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Canada has a growing demand for medical laboratory assistants, which is expected to provide many opportunities for qualified foreign nationals to gain their permanent residence here through occupation-targeted Express Entry system draws.
The Canadian Occupational Projections System (COPS) is forecasting an additional shortfall of 1,800 workers by 2031 in the already-tight labour market for medical laboratory assistants.
“Over the period 2022 – 2031, the number of job openings arising from expansion demand and replacement demand for medical laboratory technologists and medical laboratory technician and pathologists’ assistants are expected to total 25,600, while the number of job seekers arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility is expected to total 23,800,” notes the federal government website.
“As job openings and job seekers are projected to be relatively similar over the 2022 – 2031 period, the labour shortage conditions seen in recent years are expected to continue over the projection period.”
The aging of the Baby Boomer generation is one of the big drivers for the anticipated growth in the need for these healthcare workers.
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“The growing number of seniors will lead to an increase in the demand for diagnostic services for various diseases such as cancer and diabetes,” reports COPS.
“Moreover, the arrival of new medical technologies and techniques, as well as the introduction of more advanced equipment, will require more technologists.”
With Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) changing Canada’s Express Entry system to allow it to target 82 jobs in healthcare, technology, trades, transport and agriculture this summer – including medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations – it opened the door to a new pathway to immigration for them.
The flagship Express Entry selection system had previously only conducted draws based on immigration programs, not by targeting specific occupations.
Ottawa made the changes to help resolve serious labour shortages in Canada.
Occupation-Specific Express Entry Draws Aim To Resolve Labour Shortages
“Everywhere I go, I’ve heard loud and clear from employers across the country who are experiencing chronic labour shortages,” said then-Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.
“These changes to the Express Entry system will ensure that they have the skilled workers they need to grow and succeed. We can also grow our economy and help businesses with labour shortages while also increasing the number of French-proficient candidates to help ensure the vitality of French-speaking communities.”
Across Canada, Job Bank listed 59 jobs for medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations in mid-October.
Job Bank gives its highest rating of very good to the job prospects for medical laboratory assistants in Manitoba and Saskatchewan and good in every province or territory with a rating over the next three years.
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The website pegs the median hourly wage for medical laboratory assistants in Canada, categorized under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 system with the code 33101, at $26 but that varies from a low of $19.98 right up to $40.
Based on a standard, 37.5-hour work week, that means these workers can expect to earn up to $78,000 per year.
Candidates hoping to immigrate through Express Entry occupation-targeted draws need at least six months of continuous work experience in Canada or abroad within the past three years in one of these occupations to be eligible, experience that can have been gained while working in Canada as temporary foreign workers with a work permits or as an international student with a student visa.
Provinces Have Already Been Holding Occupation-Specific Draws For Years
Under the changes announced at the end of May, the Express Entry streams, including the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program, Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program and Canadian Experience Class (CEC), as well as parts of the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) are now more responsive to labour market needs.
Canada first signalled its intention to start occupation-specific draws through Express Entry in June last year, when changes were made to the Immigration, Refugee and Protection Act to allow invitations based on occupations and other attributes, such as language ability.
The majority of Canada’s provinces have been issuing occupation-specific invitations for several years.
Under the changes to the act, the immigration minister is required to consult provinces and territories, members of industry, unions, employers, workers, worker advocacy groups, settlement provider organizations, and immigration researchers and practitioners, before announcing new categories.
IRCC must also report to parliament each year on the categories that were chosen and the reason for the choices.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) says the number of occupations facing shortages doubled between 2019 and 2021. From 2018 to 2022, federal high skilled admissions accounted for between 34 and 40 per cent of overall French-speaking admissions outside Quebec, which manages its own immigration intake.