Gujarati is now the third most-spoken language among Indian immigrants in Canada, right behind Punjabi and Hindi! According to Statistics Canada, a whopping 87,900 Gujarati speakers have made the leap to Canada since 1980. And get this-26% of them arrived just between 2016 and 2021!
Talk about a migration boom!
Look at the statistics
During that same period, Punjabi speakers topped the list at 75,475, while Hindi speakers followed closely with 35,170. But let’s not forget about our Gujarati friends, who ranked third with 22,935 immigrants. Malayalam and Bengali speakers were hot on their heels, coming in at 15,440 and 13,835, respectively.
The data gets even spicier: Gujarati immigrants have seen a jaw-dropping 26% growth between 2011 and 2021, marking the second-highest decadal increase among major linguistic groups. That’s just behind Punjabi speakers, who enjoyed a 22% bump. In contrast, Hindi speakers skyrocketed by a massive 114%! Kutchi, another language from Gujarat, saw a decline, dropping from 460 speakers between 2001 and 2010 to 370 from 2011 to 2021.
How did Gujrat score third position?
Why this surge in Gujarati migration? Well, Canada has become the go-to destination for many, especially after 2011, as it emerged as a more attractive option compared to the US and other English-speaking countries. Sameer Yadav, an immigration consultant, explains, “The US was a hot favorite for decades, but visa processing and costs became a nightmare. With the UK, Australia, and New Zealand tightening their belts, Canada’s more straightforward permanent residency process and lower education costs have drawn in a crowd of hopefuls.”
To put things in perspective, between 1991 and 2000, only 13,365 Gujarati-speaking immigrants arrived in Canada. That number jumped to 29,620 in the next decade and reached 37,405 from 2011 to 2021. Impressive growth, right?
Recent changes in immigration policies
However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Recent immigration policy changes have thrown a wrench in the works, causing concern within the community. Increased housing challenges, job market saturation, and stricter permanent residency requirements have led to an alarming 80% drop in visa applications from Gujarat, according to a visa consultant in Ahmedabad.
“With fewer visa opportunities, interest from students and professionals has taken a nosedive,” the consultant adds, noting that most current applications are coming from folks who already have Canadian permanent residency and are now trying to bring family over. It seems the dream of migrating to Canada might need a bit of a makeover!