Gujarati speakers rank third amond Indian immigrants in Canada

Ahmedabad: Gujarati speakers have emerged as the third-largest Indian linguistic group in Canada since 2016, with more than 22,000 immigrants choosing the country as their new home, according to Statistics Canada. Punjabis and Hindi speakers lead the linguistic tally among Indians in Canada. However, as the Great White North redefines its borders, many Gujaratis are rethinking their destination options for education, work, and long-term settlement.
On Oct 24, the Canadian govt announced a significant shift in its immigration policy, aiming to reduce the number of temporary residents to a mere 5% of its total population by 2026. For the Gujarati community in India, which has ranked third among Indian groups migrating to Canada, this could mean a considerable shift in where students and professionals set their sights next.
According to data by Statistics Canada, the govt agency for statistical data collection and analysis, around 87,900 immigrants — whose mother tongue was identified as Gujarati — were counted since 1980. Notably, 26% of these individuals moved to Canada just in the five years from 2016 to 2021.
The dataset for immigration till 2021 identified Punjabi, with 75,475 speakers, as the largest linguistic group that emigrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021. Hindi followed with 35,170 speakers. Gujarati speakers consisted of the third largest group at 22,935, followed by Malayalam speakers at 15,440 and Bengali speakers at 13,835.
Among the Indian language groups, Gujarati showed the second biggest decadal growth between 2001 to 2010 and 2011 to 2021 for major linguistic groups with more than 20,000 immigrants. Hindi speakers doubled at 114%, whereas Gujarati speakers rose by 26% and Punjabi speakers rose by 22%.
Another prominent language from Gujarat, Kutchi, also found a mention in the statistics. Compared to 460 Kutchi speakers migrating to Canada in 2001-10, 370 migrated in 2011-21.
The migration trend for Gujaratis surged after 2011 as Canada became the preferred alternative to the US and other English-speaking countries, said immigration consultant Sameer Yadav.
"The US was a hot favourite for decades, but people struggled with visa processing and high costs. With the UK, Australia and New Zealand also introducing restrictions, Canada's easier permanent residency process and lower educational costs made it an attractive option for students," said Yadav.
To give a perspective to the phenomenon, the number of immigrants with Gujarati as their mother tongue was 13,365 between 1991 and 2000. The number rose to 29,620 in the following decade, and 37,405 in 2011 to 2021. In the last decade, 22,935 immigrated between 2016 and 2021.
However, increased housing challenges, job market saturation, and the tougher PR requirements announced this year have already prompted an 80% drop in visa applications for Canada from Gujarat, according to a local visa consultant. "With fewer visa opportunities, inquiries from students and professionals have dramatically declined, with most applications now coming from those who already hold Canadian PR seeking to bring over family members," the consultant added.
Now, students and skilled professionals are shifting their focus to European countries and Australia, where the immigration rules are less stringent.