Canada Express Entry: 761 ITAs sent to PNP candidates in latest draw

Colin Singer
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Canada Express Entry: 761 ITAs sent to PNP candidates in latest draw

Canada sent out 761 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in its latest Express Entry draw on Wednesday, Sept. 29, with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score 10 points higher than in the previous such draw.

On Sept. 15, the Express Entry draw required a minimum CRS score of 732. This week, the latest draw demanded a  minimum CRS score of 742.

This latest draw comes roughly two weeks after Canada conducted an Express Entry draw in which it issued 521 ITAs to PNP candidates.

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With the latest PNP draw, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has now issued 109,696 ITAs, a record number.

The previous calendar year record came in 2020, when 107,350 were issued. Before 2020, the previous record for ITAs in a calendar year was the 89,800 issued in 2018.

IMMIGRATION TURNED TO PNP AND CEC EXPRESS ENTRY DRAWS DURING PANDEMIC

During the coronavirus crisis, IRCC has switched to draws focused on PNP and CEC candidates, given they are more likely to already be in the country as temporary residents.

Canada set a new record for total ITAs in 2020 at 107,350, despite the year being marred by COVID-19. 

On Feb. 24 this year, IRCC implemented its tie-breaking rule which states that if more than one candidate has the minimum CRS score, only those who submitted their Express Entry profiles before this date and time received invitations.

This was the 36th round of invitations under Express Entry in 2021 and 206th overall.

What is Express Entry?

Express Entry is an immigration system implemented by the IRCC on Jan. 1, 2015 which manages skilled worker applications under Federal Economic programs. This includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program the Canada Experience Class and parts of the Provincial Nomination Programs.

Stakeholders expect to see continued high numbers of invitations issued as Canada builds towards its target of more than 400,000 new permanent residents in 2021, with CRS scores likely to drop.

With the coronavirus crisis striking in March 2020, Canada switched to program-specific draws aimed at Canadian Experience Class and Provincial Nominee Program candidates. This had the effect of significantly increasing the number of individual draws beyond previous years.

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What Can Employers Do to Recruit Foreign Workers?

Employers are encouraged to consider securing an LMIA or nomination under provincial nomination programs (PNPs) to ensure long-term retention of employees.

At immigration.ca we provide Canadian employers with unparalleled immigration legal services and recruitment of foreign nationals through our in-house Global Recruiters of Montreal, GRNMontreal.com and skilledworker.com. We bring qualified candidates to Canada in the shortest time possible. Employers in a wide range of industries can directly benefit from our unique position as one of Canada’s leading immigration firms in the industry, with a strong online presence, to meet both their recruitment and immigration requirements.

Interested employers wishing to seek our assistance are invited to contact us here for further information.

What Should Candidates Do Next?

Given the coronavirus crisis, it is difficult to predict what CRS scores will be required to secure an ITA in 2021. Scores have dropped as low as 75 for CEC draws.

However, securing an approved offer of employment is highly recommended. Watch our Facebook livestream video on how to find jobs in Canada from overseas.

We offer all our individual clients with excellent employment services as well as a 60-minute Live, Face-to-Face LinkedIn tutorial on how to find jobs in all areas of Canada.

Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free online evaluation. We will provide you with your evaluation results within 1-2 business days.

Successful COVID-19 vaccination program drawing international students to Canada, study reveals

Colin Singer
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Successful COVID-19 vaccination program drawing international students to Canada, study reveals

Ottawa’s successful COVID-19 vaccination program is buoying the confidence of international students who had planned to defer their studies for a year but are now saying they want to come to Canada to study as soon as possible.

“With governments around the world now accelerating their vaccination programmes, the focus will be on which countries are the first to more widely open their borders to international students, and the policies they enact when it comes to their own student populations being vaccinated,” writes Kym Nguyen, vice president of client development with QS Enrolment Solutions.

“Canada’s successful vaccination rollout will hold the country in good stead to take the lead on a less restrictive international travel environment though universities will still need to carefully consider how they manage their international recruitment strategies for the rest of the year and what measures they can implement to safeguard against any future setbacks.”

 Read More Canada Immigration News

In its latest Canadian International Student Survey, entitled Supporting Recovery and Driving Growth in Global Higher Education, QS World reveals international students who had planned to defer their studies in Canada are now changing their minds.

Covid-19 Vaccination Program Is Making Canada Safe Again, Say International Students

Many of those students, who have been following Canada’s efforts to curb the COVID-19 pandemic with a national COVID-19 vaccination program, are feeling the country is once again safe enough to attend university and college in Canada.

In the three months that ended in July this year, 71 per cent of prospective international students interested in Canada as a destination stated the COVID-19 crisis has affected their plans to study abroad, with the majority intending to defer their studies until next year. 

