Employers Battling Labour Crunch Means Canada Work Permits Issued In Record Numbers

Colin Singer
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Employers Battling Labour Crunch Means Canada Work Permits Issued In Record Numbers

The latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals a record-breaking number of foreign nationals are working in Canada through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and International Mobility Program (IMP) this year. 

In the first 10 months of this year alone, those two programs resulted in almost half a million foreign nationals, exactly 498,435, getting Canadian work permits.

That’s 20.3 per cent more work permits under these programs in the first 10 months of this year than the 414,170 in all of last year. 

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Based on the current trend, Ottawa could wind up issuing 598,122 work permits to foreign nationals by the end of this year, or 44.4 per cent more than in 2021.

Both programs are showing massive growth this year as employers increasingly turn to recruiting workers from outside the country to resolve Canadian labour shortages.

The IMP’s previous record for number of work permits issued was last year when the IRCC issued 310,805 to foreign nationals. 

Ottawa had already issued 378,365 work permits under the IMP by the end of October this year and, based on the current trend, could issue 454,038 work permits through the IMP this year. 

That performance would see Canada issuing more than twice as many work permits under the IMP this year compared to the 222,720 it issued under the same program only five years ago, in 2017.

Under the TFWP, immigration officials had already issued 120,070 work permits by the end of October this year, almost 16.2 per cent more in those 10 months than the 103,365 in all of last year. 

Based on the current trend, Ottawa could wind up issuing 144,084 work permits through the TFWP by the end of this year, or about 39.4 per cent more than in all of last year. 

That performance would mean the number of work permits issued through the TFWP would have almost doubled from the 72,965 in 2015, only seven years ago. 

Employers Turning To Foreign Workers To Fill The 959,600 Vacant Jobs

Employers are increasingly turning to foreign workers to fill jobs that are going begging for a want of Canadians to fill them.

In its third quarter job vacancies report, Statistics Canada noted there were then 959,600 vacant positions in Canada, down only slightly from the record high of 992,200 vacant positions in the second quarter of this year. 

“It was 8.3 per cent higher than in the third quarter of 2021 and 72.7 per cent higher than in the first quarter of 2020,” reports Statistics Canada.

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The job vacancy rate, which is calculated by dividing the number of vacant positions in Canada by the total number of jobs, both filled and unfilled, was 5.4 per cent in the third quarter of this year, down a smidgeon from 5.7 per cent in the previous quarter.

That’s a very, very tight labour market. Even if every unemployed person had the right skills and experience to do the available jobs, there were still barely enough people unemployed in Canada to fill the available jobs in the country during the third quarter – and, of course, there is no such perfect match in the workforce.

“There was an average of 1.1 unemployed persons for each job vacancy in Canada in the third quarter of 2022, similar to the record low reached in the second quarter,” reports Statistics Canada.

Canadian employers trying to survive during this acute labour shortage can recruit and hire foreign nationals through the TFWP and the IMP.

Ontario Snags More Than A Third Of All Foreign Nationals Coming To Canada With Work Permits

British Columbia and Quebec still have the highest job vacancy rates among the provinces and, perhaps unsurprisingly, are also two provinces where many of foreign nationals with work permits are going to work. 

In the first 10 months of this year, foreign nationals headed for British Columbia got 27,825 work permits through the TFWP and another 56,600 through the IMP. 

During the same period, foreign nationals headed for Quebec snagged 34,070 work permits through the TFWP and another 42,060 through the IMP.

If you are a candidate looking for a Canada job, or an employer looking to recruit foreign talent from abroad, immigration.ca can help. Access our expertise through our in-house recruitment enterprise www.skilledworker.com, “the leader in foreign recruitment”.

Ontario employers’ recruitment of workers from other countries through these programs, though, makes both British Columbia and Quebec’s numbers pale by comparison. 

Canada’s most populous province and the economic engine of Canada opened its arms to 37,200 foreign nationals who got work permits through the TFWP and another 140,170 through the IMP in the first 10 months of this year alone.

That’s a total of 177,370 foreign nationals with TFWP or IMP work permits in Ontario as of the end of October, or almost 35.6 per cent of the total number of such work permits issued across the country.

Foreign-Trained Doctor Credential Recognition Program Coming In Ontario

Colin Singer
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Foreign-Trained Doctor Credential Recognition Program Coming In Ontario

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario says a three-month program to recognize the foreign credentials of physicians could be in place in the province by as early as next spring.

In submission to Ontario’s ministry of health earlier this year, the self-regulating body for Ontario’s medical profession proposes a 12-week program for internationally-trained physicians in Ontario.

“Practice Ready Assessment (PRA) programs are used in seven provinces across Canada to support the licensure of internationally-trained physicians who have already completed their training and practiced independently abroad,” notes the CPSO.

