Hacking the Immigration System (Kinda, Maybe)

dmitry | Jan. 31, 2021, 1:33 p.m.

If you're a plucky, ambitious and restless young person who is not privileged to be a citizen of a country in the upper echelon of the Where-to-be-born index, where should you immigrate? 

This is was a burning question I faced in the last years of secondary school, in a country where I would be unable to have a legal way to work and study permanently. Going back to my country of birth was unappealing as well, since it was a country whose societal norms did not agree with my own. 

I should also explain that I was privileged to have parental financial support for my university education and a relative freedom of choice in terms of what to study and where. I say "relative", because I was strongly encouraged to pursue an education in something that would provide a return an investment at a relatively affordable expense. Immigration through study is a common method used by young people such as myself to establish themselves in desirable countries, paying your dues of sorts through higher tuition, making connections to find gainful, legal employment and then utilizing some transition pathway to gain permanent status (or residency if you prefer that term), thereby becoming "one of them", at least in some important legal ways.

My initial dreams were to study somewhere warm, with a similar climate to where I was living at the time. I dreamed of California and Hawaii (US soft power truly is powerful) but these dreams were shattered not only by the exorbitant college tuition faced by international students but also by the US' primarily lottery-based immigration system (Who would base their fortunes on fortune? Or on the chance of finding "true" love?). This was a dealbreaker.

Europe has a whole bunch of nice countries to live in right? They speak English there right? WRONG!! Kinda, in a subtle way. in the actual countries who speak English officially, UK and Ireland, tuition is exorbitant again for international students (at the time Scotland universities represented excellent value for EU students, not anymore alas). The UK at the time was at the beginning of its path of escalating anti-immigration rhetoric and policies and its post-study immigration policies were not exactly encouraging (at best) at the time. I took the subtle discouraging signals towards immigration the UK was putting out seriously, which made me an outsider at my international school which was geared primarily as a funnel for international students to UK universities (UK teachers, UK secondary school exams, visits by reps from UK universities etc.). That's not to say my ambitions were stymied in any way but rather that there was a lack of diversity in student aspirations to study in London, Manchester, Leeds) and thus no-one else sharing my journey. Not for me though, is a path like everyone else or backing down to peer pressure.

In the other parts of Europe, with only some minor exceptions, undergraduate education is conducted in the local language (my primary language beyond my native one is English). Truly fluent knowledge of the local language will then be required to find a good job or to have a chance to integrate (but only a chance since there will still be a yawning cultural gap, perpetuated by relatively homogenous groups making up the mid-to-upper classes). There is also generally a lack of post-study immigration options (and a lack of attention to encouraging external immigration, since labour markets are usually already open to other EU countries). Having said that, there are some excellent post-secondary institutions offering low-cost tuition in Europe where niche opportunities can definitely be had, especially in specialized areas and advanced post-secondary education.

What's left? I would argue that the Commonwealth of Nations is the next place to look. Australia and New Zealand both have a long history of immigration and extensive immigration options (albeit somewhat tightened in the past few years prior to COVID). However, their universities also charge exorbitant tuition fees for international students. Is that cost really going to pay off?

What about Canada? It's another country with an extensive immigration history, diverse immigration pathways and that uniquely maintains a positive societal consensus on the benefits of mass immigration. Canada also benefits from some interesting quirks stemming from its history of compromises between anglophones, francophones, the national federal government and provincial (lower level administrative divisions in Canada) governments). One of those quirks is that each province sets its own educational policies, including those for higher education institutions such as tuition fees, meaning you will actually see a range of tuition fees. Some compete with their US, British, Australian and NZ peers to charge similarly high tuition fees for international students (institutions in the more populous provinces typically do so, especially the better known, prestigious ones such as University of Toronto, University of British Columbia). However, this means that in some ways provinces in Canada compete with each other for immigrants (since it is well understood that without them ageing societies and population decreases are inevitable). Some (not all) less popular provinces allow institutions to actually charge international students relatively affordable fees (examples include Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador). 

More importantly, (especially in the sciences and engineering degrees), many universities have had established co-operative (in more common parlance internship) programs in which international students can participate as well. These programs are not uniform in terms of length, duration, admission or whether they are considered mandatory. They are usually also paid (this also varies on your degree and location). The number of positions and difficulty can definitely vary, but there is no reason a dedicated international student with some advanced preparation (e.g. by doing activities such as volunteering and part-time work that fill up a resume and establish the presence of previous experience in a Canadian environment). I would advise any students planning their career development in a Canadian context (or just job searching in Canada) to refer to this book and its accompanying website.

There is then an official and absolutely feasible pathway for international students to obtain permanent residency (graduating from a Canadian post-secondary program entitles you to an open work permit for a number of years, which gives you the chance to get the required (usually) year of work experience required to apply for permanent residence. The open work permit means you can work in any part of Canada and take advantage of that same inter-provincial competition for immigrants (different provinces have different pathways for permanent residence, job industries, wage subsidies for graduates, even international ones etc.).

There are many nuances involved in different steps that can legitimately derail well-meaning immigrants, but advance planning, diligence and an ability to read through government websites can help you navigate this immigration landscape successfully.

Your own due diligence is the most important factor and I'm no certified immigration consultant/agent/adviser or anything, so I'll say again: DO YOUR OWN DILIGENCE! I'M JUST A RANDOM GUY ON THE INTERNET!

The payoff just might be a new life in a peaceful, calm, clean, diverse, respectful, open and friendly country for you and your descendants. 

P.S One intriguing opportunity is Singapore. They also have excellent universities, immigration pathways for students, relatively affordable tuition. I seriously considered it as my backup option.

P.P.S I realize my article is general and there are lots of exceptions. Immigrants are everywhere and they all took many different pathways, often by chance. If you want.to pursue a planned, methodical immigration path that is used systematically by thousands of people every year, Canada offers a lot of realistic options.