Come this fall 2022 and Canada is set to overhaul the way it classifies occupations for immigrants.
Canada categorizes occupations through a system called the National Occupational Classification (NOC). It is reviewed every year and updated every five years to ensure foreign immigrants with the right skillset get a fair chance of opportunity in Canada’s dynamic labour market.
While the federal government is yet to make an announcement about which sorts of immigration applicants may be affected, it is certain that the new NOC code will affect some economic class and foreign worker, applicants.
About the new NOC 2021
As reported by CIC news, Canada will introduce the new occupation classification sometime in “fall 2022”.
Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is also expected to align the new NOC rollout with the department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to ensure consistency of Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications for work permits.
Canada made a significant overhaul to the NOC in 2011, followed by another update in 2016. Statistics Canada released its new NOC 2021 publication last month for use by federal and provincial governments to manage skilled worker immigration programs and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
This is to ensure that foreign immigrants who specialize in emerging fields like data science, cyber security and others get adequate opportunities to work & settle in Canada.
NOC skill levels to be replaced by new TEER system
Canada uses NOC skills levels that were last updated in 2016. It classifies all occupations in Canada into four categories:
NOC 0: Skill type 0 jobs are usually managerial in nature;
NOC A: Skill type A jobs are professional in nature and usually require a university degree; or
NOC B: Skill type B jobs are skilled trades occupations that usually require a college diploma or training as an apprentice.
NOC C & D: Jobs include semi- and low-skilled workers in the trades, primary and manufacturing industries, sales and services, as well as certain clerical and assistant categories
National Occupational Classification(NOC) 2021 brings in a new system of skill classification which will be based on the Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) system.
Statistics Canada explains the rationale behind the new TEER system:
Focus on the education and experience required to work in a given occupation.
Accurately capture the skills required in each occupation.
The benefits of the new TEER system could lead to more favourable opportunities for foreign immigrants and the mapping of new occupations in emerging fields like data science, cybersecurity, etc.
The new TEER system has 516 occupations, up from 500 in NOC 2016. All occupations are classified into six categories: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
TEER 0
Management occupations.
TEER 1
Completion of a university degree (bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate); or
Several years of experience in a specific occupation from TEER category 2 (when applicable).
TEER 2
Completion of a post-secondary education program of two to three years at community college, institute of technology or CÉGEP; or
Completion of an apprenticeship training program of two to five years; or
Occupations with supervisory or significant safety (police officers and firefighters) responsibilities; or
Several years of experience in a specific occupation from TEER category 3 (when applicable).
TEER 3
Completion of a post-secondary education program of less than two years at community college, institute of technology or CÉGEP; or
Apprenticeship training of less than 2 years; or
More than six months of on-the-job training, training courses or specific work experience with some secondary school education; or
Several years of experience in a specific occupation from TEER category 4 (when applicable).
TEER 4
Completion of secondary school; or
Several weeks of on-the-job training with some secondary school education; or
Several years of experience in a specific occupation from TEER category 5 (when applicable).
TEER 5
Short work demonstration and no formal educational requirements.
This tool from Statistics Canada can be used to view how your current NOC compares to the NOC 2021.
Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility for Canadian immigration.
For more expert analysis and opinion, get in touch with our consultants. Book your free appointment with us today!
Canada is the only G7 country to offer a direct permanent residence (PR) pathway. The Express Entry system contributes significantly to Canada PR intakes annually.
It is a federally managed database of foreign skilled worker applicants willing to settle in Canada permanently. They are selected mainly based on their overall work experience, language proficiency in English or French, education qualification, and age.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) assesses your work experience based on how much education is required to do your job.
As a thumb rule, the more education and experience it takes to work in your position, the higher your occupational skill level will be.
Canada currently analyzes a job’s skill level – 0 (management jobs), A (professional jobs), B (technical jobs) using the 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) under the Express Entry system.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) consider “full-time” to be equal to 30 hours per week. Over one year, this adds up to be 1,560 hours. You can meet this requirement by working full-time for a year or part-time.