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Through such a program, the regulatory body would:

  • rapidly assess the qualifications of foreign-trained physicians over a 12-week period through supervision and direct observation;
  • deploy successful candidates to underserviced communities, and;
  • provide a path to independent licensure for these foreign-trained physicians.

“With government funding and coordination among key system partners, a program could be implemented immediately and begin injecting a new supply of IEPs into the system as early as spring 2023 and onwards,” notes the CPSO in its submission.

It was presented to Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones in mid-August.

The regulatory body is also advocating for more residency positions for internationally-trained physicians.

“As only a small number of residency positions are accessible to internationally-educated physicians, Ontario is essentially limiting the opportunity to quickly grow our base of future physicians and support (them),” noted the CPSO.

“We ask government to immediately increase the number of residency positions available to internationally-educated physicians. 

“With consideration to how this increase in positions may impact other jurisdictions facing their own health human resource shortage, government should create targeted or additional spots for internationally-educated physicians already in the province, including Canadians who have studied abroad and are looking to complete their residency in Ontario.”

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Those who study medicine outside Canada, including both foreign nationals and Canadians who choose to study medicine in other countries, are often stymied in practicing medicine in Canada because of a lack of sufficient residency spots for them.

“The messaging for so long has been that it’s nearly impossible to get a bloody residency in Canada if you’re an international graduate,” Peter Nealon,  chief executive officer of the Atlantic Bridge Program, reportedly told The Globe and Mail national daily newspaper.

“These people are the cream of the crop and they’re simply going elsewhere because they’re in demand. You tell people to go away long enough, and eventually, they go away.”

CPSO Eyeing Faster Processes To Recognize Foreign Credentials Of Physicians

In Ontario, the CPSO wants to turn the tide and prevent that brain drain by putting in better ways to recognize foreign credentials of physicians.

“The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the College of Family Physicians of Canada have training assessment programs to streamline credentialing for internationally-educated physicians from specific jurisdictions who have completed training in approved jurisdictions deemed equivalent to Canadian education standards,” notes the regulatory body in its submission to the Ontario government. 

“In turn, CPSO facilitates streamlined pathways to licensure for internationally-educated physicians who are undergoing these processes. In consultation with other regulators and system partners, CPSO is re-evaluating whether additional equivalencies and pathways could be explored in lieu of completing national examinations based on, for example, years of practice.”

The paucity of residency positions for internationally-educated physicians, though, remains a stumbling block – and the problem is getting worse, not better. 

If you are a candidate looking for a Canada job, or an employer looking to recruit foreign talent from abroad, immigration.ca can help. Access our expertise through our in-house recruitment enterprise www.skilledworker.com, “the leader in foreign recruitment”.

The number of residency spots for internationally-educated physicians has been dwindling since the late 1980s despite the growing shortage of healthcare professionals in Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) efforts to open up immigration programs to healthcare workers, including physicians and nurses.

This year, only 13 per cent of the spots in residency programs in Canada, or 439 of the total 3,295, are filled by those who graduated from medical schools outside of the country, reports The Globe and Mail.

That’s down from 499 a decade ago and 700 residency spots for foreign-trained doctors in the late 1980s, reports the national newspaper.

And yet, foreign-educated doctors are widely-regarded as a possible fix for at least part of Canada’s healthcare labour shortage.

Across Canada, just under one in three doctors is already foreign-educated, and nowhere is that truer than among family physicians.

But fewer and fewer internationally-educated doctors are now even bothering to apply for Canada’s dwindling number of residency spots.

Additional Residencies For Foreign-Trained Doctors Vital To Resolving Labour Shortage

The Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS), the national organization that matches medical school students with postgraduate training residencies, has reportedly said international applications for entry-level positions fell by 40 per cent, from 2,219 in 2013 to 1,322 in 2022.

Experts are increasingly in agreement that creating more residencies for international medical school graduates could help Canada resolve its physician labour shortage.

Those foreign nationals aspiring to practice medicine in Canada first have to complete a bachelor’s degree and then get a medical degree from a school accredited by Canada. That entire educational process usually takes seven years.

The newly-graduated applicants must then pass the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE) Part 1 exam and the National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) Examination, the latter of which accesses their readiness for a Canadian residency program.

Once that’s done, the foreign national has to apply for a Canadian work permit with the IRCC and apply for a post-graduate residency spot through CaRMS.

Physicians can also apply for permanent residence through the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class.

Under the Provincial Nominee Program, provinces and territories can also nominate physicians for permanent residence if they meet particular regional labour market needs and intend to settle in that province or territory. Provinces can recruit candidates from the Express Entry pool or they can nominate individuals under their non-Express Entry paper-based streams.

Medical Council Of Canada Sets National Standards For Physicians

Before a physician can practice in Canada, he or she needs to have his or her qualifications recognized.

The national organization that sets standards for physicians, including immigrating physicians, is the Ottawa-based Medical Council of Canada (MCC). It does not confer or issue licences to physicians. That responsibility belongs to the provincial and territorial medical regulatory authorities.

