For Manav Shah, being forced to move back to India after living in Toronto for the past six years is just one of life’s inevitable obstacles. Instead of adopting a negative outlook, he is choosing to embrace the bright side of this life-changing shift.
“I usually say, ‘The only constant in this world is change,’” Shah told blogTO. “Change is always necessary. You just have to accept that things are going to change.”
Originally from Ahmedabad, India, Shah moved to Canada in 2018 to study computer science at Seneca College. After graduating, he went on to work several IT-related jobs before landing a position as a Service Desk Administrator at ZoomerMedia, the parent company of blogTO.
“I wanted to explore new spaces and to start my own journey,” he explained. “My family supported me.”
Despite setting a strong foundation and building a supportive network of friends in Toronto, Shah is gearing up to bid farewell to the city this Friday. His work visa has expired, and his application for permanent residency has not yet been approved.
“One of the things that every immigrant faces is the uncertainty if they’re going to be able to stay here or not,” Shah said. “That’s why I have to leave the country. I did not get my permanent residency. I cannot extend my work permit as they have disregarded the system right now.”
Amid Shah’s struggle to obtain permanent residency, the federal government has introduced a suite of changes to prioritize the hiring of domestic workers and to manage the volume of temporary resident arrivals.
On Tuesday, Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Official Languages, announced a set of targeted reforms to one of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program streams.
Effective November 8, 2024, the starting hourly wage for workers coming into Canada through the high-wage stream will be increased to 20% higher than its current level.
As a result, a number of jobs are expected to be subject to the stricter rules of the low-wage stream, including more employer requirements related to housing, transportation, and recruitment of workers already in Canada.
“This reform is also designed to prioritize the hiring of domestic workers, in keeping with the TFW Program’s goal of protecting Canada’s economy and Canadian workers,” a media release from the federal government reads.
Earlier this year, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada also announced a decrease in the number of temporary residents —from 6.5% of Canada’s total population down to 5% by 2026.
In September, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced additional measures to manage the volume of temporary resident arrivals, including a further reduction in the intake cap on international student permits for 2025 and updating the post-graduation work permit program to better align with the country’s immigration goals and labour market needs.
For immigrants who are struggling to find employment or obtain permanent residency, Shah says they should be confident that there will always be opportunities to grow, if not in Canada, then elsewhere in the world.
“For anyone struggling, it is not over yet. You’re always going to get another chance to do what you want. If not Canada, there are other places as well. There are still chances with the skills you’ve built here; you can use them at home as well,” he told blogTO.
Shah has been living in Toronto since 2018. Photo: Manav Shah.
“For the last couple of months, I was in a kind of denial or depression, I was feeling very low. I built up a foundation here, I built up my friends, and I have my chosen family here. As long as your friends and surroundings support you for your next step, I think that gives you some relief.”
Although Shah says he will miss the connections he built in Toronto, he is excited to reunite with his family back home.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been away from my family. It’s been almost seven years. It’ll be really nice to reconnect and be close to them,” he said.
After leaving Canada on Friday, Shah says he will try to find a job in India or start a business, and if that doesn’t work, he’ll consider moving to another country like New Zealand or a major city like Dubai.
Although his time in Toronto has come to an end, Shah is choosing to welcome more of life’s uncertainties in the future.
“Some things are out of control. Some things are in our control,” he chuckles. “But it’s better to just take the best out of the journey.”