Are you a candidate with skills and qualifications in one of Canada’s 82 jobs for occupation-specific Express Entry draws? We want to help you move to Canada. Please submit your CV here.

Foreign nationals qualified to work as professionals in the diagnosing and treating of patients are going to have plenty of opportunity to gain their permanent residence in Canada.

They are now included in occupation-targeted Express Entry system draws as the labour shortage for these healthcare workers is expected to persist until at least 2031.

These healthcare professionals include:

• chiropodists;
• doctors of naturopathic medicine;
• doctors of osteopathic medicine;
• doctors of podiatric medicine;
• foot specialists;
• naturopathic doctors;
• osteopathic physicians, and;
• podiatrist.

The Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) website is projecting there will be 700 fewer job seekers for these positions over the coming nine years than there will be newly-opened positions.

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“As job openings and job seekers are projected to be similar over the 2022 – 2031 period, it is expected that the shortage between labour supply and demand seen in recent years will continue over the projection period,” notes the COPS website.

Roughly half of the new job openings will come from existing workers in the field retiring and 37 per cent will come from growth in demand for these types of healthcare professionals.

“As the Canadian population ages, the demand for health services and, consequently, the need for healthcare professionals is expected to increase,” notes the COPS website.

“For example, the demand for eye care services is anticipated to grow steadily, given the prevalence of age-related eye conditions. Similarly, many individuals with health issues are projected to seek alternative solutions to traditional medicine, which, in conjunction with wider coverage from private insurance plans, is likely to boost demand for chiropractic care.”

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Although there were already many ways for these other professionals in the diagnosing and treating of patients to immigrate to Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) added one more pathway for them in May.

That month, the IRCC changed Canada’s Express Entry system to allow it to target 82 jobs in healthcare, technology, trades, transport and agriculture starting this summer – including other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating categorized under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 system with the code 31209 – and so 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.

“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.”

The federal government’s job-hunting and career-planning website, Jobbank, ranks the job prospects of these health diagnosing and treating professionals as very good, its highest rating, over the next three years in British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan and good in Alberta.

Occupation-Targeted Draws Started For Express Entry Programs This Summer

In Canada, the median annual income for these healthcare workers is $52,517 but that varies from a low of $27,446 right up to $107,748, reveals Jobbank.

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.

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.

Are you a candidate with skills and qualifications in one of Canada’s 82 jobs for occupation-specific Express Entry draws? We want to help you move to Canada. Please submit your CV here.

The biggest province in Canada, Ontario, is aiming to open up many more jobs to internationally-trained workers by becoming the first to ban the practice of demanding Canadian work experience in job ads and application forms.

“For far too long, too many people arriving in Canada have been funnelled toward dead-end jobs they’re overqualified for,” said provincial Immigration Minister David Piccini.

“We need to ensure these people can land well-paying and rewarding careers that help tackle the labour shortage. When newcomers to Ontario get a meaningful chance to contribute, everyone wins.”

Ontario’s move to end this form of workplace discrimination comes as its law that will ban Canadian workplace requirements for licensing in 30 occupations is about to come into effect next month.

Under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), the province is expected to nominate 16,500 applicants for permanent residence this year.

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The province is also proposing to increase the number of international students in Ontario eligible to apply to the OINP by revising eligibility requirements for hundreds of one-year college graduate certificate programs around the province.

Ontario is investing $100 million this fiscal year for services to help newcomers learn English or French, settle, access training and find jobs. This also includes additional funding for 2023 – 24 to enhance the Ontario Bridge Training Program and Ontario Bridging Participant Assistance Program and expand access to foreign qualification recognition supports.

Bullish on immigration, Ontario is also hoping to gain more control over its ability to select economic immigration candidates.

“Ontario is a global leader in welcoming newcomers from a wide array of backgrounds, cultures and faiths around the world,” said provincial Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister Michael Ford.

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“By banning Canadian work experience requirements in job postings, Ontario … is leading the country in breaking down barriers to make it easier for internationally-trained immigrants to find meaningful work and contribute to building Ontario. This change will help support families as they start their journey in their new homes, create more vibrant communities and help ensure businesses have the talent they need.”

The province, which welcomes more immigrants than any other in Canada, claims research shows helping internationally-trained immigrants work in their chosen professions would increase its GDP by up to $100 billion within the next five years.

Canadian Work Experience Requirement Is A Major Stumbling Block For Many Immigrants To Canada

The legislative changes being proposed in Ontario are part of a larger package introduced in the Working for Workers Acts, 2021, 2022 and 2023 which is to be unveiled soon to protect workers, help them earn bigger paycheques and help newcomers contribute to building Ontario.

“Canadian experience continues to be one the most prominent barriers faced by many newcomers in their search for meaningful employment,” said Sara Asalya, executive director of Newcomer Women’s Services Toronto.

“Introducing legislation to ban the Canadian experience requirements from job postings and ads is a big leap forward in the right direction to eliminate systemic barriers facing newcomers and to facilitate pathways to their labour market inclusion.”