IRCC does not count any hours you worked above 30 hours per week. So, you cannot become eligible faster for working more hours.
All work experience for the purposes of an Express Entry-managed program must be paid. Volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count.
Work Experience for Federal Skilled Worker Program
FSWP is the most popular permanent residence pathway among foreign skilled immigrants without a job offer or work experience in Canada under the Express Entry system.
Candidates needs to meet minimum work experience, language proficiency, and education requirements. You need to score at least 67 out of 100 in order to pass. At least 15 of these points come from work experience.
Experience
Maximum 15 points
1 year
9
2-3 years
11
4-5 years
13
6 or more years
15
Self-employment in Canada does not count towards work experience. You can also get an additional 10 points for “adaptability” if you have at least one year of full-time, skilled work experience in Canada.
Work Experience for Canadian Experience Class
In order to meet the work experience requirement, you need to have worked full time for at least one year in Canada in a skilled occupation. This work experience may have been completed anytime within the three years before you apply for permanent residency through the CEC.
Unfortunately, self-employed work or work that you did while studying in Canada does not count.
Canada rejigs NOC for new occupations
Canada is changing its National Occupation Classification (NOC) system to Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) categories.
In the new TEER system, there will be six skill levels instead of five. Instead of skill levels 0, A, B, C, and D, there will be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. There will be 516 occupations in the new classification system, up from 500 in the current edition.
The new federal government and economic recovery in Canada have re-ignited hopes for the improvement of family immigration to Canada.
Canada is likely to welcome around 80,000 immigrants per year under the spousal, partner, and children category.
Any newly acquired permanent residence for Canadian citizens of foreign origin may sponsor their foreign Spouse (legally married), Common-law/Conjugal partners (not legally married but has been living with you for at least 12 consecutive months) to obtain Canadian permanent residence.
Sponsoring your Spouse for Canada PR
If one of the partners is above 18 years old and is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, they can sponsor the other partner for Canada PR.
Such applicants must submit two applications to Immigration, Refugees, and the Citizenship Canada (IRCC):
the sponsorship application and
permanent residence application.
IRCC asks you to submit both applications together.
Step 1: Confirm you meet the eligibility criteria to sponsor with CanApprove
2: Get the application package from IRCC’s website
3: Pay all required fees on IRCC’s website. Like processing, right of permanent residence, and biometrics fees
4: Mail both applications together to IRCC
Sponsors must demonstrate their financial adequacy to take care of a partner to be sponsored for at least three years. Sponsor is not allowed to sponsor another person for the next five years after they obtain Canada PR.
The standard processing time is 12 months.
If you are applying with your partner who is living with you in Canada. The process has slightly different steps than if you were applying from abroad.
The Spouse or Common-Law Partner in-Canada class is for Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are already living together in Canada and want to obtain permanent residence.
However, under the Outland Spousal or Common-Law Partner Sponsorship, Canadians or permanent residents may sponsor their spouse or common-law partner for permanent residence in Canada, regardless of their place of residence.
Express Entry for Married Couples or Common-Law Union
A married couple or common-law partners can receive fewer base points than a single person, but can also gain points from their partner.
A couple applying for Canada PR, either within Canada or outside Canada, through Express Entry, will necessarily have to assign only one among them as a Principal Applicant (PA) for assessment and evaluation based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
The couple can choose which partner is the PA as long as both partners qualify for at least one of three Express Entry programs, i.e. the Federal Skilled Workers Program, the Federal Skilled Trade Program, and the Canadian Experience Class.
PA can be accompanied by a spouse, common-law partners, or dependent children.
The scoring system for single PAs and partnered PAs is somewhat different.
The CRS reduces the number of points the PA can get for various factors by a total of 40 points. However, the CRS also allows the PA to earn up to 40 points through their partner’s profile.
However, a significant advantage of applying through an immigration consultant like CanApprove will lessen your documentation compliance burden apart from full support to explore various options depending upon your unique profile.
