Blue Bird Blog

The Bank of Canada (BoC) has raised interest rates to their highest level since 2001.
The overnight lending rate is now 4.75%, which is 25 basis points higher than it was at the previous increase in January this year. The BoC started raising rates in July 2022 when it went from 1.5 % to 2.5%. This means that over one year, the rate has increased by 3.25 percentage points. The current rate hike comes as something of a surprise to many as BoC Governor Tiff Macklem had said previously that the BoC would try to avoid further increases.

The United States has been seen as the land of opportunity for decades and is an extremely popular destination for newcomers to live, work, study and settle permanently. About 45 million foreign-born people currently live in the US, making up about 14% of the population. Canada has also become an extremely popular immigration destination. In 2021, more than 8.3 million foreign born people were living in Canada, making up almost a quarter (23%) of the population.

Many newcomers to Canada choose to rent accommodations versus buying property upon their arrival. Finding a new home can be stressful, so this article will provide the basics for you to understand the process of renting in Canada.

Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, visited Winnipeg today for an announcement regarding visa-free travel. Passport holders from 13 countries will now be able to travel to Canada by air without requiring a Temporary Residence Visa. However, this applies only to travellers from these countries who have either held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa

Spring is when many newcomers begin to arrive in Canada. The days are becoming longer and warmer so we can finally say goodbye to the cold Canadian winters. There are many amazing places in Canada to visit this spring where you can take advantage of off-peak hotel and flight prices and the nice weather before it gets too hot.