The vaccines’ rollout across Canada, though, has led to many international students once again setting their sights on Canada.

“The acceleration of the vaccine rollout has created a divergence in intentions, with 20 per cent now wanting to start their studies earlier than they had previously planned due to the vaccination rollout,” notes the report. 

Campuses across the country have re-opened this autumn, many of them with a hybrid model of education where some classes are held in person and others online. 

The vast majority of prospective international students, 84 per cent, say they prefer in-person, classroom education over online courses.

More Than a Third of International Students Fine With Hybrid Educational Programs

But the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to many of them being open to the now-common hybrid model of university and college education in Canada.

“We also see 35 per cent of prospective students expressing high levels of interest in a hybrid or ‘blended’ learning mode, and 22 per cent expressing high levels of interest for fully online study,” reveals the QS World report.

Among the attractions of Canada for these international students is the opportunity to find jobs both while studying and afterwards, something made possible by the country’s Study Permits and Post-Graduation Work Permits. That work experience can then count towards upping their Comprehensive Ranking System points and improve their chances of immigrating to Canada and becoming permanent residents.

“The ability to upskill is an important consideration for many prospective students when thinking about their preferred course and how that can influence their future careers,” notes the report.

“Those same students also have ambitions to go on to establish their careers in multinational organisations or government sector roles. Sixty-eight per cent of prospective students interested in studying in Canada intend to stay temporarily upon graduating in order to work and live, and 29 per cent plan to stay permanently.

Ability to Work, Immigrate to Canada Are Attractive for International Students

“Equipping international students with the skills and experience they need to successfully find and maintain employment  – whether in Canada, their home country or elsewhere –  will continue to be a critical component of maintaining student satisfaction and bolster Canada’s reputation as a top destination for international study.”

Canada enjoys a reputation as one of the best places for international students to come and get their university degrees.

In the latest QS World University Rankings 2022 released earlier this year, 26 Canadian universities made it onto the list of 1,000 best places to study, with 10 of those Canadian universities ranked in the top 25 per cent throughout the world.

“Canada has a well-established position among the world’s leading study destinations,” noted QS Quacquarelli Symonds on its website.

“The most popular Canadian provinces for international students are Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec, which between them are home to many of the top universities in Canada.”

Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program sends out 391 Invitations Targeting 61 Job Categories

Colin Singer
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Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program sends out 391 Invitations Targeting 61 Job Categories

The latest Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) draw saw 391 invitations to candidates issued under two streams targeting 61 jobs.

In the Sept. 27 draw, Occupations In-Demand candidates with skills and experience in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes listed received 239 invitations, with a minimum score of 71 points, five higher than the previous draw.

Read More Canada Immigration News

An additional 152 invitations went to Express Entry candidates with skills and experience in the same NOC codes, also with a minimum score of 71 points.

Detailed requirements for the streams featured in this draw are included later in this article.

Latest Saskatchewan Expression of Interest Draw

Draw Date

Category

Minimum Score

Invites Issued

Other Considerations

Sept. 27, 2021

Occupations In-Demand

71

239

The occupations chosen and eligible for the EOI selection on September 27, 2021 have the following classification numbers: 0014, 0016, 0121, 0421, 0423, 0621, 0651, 0711, 0712, 0821, 0911, 1122, 1123, 1214, 1221, 1222, 1224, 1241, 1243, 1251, 1252, 1313, 2142, 2144, 2151, 2212, 2231, 2241, 2242, 2244, 2252, 2253, 2254, 2262, 2263, 2264, 3143, 3211, 3215, 3234, 4152, 4153, 4156, 4161, 4162, 4164, 4166, 4167, 4169, 4212, 4216, 7231, 7237, 7241, 7294, 7295, 7321, 7371, 7384, 8222, 9212

Sept. 27, 2021

Express Entry

71

152

Invited Candidates had Educational Credential Assessments.

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What is the Process for Saskatchewan Expression of Interest?

  1. Submit EOI profile.
  2. Enter EOI candidate pool.
  3. EOI candidates selected.
  4. Invitations to Apply issued via regular draws.
  5. Candidates submit full application within 60 days.
  6. SINP officials assess applications and make decision.

What Are the Requirements for The Occupation-In-Demand Sub-Category?

  • Score a minimum of 60 points on the SINP points assessment grid;
  • Have a language score of at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4. Employers and regulatory bodies may ask for higher;
  • Have completed one year of post-secondary education, training or apprenticeship comparable to the Canadian education system. You must have earned a diploma, certificate or degree.
    • Degrees and diplomas obtained outside Canada subject to an Educational Credential Assessment;
  • At least one-year work experience in the past 10 years:
    • In your field of education or training occupation, and
    • In an eligible occupation in NOC A, B, 0. See the excluded occupations list.
  • Obtain the appropriate licensure in Saskatchewan if your field so requires, as the authorities will not process an application without the licensure.
  • Have proof of settlement funds and a settlement plan.
  • Pay a non-refundable $300 application fee online.

