. However, this doesn’t mean that they’re not in high need of certain skills due to small, aging populations.

The Perks of Rural Life

There are many perks to rural life that don’t necessarily override the spectacular city life but provide a different outlook on living. If you’re interested in a slower pace and immersion in nature, look no further than rural Canada. However, the greatest pull of rural Canada is community. As an immigrant, having the warmth and support of other immigrants and friendly citizens is irreplaceable when you’re looking to start a new life.

Real Estate in the City is Expensive

Due to many of the major cities in Canada being densely populated by citizens and immigrants alike, there is competition over housing which drives up the cost of home-ownership. For example, a home in a big city costs an average of $768, 400 CAD which is a steep amount for the bulk of immigrants in the city who prefer to rent. On the other hand, smaller provinces have an average housing cost that is much lower due to lower competition but also as an incentive to invite immigration.

Commuting is a Breeze

Canada has an excellent and rapid public transport system that services all the major centres and links to the smaller towns and villages. This can change your perspective on rural life because you can still work in the city but live in the comfortable communities that reside in these provinces and territories. In terms of having a car, you’ll also save by living in a smaller community where there is a cleaner and safer bus system with shorter distances between centres.

High Standard of Education

Immigrants with families may worry about the standard of education available outside of the city centre but in Canada this is taken very seriously. While the level of education is just as high, this is a sector of the local economy that requires skills from the outside. If you’re a teacher, you’ll easily find work in smaller centres and, in turn, your children will benefit from discounted fees.

Access to Natural Wonders

The outskirts of Canada provide a more intimate relationship with the great outdoors compared to the city centre. Your weekends can be spent canoeing down roaring rivers, hiking the Canadian Rockies or even camping under the Northern Lights. Nature is all around you with dogsledding festivals in Yukon, fishing in Prince Edward Island and bears in the Northwest Territories.

Immigration Programs Offered

There are plenty of ways to immigrate to Canada with the freedom to live anywhere in the country as a permanent resident after you’ve successfully achieved a skilled worker visa. However, we’ve put together a list of some of the specific Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams offered by these smaller rural provinces/territories that you can check your eligibility for.

How Can We Help?

Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) are used in our service to provide expert knowledge about ever-changing immigration policies and help you choose the program best-suited for your background. They make the process easier with a keen eye to go through the application with you and assess your possibility of success.

These professionals have all been through the Canadian visa application process themselves and can give insights into how to strengthen your profile. Apart from your application itself, they can also help you ease the stressful nature of the application period from submitting documents on time to providing accurate and complete information to immigration officers.

Sign up with our service to get started on your Canada visa application and make sure you have the best chance of achieving permanent residence through over 60 programs offered by the Canadian federal government.