According to Statistics Canada, 51 per cent of people who immigrated to Canada between 2001 and 2006 have university degrees. This is largely due to the Canadian immigration selection system, which puts a lot of emphasis on post-secondary education.

In fact, immigrants are far more likely to have a university education than their Canadian-born counterparts, of whom only 20 per cent have university degrees.

An analysis of 2006 education figures was carried out by the Association for Canadian studies. In terms of university education, it found a 20-point gap between visible minorities and white Canadians aged 35-44 years.

The group with the highest proportion of university-educated people was Korean-Canadians. 74.7 per cent of Korean-Canadians in the age group have a university degree, certificate, or diploma. Following them were Filipino-Canadians (58.6), Chinese-Canadians (58.4), and Arab-Canadians (51.6).

Canada is welcoming highly educated immigrants, who generally encourage their children to pursue post-secondary education as well. With such a well-educated population, it is imperative that the education and work experience of newcomers be applied to the work force quickly and efficiently.