Ontario first announced its intention to help foreign-trained lawyers, accountants, architects, engineers, electricians and plumbers to get licensed to practice their chosen professions back in October 2021.

“Ontario is facing a generational labour shortage with hundreds of thousands of jobs going unfilled. However, all too often, newcomers in this province struggle to find jobs in their regulated profession for no other reason than bureaucracy and red tape,” said former Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton in a statement when those changes were proposed.

“These are folks who often have the training, experience, and qualifications to work in booming industries where Ontario desperately needs help but are being denied a chance to contribute,” he said.

The legislation was introduced that autumn, proposing that:

• Canadian work experience requirements for professional registration and licensing be eliminated unless an exemption is granted based on a demonstrated public health and safety risk.
• The duplication for official language-proficiency testing be reduced, so people with foreign credentials in these occupations will not have to complete multiple tests for the purposes of immigration and professional licencing, and;
• Speed up the licensing process which can now take 18 months or more to help internationally-trained immigrants start working in careers that match their skillset.

The requirement of Canadian work experience has often left immigrants stymied because they don’t have it and so cannot practice their professions. In 2016, only one quarter of internationally-trained immigrants in Ontario were employed in the regulated professions for which they trained or studied.

Irwin Glasberg, the province’s fairness commissioner, was a strong proponent of the proposed changes.

“These proposed changes would help to improve registration practices, address unfair Canadian experience requirements and remove related barriers for internationally-trained professionals and tradespersons,” he said in a statement. “I want to thank Minister McNaughton for his leadership on this important initiative.

Immigrant Advocacy Groups Say Changes Will Allow Newcomers To More Easily Land Jobs

“Our office looks forward to working with the government, professional regulators, and other parties to advance these initiatives and improve fair access to the regulated professions and compulsory trades.”

Sharaf Sharafeldin, executive director of the Muslim Association of Canada, said two years ago the changes proposed then would allow immigrants to Ontario to contribute in a more meaningful way to the provincial economy.

“Newcomers to Ontario are an important part of our economy and represent a diversity of skilled trades and professional vocations essential to Ontario’s success,” said Sharafeldin. “The Muslim Association of Canada appreciates the initiative of the Government of Ontario that will make it easier for newcomers to match their foreign qualifications and skills to available jobs in Ontario, allowing newcomers to enact their agency and contribute to our vibrant economy in a meaningful way.”

Tonie Chaltas, the chief executive officer of the newcomer association Achev, said the streamlining of the credentialing process for skilled immigrants is important as it helps make it easier for newcomers to find jobs and settle into their communities.

Are you a candidate with skills and qualifications in one of Canada’s 82 jobs for occupation-specific Express Entry draws? We want to help you move to Canada. Please submit your CV here.

Canada has a shortage of specialists in surgery that is set to become even more acute over the coming nine years as the country’s demand continues to outstrip the supply.

That will create opportunities for qualified foreign nationals to gain their permanent residence here through occupation-targeted Express Entry system draws.

“Over the period 2022 – 2031, the number of job openings arising from expansion demand and replacement demand for specialist physicians are expected to total 29,800, while the number of job seekers arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility is expected to total 24,000,” reports the Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) website.

That’s a projected additional shortfall of 5,800 specialists across Canada by 2031.

“The labour shortage conditions seen in recent years is expected to persist into the 2022 – 2031 period and could even become more acute as the projected number of job openings are substantially higher than the projected number of job seekers over that period,” forecasts the COPS website.

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As the Canadian population ages, demand for healthcare services is expected to explode.

“The number of complex health conditions as well as those requiring additional follow-ups is expected to grow, increasing the need for specialist physicians,” notes the COPS website.

“Consequently, the employment growth rate for these workers is projected to be significantly higher than the average of all occupations. The retirement rate is also expected to be higher than the national average as workers in this occupation tend to be older but retire at a similar age as the rest of the workforce.”

Although there were already many ways for surgeons to immigrate to Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) added one more pathway for them in May.

That month, the IRCC changed Canada’s Express Entry system to allow it to target 82 jobs in healthcare, technology, trades, transport and agriculture starting this summer –including specialists in surgery  – and so opened the door to a new pathway to immigration for them.

Video

The flagship Express Entry selection system had previously only conducted draws based on immigration programs, not by targeting specific occupations.

“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.”

In late September, there were 1,699 job postings for surgeons on the Indeed.ca job-hunting website.

The federal government’s job-hunting and career-planning website, Jobbank, ranked the job prospects of specialists in surgery as very good, its highest rating, over the next three years in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba and British Columbia and as good in Alberta and Quebec.

Occupation-Targeted Draws Started For Express Entry Programs This Summer

In Canada, the median yearly income for specialists in surgery,  categorized under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 system with the code 31101, is $273,510 but that varies from a low of $100,694 right up to $557,366, reveals Jobbank.

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.

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.