Quote:
Originally Posted by isaidso
On top of what Acajack listed, a significant number of applicants look at the political and social characteristics of the country they apply to.
Some people will like the more laissez-faire 'everyone for yourself' ultra competitive nature of the US while others want a more egalitarian 'leave no one behind' society like Canada where the culture is more communal. Some people like having religion present in government and every day life while other will find that a big negative. Some will see a militarily powerful country as a plus while others prefer a country seen as less domineering.
There are a myriad other issues like LGBTQ rights, guns, abortion, capital punishment, racism, strength of democracy, capital punishment, freedom of the press, crime, efficiency of government, social mobility, access to health care, political choice, etc. that people consider. Not all migrants care about all of these things but many do. What one prioritizes and favours determines where people want to go.
The idea that people who go to Canada are people who couldn't get into the US is inaccurate, not to mention arrogant, condescending, and narcissistic.
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100 years ago, Canada was the much smaller weaker brother of the U.S. The countries had very similar policies and access to the U.S. was much easier than today. The main difference between the two was that Canada was part of the British Empire. Because of the countries similarities, which included the countries from which most people immigrated, the U.S. was seen as much more attractive and the preferred choice.
This began to changed in the 60s, and most evident during the Nixon/Trudeau years when national policies affecting many things including social policy and immigration began to diverge.
Canada's perception internationally also began to change, which gradually made Canada more attractive to immigrants. Canada developed its own independent reputation, and no longer just the U.S.'s little brother. At that point, Canada became less of an afterthought as an immigrant destination.