Those who are successful in obtaining one of the few residency spots for international grads will then be supervised by a Canadian medical school for at least two years before taking their certification exam in family medicine and getting their certification to join the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC).

The last step is to apply for a license from a provincial or territorial medical regulator to practice family medicine there.

International medical graduates can see if their medical college will be readily acceptable to the licensing body, the medical college, in each province. It is the physician’s responsibility to check whether his or her medical school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools, something that can be done by visiting WDOMS.org.

Once a physician finds his or her college in that online directory, the next step is to check the “Sponsor Note” tab and see if it states “Canada Note”. This means medical degrees obtained from this medical school are acceptable to the provincial and territorial medical regulatory authorities in Canada and therefore acceptable to all medical organizations in Canada.

Immigrant Trucker’s Lack Of Canadian Experience Not Enough Reason To Turn Down Work Permit

Colin Singer
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Immigrant Trucker’s Lack Of Canadian Experience Not Enough Reason To Turn Down Work Permit

A foreign national from India has taken on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in federal court after it refused him a work permit due to his lack of experience driving on British Columbia roads.

Satnam Singh, 35, had landed a job as a long-haul truck driver with Super Bee Transport in British Columbia after a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). 

In refusing Singh the work permit under the Temporary Foreign Work Program (TFWP) on Jan. 1, 2022, the IRCC officer also expressed doubt Singh could actually do the job because his experience as a driver is from the United Arab Emirates.

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“I note that the applicant’s work experience as a truck driver is entirely limited to the UAE, the terrain and weather conditions of which are significantly different compared to those in Canada,” wrote the IRCC officer.

“I am not satisfied that (he) has demonstrated that he is able to perform the work sought in a way that does not put the safety of Canadians at risk.”

That’s unreasonable, decided Justice Shirzad Ahmed.

“The applicant also provided employment reference letters from each of the three companies he worked for, confirming his employment as a truck driver in the UAE and reflecting positively on his work performance in their respective businesses,” wrote Justice Ahmed. 

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“This evidence points directly to the applicant’s ability to perform the work of a truck driver in Canada, for which he has several years of positively-regarded experience. It is unreasonable for the officer to weigh the differences in weather conditions between the UAE and Canada to be determinative of his abilities.”

The court’s stand on the issuance of this trucker’s work permit comes as Canada is facing a massive shortage of truck drivers, a fact reflected in the country’s decision in November to make this one of 16 newly-eligible occupations under the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program.

The latest driver shortage survey by the IRU, an international transportation industry association based in Geneva, reveals trucker shortages are expected to jump up to 40 per cent this year.

Truckers Now Qualify For Permanent Residence Under The Federal Skilled Worker Program

“Chronic commercial driver shortages are getting worse, with millions of positions remaining unfilled,” said IRU secretary-general Umberto de Pretto in a statement in June. “This is putting already stressed economies and communities at higher risk of inflation, social mobility issues and supply chain meltdown.”

Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) spokesman Jonathan Blackham has described the shortage of truckers in Canada as “acute” and said it poses a strain on the country’s supply chain.

If you are a candidate looking for a Canada job, or an employer looking to recruit foreign talent from abroad, immigration.ca can help. Access our expertise through our in-house recruitment enterprise www.skilledworker.com, “the leader in foreign recruitment”.

The Canadian trucking industry association is bullish on the recruitment of truckers from around the world and has welcomed Immigration Minister Sean Fraser’s decision to open up the Express Entry program to truckers.

“CTA has been calling on the government of Canada to help address our sector’s growing labour shortages by working with our industry to improve access to immigration channels,” Blackham told Trucking News. 

PEI Employers Meeting Labour Shortage Challenge Thanks To Canada Immigrants

Colin Singer
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PEI Employers Meeting Labour Shortage Challenge Thanks To Canada Immigrants

Employers in Prince Edward Island are dealing with labour shortages thanks to immigrants and temporary residents, the latest data from the Canadian census reveals.

In its Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population released last month, the statistical and demographic services agency shows more than three times as many residents settled on the Island in the five years that ended in 2021 compared to the previous five-year period.

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The census shows 4,860 immigrants settled in the province in the five years ending in 2021, slightly more than three times the 1,615 that settled in Prince Edward Island in the five years that ended in 2015.

Immigrants And Temporary Residents Are 11.4% Of PEI Population

There were also 5,430 temporary residents, international workers with work permits and students, in 2021.

The 17,195 immigrants and temporary residents in the province comprised slightly more than 11.4 per cent of the Island’s population by the end of that year.

That growing number of immigrants and temporary residents in the province allows Prince Edward Island employers, who had 4,520 jobs going begging for a lack of workers in the second quarter of this year, up from 3,240 a year earlier, to find much-needed workers.

Although the number of people working rose by almost 12.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2022, to 65,620 from 61,695 for the comparable quarter last year, the job vacancy rate still rose. 

