British Columbia Prioritises 25 Construction Occupations For Immigration

Colin Singer
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British Columbia Prioritises 25 Construction Occupations For Immigration

British Columbia is giving priority processing to foreign nationals hoping to immigrate to Canada and work in its construction industry as it seeks to build up its stock of available housing.

“Targeted invitations to apply will be issued to workers in select construction occupations who also have a valid B.C. trades qualification,” reports the province’s ministry of municipal affairs.

“This requirement will ensure that construction workers nominated by the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) are ready to contribute immediately to B.C.’s labour market.”

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The priority processing of these applications started Thursday, Nov. 16 and applies to the following 25 construction industry occupations, listed here with their National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 codes:

  • 22114 landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists
  • 72102 sheet metal workers
  • 72103 boilermakers
  • 72104 structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters
  • 72105 ironworkers
  • 72106 welders and related machine operators
  • 72200 electricians (except industrial and power system)
  • 72201 industrial electricians
  • 72300 plumbers
  • 72301 steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
  • 72302 gas fitters
  • 72310 carpenters
  • 72311 cabinetmakers
  • 72320 bricklayers
  • 72400 construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
  • 72401 heavy-duty equipment mechanics
  • 72402 heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
  • 72500 crane operators
  • 73100 concrete finishers
  • 73101 tilesetters
  • 73102 plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
  • 73110 roofers and shinglers
  • 73111 glaziers
  • 73112 painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
  • 73113 floor covering installers

The Skills Immigration (SI) category of the BCPNP targets skilled and semi-skilled workers in high-demand occupations in BC and is further divided into five components:

British Columbia’s Housing Strategy Aims To Build More Homes, Lower Rents

British Columbia’s new housing plan, dubbed Homes for People, is intended to speed up the delivery of new homes, increase the supply of middle-income housing, fight speculation in the housing market and help those who need it the most.

“If you’ve scrolled through rental listings or seen the prices of homes in your community, you know how tough it is to find an affordable, decent place to live,” says British Columbia Premier David Eby.

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“Even though our province is currently building more housing than ever before, it’s just not enough to meet the need. This plan will take us to the next level with unprecedented actions to tackle the challenges head on, delivering even more homes for people, faster.”

Homes for People will attempt to:

  • deliver more middle-income small-scale, multi-unit housing that people can afford, including townhomes, duplexes and triplexes through zoning changes and proactive partnerships;
  • offer forgivable loans for homeowners to build and rent secondary suites below market rates to increase affordable rental supply quickly;
  • build thousands more affordable homes for renters, indigenous people on and off reserve, women and children leaving violence, and build thousands more on-campus student housing units;
  • deliver thousands of new homes near public transit, and launch BC Builds to use public land to deliver affordable homes for people;
  • introduce a tax to discourage the flipping of properties and curb short-term speculation;
  • provide an annual income-tested tax credit of up to $400 per year for renters;
  • provide more homes and supports for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness;
  • streamline and modernize permitting to reduce costs and speed up approvals to get homes built faster, and;
  • strengthen enforcement of short-term rentals.

“We are in urgent need of more housing throughout British Columbia, which is why we are taking strong steps through our Homes for People strategy to close the gap between supply and demand,” said Ravi Kahlon, the provincial housing minister.

“We are working with our partners to unlock more homes across the spectrum of housing faster than ever, so everyone in our province can have a safe, secure and stable place to call home.”

British Columbia Targets Construction Workers For First Time In PNP Draw

Colin Singer
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British Columbia Targets Construction Workers For First Time In PNP Draw

British Columbia has conducted a new draw through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program, issuing its first invitations aimed at construction occupations.

A November 16 draw saw 224 invitations issued, 12 of them to candidates with skills and experience in one of 25 construction occupations announced earlier in the week.

A minimum score of 75 was required for the construction element of the draw.

A general draw, which included tech occupations, saw 116 invitations were issued through five BC PNP streams for skilled workers and international graduates. Minimum scores ranged from 94 to 115 points.

In a further targeted draw, 59 invitations were issued to skilled workers and international graduates scoring at least 60 points in a draw targeting Early Childhood Educators and Assistants under NOC 42202.

A draw targeted at Healthcare workers saw 32 invitations issued to skilled workers and international graduates, also with a minimum score of 60 points.

Finally, a draw aimed at other priority occupations under NOCs 31003 and 32104 saw 5 invitations issued, again with a minimum score of 60.

