Garj, I'm not sure if you've lived in western world. May be USA is an exception. Let me tell you, I'm being honest. For a good skilled job in London UK, where I'm currently living, basic requirements are the ones I mentioned. And that is considering that there job market in London is much bigger and better than any Canadian city. So I can confidently say that those are also the basic requirements in Canada. And the reason they're basic is because you will find everyone has them. If someone isn't able to speak, read or write fluently English, they're by default at a disadvantage because there is no shortage of people with GOOD English skills in Canada. It'd be different in a non-English speaking country.
And the reality is that people with those strong basic skills have a chance of finding job they want, and many of those with strong basic skills also have to return home because this part of the world is simply too competitive. It's not like India, the level of competitiveness is fierce here in western world.
I'm not sure if you've read or heard about Red Queen Effect, that is what this western world is living under.
Red queen effect:
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"Well, in our country," said Alice, still panting a little, "you'd generally get to somewhere else—if you run very fast for a long time, as we've been doing."
"A slow sort of country!" said the Queen. "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!"