The job vacancy rate there stood at 6.4 per cent in the second quarter of this year, up from five per cent a year earlier.

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Earlier this year, the small island province in Atlantic Canada made it easier for foreign-trained truckers to get their Class 5 license and work in Prince Edward Island.

Under the Licensed Driver Education Course, foreign nationals can enjoy the same benefits currently enjoyed by Americans, the British and the Japanese.

Those countries have a reciprocity agreement with Canada. It allows citizens of those countries to simply swap their countries’ driver’s licenses for Canadian ones once they come to Canada.

Not so for other countries like China, Brazil or India, the biggest single source of new permanent residents to Canada.

Immigrants from those countries previously had to complete tests and go through a roughly one-year-long graduated program which came with passenger limits and other restrictions.

With the global labour shortage of truckers, the new program to more quickly allow foreign nationals to swap their driver’s licenses for Canadian ones has been a boon for those looking for jobs as commercial drivers.

Foreign Nationals Looking For Jobs On PEI Have A Choice Of Economic Immigration Programs

There are several ways for foreign nationals to immigrate to Prince Edward Island.

Under the Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), foreign nationals who meet provincial criteria can immigrate to the Atlantic Canadian province through three streams:

  • the Prince Edward Island Express Entry;
  • Prince Edward Island Labour Impact, and;
  • Prince Edward Island Business Impact.

The province also welcomes immigrants through the joint federal-provincial Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP)

Periodically throughout the year, the PEI PNP issues Letters of Advice to Apply (LAA) through provincial draws.

PEI’s Express Entry category operates by considering candidates already in the federal Express Entry Pool for a provincial nomination.

Such a nomination adds 600 points to a candidate’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and effectively guarantees an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian immigration.

Those eyeing the PEI Express Entry pathway must be registered in the federal Express Entry system and meet the requirements of one of the three federal economic immigration programs:

The PEI Express Entry Category features two pathways to Canadian permanent residence, one for candidates with a job offer and one for those without a position. Priority is given to applicants living and working in PEI.

Under the Prince Edward Island Labour Impact pathway, there are two streams:

Foreign nationals applying under the PEI Work Permit Stream need to get a work permit and then take a job with a business in the province for a certain amount of time as designated in a performance agreement.

Canada Immigration Fuels Fastest Quarterly Population Growth Since 1957

Colin Singer
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Canada Immigration Fuels Fastest Quarterly Population Growth Since 1957

Statistics Canada says immigrants pushed Canada’s population up by almost a full percentage point in the third quarter of this year, the fastest quarterly growth in 65 years.

By Oct. 1, the Canadian population had hit 39,292,355 people. That was up 362,453 people, or 0.9 per cent, from the country’s population on Canada Day. 

“This was the highest quarterly population growth rate since the second quarter of 1957 when the population grew by 1.2 per cent,” reports Statistics Canada.

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“At the time, Canada’s population was 16.7 million people and it increased by 198,000 people. This rapid population growth was related to the high number of births during the post-war baby boom and the high immigration of refugees following the Hungarian Revolution in 1956.”

After more than six decades, immigration is still largely responsible for the most impressive population growth in Canada.

“Canada’s total population growth for the first nine months of 2022 was 776,217 people and has already surpassed the total growth for any full-year period since Confederation in 1867,” notes Statistics Canada. 

“This high level of growth was mostly, 94 per cent, due to international migration which added 340,666 people … pushed Canada’s population over 39 million for the first time.”

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) record-breaking immigration targets are certainly helping to drive population growth.

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In its 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan, the federal government targets record immigration to Canada each year through 2025. 

The target for next year is 465,000 new permanent residents. The country would welcome 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025.

That’s a total of 1.45 million immigrants to Canada over the coming three years.

“In the third quarter of 2022, Canada welcomed 122,145 immigrants, about the same number as in the third quarter of 2021, which saw 122,911 immigrants arrive, and the second-highest number of immigrants in any third quarter since 1946, the year quarterly data became available,” reports Statistics Canada.

Temporary Residents To Canada Are The Main Driver Of Population Growth

But all of those new permanent residents are not the main driver of Canada’s population growth.

“The record population growth in the third quarter of 2022 was mainly driven by an increase of 225,198 non-permanent residents,” reports Statistics Canada. “This increase was almost 68,000 more people than the last record increase, in the second quarter of 2022, which saw an increase of 157,310 non-permanent residents.

“This increase was driven by work permit holders, but all types of non-permanent residents increased, and Canada continued welcoming people fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. All provinces and territories saw an increase in the number of non-permanent residents, with Ontario, up 106,459, British Columbia, up 39,429, and Quebec, up 34,299, accounting for 80 per cent of the increase.”

Earlier this year, the statistical and demographic services agency forecast that immigrants are likely to comprise more than a third of Canada’s population within the next 19 years because they are responsible for almost all population growth in the country. 