The Liberals are forming a new federal government for the third consecutive time and are set to increase more skilled immigration in upcoming years.
And why is foreign immigration to Canada important?
If one is to understand the importance of immigration in building the Canadian economy & support the ageing demography, the recent election campaigning in Canada was not centred on whether the country should accept immigrants, but how Canada can best welcome them!
Canada is recovering fast and with the opening up of its borders to international travellers, the country is eyeing to meet its annual immigration target of up to 400,000 new immigrants.
During the month of September’21, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held four program-specific Express Entry resulting in about 4,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for Canada PR. Meanwhile, the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) issued over 6,500 ITAs to eligible immigration candidates.
Experts on immigration view these developments as a sign of relief as more new aspirants can be expected to immigrate to Canada in near future.
Canada Permanent Residence Under Express Entry in September 2021
Somewhere in the whole nomination draws in 2021, the preference for candidates under Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is still being sidelined. Usually, foreign skilled workers who have adequate work experience but outside Canada are considered under the FSWP category.
The federal Express Entry provides a direct immigration pathway for skilled foreign workers even without a job offer or work experience in Canada to obtain permanent residence (PR).
Throughout the year 2021, Canada preferred Express Entry candidates only under CEC or PNP categories.
Clearly, IRCC emphasized more candidates with provincial nominations to apply for permanent residence in September’21.
Canada Express Entry is a long-drawn (maximum one-year validity) two-step process.
All registered profiles are assessed and ranked on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Core human factors such as age, education, language skills, and work experience are used to calculate a CRS profile score.
The second step will involve the fortnightly nomination draws held by IRCC. The high-ranking candidates based on the CRS score get invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR).
Active Provincial Nominations for Canada PR in September 2021
The unique arrangement between the federal and provincial/territorial governments in Canada, except in Quebec & Nunavut, allows the nomination of foreign candidates separately based on the unique labour demand of each province. These provincial nominations allow eligible candidates to apply for permanent residence.
Further, candidates with an active Express Entry were extremely benefitted as provincial nomination will give them a chance to gain an additional 600 points towards their overall CRS score. This would effectively guarantee them an ITA for Canada PR in a subsequent Express Entry draw.
ONTARIO: About 1,751 invitations to apply for provincial nominations were issued throughout the month. Eligible candidates under various streams like the Master’s Graduate and Ph.D. Graduate streams, the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker and Employer job offer: International Student streams, In-Demand Skills stream and also, the Regional Immigration Pilot.
Typically, foreign workers with Canadian work experience in various occupations fitting the categories under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A, B may qualify for such streams.
BRITISH COLUMBIA: Nearly 994 candidates were invited to apply for the provincial nomination throughout the past month. These provincial nominations were issued through the Express Entry British Columbia, and Skills Immigration streams.
With the turning of the tech pilot program into a permanent immigration program, aspirants can expect more nominations of specific foreign tech workers to immigrate to Canada.
ALBERTA: The province issued 1,335 ITAs over three Express Entry-linked draws in September’21.
MANITOBA: The province of Manitoba held a draw under Skilled Workers in Manitoba, International Education Stream, and Skilled Workers Overseas streams, issuing up to 1,252 Letters of Advice to Apply.
SASKATCHEWAN: The province invited nearly 919 candidates under provincial draws through the Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand sub-categories of the International Skilled Worker Category. Additionally, 41 invitations were issued under the Entrepreneur stream draw.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLANDS: The province went as per its pre-scheduled draws inviting 143 eligible candidates under Express Entry, Labour and Business Impact candidates.
The provincial nomination draws from Nova Scotia were seen active during the month. The province held new business immigration draws under the Entrepreneur stream and Internation Graduate Entrepreneur stream, resulting in 30 nominations.
Here’s a quick review of our previous editions of monthly nomination draws review:
A recent study released by the Government of Canada examines occupational employment trends in Nova Scotia arising from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over these years of liberal immigration phase in Canada, the province has welcomed a good share of foreign skilled workers & international students to study, work & settle in Canada permanently.