What Are the Requirements for The Saskatchewan Express Entry Sub-Category?

Candidates from outside Canada, or with legal status in Canada, qualify for this Saskatchewan immigration category, provided they are not refugee claimant.

Additionally, candidates must:

  1. Have a profile in the Express Entry Pool, with profile number and job seeker validation code;
  2. Score a minimum of 60 points on the SINP points assessment grid;
  3. Provide valid language test results from a designated testing agency matching those in the Express Entry profile;
  4. Have completed one year of post-secondary education, training or apprenticeship comparable to the Canadian education system. You must have earned a diploma, certificate or degree.
    • Degrees and diplomas obtained outside Canada subject to an Educational Credential Assessment;
  1. Have at least one of the following experience requirements in your field of education or training occupation:
    • One year of work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled profession (non-trades);
    • Two years of work experience in a skilled trade in the past five years; or
    • One year of work experience in Canada in the past three years (trades and non-trades).
  1. Have work experience in a high-skilled, eligible occupation in NOC A, B, 0. See the excluded occupations list.
  2. Obtain the appropriate licensure in Saskatchewan where your profession is regulated or a skilled trade. For skilled trades, a certificate is required from the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission.
  3. Have proof of settlement funds and a settlement plan.
  4. Pay a non-refundable $300 application fee online.

Canada tells United Nations it will accept twice as many Afghans: immigration minister

Colin Singer
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Canada tells United Nations it will accept twice as many Afghans: immigration minister

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino says Canada will accept twice as many Afghan refugees as it had previously announced, letting the world know at the United Nations.

“At the UN, Canada announced we will double our humanitarian resettlement commitment from 20,000 to 40,000 Afghan refugees,” tweeted Mendicino. 

“Through our efforts, we will offer a new home for Afghan refugees while upholding democracy and human rights around the world.”

Read More Canada Immigration News

On the social media platform, the Canadian immigration minister tweeted that Canada’s willingness to accept these refugees demonstrates its capacity to be a global trailblazer in humanitarian resettlement. 

“We were the first country in the world to launch a pathway that focuses on women, girls, LGBTI and targeted minorities,” he noted.

Ottawa Bullish on Immigration and Accepting More Refugees Than Ever

Certainly, Canada is bullish on immigration and wants to open the door even wider to refugees.

 In the 6.5 years that ended in July this year, Canada welcomed 163,580 refugees, with the bulk of them arriving in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. Since 1980, Canada has welcomed roughly 1.1 million refugees.

That open-door policy makes Canada a world leader in the resettlement of refugees, says the United Nations Refugee Agency.

“Most refugees came to Canada with few, if any, financial resources, and often had to learn a new language and adapt to a new culture,” notes the United Nations agency.

“Despite these challenges, the results show that refugees do not simply benefit from the safety Canada gives them. In fact, they embrace the opportunity that Canada provides to build a better life and become important contributors to the country’s economy and cultural diversity.”

Canada’s Largesse to Afghans Likely to Clog Up the Processing of Other Applications, Some Complain

The United Nations appreciates Canada’s willingness to provide safe haven for refugees. But not everyone shares that enthusiasm.

On Twitter, many people trying to gain permanent residence in Canada saw this latest announcement as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) putting their own applications on hold. 

“You are bringing refugees at the expense of other applications,” alleged one Twitter user. “IRCC didn’t increase its capacity to process files simultaneously. 

“IRCC under your leadership decided to put our lives on hold indefinitely. Our lives have been put on hold since March 2020.”

Another Twitter user urged Mendicino to clear the backlog of applications under spousal and family reunification programs before opening the door to more refugees.

“Clear the backlogs. How many families are getting affected by delays as a result?” he tweeted. “I haven’t seen my family in two years and there are many more like me. Five years in Canada and still waiting for my decision. IRCC just requests documents and doesn’t do anything.”

Law Association Calls for Streamlining and Modernization of Processing of Applications

The current backlog of immigration applications at the IRCC has led to many calls to modernize and streamline the application system.

In July, the immigration section of a national association representing lawyers, judges, notaries and law teachers and students throughout Canada is urging Ottawa to speed up the processing of applications for immigration.

“The pandemic has caused major disruptions in processing immigration applications,” wrote Mark Holthe, chair of the immigration law section of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) to Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino, in late July.

