New survey ranks Canada as top migration destination

A HSBC poll of expatriates in 50 countries put Canada as the top country in the world for quality of life and the best place to emigrate.

In contrast, the HSBC poll showed the UK was one of the worst places to live for expatriates with expensive accommodation and long commuting times a factor in the dissatisfaction.

Expats gave Canadian immigration the highest marks, with Canada winning highest accommodation quality along with highest quality of life, followed by Australia. Thailand was seen as the country where it was easiest to make friends.

Most expats in Canada are skilled workers who emigrated to the country on a Canadian Skilled Visa.

Currently, the Canadian Government has a Priority Occupation List, a list of occupations in demand in the country, and potential migrants with occupations on this list are eligible for skilled migration to Canada without the requirement of having a job offer from a Canadian employer.

For example, people with an occupation of plumber, welder, or bricklayer will be able to emigrate to Canada as a matter of priority with the potential to arrive with months of beginning the application process.

HSBC's David Norton said, “We have seen that there is a distinct trade-off between income and overall quality of life.

"Many of the top performers in our first report, which examined the best places to make and save money, have scored towards the bottom of this report's league table.

"What is clear is that the locations where salaries may not be as high, such as Canada and Australia, are where expats are really enjoying not only an increased quality of life but are also finding it easy to fit in to their new communities," he said.

The survey polled 3,100 expats from 50 countries.

The Canadian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people with Canadian Immigration services.