The details of six new pathways that will start Thursday, May 6 at noon to grant permanent residence for up to 90,000 temporary foreign workers and international graduates, were unveiled by Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino on Wednesday.
The new pathways are being touted as vital to bolster Canada’s healthcare system and industries providing essential services, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“One in three workers in our healthcare system is an immigrant,” said Mendicino during a Zoom call broadcast over YouTube Wednesday. “That’s why this new pathway is so important.”
Dr. Victoria Lee, president and CEO of the Fraser Health Authority, were also on the call and agreed.
“When the healthcare system is stretched, it’s not because we don’t have enough space, enough beds. It’s because we don’t have enough people,” said the top exec for the health authority in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.
“There are many healthcare workers that are in under-employment situations because their healthcare credentials are not recognized,” she said.
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Both Dr. Lee and Rhose Harris-Galia, a nurse and supervisor at Alberta Health Services, agreed the new pathways to permanent residency will allow healthcare workers from other countries already working in Canada to make longer-range plans and get their qualifications recognized.
“Nurses and other healthcare professionals still have to get the qualifications to get these roles,” said Harris-Galia. “Hopefully, once they get their permanent residence, this will allow them to finalize their plans … and have a bit more stability.”
Under the special public policy, Canada will grant permanent status to temporary foreign workers and international graduates of a Canadian institution who are already in Canada.
Eligible applicants can submit their applications through the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) online portal starting tomorrow starting at noon EDT time.
Applicants Must Live Outside Quebec
To be eligible, workers must have at least one year of Canadian work experience in a health care profession or another pre-approved essential occupation.
International graduates must have completed an eligible post-secondary program in Canada within the last four years, and no earlier than January 2017.
All applicants must intend to reside in a province or territory other than Quebec to qualify.
The portal will remain open until Nov. 5 or until the maximum number of applications is reached.
Canada will be accepting:
- 20,000 applications for temporary workers in health care;
- 30,000 applications for temporary workers in other selected essential occupations, and;
- 40,000 applications for international students who graduated from an eligible Canadian institution
Three additional streams with similar eligibility criteria have also been launched for French-speaking and bilingual candidates, but there is no maximum number of applications for those who speak French.
The new pathways to permanent residency open up a broad category of occupations now deemed essential, including many in such areas as manufacturing and food processing that are often low-paying and not always regarded as all that important.
Ottawa is looking to change that perception and value these jobs more than they may have been in the past and to bring in enough immigrants to fill these positions, said Mendicino.
“We are experiencing a broad shift in the way we view these jobs and the people who do them,” said the immigration minister.
“Immigration is vital to our short-term recovery and longer-term prosperity,” he said. “This is a watershed moment.”
Applicants can get an eligibility tool, checklists, forms, and an application guide for the program online and must include valid language test results received through a designated testing organization. Language tests can be submitted provided they are from a designated organization and less than two years old.
Incomplete applications will be assessed based on the information provided. If they are refused due to incompleteness, processing fees will not be returned.
40 Healthcare Occupations and 95 Other Essential Jobs
In all, the new streams will draw on workers in 40 healthcare occupations and 95 other essential jobs, including caregiver, food production, and distribution worker.
English-speaking temporary foreign workers applying for permanent residence under the two streams for them must have worked full-time for at least one year -or the equivalent in part-time experience (1,560 hours) in Canada, in an eligible occupation listed in either the A or B streams within the past three years.
