Canada is known for having a stable and strong economy. Post-pandemic, the country has seen a strong rebound in various sectors, many of which are experiencing rapid growth.
One of the key factors in Canada’s continued economic growth is the country’s high immigration targets. He Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 shows that Canada will admit 500,000 immigrants a year by the end of 2025.
Of Canada’s population of more than 39,000,000 people, nearly 25% identify as immigrants. Newcomers typically arrive in Canada well-prepared to fill gaps in the national workforce caused by large numbers of retirements or a lack of qualified candidates.
Find out if you are eligible for Canadian immigration
Among employment sectors, some stand out as the fastest growing with the most in-demand skills.
Health care
Canadians are living longer and require more medical care over a longer period of time than previous generations. This increase in demand has Canada’s provinces scrambling to attract healthcare workers from abroad. Currently, more than 35% of Canadian doctors, 23% of registered nurses and 39% of dentists are immigrants.
According to the latest Statistics Canada job vacancy data, as of February 2023, the number of job vacancies in the healthcare industry is the highest across all sectors with 143,800 open positions. The nursing sector was hit particularly hard during the pandemic, resulting in many nurses requiring extended leave of absence or leaving the profession altogether.
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been taking steps to make it easier for healthcare workers to become permanent residents, such as removing some of the barriers for doctors who were previously considered self-employed. Self-employed occupations are not normally eligible for Express Entry.
How to Immigrate as a Healthcare Worker
Many healthcare workers come to Canada through an Express Entry program. Express Entry programs target highly qualified candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker Programhe Canadian Experience Classor the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Also, because healthcare is a provincial responsibility, most provinces have streams for healthcare workers under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). For example, Alberta recently created the Dedicated Medical Care Pathway under the Alberta Rapid Entry Stream.
Other provinces regularly hold PNP draws targeting candidates in health care occupations. British Columbia runs these types of giveaways almost every week, and Ontario recently invited 2,349 healthcare candidates through its Human Capital Priorities stream.
There are also two federal pilot programs for caregivers of the elderly and children. Earlier this year, the government announced that the Canadian work experience required for a caregiver to qualify for permanent residence through these programs was reduced from 24 months to 12 months.
Agriculture
Canada’s agricultural sector employs more than 243,000 Canadians and currently has a vacancy rate of more than 14,000.
A recent report from the Royal Bank of Canada shows that by 2033, 40% of Canadian farm operators will retire. The report also says that to make up for a near-term skills crisis, Canada must accept 30,000 permanent immigrants over the next decade to set up or take over their own farms and greenhouses.
How to immigrate to Canada with an agricultural occupation
To fill some of these positions, IRCC recently announced that it will extend the Agri-Food Pilot Program and eliminate occupational caps. Eligible occupations include:
- retail butcher shops
- industrial butcher shops
- Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
- food processing workers
- farm workers in general
- harvest workers
Like healthcare workers, there are also dedicated streams under some PNPs for farmworkers.
technology
One of the main components of the 2023 federal budget was investing $20 billion to support the construction of major clean electricity and growth infrastructure projects. This investment is likely to generate further demand in the technology sector.
It also notes that many of the careers in the cleantech manufacturing sector do not require a college degree, and the average compensation for workers in this sector in 2021 was $90,252, well above the Canada-wide economy average of $69,311.
The growth of the AI sector is also influencing the demand for Canadian tech workers. Invest in Canada, a government website designed to attract investment in Canada’s tech industry, reports that Canada has 1,032 artificial intelligence and machine learning companies. Additionally, the Global AI Index shows that Canada ranks fourth for its global competitiveness in AI implementation, innovation and investment.
How to Immigrate to Canada with a Technology Occupation
To attract more tech workers, IRCC offers programs like the Global talent stream. This program is part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and is designed to foster the growth of Canada’s technology industry. The program aims to achieve a processing standard of two weeks once the potential employee submits the final application.
There are also specific draws through the Provincial Nominee Program. Some examples of provincial technology flows include the BC Tech StreamOINP Technological Sweepstakes, Saskatchewan Tech Talent Trailand the Alberta Tech Fast Track.
reference: www.cicnews.com