“Given that the population of Canada continues to age and fertility is below the population replacement level, today immigration is the main driver of population growth,” noted Statistics Canada on Wednesday.

“If these trends continue, based on Statistics Canada’s recent population projections, immigrants could represent from 29.1 per cent to 34 per cent of the population of Canada by 2041.”

A Third Of All Canadians Will Be Immigrants In 19 Years, Predicts Statistics Canada

That’s more than one in three Canadians.

And the arrival of all of those immigrants will significantly alter the demographic composition of the country, explained Statistics Canada.

“Immigrants come from many different countries, bringing with them their cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious heritage,” noted the agency in its latest Daily report.

“In the past, the majority of immigrants in Canada came from Europe. However, over the past 50 years, the share of new immigrants from Europe has declined, with the share of new immigrants who were born in Asia (including the Middle East) increasing.

“Over time, Asia has become the top source region of new immigrants, and this trend continued in 2021. The share of new immigrants from Africa also increased. Together, immigrants, Indigenous people – who have walked this land for thousands of years, before Europeans settled here – and their descendants have helped shape Canada as it is known today.”

According to Statistics Canada, more than 8.3 million people, or almost one-quarter, exactly 23 per cent, of the Canadian population, were, or had ever been, landed immigrants or permanent residents in Canada.

“This was the largest proportion since Confederation, topping the previous 1921 record of 22.3 per cent, and the highest among the G7,” noted Statistics Canada.

Canada Job Vacancies Remain High As Employers Boost Wages To Attract Workers

Colin Singer
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Canada Job Vacancies Remain High As Employers Boost Wages To Attract Workers

The latest report from Statistics Canada reveals employers throughout Canada are increasing wages in their attempts to attract much-needed workers as the number of job vacancies across the country remains high.

“Faced with a tight labour market and hiring difficulties, some employers respond by raising the offered wages of their vacancies,” reports Statistics Canada. “Compared with the same quarter a year earlier, the average offered hourly wage increased by 7.5 per cent to $24.20 in the third quarter.”

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In its third-quarter report, the statistical and demographic services agency notes that job vacancies did soften somewhat in that quarter, dropping 3.3 per cent to 959,600 from the record high of 992,200 vacant positions in the second quarter of the year. 

But the latest quarter still had a very high number of job vacancies.

Job Vacancies 8.3% Higher Than Last Year

“It was 8.3 per cent higher than in the third quarter of 2021 and 72.7 per cent higher than in the first quarter of 2020,” reports Statistics Canada.

The job vacancy rate, which is calculated by dividing the number of vacant positions in Canada by the total number of jobs, both filled and unfilled, was 5.4 per cent in the third quarter of this year, down a smidgeon from 5.7 per cent in the previous quarter.

That’s a very, very tight labour market. Even if every unemployed person had the right skills and experience to do the available jobs, there were still barely enough people unemployed in Canada to fill the available jobs in the country during the third quarter – and, of course, there is no such perfect match in the workforce.

If you are a candidate looking for a Canada job, or an employer looking to recruit foreign talent from abroad, immigration.ca can help. Access our expertise through our in-house recruitment enterprise www.skilledworker.com, “the leader in foreign recruitment”.

“There was an average of 1.1 unemployed persons for each job vacancy in Canada in the third quarter of 2022, similar to the record low reached in the second quarter,” reports Statistics Canada.

Canadian employers trying to survive during this acute labour shortage can recruit and hire foreign nationals through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP).

The Global Talent Stream (GTS), a part of the TFWP, can under normal processing situations lead to the granting of Canadian work permits and the processing of visa applications within two weeks.

Under the Express Entry system, immigrants can also apply for permanent residency online if they meet the eligibility criteria for one of three federal immigration programs, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST), and Canada Experience Class Program (CEC),  or a participating provincial immigration program.

Candidates’ profiles are then ranked against each other according to a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The highest-ranked candidates are considered for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Those receiving an ITA must quickly submit a full application and pay processing fees, within a delay of 90 days.

Job Vacancies Rose In Manitoba And Saskatchewan

Through a network of Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), almost all of Canada’s ten provinces and three territories can also nominate skilled worker candidates for admission to Canada when they have the specific skills required by local economies. Successful candidates who receive a provincial or territorial nomination can then apply for Canadian permanent residence through federal immigration authorities.

In the third quarter of this year, the big economic engines of Canada saw a drop in job vacancies but these rose in the Prairie provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

“Job vacancies decreased in the third quarter in Quebec, down 6.7 per cent to 232,400, British Columbia down 4.7 per cent to 155,400, and Ontario, down 3.6 per cent to 364,000,” reports Statistics Canada.

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“At the same time, the number of vacancies was up in Manitoba, an increase of 10.7 per cent to 32,400, and Saskatchewan, up 7.5 per cent to 24,300, while it was relatively stable in the other provinces.”