“Immigration and visa officers are working from home and in-person meetings with visa applicants are still being cancelled, leading to a significant backlog of cases,” wrote Holthe.

“Paper applications needed to be scanned and copied into Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) computer system. The antiquated Global Case Management System (GCMS) was not built for these circumstances. This has hamstrung IRCC from efficiently processing applications.”

Invitations to Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program soaring as year draws to a close

Colin Singer
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Invitations to Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program soaring as year draws to a close

Alberta immigration is sending out an increasing number of applications under its provincial nominee program as the year progresses, hitting a high for 2021 of 1,335 invitations to candidates in September.

After its biggest-ever Express Entry draw in the first week of September, Alberta immigration issued invitations to 835 candidates in two draws in the following two weeks of the month.

In an Express Entry draw on Sept. 14, the provincial immigration authority issued invitations to 385 candidates for the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 300.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Alberta immigration then issued another 450 invitations with the same minimum CRS score the next week, on Sept. 21.

That brings the total number of invitations to candidates under that program in Alberta to a whopping 1,335 in September, or more than 7.1 per cent more than the 1,246 invitations issued in August and roughly three times as many as the 329 invitations issued in July. 

Since the start of this year, the number of invitations to candidates under the AINP has steadily climbed from a low of 150 in February to 1,335 in September.

Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program invitations are on the upswing

Important requirements for the Alberta Express Entry stream are that candidates have stated an interest in immigrating permanently to the province and are working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification.

For full details of the requirements for Alberta Express Entry, please see below.

Invitations to Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program soaring as year draws to a close

Alberta Express Entry 2021 Draws

Draw Date

NOI Letters Sent

CRS Score of Lowest-Ranked Candidate

07-Sep-21

500

300

30-Aug-21

400

301

23-Aug-21

450

300

10-Aug-21

396

300

27-Jul-21

148

300

14-Jul-21

181

301

29-Jun-21

148

302

16-Jun-21

184

300

05-Jun-21

191

300

18-May-21

250

301

05-May-21

250

300

20-Apr-21

200

301

06-Apr-21

200

302

26-Mar-21

300

301

02-Mar-21

200

301

16-Feb-21

159

352

10-Feb-21

200

301

28-Jan-21

100

360

08-Jan-21

50

406

Source: www.alberta.ca

High Number of Applications Means Processing May Take Longer

Alberta says a high number of AINP applications have been received in the following occupations, meaning they may take longer to process:

  • 6311 – Food service supervisors
  • 7511 – Transport truck drivers
  • 6211 – Retail sales supervisors
  • 6322 – Cooks
  • 1241 – Administrative assistants
  • 1221 – Administrative officers
  • 9462 – Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
  • 4214 – Early childhood educators and assistants
  • 0621 – Retail and wholesale trade managers
  • 0631 – Restaurant and food service managers

What are the Requirements for Alberta Express Entry?

In order to be eligible to receive a notification of interest, candidates must:

  • Have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool
  • Have stated an interest in immigrating permanently to Alberta
  • Be working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification
  • Have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 300 points

Factors that may improve a candidate’s chances of receiving a notification of interest:

  • A job offer from an Albertan employer and/or work experience in Alberta
  • Having graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution
  • Having a relative that is living in Alberta: parent, child and/or sibling

Factors that decrease a candidate’s chances of receiving a notification of interest:

  • The Express Entry profile expires within the next three months
  • Working in an ineligible occupation 

Major Demand For Canada Jobs In Nursing, Manufacturing, Hospitality After COVID-19

Colin Singer
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Major Demand For Canada Jobs In Nursing, Manufacturing, Hospitality After COVID-19

Canada immigration news: As Canada gradually emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and public health restrictions are eased, jobs for nurses are going begging and so too are many in hotels, restaurants, stores and lumberyards. 

In its latest Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada reports the job vacancy rate, which measures the number of vacant positions as a proportion of all jobs in the country, hit a record high in the second quarter of this year.

“There were 25.8 per cent, or 150,300, more vacancies in the second quarter of 2021 than in the same quarter two years earlier,” reports the statistical services agency. 

Read More Canada Immigration News

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This isn’t just a short-term blip in the numbers.

“According to data from the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions for the third quarter of 2021, 8.3 per cent of businesses expected to have more job vacancies over the next three months,” reports Statistics Canada. 

Economic Programs Offer Opportunities For Foreign Nationals

Foreign nationals who want to immigrate to Canada can avail themselves of the Global Talent Stream (GTS) of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) through which Canadian work permits and visa applications are processed within two weeks to fill labour shortages.

They can also apply under economic immigration programs, including the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, Canadian Experience, Caregiver, Skilled Trade and SkilledWorker programs.