Based on the same government-sponsored study, let’s look into the most in-demand jobs in Nova Scotia and various ways of immigrating to the province to qualify for permanent residence.
Healthcare Jobs in Nova Scotia
Even though the demand for healthcare workers & professionals was high owing to the ageing population, the pandemic has resulted in a sudden surge in demand. The province will meet this increase in demand with the intake of foreign immigrants.
Some of the in-demand healthcare jobs in Nova Scotia:
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (NOC 3012);
Licensed practical nurses (NOC 3233);
Massage therapists (NOC 3236);
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 3413).
Engineering Jobs in Nova Scotia
Among various engineering fields, Nova Scotia is seeing an increased preference for foreign immigrants who have work experience in the computer and information systems field. Some of the in-demand engineering jobs in Nova Scotia:
Information systems analysts and consultants (NOC 2171);
Software engineers and designers (NOC 2173);
Computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2174);
User support technicians (NOC 2282).
Business & Finance Admin Jobs in Nova Scotia
Foreign skilled immigrants with work experience in administrative works have been recommended by Nova Scotia for provincial nominations. As many jobs in this field can be conducted remotely, the demand remains the same even after the pandemic.
Some of the in-demand admin jobs in Nova Scotia:
Financial auditors and accountants (NOC 1111);
Administrative officers (NOC 1221);
Administrative assistants (NOC 1241);
General office support workers (NOC 1411).
How To Apply For Canada PR Through Nova Scotia?
Come 2021, the province seems to focus on attracting foreign talent with specialized skills or occupations that match identified labour shortages. Further, the province seeks to retain international students after they graduate from any institution in the province.
Any eligible foreigner can apply for receiving a provincial nomination from Nova Scotia in two ways: the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), and the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP).
Eight different immigration streams under the NSNP:
‘Enhanced’ PNP streams –
Nova Scotia Experience: for candidates with their profiles registered in the federal Express Entry pool and work experience in Nova Scotia for at least one year;
Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities: for candidates with their profiles registered in the federal Express Entry pool and who meet specific labor market needs;
Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities for Physicians: for candidates with their profiles registered in the federal Express Entry pool and who have a job offer as a family physician or specialist physician;
‘Base’ PNP streams –
Physician Stream: for physicians who have a job offer in Nova Scotia and are not in the Express Entry system;
Skilled Worker Stream: for skilled workers who have received a job offer in the province;
Occupation In-Demand Stream: for workers with a job offer in an occupation that is deemed “in-demand;”
Entrepreneur Stream: for individuals who wish to start a business in the province; and
International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream: for international graduates who wish to start a business in the province.
To apply under the AIP, candidates must have a job offer from a designated employer and must have an individualized settlement plan. Atlantic Canada consists of four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.
If you’re planning to immigrate to Canada anytime soon, now is a good time. You can seek help from CanApprove, a leading immigration & overseas education consultant since 1998. Avail of our proven services to ensure approval of immigration applications in quick time.
Take this free assessment online to determine your eligibility based on your specific profile.
Canada has given its mandate to the liberal party to form a government at the federal level for the third consecutive term. Even though it will be yet another minority government led by the liberal party, we can expect Canadian immigration to only improve further.
With Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023 eyeing over 400,000 immigration candidates every year and travel relaxations, foreign skilled workers, international students can start planning for their immigration to Canada soon.
Ever since the launch of the Express Entry system in 2015, it has become the main way for Canada to process skilled worker immigration applications. Canada remains to be the only G7 country to offer a direct pathway to permanent residence (PR) to eligible foreigners even without a job offer or previous study/work experience in the country.
The Express Entry system manages the applications of immigration candidates qualifying for any one of the three federal programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skills Trades Program (FSTP) for semi-skilled foreign workers, and few linked provincial nomination streams.
FSWP made up nearly half of all Express Entry immigrants per year prior to the coronavirus pandemic. Desirable economic-class immigrants are chosen on their basis of age, work experience, education, and language proficiency.