Despite the drops in job vacancies in the latest quarter, British Columbia and Quebec still have the highest job vacancy rates among the provinces. In Atlantic Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador remained the province with the lowest job vacancy rate in the third quarter. 

Across occupational sectors, professional, scientific and technical services saw their first decline in job vacancies in two years in the third quarter.

“Job vacancies in the professional, scientific and technical services declined 15.4 per cent from the record high reached in the second quarter to 63,100 in the third quarter,” reports Statistics Canada.

In the sector with the highest number of job vacancies, the restaurant industry, things were marginally improved for employers looking for staff in the third quarter.

“There were 140,000 job vacancies in accommodation and food services in the third quarter, down 6.5 per cent, or 9,700, from the second quarter,” reports Statistics Canada. 

“As has been the case since the summer of 2021, the job vacancy rate in the accommodation and food services sector in the third quarter, at 10 per cent, was highest among all sectors, despite the decline in that quarter.”

Healthcare And Social Services Sector Saw Bump In Job Vacancies

Manufacturing also saw a drop in job vacancies, of 8.7 per cent, that quarter, the first decrease in this sector since the third quarter of 2019, the last full year before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Things were little changed in the construction sector. The demand for electricians, carpenters, construction trades helpers and labourers, if anything, only grew during that latest quarter.

So too did things tighten up even more in the healthcare sector, itself already reeling from an acute shortage of nurses and physicians.

“On a quarter-over-quarter basis, job vacancies rose in the third quarter for registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, up 17 per cent to 27,600; nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates, up 37.5 per cent to 26,200; and licensed practical nurses, up 20.7 per cent to 13,100,” reports Statistics Canada. 

“Together, these occupations made up the majority, 69.2 per cent, of all vacancies in health occupations in the third quarter.”

IRCC Takes 350,000 Off Canada Immigration Application Backlog In Two Months

Colin Singer
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IRCC Takes 350,000 Off Canada Immigration Application Backlog In Two Months

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reduced the enormous application backlog to just over 2.2 million by early December from more than 2.5 million two months earlier.

“We have seen a decrease in our overall inventory of over 350,000 applications since Sept. 30, with the most significant decreases in temporary residence programs,” IRCC spokesman Remi Lariviere told Immigration.ca.

Faster processing of applications before the IRCC is credited for the drop in the department’s inventory.

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In the first 10 months of this year, IRCC officials came to almost 87 per cent more final decisions for permanent residents, temporary residents (excluding Electronic Travel Authorizations), and citizenship applications, 4.3 million compared to 2.3 million final decisions for the same period last year. 

Study permits are also on track to set a new record. In the first 10 months of this year, the IRCC processed about 593,000 study permit applications or 30.3 per cent more than the roughly 455,000 processed in the same period last year. 

“In addition, Canada has issued approximately 645,000 work permits from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, 2022, compared to about 163,000 over the same period in 2021,” said Lariviere.

“We are also on track to reach our record-setting target of over 431,000 new permanent residence admissions in 2022, with approximately 388,000 new permanent residents already welcomed between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31 this year.”

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Under fire in the House of Commons over its backlog of applications, the federal government switched gears earlier this year and began to refer to all applications before the IRCC as its “inventory” of applications and only those who had been in the system longer than stipulated under the service standards as its “backlog”. 

That backlog now constitutes 54 per cent of applications to the IRCC, said Lariviere.

“We remain on track to meet our goals to reduce overall backlogs and process 80 per cent of new applications within service standards and we will continue to do what it takes to get there,” he said. 

Hiring Blitz During The Autumn Months Boosted IRCC’s Processing Capacity

The drop in the backlogs at the IRCC comes in the wake of a hiring blitz that sought to bring 1,250 more employees on board.

The latest IRCC data reveals citizenship applications in the department’s inventory have fallen by almost 18.8 per cent, or 72,738 applications, from 387,368 in mid-July to 314,630 at the end of November.

Permanent residency applications, which nudged down about 1.7 per cent from mid-July through to the start of October, are still down off that mid-summer high. 

The latest trend, however, has seen that inventory of applications rise a bit and it now sits at 512,342 applications, barely three-tenths of a percentage point from the 514,116 in mid-July.

The biggest change in the inventory of applications to the IRCC is for temporary visas, including work permits and study permits. In two months, the number of applications for temporary permits fell by almost 14.3 per cent, to 1,416,125 in early December from  1,651,649 in early October.