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Latest B.C. Immigration Draws

General Draw

Date Category Minimum Score Invitations Issued Description
16-11-23 Skilled Worker 113 116 General draw (includes tech occupations)
Skilled Worker – EEBC 113
International Graduate 115
International Graduate – EEBC 115
Entry Level and Semi-Skilled 94

Targeted Draw

Date Category Minimum Score Invitations Issued Description
16-11-23 Skilled Worker, International Graduate 60 59 Targeted draw: Childcare: Early childhood educators (NOC 42202)
75 12 Construction
60 32 Targeted draw: Healthcare
60 5 Other priority occupations (NOCs 31003, 32104)

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Immigration and Refugee Protection Act To Be Reviewed By IRCC

Colin Singer
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Immigration and Refugee Protection Act To Be Reviewed By IRCC

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently published a “consultation and review report” that proposed a review of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

The paper – titled An Immigration System for Canada’s Future – was released in October 2023 as the result of a months-long endeavor by the immigration department to meet with stakeholders, identify areas for improvement in the Canada immigration system, and evaluate policies to achieve those improvements.

IRCC’s Key Takeaways from Public Engagement

After listening to 17,500 voices (including more than 2,000 organizations and 2,100 current or former clients, such as foreign workers in Canada on a temporary basis, international students, and permanent residents), the following are some of the takeaways that were gathered:

  • Canada has a world-class and well-managed immigration system that has orderly pathways to bring immigrants to the country. The selection of immigrants is rigorous and evidence-based.
  • The system is overly-complex and needs simplification with target audiences in mind. The application to come to Canada needs to be made easier, clear information needs to be provided on government websites, and more access to information about application status and additional information for employers needs to be implemented.

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  • Immigration puts pressure on housing, healthcare, and infrastructure. It needs to be ensured that communities can absorb and support newcomers. Immigration can also be a part of the solution to addressing these pressures by adding workers in critical sectors.
  • Fast and predictable processing times need to be put in place.
  • Client service excellence needs to be achieved. This includes reducing duplication in the system, ensuring fairness, accountability and transparency in decision making, with a focus on diversity, equity, and anti-racism. Support needs to be provided for navigating the system.
  • It is important to have effective tools, mechanisms, and partnerships to attract and retain the skills and talent to grow our economy (especially, in small, rural, and Francophone communities), and take steps to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship to remain globally competitive.
  • Newcomers are required to fill critical labor gaps in key sectors under pressure. Their access to the job market, via integrated job matching and improved foreign credential recognition process, is key to positive outcomes for immigrants and the country.
  • Top students need to be brought to and retained in Canada, especially in areas with labor market gaps.
  • Comprehensive planning for and information sharing on the arrival, settlement, and integration of newcomers, including planning for pressures on areas like affordable housing, infrastructure, and healthcare.
  • Pathways for temporary residents to become PRs of Canada are important so that workers and students know there are opportunities to settle in Canada and become Canadian citizens one day.
  • It is vital to be responsive to regional needs.
  • Canada’s positive international reputation in responding to humanitarian crises needs to be maintained. Crises of the future need to be quickly and equitably responded to.
  • Changes need to be made on an as-needed basis, to ensure the right tools are in place to support a decision-making process that is focused first and foremost on people. “The views and lived experiences of newcomers should help guide program and policy development.”

Actions

In response to the aforementioned suggestions, a plan was developed to realize a Canadian immigration system of the future that is “nimble” and able to “better meet the needs of our country and of newcomers.”

The following actions were suggested to address each issue:

  • Reduce wait times and improve service standards
  • Help remove barriers to welcoming in the people we need for the future
  • Strengthen partnerships with employers and institutions that rely on immigration, while addressing fraud and strengthening student and worker protections
  • Improve communications and ensure a human-centric approach
  • Make applications more user-friendly, using digital and virtual technologies
  • Continue to advance reconciliation as we welcome newcomers

To help reduce barriers to welcoming immigrants, the department suggested an examination of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) to assess the need for legislative amendments or reform.

IRPA’s History

IRPA came into force in 2002, being the legislation that lays groundwork for most of IRCC’s programs, policies, and procedures. It provides the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) with jurisdiction to hear and decide cases on immigration and refugee matters.

It also sets out the core principles and concepts that govern the Canadian immigration and refugee protection programs, including provisions relating to refugees, sponsorships and removals, detention reviews and admissibility hearings, and the jurisdiction and powers of tribunals.

The department now says that IRPA needs to continue to reflect the goals of Canada’s immigration system, and that it provides a sufficiently flexible framework to meet them while keeping Canadians safe.

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Updating IRPA

IRPA’s inclusion of legislation that allows for the creation of new immigration pathways could be – through the suggested update – used by IRCC to allow more specialized immigration pathways for skilled immigrants.

Further, IRPA includes legislation on application submission, technology use, processing procedure, etc. An update could reform these legislations to align with present realities and rising demand, allowing for the department to meet its aim of simplifying the immigration system.

“This report, An Immigration System for Canada’s Future, and the engagement exercise it reflects marks the conclusion of formal engagement sessions, but the beginning of a transformation to Canada’s immigration system. As our society continues to evolve and new realities emerge, so too will our immigration programs and policies,” read the paper.

“In order to seize opportunities that come with change, we have to be nimble and continue to innovate and adapt. This cannot happen in isolation. It’s through partnership and staying connected that we share information, become aware of emerging issues and find solutions.”

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