The eligible occupations in the A stream are:
| NOC Code | Occupation |
| 3011 | Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors |
| 3012 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| 3111 | Specialist physicians |
| 3112 | General practitioners and family physicians |
| 3113 | Dentists |
| 3121 | Optometrists |
| 3122 | Chiropractors |
| 3124 | Allied primary health practitioners |
| 3125 | Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating |
| 3131 | Pharmacists |
| 3132 | Dietitians and nutritionists |
| 3141 | Audiologists and speech-language pathologists |
| 3142 | Physiotherapists |
| 3143 | Occupational therapists |
| 3144 | Other professional occupations in therapy and assessment |
| 3211 | Medical laboratory technologists |
| 3212 | Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants |
| 3214 | Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists |
| 3215 | Medical radiation technologists |
| 3216 | Medical sonographers |
| 3217 | Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists. |
| 3219 | Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health) |
| 3221 | Denturists |
| 3222 | Dental hygienists and dental therapists |
| 3223 | Dental technologists, technicians and laboratory assistants |
| 3231 | Opticians |
| 3232 | Practitioners of natural healing |
| 3233 | Licensed practical nurses |
| 3234 | Paramedical occupations |
| 3236 | Massage therapists |
| 3237 | Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment |
| 3411 | Dental assistants |
| 3413 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 3414 | Other assisting occupations in support of health services |
| 4151 | Psychologists |
| 4152 | Social workers |
| 4153 | Family, marriage and other related counsellors |
| 4165 | Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers |
| 4212 | Social and community service workers |
| 4412 | Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations |
The occupations deemed essential under the B stream are:
| NOC Code | Occupation |
| 6611 | Cashiers |
| 6621 | Service station attendants |
| 6622 | Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers |
| 6623 | Other sales related occupations |
| 7201 | Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations |
| 7202 | Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations |
| 7203 | Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades |
| 7204 | Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades |
| 7205 | Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers |
| 7231 | Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors |
| 7232 | Tool and die makers |
| 7233 | Sheet metal workers |
| 7234 | Boilermakers |
| 7235 | Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters |
| 7236 | Ironworkers |
| 7237 | Welders and related machine operators |
| 7241 | Electricians (except industrial and power system) |
| 7242 | Industrial electricians |
| 7243 | Power system electricians |
| 7244 | Electrical power line and cable workers |
| 7245 | Telecommunications line and cable workers |
| 7246 | Telecommunications installation and repair workers |
| 7247 | Cable television service and maintenance technicians |
| 7251 | Plumbers |
| 7252 | Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers |
| 7253 | Gas fitters |
| 7271 | Carpenters |
| 7272 | Cabinetmakers |
| 7281 | Bricklayers |
| 7282 | Concrete finishers |
| 7283 | Tilesetters |
| 7284 | Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers |
| 7291 | Roofers and shinglers |
| 7292 | Glaziers |
| 7293 | Insulators |
| 7294 | Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) |
| 7295 | Floor covering installers |
| 7441 | Residential and commercial installers and servicers |
| 7442 | Waterworks and gas maintenance workers |
| 7444 | Pest controllers and fumigators |
| 7445 | Other repairers and servicers |
| 7451 | Longshore workers |
| 7452 | Material handlers |
| 7511 | Transport truck drivers |
| 7512 | Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators |
| 7513 | Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs |
| 7514 | Delivery and courier service drivers |
| 7521 | Heavy equipment operators (except crane) |
| 7522 | Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers |
| 7531 | Railway yard and track maintenance workers |
| 7532 | Water transport deck and engine room crew |
| 7533 | Boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations |
| 7534 | Air transport ramp attendants |
| 7535 | Other automotive mechanical installers and servicers |
| 7611 | Construction trades helpers and labourers |
| 7612 | Other trades helpers and labourers |
| 7621 | Public works and maintenance labourers |
| 7622 | Railway and motor transport labourers |
| 8611 | Harvesting labourers |
| 8612 | Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers |
| 8613 | Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers |
| 8614 | Mine labourers |
| 8615 | Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers |
| 8616 | Logging and forestry labourers |
| 1511 | Mail, postal and related workers |
| 1512 | Letter carriers |
| 1513 | Couriers, messengers and door-to-door distributors |
| 6421 | Retail salespersons |
| 6731 | Light duty cleaners |
| 6732 | Specialized cleaners |
| 6733 | Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents |
| 8431 | General farm workers |
| 8432 | Nursery and greenhouse workers |
| 8441 | Fishing vessel deckhands |
| 8442 | Trappers and hunters |
| 9461 | Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing |
| 9462 | Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers |
| 9463 | Fish and seafood plant workers |
| 9465 | Testers and graders, food and beverage processing |
| 821 | Managers in agriculture |
| 822 | Managers in horticulture |
| 4031 | French and French Immersion Secondary school teachers |
| 4032 | French and French Immersion Elementary school and kindergarten teachers |
| 4411 | Home child care providers |
| 4413 | Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants |
| 6331 | Retail butchers |
| 6523 | Airline ticket and service agents |
| 6524 | Ground and water transport ticket agents, cargo service representatives and related clerks |
| 6541 | Security guards and related security service occupations |
| 6551 | Customer services representatives – financial institutions |
| 6552 | Other customer and information services representatives |
| 8252 | Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers |
| 8255 | Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services |
| 9617 | Labourers in food and beverage processing |
| 9618 | Labourers in fish and seafood processing |
Those applying under the worker streams must also:
- be employed in Canada in any occupation at the time that the application for permanent residence is received;
- have attained Level 4 proficiency in either official language;
- live in Canada with valid temporary resident status;
- be willing to live in a province or territory other than Quebec, and;
- have applied online.