Given the situation, you may want to adopt a “wait and watch” approach about entering the Express Entry pool now. But CanApprove has always observed Canada values skills and talents and will be receptive to foreign skilled immigration, no matter how hostile the global situation be.
Top Reasons to Enter Federal Express Entry Pool Now
In the uncertainty over FSWP draws, the only real risk of entering the Express Entry pool now is that your official language test score will expire in about two years if you do not receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) within this time period. However, you can always retake the test and update the latest score upon expiry.
But CanApprove still thinks now is a good time to enter the Express Entry for the following reasons:
Chance to receive a provincial nomination: Great chances are that your Express Entry profile may qualify for one of the linked Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP). A successful provincial nomination can result in up to 600 additional CRS points that will effectively guarantee an invitation to apply for permanent residence in the upcoming federal Express Entry draws.
For instance, IRCC has conducted over 18 Express Entry draws so far in 2021, inviting candidates with provincial nominations alone. Click here to get a quick review of nomination draws in the months of January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August 2021.
Match with suitable employment opportunities: Registering your profile in the federal pool can help you match with suitable employment opportunities even before you’re invited to apply for permanent residence. This could result in eligible job offers that can add 50 or 200 CRS points.
While the additional CRS points cannot guarantee you an ITA for Canada PR, but they sure will help your chances. Upon receiving an ITA, you will be in good standing to quickly integrate into the Canadian labour market through your pre-arranged employment.
Uncertainty over ITAs for FSWP candidates: Throughout 2021, IRCC has not nominated any immigration candidates qualifying under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) stream. However, this is not to suggest that IRCC will never consider the popular FSWP stream.
Express Entry draws by design are unpredictable and were introduced to be competitive by giving advantage to the highest-scoring candidates and responsive to the needs of Canadian provinces and employers. In an unprecedented move earlier on February 13, 2021, IRCC held a historic draw inviting nearly 27,332 immigration candidates with Canadian Experience and a minimum qualifying CRS of 75 points! The previous record was 5,000 ITAs.
Given the nature of Express Entry nomination draws, IRCC may begin to invite FSWP candidates anytime once again. By virtue of being in the pool, you may potentially be the beneficiary of an unconventional draw like the one we saw on February 13.
Eventually, IRCC will re-open its doors to FSWP candidates and expand its nomination draw sizes to accommodate more foreign immigrants. You can check your eligibility and explore various immigration options with CanApprove.
We are a leading immigration consultant and have been offering genuine and trusted immigration, overseas education consultancy for over two decades. Book your free appointment with our expert consultants to discuss your prospects on the basis of your academic and work profile!
Until now, you may have known Canada to boost immigration levels by setting a historic target of welcoming over 400,000 new immigrants each year until 2023. These could majorly include economic-class immigrants with/without job offers and international students who are willing to settle in Canada permanently.
But did you know?
Individuals who have been selected (pending verifications), inside or outside Canada, to become permanent residents (PR);
Non-permanent residents and foreign nationals who have been selected by employers under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program;
Non-permanent residents who have received confirmation of a complete Application for Permanent Residence under the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot;
Eligible persons include both the principal applicant and eligible dependents (spouse and children);
The above category of immigration candidates is eligible to avail themselves of the free Settlement services in Canada to successfully integrate into Canadian society.
Canadian government-funded settlement services remain to be one of the many reasons why immigration to Canada is so attractive.
Even though many immigrants do not know about these services, the settlement services have so far been proven to help the majority of the newcomers to access genuine information to settle & integrate well within the society.
The Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offer services to help you prepare to live in Canada. In-person services are offered in major out-migrant regions like China, India and the Philippines.
These services help you get information about life in Canada, such as healthcare, housing, and transportation. They can also refer you to more specific community services, depending on your needs. IRCC also has a list of services to help you prepare to work in Canada. There are some industry-specific resources for those working in architecture, engineering, trades, finance, tech, construction, nursing and others.
