Icelanders fed up with the high cost of living are the most likely people in the world to be scouring the web for information about moving to Canada, a survey reveals.

Using online searches to identify the top 10 countries most interested in moving to Canada, researchers for TopMove.ca, a website about all matters related to moving, looked at the motivations behind people’s desire to relocate to Canada.

Despite Canada’s higher cost of living than 80 per cent of the countries which comprised the Top 10 Most Interested Countries In Relocating To Canada, the Great White North’s high quality of life was a powerful draw.

Lebanon, which has the lowest quality of life of the top 10 countries on the list, was the country with the second-highest rate of residents looking for information on how to relocate to Canada.

In third place was Ireland which has both a lower quality of life and higher cost of living compared to Canada, as determined by the researchers.

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“Additionally, the absence of a language barrier adds to Canada’s appeal as a destination for moving (for the Irish),” notes the report.

New Zealand, fourth on the list, boasts a higher quality of life than Canada but that comes with a higher cost of living so residents there are clearly looking for a more affordable place to live.

Singaporeans and residents of the United Kingdom which ranked fifth and sixth respectively on the list of countries whose residents were most interested in moving to Canada seemed also to be drawn by the same reason. Affordability.

Israel, which is currently embroiled in a war with Hamas in Palestine, ranked seventh.

Google Searches For ‘Move To Canada’

“Aside from the geopolitical situation, the main driving factors behind this interest are a higher quality of life and reduced living costs that Canada presents,” notes the report.

On the Scandinavian Peninsula, Finland and Norway ranked eighth and ninth respectively. 

“Finnish residents, while enjoying a high quality of life (ranking second), are drawn to Canada for its economic opportunities, given the more affordable cost of living,” notes the report.

Saudi Arabia completes the list of the countries whose residents are most interested in moving to Canada with five times less interest than in the leading Iceland. 

Canada Operates A Two-Tier Immigration System With Feds And Provinces Working Together

Through its two-tier immigration system, Canada allows foreign nationals to gain their permanent residency through the federal Express Entry system’s Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program, Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program and Canadian Experience Class (CEC), as well as the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) of the 10 Canadian provinces.

Under the Express Entry system, immigrants can apply for permanent residency online and their profiles then are ranked against each other according to a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). 

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The highest-ranked candidates will be considered for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Those receiving an ITA must quickly submit a full application and pay processing fees, within a delay of 90 days.

Through a network of PNPs, almost all of Canada’s ten provinces and three territories can also nominate skilled worker candidates for admission to Canada when they have the specific skills required by local economies. Successful candidates who receive a provincial or territorial nomination can then apply for Canadian permanent residence through federal immigration authorities. 

Work In Canada

Canada also offers options for those wishing to come here to work.

Temporary workers come to Canada via a number of channels, including the Temporary Foreign Worker Program for those who require a Labour Market Impact Assessment and the International Mobility Program for those who do not.

A positive LMIA confirms there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job at hand and that no Canadian worker is available to do the job.

The IMP allows Canadian employers to hire foreign workers without the need for an LMIA. It includes intra-company transferees, those entering Canada as part of trade treaties, such as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) or the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) and those who qualify for an open work permit.

The TFWP is made up of high-skilled workers, low-skilled worker and, the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program.

The Global Talent Stream also falls under the TFWP, through which employers can access two-week processing for a list of technology occupations.

With Canadian experience, candidates in Canada on a work permit can often qualify for permanent residence.