The stream for French-speaking international graduates who are willing to live outside of Quebec comes with many of the same criteria as the one for the English-speaking graduates but applies broadly to the following skilled trades:
| NOC Code | Occupation |
| 7201 | Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations |
| 7202 | Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations |
| 7203 | Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades |
| 7204 | Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades |
| 7205 | Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers |
| 7231 | Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors |
| 7232 | Tool and die makers |
| 7233 | Sheet metal workers |
| 7234 | Boilermakers |
| 7235 | Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters |
| 7236 | Ironworkers |
| 7237 | Welders and related machine operators |
| 7241 | Electricians (except industrial and power system) |
| 7242 | Industrial electricians |
| 7243 | Power system electricians |
| 7244 | Electrical power line and cable workers |
| 7245 | Telecommunications line and cable workers |
| 7246 | Telecommunications installation and repair workers |
| 7247 | Cable television service and maintenance technicians |
| 7251 | Plumbers |
| 7252 | Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers |
| 7253 | Gas fitters |
| 7271 | Carpenters |
| 7272 | Cabinetmakers |
| 7281 | Bricklayers |
| 7282 | Concrete finishers |
| 7283 | Tilesetters |
| 7284 | Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers |
| 7291 | Roofers and shinglers |
| 7292 | Glaziers |
| 7293 | Insulators |
| 7294 | Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) |
| 7295 | Floor covering installers |
| 7301 | Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades |
| 7302 | Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews |
| 7303 | Supervisors, printing and related occupations |
| 7304 | Supervisors, railway transport operations |
| 7305 | Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators |
| 7311 | Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics |
| 7312 | Heavy-duty equipment mechanics |
| 7313 | Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics |
| 7314 | Railway carmen/women |
| 7315 | Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors |
| 7316 | Machine fitters |
| 7318 | Elevator constructors and mechanics |
| 7321 | Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers |
| 7322 | Motor vehicle body repairers |
| 7331 | Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics |
| 7332 | Appliance servicers and repairers |
| 7333 | Electrical mechanics |
| 7334 | Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics |
| 7335 | Other small engine and small equipment repairers |
| 7361 | Railway and yard locomotive engineers |
| 7362 | Railway conductors and brakemen/women |
| 7371 | Crane operators |
| 7372 | Drillers and blasters – surface mining, quarrying and construction |
| 7373 | Water well drillers |
| 7381 | Printing press operators |
| 7384 | Other trades and related occupations. |
| 8211 | Supervisors, logging and forestry |
| 8221 | Supervisors, mining and quarrying |
| 8222 | Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services |
| 8231 | Underground production and development miners |
| 8232 | Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers |
| 8241 | Logging machinery operators |
| 8252 | Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers |
| 8255 | Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services |
| 8261 | Fishing masters and officers |
| 8262 | Fishermen/women |
| 9211 | Supervisors, mineral and metal processing |
| 9212 | Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities |
| 9213 | Supervisors, food and beverage processing |
| 9214 | Supervisors, plastic and rubber products manufacturing |
| 9215 | Supervisors, forest products processing |
| 9217 | Supervisors, textile, fabric, fur and leather products processing and manufacturing |
| 9221 | Supervisors, motor vehicle assembling |
| 9222 | Supervisors, electronics manufacturing |
| 9223 | Supervisors, electrical products manufacturing |
| 9224 | Supervisors, furniture and fixtures manufacturing |
| 9226 | Supervisors, other mechanical and metal products manufacturing |
| 9227 | Supervisors, other products manufacturing and assembly |
| 9231 | Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing |
| 9232 | Central control and process operators, petroleum, gas and chemical processing |
| 9235 | Pulping, papermaking and coating control operators |
| 9241 | Power engineers and power systems operators |
| 9243 | Water and waste treatment plant operators |
| 6321 | Chefs |
| 6322 | Cooks |
| 6331 | Butchers, meat cutters and fishmongers – retail and wholesale |
| 6332 | Bakers |
Those seeking permanent residence under the A or B streams for French-speaking temporary foreign workers can apply using very similar criteria as for the English-speaking stream.