Permanent Residence Applications by Immigration Category as of Dec. 2

Immigration Category Grand Total
Economic Agri-Food Pilot Program 728
Atlantic Immigration Pilot Programs 772
Atlantic Immigration Program 466
Canadian Experience Class (EE) 15,079
Canadian Experience Class (No EE) 78
Caring for Children 47
Federal Investor 4
Federal Self Employed 3,504
Federal Skilled Workers (C-50) 118
Federal Skilled Workers (EE) 11,916
Federal Skilled Workers (Pre C-50) 19
High Medical Needs 4
Home Child Care Pilot 19,531
Home Support Worker Pilot 10,290
Interim Pathway Measure 441
Live-in Caregiver 688
Provincial/Territorial Nominees (EE) 16,101
Provincial/Territorial Nominees (No EE) 46,242
Quebec Entrepreneur 249
Quebec Investor 10,391
Quebec Self Employed 79
Quebec Skilled Workers 15,716
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot 1,048
Skilled Trades (EE) 230
Skilled Trades (No EE) 5
Start-up Business 3,458
TR to PR 45,091
Economic – Total 202,295
Family Class Children & Other Family Class 8,683
FCH-Family relations – H&C 2,532
Parents and Grandparents 53,770
Spouses & Partners 62,106
Family Class – Total 127,091
Humanitarian & Compassionate / Public Policy HC & PH class-ADM Dependant Person Overseas 44
Humanitarian & Compassionate Straight 10,738
Humanitarian & Compassionate with Risk or  Discrimination 13,496
Public Policy With RAP 24
Public Policy Without RAP 4,268
Humanitarian & Compassionate / Public Policy – Total 28,570
Permit Holders Class Permit Holders Class 22
Permit Holders Class – Total 22
Protected Persons Blended Visa Office-Referred 135
Dependants Abroad of Protected Persons 28,067
Federal Government-assisted Refugees 30,082
Privately Sponsored Refugees 67,918
Protected Persons Landed In Canada 27,512
Quebec Government-assisted Refugees 650
Protected Persons – Total 154,364
Overall – Total 512,342

Temporary Residence Applications as of Dec. 2

Application Type Grand Total
Study Permit 110,978
Study Permit Extension 33,842
Temporary Resident Visa 754,951
Visitor Record 75,078
Work Permit 285,246
Work Permit Extension 156,030
Overall – Total 1,416,125

As the school year got well underway during those two months, study permit applications fell by 23,003, or more than 17.1 per cent, from 133,981 to 110,978 while study permit extensions rose almost 7.9 per cent to hit 33,842.

Temporary resident visas in the queue also fell almost 17.3 per cent from 912,846 to 754,951 in two months and work permit applications dropped from 315,316 in October to 285,246 two months later.

Economic Programs Still Have About The Same Number Of Applications In The Queue

Among the applications for permanent residency, economic immigration programs still have almost exactly the same number of applications waiting to be processed, just a tad over 202,200, as there were two months ago. The number of applications for family sponsorships is also up just a smidgeon.

But there are considerably more applications under the protected person program.

Privately sponsored and government-sponsored refugee applications together amounted to roughly 96,830 such applications in early October and that number was little changed two months later. 

But the number of applications by protected persons who landed in Canada grew during that two-month period. This category includes immigrants who applied for refugee protection status while in Canada and who seeking permanent resident status based on what is considered to be a well-founded fear of returning to their country of origin.

In early October, there were 23,435 such applications and that grew by 17.4 per cent over the next two months, or 4,077 applications, to 27,512 in early December.

British Columbia Issues 173 Canada Immigration Invitations In New PNP Draw

Colin Singer
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British Columbia Issues 173 Canada Immigration Invitations In New PNP Draw

British Columbia has issued invitations to 173 candidates in a new draw through the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program.

The December 20 draw saw invitations issued in three different categories.

Skilled workers and international graduates with a minimum score of 90 points received 153 invitations through the BC PNP Tech stream.

A draw targeted at Early Childhood Educators under NOC 42202 saw 15 invitations issued to skilled workers and international graduates, with a minimum score of 60 points.

A further 5 invitations were issued to skilled workers, international graduates and entry-level and semi-skilled workers scoring at least 60 points in a draw targeting Healthcare workers.

Read More Canada Immigration News

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Latest B.C. Immigration Draw

Date Category Minimum Score Invitations Issued Description
20-12-22 Skilled Worker, International Graduate 90 153 Tech draw
Skilled Worker, International Graduate 60 15 Targeted draw: Childcare: Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC Childcare: Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202))
Skilled Worker, International Graduate, Entry Level and Semi-Skilled 60 5 Targeted draw: Healthcare

Video:

 

Prince Edward Island Issues 134 Canada Immigration Invitations In New Provincial Draw

Colin Singer
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Prince Edward Island Issues 134 Canada Immigration Invitations In New Provincial Draw

Prince Edward Island has conducted a new provincial draw, issuing invitations to apply to 134 skilled worker and entrepreneur Canada immigration candidates.

The December 15 draw saw invitations issued through the Labour Impact, Express Entry and Business Impact Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) streams.

It saw 127 invites issued to Labour Impact and Express Entry candidates, while Business Impact candidates received 7 invitations.