Canada’s job vacancy rate hit 4.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2021, the highest since comparable data became available in 2015. The rate increased 1.1 percentage points from the second quarter of 2019 to the same period in 2021.

The rise in the vacancy rate is being driven both by the sudden spat of jobs being offered and the drop in employment during the pandemic. Payroll employment was still below its pre-COVID-19 level in June. 

Nursing Jobs In Demand During COVID-19 Pandemic

The greatest demand during the second quarter was for nurses. 

“Vacancies in health care and social assistance increased by 40,800, up 59.9 per cent, from the second quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2021, the largest increase of any sector,” reports Statistics Canada.

With that increase, the number of jobs in the healthcare sector hit 108,000. That’s one out of every seven available jobs in Canada. 

Nurses were in particular demand with 10,400 more new jobs, an increase of 85.8 per cent, to 22,400.

Health authorities looking for nurses are having a hard time finding suitable candidates with 46.5 per cent of these jobs being posted for more than 90 days.

Healthcare Salaries Rise By 5.9% In 2 Years

Across other occupations, the comparable figure for jobs posted for more than 90 days is only 24 per cent.

That might be one reason why nurses have been able to command higher salaries in Canada over the past two years, with the average hourly wage for a registered nurse and registered psychiatric nurse hitting $32.50 during the second quarter of this year. 

That’s a pay hike of 5.9 per cent compared to the same quarter two years ago.

Employers in other sectors of the economy are also facing a severe labour shortage in Canada.

In the construction industry, job vacancies jumped by 46.7 per cent, or 19,900 jobs, over the past two years to 62,600 during the second quarter of 2021.

According to an RBC Economics and Thought Leadership report, the shortage of tradespeople in Canada suggests Ottawa needs to do more to bring in immigrants to fill these lucrative jobs.

“The federal government and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) should close the gap between the target and actual intake of immigrants in the skilled trades by more aggressively promoting Canadian trades in source countries,” wrote RBC’s Naomi Powell and Ben Richardson in that report.

“They must counter the stigma of trades as ‘lesser-than’ in these countries and among newcomers, and ensure immigration caps on individual trades are responsive to the market.”

Although immigrants comprise more than 21 per cent of the Canadian population, they only accounted for about 8.7 per cent of the apprentices in trades programs IN 2018.

Ottawa Needs To Attract More Skilled Trades Immigrants: RBC

“Despite setting a goal to bring in 3,000 skilled tradespeople annually through immigration, Canada admitted just 2,365 such newcomers in 2019 through the Federal Skilled Trades Program,” the two state in their latest report.

“In some trades still facing severe shortages in the market (such as carpenters) Canada limited the number of eligible tradespeople to just 100.”

In retail outlets across Canada, employers are also posting more jobs than can be easily filled. 

Vacancies in retail trade jumped by almost a third, or 19,900 jobs, from the second quarter of 2019 to 84,300 in the second quarter of 2021. Think grocery stores and home renovation outlets. Most of these businesses are having a hard time finding workers. 

Retail sales clerks and store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers were among the top 10 occupations with the largest increase in vacancies from the second quarter of 2019 to the second quarter this year. They also saw an average 7.5-per cent pay hike during that time.

Manufacturing Jobs Driven By Demand For Wood

Manufacturing jobs still vacant rose by 28.9 per cent, or 14,800 jobs, to hit 65,900 during the second quarter of this year, the highest number of available jobs in the past six years.

“The increase was spread across several subsectors, with the largest gains in food manufacturing and wood product manufacturing,” reports Statistics Canada. 

“According to the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions, in the second quarter of 2021, recruiting skilled employees was expected to be an obstacle for nearly two in five (39.1 per cent) businesses in manufacturing, the highest proportion of all sectors.”

In Canadian hotels and restaurants, job vacancies jumped 14.9 per cent, or 11,600 jobs, to another all-time high of 89,100 positions in the second quarter of this year compared to the same period two years ago. 

Canada Urged To Look To Immigrants To Solve Severe Skilled Trades Labour Shortage

Colin Singer
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Canada Urged To Look To Immigrants To Solve Severe Skilled Trades Labour Shortage

Canada immigration news: An RBC Economics and Thought Leadership report says Ottawa needs to work harder to recruit immigrants to resolve the severe labour shortage as tradespeople retire.

“The federal government and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) should close the gap between the target and actual intake of immigrants in the skilled trades by more aggressively promoting Canadian trades in source countries,” wrote RBC’s Naomi Powell and Ben Richardson in that report.

“They must counter the stigma of trades as ‘lesser-than’ in these countries and among newcomers, and ensure immigration caps on individual trades are responsive to the market.”