Click here to know more about the province-specific settlement services.
Various Settlement Services Offered by Canada to Newcomers
In order to fulfil the objective of promoting the successful integration of permanent residents into Canada, the following types of services are offered to newcomers:
Needs assessments help immigrants identify what services they need to know about Canadian society and how to get them.
Information services supply information about securing life essentials such as housing, healthcare, social services, and transportation. It shares information with you on your rights and obligations. Even though most newcomers get information from their friends, these services are genuine sources of information.
Language training helps immigrants develop language skills as it is a crucial area to immigrants’ success in Canada.
Employment services help immigrants prepare for working in Canada. It provides information on specific settlement needs in career, education, language, social programming, finances, and more. It will also put you in touch with employment agencies and provide career search assistance.
Community services help immigrants meet friends and get involved in local activities.
Support services referring to translation, child care, and transportation, assist in completing forms and applications, and others.
Thanks to the active community on the internet, finding information on Canadian immigration for newcomers is less of a barrier these days. However, many can be misled. Canada recommends seeking such information from a genuine settlement worker or certified immigration consultants who can help teach you how systems work in Canada so that you have a better understanding of how best to use the information and resources you find.
CanApprove is officially a registered & approved immigration consultant by ICCRC. By virtue of this certification, CanApprove is legally authorized to support immigration aspirants to Canada with guidance, documentation and counselling support that also includes post-landing services.
Get a free assessment of your immigration profile and find the best pathway to migrate to Canada.
Book your free appointment here to meet expert counsellors at CanApprove and explore various options based on your work/academic profile to immigrate to Canada.
And why are we painting such an optimistic picture to you?
Canada is heading for a fresh federal poll on September 20, two years ahead of its mandated time. In all their election campaigns, major Canadian political parties are rooting for immigration.
If one is to understand the importance of immigration in building the Canadian economy & support the ageing demography, the election campaigning in Canada is not centred on whether the country should accept immigrants, but how Canada can best welcome them!
Canada has now opened up its borders to international travellers, starting this September 9. It is even more encouraging to note that Canada welcomed over 35,000 new immigrants in the month of June 2021, the first of its kind since the imposed travel restrictions to curb the spread of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
This is viewed by expert immigration lawyers as a sign of relief as more new aspirants can be expected to immigrate to Canada very soon.
IRCC held four program-specific Express Entry resulting in over 7,000 invitations to apply (ITAs) for Canada PR, the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) issued over 3,400 ITAs for provincial nominations, in August 2021.
Permanent Residence Under Express Entry in August 2021
Somewhere in the whole nomination draws in 2021, the preference for candidates under Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is still being sidelined. Usually, foreign skilled workers who have adequate work experience but outside Canada are considered under the FSWP category.
The federal Express Entry provides a direct immigration pathway for skilled foreign workers even without a job offer or work experience in Canada to obtain permanent residence (PR).
In the year 2019, before the current pandemic exploded the scenes, Canada created a record nomination through Express Entry draws by inviting over 1 million foreign skilled workers for the first time in its history. Data from Statistics Canada reveal that more candidates from the FSWP category were preferred.
Canada repeated the same feat in 2020, however, more candidates qualified under CEC & PNP categories.
Canada Express Entry is a long-drawn (maximum one-year validity) two-step process.
As it manages the application database for three federal immigration programs – the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), the Federal Skills Trades (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) – aspirants are first required to qualify for individual program requirements.
Such eligible profiles are assessed and ranked on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Core human factors such as age, education, language skills, and work experience are used to calculate a CRS profile score.
The second step will involve the fortnightly nomination draws held by IRCC. The high-ranking candidates based on the CRS score get invitations to apply (ITA) for permanent residence (PR).
Active Provincial Nominations for Canada PR in August 2021
The unique arrangement between the federal and provincial/territorial governments in Canada, except in Quebec & Nunavut, allows the nomination of foreign candidates separately based on the unique labour demand of each province. These provincial nominations allow eligible candidates to apply for permanent residence.