Under the French-speaking A stream, even the list of eligible occupations is the same as under the English-speaking stream.
Under the French-speaking B stream, however, the following occupations are eligible:
| NOC Code | Occupation |
| 6611 | Cashiers |
| 6621 | Service station attendants |
| 6622 | Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers |
| 6623 | Other sales related occupations |
| 7201 | Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations |
| 7202 | Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations |
| 7203 | Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades |
| 7204 | Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades |
| 7205 | Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers |
| 7231 | Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors |
| 7232 | Tool and die makers |
| 7233 | Sheet metal workers |
| 7234 | Boilermakers |
| 7235 | Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters |
| 7236 | Ironworkers |
| 7237 | Welders and related machine operators |
| 7241 | Electricians (except industrial and power system) |
| 7242 | Industrial electricians |
| 7243 | Power system electricians |
| 7244 | Electrical power line and cable workers |
| 7245 | Telecommunications line and cable workers |
| 7246 | Telecommunications installation and repair workers |
| 7247 | Cable television service and maintenance technicians |
| 7251 | Plumbers |
| 7252 | Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers |
| 7253 | Gas fitters |
| 7271 | Carpenters |
| 7272 | Cabinetmakers |
| 7281 | Bricklayers |
| 7282 | Concrete finishers |
| 7283 | Tilesetters |
| 7284 | Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers |
| 7291 | Roofers and shinglers |
| 7292 | Glaziers |
| 7293 | Insulators |
| 7294 | Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) |
| 7295 | Floor covering installers |
| 7441 | Residential and commercial installers and servicers |
| 7442 | Waterworks and gas maintenance workers |
| 7444 | Pest controllers and fumigators |
| 7445 | Other repairers and servicers |
| 7451 | Longshore workers |
| 7452 | Material handlers |
| 7511 | Transport truck drivers |
| 7512 | Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators |
| 7513 | Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs |
| 7514 | Delivery and courier service drivers |
| 7521 | Heavy equipment operators (except crane) |
| 7522 | Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers |
| 7531 | Railway yard and track maintenance workers |
| 7532 | Water transport deck and engine room crew |
| 7533 | Boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations |
| 7534 | Air transport ramp attendants |
| 7535 | Other automotive mechanical installers and servicers |
| 7611 | Construction trades helpers and labourers |
| 7612 | Other trades helpers and labourers |
| 7621 | Public works and maintenance labourers |
| 7622 | Railway and motor transport labourers |
| 8611 | Harvesting labourers |
| 8612 | Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers |
| 8613 | Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers |
| 8614 | Mine labourers |
| 8615 | Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers |
| 8616 | Logging and forestry labourers |
| 1511 | Mail, postal and related workers |
| 1512 | Letter carriers |
| 1513 | Couriers, messengers and door-to-door distributors |
| 6421 | Retail salespersons |
| 6731 | Light duty cleaners |
| 6732 | Specialized cleaners |
| 6733 | Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents |
| 8431 | General farm workers |
| 8432 | Nursery and greenhouse workers |
| 8441 | Fishing vessel deckhands |
| 8442 | Trappers and hunters |
| 9461 | Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing |
| 9462 | Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers |
| 9463 | Fish and seafood plant workers |
| 9465 | Testers and graders, food and beverage processing |
| 821 | Managers in agriculture |
| 822 | Managers in horticulture |
| 4031 | French and French Immersion Secondary school teachers |
| 4032 | French and French Immersion Elementary school and kindergarten teachers |
| 4411 | Home child care providers |
| 4413 | Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants |
| 6331 | Retail butchers |
| 6523 | Airline ticket and service agents |
| 6524 | Ground and water transport ticket agents, cargo service representatives and related clerks |
| 6541 | Security guards and related security service occupations |
| 6551 | Customer services representatives – financial institutions |
| 6552 | Other customer and information services representatives |
| 8252 | Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers |
| 8255 | Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services |
| 9617 | Labourers in food and beverage processing |
| 9618 | Labourers in fish and seafood processing |