Read More Canada Immigration News

New Ontario Express Entry Skilled Trades Draw Sees 986 NOIs Issued
Canada Immigration News: Top 12 Best-Paying Skilled Trades Jobs
Saskatchewan Immigration Draw: Province Targets Skilled Trades With Minimum Score Of 65

Although immigrants comprise more than 21 per cent of the Canadian population, they only accounted for about 8.7 per cent of the apprentices in trades programs IN 2018. 

Ottawa Falls Short Of Skilled Trades Targets

“Despite setting a goal to bring in 3,000 skilled tradespeople annually through immigration, Canada admitted just 2,365 such newcomers in 2019 through the Federal Skilled Trades Program,” the two-state in their latest report.

“In some trades still facing severe shortages in the market (such as carpenters) Canada limited the number of eligible tradespeople to just 100.”

The paucity of immigrants in the trades in Canada is particularly baffling because businesses are being encouraged and have undertaken programs to hire more minorities, women and members of the LGBTQ+ communities and members of the First Nations.

With more than 700,000 skilled tradespeople expected to retire in the next six years, industry in Canada is getting desperate to recruit more people into these high-paying jobs which often come with great benefits packages.

‘Blue-Collar’ Jobs Pay Well, Offer Great Benefits

In their report, Powell and Richardson note the trades have long gotten a bad rap. These jobs are still dubbed “blue collar” work and seen as involving heavy, dirty physical work best suited to students who lack the aptitude for “white-collar” careers.

Modern health and safety standards in Canada, though, limit the amount of lifting needed in many trades and the salaries for these jobs often outstrip those of professionals. 

“The median income for pipefitters and heavy-duty equipment technicians with four years’ certification surpassed $100,000 in 2018; electricians earned between $80,000 and $90,000,” notes the report. “What’s more, intellectual aptitude is frequently identified as a critical requirement for the trades – particularly as technological transformation makes a lifelong upgrading of skills necessary.”

Skilled workers who want to immigrate to Canada can often avail themselves of the Global Talent Stream (GTS) of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) through which Canadian work permits and visa applications are processed within two weeks to fill labour shortages.

They can also apply under economic immigration programs, including the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, Canadian Experience, Caregiver, Skilled Trade and SkilledWorker programs.

This past summer, the lack of tradespeople in Canada was so severe that many companies were forced to turn down contracts.

Lack Of Tradespeople Forcing Companies To Turn Down Contracts

“We work our whole lives to be at this point and now we have got to say no,” Jonathan Denton, owner of Little John’s Renovations in Moncton, reportedly told Global News in June.

The contractor was then turning away roughly 20 per cent of the business coming his way during a construction boom because he couldn’t find enough skilled workers.

Business leaders in the Atlantic Canadian province of New Brunswick were quick to offer up a solution.

In August, they sent a clear message to federal politicians on the campaign trail: boost immigration.

“Whichever party forms the government must prioritize policies and investments that enable businesses to access talent and capital they need to recover and grow,” said Alex LeBlanc, chief executive officer of the New Brunswick Business Council in a press conference.

Business leaders in New Brunswick want Ottawa to simplify and speed up the overall process of immigration with an emphasis on streamlining and accelerating pathways for international students.

And to ensure the immigrants who arrive in New Brunswick stay there and settle down, the business community also wants Ottawa to put more money into settlement services and initiatives for welcoming communities.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, it is crucial that the next federal government make the right investments, put the right policies in place to ensure sustained growth for New Brunswick and the entire Atlantic region,” said John Wishart, chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Moncton.

New Pathways Job Matching Program For Immigrants To Newfoundland & Labrador

Colin Singer
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New Pathways Job Matching Program For Immigrants To Newfoundland & Labrador

Canada immigration news: Newfoundland and Labrador employers are getting a new tool to help them hire immigrants, temporary foreign workers and international students: the Pathways Job Matching program.

Under the new program, employers will be able to fill full-time jobs and newcomers will be able to find work more easily.

“By directly matching employers in need with people wanting to live and work here, we are helping to address the workforce needs of employers and support population growth,” said Gerry Byrne, the province’s minister of Immigration, Population Growth, and Skills, in making the announcement Wednesday morning at the at YellowBelly Brewery and Public House.

Read More Canada Immigration News

Immigration Agreement Extended Between Newfoundland and Labrador, Ottawa
Newfoundland & Labrador Needs Immigration To Boost Economic Recovery
Newfoundland Calls For Proposals to Improve Settlement Services to Immigrants

The St. John’s business is an established employer of newcomers, designated under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program since 2017.

Newfoundland Wants To Triple Immigration

“Participating employers provide detail on their vacant full-time jobs, then, qualifying newcomers provide their job qualifications,” said Byrne. “Once that occurs, our staff will begin matching newcomers who need jobs with employers who need workers.”

