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I have yet to find out the exact reason for this. I have seen all these articles about how there are a lot of lower class jobs there. Even seen articles that say that some restaurants close early due to the lack of people to work them.
The real question is, why don't immigrants hop the border to Canada? Not literally hopping the border because there really is no border between the U.S and Canada but why don't people from Mexico and South America set there sights on Canada? Coming to America it is hard to find a low-skilled job here in California, the state that has massive amounts of illegals coming in. It is much easier to get a passport to go to Canada and fly there than it is to pay a smuggler to smuggle in to the U.S. I'm Mexican-American myself and I've heard my parents talking about it costs around $3500 per person to smuggle them in through the border. If I was in Mexico I would fly me and my family with those $3500 and still have some cash left over to pay for a Hotel until I find a job. I just don't get it. Could if be the lack of information? Possibly.
It could be a whole variety of reasons, including a lot of misinformation.
I think the biggest challenge is getting around the notion that Canada = cold. In fact, it's often what most Americans think of when they think of Canada (even though the cold is only in the winter and is no different than the cold experienced along the northern states). I can't imagine how that perception changes the further south you go and I can't see how that perception of Canada would be attractive to potential immigrants from warmer climates.
Another idea is the immigration system is set up differently in Canada than it is in the USA.
Well, if you're seeking a low-skilled job, you're not going to be able to immigrate to Canada unless you're married to a Canadian, or you have close family already in Canada willing to sponsor you. Canada's immigration is set up in a way that favours highly-skilled individuals.
People with low-skill sets can't even work in Canada unless a company sponsors them. And said company must jump through a series of bureaucratic hoops in which they have to prove that they advertized these low-skilled positions in Canada a variety of different ways, and no Canadian was able to take said job... which is highly unlikely. A company can only sponsor an international worker if they can prove that no Canadian responded to the ad, and their demand to fill the job exceeds the supply available in the Canadian workforce.
Another example is the Okanagan valley of British Columbia - an area of dozens of wineries and fruit orchards. They had such a severe shortage of fruit-pickers in the summer that they were able to sponsor work visas to a lot of Mexican workers. The workers were paid fair (though likely minimum) wages - which is $8/hr in the province - and worked for the season. But they were only temp working visas and couldn't legally immigrate that way. I don't actually think immigrating to Canada is as easy as people realize.
I honestly believe that most Mexicans tend to flock to the United States more so than Canada for several reasons.
1-Because it's closer to their home land'
2-The U.S has always been known to be the land of opportunities
3-Mexicans once occupied southwestern regions of the United States until forced out of America (There are a lot of stories ont he Mexican-American War) The ‘Reconquista’—Mexico’s Dream of ‘Retaking’ the Southwest
This link is only one of many references to Mexicans once being occupants of southwestern America before being forced out.
My father's construction company have run into competition with one or two companies who use illegal workers. Before the EU opened up, a lot of them were from Poland. There's still quite a few from Portugal. (I really don't know why.)
I'd expect it's more frightening to end up homeless in Canada than in the US southwest if you're not acclimatized.
Well, I think since Canada and Mexico are apart of NAFTA, they should work something out. The United states will be happy, Mexico will be happy and Canada's Economy will be happy. And about paying them $8 an hour? I don't know how that works. Over here they are paid by the amount of fruit they've picked.. not hourly. I guess $8 is good considering CAD is $.99 out of the American Dollar.
Welcome to Citizenship and Immigration Canada gives you all the information you'll ever need if you want to immigrate to Canada. NAFTA has little to do with actual immigration, but can help get somebody a temporary working visa if their skills are in demand.
I think another big reason for Mexican immigration to the U.S. over Canada which hasn't been touched on yet, is the extensive network that exists in the U.S. By that, I mean that the majority of Mexicans seeking to leave, already know at least one person in the U.S., whether it be a brother, a distant relative, an old schoolmate, someone from their village, etc. who will help them out upon their arrival for at least a short while. Similarly, there is of course a much larger Mexican and Latino community in the U.S. than Canada. They can find employment and housing within this community without having to learn English, and can learn through the social network the lay of the land. In short, the U.S. is less of a culture shock and less of an isolating experience for a Mexican immigrant, than Canada would be.
I do think however that eventually Mexican immigration will begin to trickle into Canada. Once confined to the American Southwest, in the past 50 years, it's been casting a wider net, following the jobs, both towards the East and the North. Oregon, Washington State and Idaho all now have large Mexican populations which have increased greatly in the past 20 years or so. I think it's only a matter of time before some choose to keep going north and cross into perhaps British Columbia or Alberta.
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