Brits planning to emigrate to Canada will welcome the news that the popular North American country intends to increase the number of foreign skilled workers it admits during 2012.

The agency that processes migrant applications, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), granted residency to around 47,000 skilled workers in 2011 but said it is committed to increasing this figure to 55,000-57,000 this year.

To qualify for one of these places the future permanent residents are accessed by CIC on a number of factors including their education, past work experience, knowledge of the English (or French) language and any other criteria that they feel can demonstrate a person’s ability to establish themselves financially in Canada. The government as a whole is also committed to supporting the immigration process as it understands the need for a quick response to the labour market’s needs, some of which just cannot be fulfilled by the limited number of skilled Canadian workers.

As well as processing the applications the CIC also evaluate the success of past skilled workers that have gone through the program. After a recent evaluation the CIC found that 89 per cent of skilled worker immigrants were employed or self-employed three years after arriving in Canada. Furthermore, the employers that were surveyed overwhelmingly (95 per cent) agreed that the skilled workers were meeting or exceeding their expectations. All of which is a good indication of the success skilled workers can look forward to in Canada.

For details of properties for sale in Canada, visit the Canada listings on Rightmove Overseas. Preparation for anyone considering a move to Canada should include planning for the transfer of your pounds into Canadian dollars. For information on how to do this safely and save money when doing so – giving you more to spend on shopping – speak to currency exchange specialist Smart Currency Exchange.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in Canada, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘Canada Property Buying Guide’