Newfoundland and Labrador is trying to almost triple the number of new immigrants that settle in the province from its pre-Covid-19 pandemic high of 1,850 in 2019 to 5,100 new permanent residents per year in 2026, less than five years from now.

Here’s how it works. 

Employers looking for workers visit the Pathways Job Matching program website and provide information on their full-time job openings. They can then submit details about their workforce needs on an on-going basis and can e-mail the province to get answers to any questions they might have at [email protected].

International graduates in Newfoundland and Labrador who are looking for jobs and other newcomers who have open work permits in Canada can complete a detailed online registration form over the two weeks starting next Wednesday.

Newfoundland Hiring More Immigrant Workers

Newfoundland and Labrador immigration staff will then work to match this group of newcomer applicants to the labour needs of the participating employers. Future application intake periods will be issued on a regular basis to gather interest from people looking to immigrate to Newfoundland and Labrador.

As it works to up its immigration levels, the Rock is undertaking several initiatives to woo immigrants, including:

  • settlement services such as training, foreign qualification recognition, language training, and cultural supports;
  • the development of a new online application system to make it easier and faster for newcomers to Canada to settle in Newfoundland and Labrador;
  • promotional and marketing campaigns focused on attracting prospective residents from other parts of Canada and around the world;
  • the hiring of more immigration staff, including personnel to assist employers with immigration, and to help newcomers navigate the immigration system, and;
  • the addition of English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors in the K-12 school system.

Employers Desperate For Immigrants To Fill Jobs

Labour shortages across Canada have left many employers in dire straits. Many of them are now upping their wages and benefits to attract workers and making greater efforts to recruit immigrants as the economy re-opens and business picks back up.

“It’s unprecedented times out there,” says Luc Erjavec, Restaurants Canada’s vice president for Atlantic Canada. “I’ve heard of restaurants changing their hours, closing earlier … The staff they have is burning out.”

Restaurants Canada’s latest survey shows that 80 per cent of restaurateurs are having trouble hiring kitchen staff and 67 per cent are having difficulty finding servers and staff to bus tables.

Construction firms are also in hiring mode with the number of jobs in this sector increasing by 20,000, or 1.4 per cent, in August alone. That’s the first time since March that sector has seen job growth.

A quick solution for employers facing labour shortages to may be the Global Talent Stream (GTS) of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) under which Canadian work permits and visa applications are processed within two weeks.

Confirming Your Canadian Permanent Residence Online: All You Need To Know

Colin Singer
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Confirming Your Canadian Permanent Residence Online: All You Need To Know

Canada immigration news: New permanent residents to Canada can now quickly and easily confirm their status online without any need for an in-person interview in most cases simply by going to the secure Permanent Residence Portal of the federal government.

The first step in doing that, though, is to ensure the received email asking the permanent resident to do that has, in fact, come from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

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When these emails legitimately come from the IRCC, the email address of the sender will end in @cic.gc.ca and the email itself will be in both French and English. 

Always. Do not trust any other emails that purport to come from IRCC and demand personal information that have any other email address.

Only Respond to Genuine Emails

Every legitimate email asking a permanent resident to confirm his or her status will come with the subject “IRCC – Permanent Residence Portal (PR Confirmation) / Portail de résidence permanente (Confirmation de la RP)” and link to this website address. 

New permanent residents who do not receive this email in their inbox should check their junk mail or spam folders to see if the message is there as sometimes the email filters will send them there.

Once at the Permanent Residence Portal, new permanent residents will be asked:

  • to declare they are in Canada;
  • to confirm their address, and;
  • to submit a recent photo IRCC can use to make the applicant’s permanent residency card.

Canada’s immigration officials sometimes return an applicant’s photograph and ask for another one if the submitted photo is too dark, the background isn’t white, the facial features are unrecognizable, or there is glare on the photograph.

When applicants then submit another photograph, the IRCC asks that it be in the JPEG or PNG formats. These can be a scanned professional photo or just a selfie, as long as it meets the requirements. 

Those photographs can be replaced with others – but only until the applicant hits the “submit” button. Once that’s done, the photograph can no longer be changed.

Immigration Representatives Not Allowed Account Access

Immigration consultants or lawyers can provide valuable advice to new permanent residents navigating this online portal and charge a fee to do so but these professionals are not allowed to either sign into the portal using the applicant’s username and password or declare the applicant is in Canada for them.

Late last year, Canada launched its online application citizenship tool to determine its real-world capabilities before going live with the final version in mid-August this year.

It’s now open for online citizenship applications to all applicants aged 18 and over who:

  • are applying as an individual (not as a family);
  • do not have a representative, and;
  • are not declaring a residence outside Canada as a crown servant or with a crown servant family member.

