A Story of Hope, Arrivals, and Unspoken Struggles

By: Afeez Akinleye

1. My Arrival — Between Hope and Harsh Reality

When I came to Canada, I carried more than a suitcase — I carried a vision.

As a data analyst with over six years of professional experience, Canada represented an opportunity to refine my data science skills, collaborate with industry leaders, and learn from professionals shaping the future of analytics and innovation.

I arrived full of optimism, enrolled in my master’s program in Analytics, and looked forward to applying my knowledge through a co-op or internship.

Then came the first reality check.

Despite sending out numerous applications, both within and beyond my province, rejection emails became the norm. Even for entry-level data entry or administrative roles, the replies were often automated messages:


“We’ve decided to move forward with other candidates.”


“We’ve decided to move forward with other candidates.”


Many times, there was no reply at all — just silence.


Imagine paying thousands of dollars in tuition, equipped with global experience and technical expertise, yet struggling to secure even a short-term co-op. It wasn’t only my experience. Every student in my cohort, including computer science majors, faced the same outcome. None of us secured a co-op placement.

That collective experience spoke volumes about the economic reality — a market saturated and stretched, where opportunity doesn’t always match promise.

2. When Policy Meets Reality — The 2024 B.C. Immigration Shock

In the winter of 2024, another event underscored the uncertainty many international students face.

The Government of British Columbia updated the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP), effectively changing the eligibility path for international students who had hoped for a clear route to permanent residency after graduation.

The change was immediate and far-reaching. Hundreds of international students, particularly from China, were forced to leave. Some withdrew from their master’s programs and returned home abruptly. At my own institution, I watched several computer science students pack their bags and walk away from programs they had invested heavily in—financially and emotionally.

The message was clear: policy can change lives overnight.

What was once a “promised pathway” to stability and opportunity suddenly became uncertain. For students who had chosen Canada based on that promise, the emotional and financial cost was enormous.

3. Canada’s Immigration Ambition and the Capacity Dilemma

Stories like mine exist within a larger national context.

Canada has long been a global model for immigration — a country that prides itself on openness, diversity, and inclusion. Yet, even the federal government now admits that the system is reaching its limits.

In the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan, the target for new permanent residents has been adjusted to 395,000 for 2025 — a reduction from earlier projections that exceeded 500,000. Officials describe this as a “stabilization period,” reflecting a strategic pause to align immigration levels with housing, infrastructure, and labour market capacity.

It is not a retreat from immigration, but a recognition that integration must match ambition. For newcomers, this means entering a society striving to balance welcome with feasibility — a country learning that inclusivity must be built on infrastructure, not just ideals.

4. The Housing and Infrastructure Challenge — Through Immigrants’ Eyes

Housing Affordability and Access
For many newcomers, the first and most daunting challenge is housing. According to Statistics Canada, 37.1% of recent immigrants spend more than 30% of their income on shelter, compared to 23.2% of non-recent renters.

In British Columbia, the rental vacancy rate remains around 1.2%, while rents have climbed by more than 30% since 2016. Affordable housing stock continues to shrink, leaving families competing fiercely for limited options

Infrastructure and Services Under Pressure

Beyond housing, public services — from healthcare to transit to education — are under growing strain. Yet, immigrants often find themselves contributing to the very sectors under pressure. Many newcomers work in construction, healthcare, and social services, helping to address the shortages they themselves experience.

Amid these challenges, some housing initiatives are quietly making progress. Organizations such as My Roof Ltd. are part of emerging efforts focused on creating affordable, energy-efficient homes and supporting inclusive urban development. These community-driven approaches, while modest in scale, represent the kind of innovative collaboration needed to ease the strain on housing and infrastructure systems.

Regional Disparities and Opportunity

While major cities such as Vancouver and Toronto continue to attract the majority of newcomers, smaller cities and provinces often offer more capacity and affordable options. Experts consistently remind us that blaming immigrants for housing pressures distracts from the broader systemic shortages Canada faces — challenges that can only be met through coordinated action, thoughtful policy, and innovative local responses.

5. The Emotional Toll — Hope and Uncertainty

Behind every statistic is a human story.

For many immigrants, Canada represents both promise and pressure — the hope of a better life and the weight of starting over. It is a test of resilience, especially when job portals remain silent, rent consumes most of one’s income, and highly qualified professionals struggle to find recognition for their credentials.

Still, immigrants continue to persevere. They build, contribute, and innovate — strengthening Canada’s workforce and enriching its cultural fabric. The least they deserve is a system that matches their determination with opportunity.

6. A Path Forward — What Canada Can Do

To truly honour its immigration promise, Canada must:

• Improve credential recognition processes so skilled immigrants can integrate into the workforce faster.
• Align immigration targets with capacity, ensuring that housing, healthcare, and infrastructure can accommodate growth.
• Accelerate affordable housing development, prioritizing low- and middle-income families, including newcomers.
• Encourage regional settlement, offering stronger incentives for newcomers to build futures in smaller, less crowded communities.
• Protect tenant and worker rights, ensuring newcomers are shielded from exploitation and inequitable practices.
  
  This is not merely about compassion — it is about sustainability. When newcomers thrive, so does the country.
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  7. What Immigrants Can Do — Adapting and Building Forward
• Start early: Begin your job and housing search as soon as possible, ideally before arrival.
• Be strategic: Tailor applications, leverage Canadian job networks, and align skills with labour market needs.
• Explore regional options: Consider smaller cities or provinces where housing is more accessible and opportunities are growing.
• Know your rights: Whether as a tenant or worker, Canadian laws protect all residents, regardless of immigration status.
• Build community: Engage with settlement organizations, mentorship programs, and fellow immigrants. Shared experience is a powerful support system.

8. A Closing Reflection — Hope, Still

Despite the frustrations — the rejections, the policy changes, the cost of living — I still believe in the promise that brought me here.

Hope does not vanish with difficulty. It adapts, grows, and persists.

For immigrants like me, and for countless others such as Amara and Jamal, this journey is more than an economic transition — it is a story of belief in a nation’s ideals.

Canada’s challenge is not whether to welcome immigrants, but how to welcome them well. Its strength lies in ensuring that every arrival finds not just opportunity, but belonging.

We are not statistics or quotas. We are stories of perseverance, ambition, and faith in a shared future.

When Canada invests in the success of its immigrants, it invests in the success of its own tomorrow.

REFERENCES

Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan 2025–2027
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/immigration-levels-plan-2025-2027.html

Government of Canada: Immigration Levels Plan Summary
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/levels-plan-2025-2027.html

Statistics Canada – Recent Immigrants and Housing Affordability
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75f0002m/75f0002m2024011-eng.htm

CIC News – Newcomers to Canada are More Likely to be in Unaffordable Housing Situations
https://www.cicnews.com/2024/10/newcomers-to-canada-are-more-likely-to-be-in-unaffordable-housing-situations-1081547.html

CMHC – Rental Market Report (Fall 2024)
https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/market-reports/rental-market-reports-canada-and-provincial-highlights

CMHC – Vancouver Rental Market Highlights
https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/market-reports/rental-market-reports-british-columbia

University of Victoria – Changes to the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP)
https://www.uvic.ca/grad/postgraduate/immigration/bcpnp-changes-2024.html

Reuters – Canada to Reduce Immigration Numbers Amid Housing Pressures
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-cut-immigration-levels-ease-housing-pressure-2024-10-31/

My Roof Group – Affordable Housing for Newcomers and Students
https://www.myroofgroup.ca/