Business Impact candidates required a minimum score of 62 points.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Prince Edward Island Issues 69 Canada Immigration Invitations In New Provincial Draw
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Prince Edward Island Issues 204 Canada Immigration Invitations In New PNP Draw

PEI PNP Immigration Draw

Date Category Invites Issued Minimum Score
15-12-2022 Labour Impact/Express Entry 127 N/A
Business Impact 7 62

PEI launched its Expression of Interest system at the start of 2018, and has made monthly draws ever since, with some disruption due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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PEI issued a total of 1,933 invites during 2021, compared to 1,955 in 2020.

Of the 2021 invites, 1,764 went to Labour Impact and Express Entry candidates, with the remaining 169 going to Business Impact candidates.

Prince Edward Island Express Entry Stream

PEI’s Express Entry category operates by considering candidates already in the federal Express Entry Pool for a provincial nomination.

Such a nomination adds 600 points to a candidate’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score and effectively guarantees an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian immigration.

The PEI Express Entry Category features two pathways to Canadian permanent residence, one for candidates with a job offer and one for those without.

Prince Edward Island Labour Impact Category

1) Skilled Worker Stream

This employer driven stream allows skilled workers with an employment offer in PEI to be nominated for Canadian Permanent residence if they meet the following criteria:

  • A full time employment offer from a Prince Edward Island business in an occupation classified as TEER category 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC);
  • Completion of post-secondary education, with a minimum of 14 years of formal education;
  • Between 21 and 55 years of age;
  • At least 2 years of full time work experience in the past 5 years;
  • Sufficient proficiency in English or French to occupy the employment offered;
  • Sufficient settlement funds;
  • Demonstrated intention to settle in Prince Edward Island.

2) Critical Worker Stream

This category is designed to resolve labour shortages and is open to foreign workers already in PEI with employment in specific critical demand occupations. The primary criteria for nomination are:

  • A full time offer of employment from a Prince Edward Island business in one of the following occupations:
    • Truck driver;
    • Customer service representative;
    • Labourer;
    • Food & beverage server;
    • Housekeeping attendant.
  • 6 months of work experience with the Prince Edward Island business offering employment;
  • Current valid Canadian work permit;
  • High school diploma and minimum of 12 years of formal education;
  • Between 21 and 55 years of age;
  • At least 2 years of full-time work experience in the past 5 years;
  • Demonstrate basic proficiency in English or French language;
  • Sufficient settlement funds;
  • Demonstrated intention to settle in Prince Edward Island.

Prince Edward Island Business Impact Category

Work Permit Stream

Individuals applying under the P.E.I. Work Permit Stream must obtain a Canadian work permit and work for a P.E.I. business for a certain amount of time as designated in a Performance Agreement.

After the Performance Agreement is fulfilled, the applicant must make a minimum $150,000 investment in the business and commit to managing the business on a daily basis from within P.E.I.

Previously, Prince Edward Island operated direct permanent residence business streams, but these were closed in September 2018 over immigration fraud concerns.

 

Ontario Issues 936 Canada Immigration Invitations In New Express Entry Tech Draw

Colin Singer
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0
Ontario Issues 936 Canada Immigration Invitations In New Express Entry Tech Draw

Ontario has issued 936 Notifications of Interest to Canada immigration candidates in a new Tech Draw through the province’s Express Entry Human Capital Priorities stream.

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) draw took place on December 19, with the invited candidates scoring between 484 and 490 Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points.

Candidates were required to have submitted Express Entry profiles within the last 12 months.

The draw targeted the following occupations:

  • 21211 – Data Scientists
  • 21231 – Software engineers and designers
  • 21230 – Computer systems developers and programmers
  • 21232 – Software developers and programmers
  • 21234 – Web developers and programmers
  • 21233 – Web designers
  • 21223 – Database analysts and data administrators
  • 21311 – Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers

Ontario announced it would be starting Tech Draws in July 2019.

The draws are designed to address labour shortages in the technology sector in Canada’s largest province.

Candidates must meet existing HCP requirements (see below) as well as have work experience in one of the stated occupations.

Candidates selected from the Express Entry pool receive a Notification of Interest via their Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) account.

They then have 45 days to submit a full application.

Read More Canada Immigration News

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Ontario Updates Expression of Interest Scoring With Launch Of NOC 2021 For Canada Immigration
Here Are Ontario’s 10 Most-In Demand Jobs

What Are The Requirements For the Ontario Express Entry: Human Capital Priorities Stream?

To qualify applicants must have:

  • Ongoing profile under the Federal Express Entry system and be qualified for either the FSWP or the CEC.
  • Hold a minimum of 1 year of full-time, or full-time equivalent work experience under NOC TEER Category 0, 1, 2 or 3 in the past five years if applying under the FSWP or in the past three years if applying under CEC.
  • Hold the equivalent of a Canadian bachelor degree or higher.
  • Show language proficiency of minimum CLB/NCLC level 7 in English or in French.
  • Intention to reside in the province of Ontario.
  • Residing with legal status in Canada, if applicable.
  • Proof of required settlement funds.
  • Minimum Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System score as determined by director under periodic draws.

 

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