Canadian Immigration Department Launches Online Citizenship Portal

The IRCC will open the online application website to families (groups) and minors under 18 years of age later this year and to representatives to apply on behalf of their clients and clients who are declaring a residence outside Canada as a crown servant or with a crown servant family member in 2022.

Permanent residents are eligible for Canadian citizenship if they:

  • have lived in Canada for three out of the last five years;
  • have filed their income tax reports;
  • can pass a citizenship test, and;
  • meet the language requirements.

There are, of course, circumstances that could make a permanent resident ineligible for Canadian citizenship, such as having committed a crime. Immigration officials advise anyone who is uncertain as to their eligibility for citizenship to contact their lawyer or arresting officer. 

Canadian Employers Start Salary Bidding War to Attract Workers 

Colin Singer
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0
Canadian Employers Start Salary Bidding War to Attract Workers 

Canada immigration news: The new year is starting to look like a very good one for workers hoping to get a raise as employers throughout Canada plan to bump up salaries.

“Canadian employers are walking a tightline as they juggle and balance a number of factors when it comes to making decisions about their 2022 salary and workforce planning,” says Anand Parsan, a partner and national practice leader for compensation consulting at LifeWorks.

“A tight labour market has caused ‘the great resignation’ which is forcing organizations to adjust pay levels by the highest percentage in the last five years.

Canada immigration news: The new year is starting to look like a very good one for workers hoping to get a raise as employers throughout Canada plan to bump up salaries.

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 Businesses throughout Canada are planning to boost salaries with the biggest annual raises in years.

“Only 3.3 per cent of organizations are projecting salary freezes next year, which indicates that employers are recognizing the necessity of boosting pay and re-branding their total rewards value proposition in an effort to attract and retain key talent,” says Parsan. 

Canadian Employers Nixing Wage Freezes

This year, 12 per cent of employers froze wages in a bid to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, during the start of the pandemic, 36 per cent froze salaries.

With the Canadian economy slowly rebounding and the labour shortage becoming increasingly hard on employers, many of them are faced with no other option but to loosen the purse strings.

“With a booming job market and rising inflation, employees are seeking both higher compensation and purposeful work.”

When those companies that are not planning to offer pay hikes are factored out, the average planned salary increase next year is 2.7 per cent.

In its 2022 Salary Projection Survey report, LifeWorks notes the highest projected average salary increase for 2022 will be in the wholesale trade with a planned pay hike of 3.1 per cent. 

Biggest Increases in IT, Hospitality, Construction

Construction firms, hotels, motels and restaurants, and the IT sector are expected to boost wages by three per cent.

The healthcare and social assistance sector, teachers, the news media and arts and culture organizations will likely see wages go up two per cent next year.

Guylaine Béliveau, LifeWorks’ principal for the firm’s compensation consulting practice, says the good news of higher wages for workers next year is muted somewhat by inflation.

“We cannot … lose sight of the impending impact of the rising inflation rate,” says Béliveau. “Employee turnover needs to be a top consideration for employers, as employees may feel stretched financially.”

The higher wages will also not resolve the labour shortage. 

“Employers are struggling with a shortage of qualified employees,” says Béliveau. “Attraction and retention are more challenging than ever.” 

Skilled workers who want to immigrate to Canada can often avail themselves of the Global Talent Stream (GTS) of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) through which Canadian work permits and visa applications are processed within two weeks to fill labour shortages.

Opportunities For Immigration

They can also apply under economic immigration programs, including the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, Canadian Experience, Caregiver, Skilled Trade and SkilledWorker programs.

Certainly, business leaders in Canada are bullish on immigration and see it as a way to help resolve the labour shortage.

In August, business leaders in the Atlantic Canadian province of New Brunswick told Ottawa to boost immigration.

“Whichever party forms the government must prioritize policies and investments that enable businesses to access talent and capital they need to recover and grow,” said Alex LeBlanc, chief executive officer of the New Brunswick Business Council in a press conference.

On Sept. 20, Canadians re-elected the governing Liberals led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in that election. The Liberals’ immigration target for this year is 401,000 new permanent residents – and a higher target next year.

Business leaders in New Brunswick want Ottawa to simplify and speed up the overall process of immigration with an emphasis on streamlining and accelerating pathways for international students.

And to ensure the immigrants who arrive in New Brunswick stay there and settle down, the business community also wants Ottawa to put more money into settlement services and initiatives for welcoming communities.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, it is crucial that the next federal government make the right investments, put the right policies in place to ensure sustained growth for New Brunswick and the entire Atlantic region,” said John Wishart, chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Moncton.

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