Further, candidates with an active Express Entry were extremely benefitted as provincial nomination will give them a chance to gain an additional 600 points towards their overall CRS score. This would effectively guarantee them an ITA for Canada PR in a subsequent Express Entry draw.
With improved retention rates for immigrants and employers seeking more immigrants in Atlantic Canada, which otherwise was not much popular among immigrants, Canadian immigration through Provincial Nominee Programs and Express Entry is gaining much steam.
BRITISH COLUMBIA: Over 900 candidates were invited to apply for the provincial nomination throughout the past month. These provincial nominations were issued through the Express Entry British Columbia, Skills Immigration streams.
With the turning of the tech pilot program into a permanent immigration program, aspirants can expect more nominations of specific foreign tech workers to immigrate to Canada.
ONTARIO: The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) nominated 875 candidates in various EOI streams: In-demand streams, Masters Graduate, PhD. Graduate, Entrepreneur streams. Ontario is now eyeing to welcome at least 8,350 eligible candidates to apply for permanent residency (PR) in 2021.
Typically, foreign workers with Canadian work experience in occupations relating to National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A, B. Such jobs include Managerial positions, Experts in certain fields, Professionals, Supervisors with graduate-level or higher education qualifications.
ALBERTA: The province held its biggest draw inviting candidates for 396 provincial nominations through its Express Entry stream. Officials from the province have reportedly spoken to media persons confirming that the AINP has now removed the temporary criteria adjustments made to the Alberta Express Entry Stream in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
MANITOBA: The province of Manitoba held one draw through the following three streams: Skilled Workers in Manitoba, International Education Stream, and Skilled Workers Overseas in August. A total of 275 Letters of Advice to Apply were issued of which 36 were issued to candidates who declared a valid Express Entry profile.
SASKATCHEWAN: The total tally of nominations is nearly double that of last month. The province invited nearly 948 candidates over four provincial draws through the Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand sub-categories of the International Skilled Worker Category.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLANDS: The province went as per its pre-scheduled draws inviting 161 eligible candidates under Express Entry, Labour and Business Impact candidates.
That being said, Canada is still far away from reaching its ambitious annual immigration intake levels of 401,000 new applicants. It is expected for Canada to invite at least over 40,000 new immigrants from August to December to fulfil this annual immigration target.
You can avoid it by consulting a genuine immigration consultant like CanApprove
Here’s a quick review of our previous editions of monthly nomination draws review:
Canada is still open-heartedly welcoming the immigration of skilled foreign professionals, international students, business entrepreneurs and their families. Canada remains the only G7 country to offer a direct immigration pathway to apply for permanent residence (PR) to such economic-class immigrant aspirants.
Even as Canada is heading towards a federal poll on September 20, two years ahead of its stipulated time, all major Canadian political parties are routing for immigration. If one is to understand the importance of immigration in building the Canadian economy & support demography, the election campaigning in Canada is not centred on whether the country should accept immigrants, but how Canada can best welcome them.
Canada has already set an ambitious immigration level plan to target over 1.2 million new immigrants over the next three years. With these parallel developments in mind, let’s analyze the issues that are plaguing the current immigration system.
Impact of COVID on Canadian Immigration
COVID-19 pandemic had disproportionately affected every sector. Immigration in Canada was significantly impacted, however, Canada increased its economic class selection criteria and transitioned more temporary residents to permanent residence to meet its annual immigration targets. They did it by regularly conducting program-specific Express Entry draws (CEC-only and PNP-only) and other Provincial Nominee Program draws.
While Canada remains on track to welcome over 401,000 new immigrants by the end of 2021, there is a significant risk involving some newcomer segments such as women and family class immigrants.
Additionally, Canada has not conducted even a single Express Entry draws for the Federal Skills Worker Program (FSWP) candidates. The FSWP is the most preferred direct immigration program among skilled foreign workers with work experience and who wish to apply for permanent residence.
With Canada doing away with most of the travel restrictions measures, immigrant aspirants can soon expect an all-program Express Entry, considering FSWP candidates for PR nominations.
Innovation from Canada Provincial Nominee Programs
Canada PNPs have shown more resilience in inviting new immigrants to apply for provincial nomination. They held industry and occupation-specific draws that are meant to respond to very specific labour market needs. Since February 2021, British Columbia PNP has been issuing specific provincial draws. The same approach is followed by Ontario PNP & Saskatchewan PNP.
Canada may follow this new approach in its Express Entry draws which will help address skilled worker shortages in key areas across Canada such as in technology, health care, and agri-food.
Those immigrant aspirants who wish to count their self-employed work experience within Canada to apply under Express Entry still remain difficult as Immigrant, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada still believes it is difficult to verify self-employment in Canada.
Coming to the immigration of international students, Canada is open to the entry of international students for the upcoming fall semester, ie. September-December. Canadian public universities are also open to receiving new admissions from international students to immigrate to Canada next year.
You can take this free assessment online to explore your Canadian immigration options.
If you are looking to immigrate abroad for a better career opportunity, a higher living standard or for higher education, Canada must be your top priority. Book your free appointment with CanApprove to get a tailored made immigration strategy based on your academic & work profile.
Good news for immigrants as a recent study finds increased demand in certain Alberta occupations, fueled by labour shortage due to COVID.
As a part of a government measure to analyze the impact of COVID-19 related restrictions on each province/territory, we focus on the increased opportunity for aspirants immigrants to take advantage of the labour shortage demand in Alberta.
Computer and information systems managers (NOC 0213)
Employment insurance, immigration, border services and revenue officers (NOC 1228)
Information systems analysts and consultants (NOC 2171)
Database analysts and data administrators (NOC 2172)
Software engineers and designers (NOC 2173)
Construction inspectors (NOC 2264)
Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors (NOC 3011)
Pharmacists (NOC 3131)
Family, marriage and other related counsellors (NOC 4153)
Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers (NOC 4165)
Social and community service workers (NOC 4212)
Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers (NOC 7205
Among the top 12 in-demand occupations in Alberta, tech-based occupations like Computer and information systems managers, Software engineers and designers, Database analysts and data administrators, Information systems analysts and consultants are mostly employer-based immigration programs. However, interested candidates can immigrate to Canada based on their previous work experience and then look out for jobs in the local market.
The healthcare-based occupations would mostly require foreign aspirants to undergo bridge programs before they could qualify to work in Canada. Mount Royal University is expanding its Bridge to Canadian Nursing program to train more international nurses. The 10 to 14-month-long programs will allow guide international immigrants on the path to begin practising in Alberta.
Most immigration aspirants prefer to gain a graduation certificate from any Canadian institution. This helps them obtain the mandatory “Canadian experience” to obtain Canada PR. It helps them qualify for Canada PR in less than 6 years from the time they first received their study permit.
While the federal government provides an interactive online tool to benefit job seekers to view the trends in their own occupations of interest, you can meet our immigration lawyers to get customized information depending on your job profile.
Immigration Options to Alberta
You do not necessarily need a job offer to apply for Canadian immigration, however, skilled work experience goes a long way toward an immigration application and increases your earning potential.
Canadian immigration is simple and less complicated than most other countries. The federal government runs three high-skilled-based work programs, managed by the Express Entry system. One may stand a chance to obtain permanent residence in Canada by getting nominated to apply under Express Entry.
Express Entry manages the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skills Trades Program (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Canada has kept these streams active as Express Entry-managed programs are expected to account for 108,500 new permanent residents in 2021.
Another significant option to qualify for Canadian immigration is through Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP). Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) popularly nominated eligible immigrant aspirants to apply for provincial nominations through:
Alberta Express Entry Stream,
Alberta Opportunity Stream,
AINP is known to hold regular nomination draws inviting eligible candidates to apply for provincial nominations. Upon receiving a successful provincial nomination, such candidates are assured of permanent residency invitation in the subsequent Express Entry draw.
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