Immigration Canada

Transitioning from Semi-Skilled Worker Status to Canadian Permanent Residency

Recruitment Day (Photo credit: Middle Island Fire Department)

By David Cohen

Over 300,000 temporary foreign workers currently reside in Canada. They perform vital jobs in a wide array of professions and skill levels. Economic prosperity in Canada is increasingly dependent on workers who perform ‘semi-skilled’ occupations. These workers can be found in a range of key sectors, including but not limited to trucking, hospitality, construction, and manufacturing.

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), semi-skilled work requires a secondary-school level of education, and/or on the job training in order to perform. However, it does not necessarily require post-secondary education. Semi-skilled occupations are classified as ‘C’ level in Canada’s National Occupation Classification (NOC), which organizes Canadian jobs according to their industry and the level of skill required to perform them. In addition to semi-skilled (NOC ‘C’ level) jobs, there are skilled jobs (NOCs A and B levels) and managerial jobs (NOC 0 level). Below semi-skilled are unskilled jobs, which are classified as NOC level D.

Most economically-driven Canadian immigration programs require workers to have experience in a ‘skilled’ job (NOC 0, A, or B levels). However, semi-skilled workers already in Canada may have a number of immigration options available to them, should they choose to pursue a Permanent Residency application.

In this article, the first in a two-part series, CIC News will explore the various programs that offer permanent residency options to semi-skilled (and sometimes unskilled) workers:

Options for Semi-Skilled Workers

All economic immigration programs with semi-skilled worker streams come under the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). These programs are tailored to suit the labour needs of individual provinces. As such, no two are exactly the same. Interested applicants are encouraged to research what sort of regulations and requirements a program needs before applying.

In this article, CIC News will briefly outline five PNPs that include a semi-skilled worker component. In the next mid-month newsletter, we will explore the final five PNPs. Be aware that applicants to all PNP programs now require applicants to meet meet minimum language requirements in either English or French:

Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP):

Employer Driven Stream/Semi-Skilled Worker Category

Semi-skilled workers in the following five industries may be eligible to apply to this stream: Food and Beverage Processing, Hotel and Lodging, Manufacturing, Trucking, Foodservice.
An unlimited amount of candidates in the fields of front desk/clerk, room attendant, food and beverage processors, heavy haul truckers of all types, and food services will be accepted by the program until November 28th, 2013.
Applicants must be currently living in Alberta and working in the province for at least six months. Minimum total work experience in the field ranges from 6 months (trucking) to three years (food and beverage).
English language requirements for semi-skilled workers applying through the AINP program are less stringent than requirements for skilled workers

Strategic Recruitment Stream/Compulsory and Optional Trades Category

A range of skilled and semi-skilled occupations are eligible for this program. Applicants must be currently residing in Alberta on a valid work permit, and must possess both an invitation from Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training and an Alberta Qualification Certificate.

Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP):

Long Haul Truck Driver Stream

Truck drivers must be working in the industry in Saskatchewan for a minimum of 6 months, and have a total of 2 years of experience. They must have an eligible job offer from an employer in the field.
They must possess Saskatchewan Class 1A license and be able to drive to the United States.

Hospitality Sector Pilot Project

Food/Beverage Servers, Food Counter Attendant/Kitchen Helpers, and Housekeeping/Cleaning Staff may be eligible under this stream
Applicants must be living in Saskatchewan and must have worked for at least 6 months in one of the above industries.

British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP):

Strategic Occupations Stream/Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled Worker Category

Semi-skilled workers in the following three industries may be eligible to apply to this stream: Tourism and Hospitality, Long-Haul Trucking, and Food Processing.
Both semi-skilled and unskilled (NOC levels C and D) workers may be eligible to apply provided they are living and working in Northeastern British Columbia. This is provided as part of the Northeast Pilot Project.

New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NB PNP):

Skilled Worker Applicants with Employer Support Stream

Workers in occupations at NOC C and D levels in the following industries may be eligible for this program: business, health, sales, trades/transportation, natural resources, and manufacturing. They must have been working for more than a year with their New Brunswickemployer. They must also receive an eligible job offer from the employer.
Applications to this program are assessed on a points scale. Applicants must meet the 50 point mark to qualify for the program. Points are allocated on the basis of age, education, work experience, language ability and overall adaptability.

Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP):

Employer Direct Stream

NOC C and D level workers may be eligible for this program provided that they have been living and working in Manitoba for 6 months prior to submission of their application. They must hold an eligible job offer from a Manitoba employer.

Source: http://www.cicnews.com/2013/10/transitioning-semiskilled-worker-status-canadian-permanent-residency-102963.html

As Canadian Industries Boom, Civil Engineers in High Demand

English: Al Bordeau Reviewing Plansets. Is this a plan of utilities like water supply, electricity, etc in a urban district (MUD District Tract = Municipal Utility District)? which? what device is lying there? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By David Cohen

All around the world, civil engineers are among the key drivers of economic and societal growth. In Canada, a country with a rapidly expanding economy, the need for skilled engineers has never been greater. Civil engineers who come to Canada are able to take advantage of one of the most welcoming and well-paying job markets in the world, and many are able to stay in Canada permanently as Canadian Permanent Residents.

The Need for Civil Engineers

Civil engineering is one of the largest branches of engineering, comprising approximately one fifth of the entire discipline. Despite its popularity, Canada is facing a drastic shortage of qualified civil engineers. This is due to a number of factors, including expansion of projects throughout the country and a work force that is, on average, older and closer to retirement than other engineering disciplines.

While civil engineers are coveted across Canada, the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta are especially in need of experts in this field. According to Statistics Canada, 2013 was the first year that the ‘excess supply’ of civil engineers in the country reached zero. This means that, statistically, the profession has full employment. At current rates, it is expected that thousands of civil engineering jobs will need to be filled by the year 2020.

With too few Canadian graduates pursuing this career path, many employers are looking abroad to find the workers they need. Shawn Paulson, an Edmonton-based engineering recruiter, said the following in an interview with the Financial Post:

“We’ve shown a 25% increase in overall hires each year, and those are all engineers. Last year alone we hired over 600 engineering-related professionals. Unfortunately, there are just not enough graduates right now.”

Civil Engineers Find Success in Canada

Once in Canada, civil engineers benefit from good jobs and competitive salaries. Because their skills are in high demand, they have the flexibility to work almost anywhere they wish, provided that they obtain the necessary certification.

Even recent civil engineering graduates with limited professional experience are highly sought after. In fact, the entry level salary for this field is one of the highest in Canada, with new graduates regularly making figures in the mid $60,000 range. Mid-career and advanced level professionals can make salaries in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

With so much demand for their skills, civil engineers can choose not just their place of work, but also the type of work they wish to do. They are therefore often able to work on fulfilling assignments in fields directly associated with their expertise, whether they are in a booming city or on the Canadian frontier.

“With a growing population in need of services, not to mention the incredibly profitable natural resources sector, engineers are needed more than ever to help Canada meet current and future needs,” said Attorney David Cohen. “More than almost any other occupation, their skills are truly rewarded at the highest levels.”

Coming to Canada as a Civil Engineer

At any time, a foreign engineer may travel to Canada as a Temporary Worker, provided they have received an eligible job offer and obtained the necessary work authorization. However, there are also many options for civil engineers to immigrate directly to Canada as Permanent Residents.

The Quebec Skilled Worker Program awards a high number of points to civil engineers, whose profession is currently listed on the province’s list of eligible areas of training/fields of study. Once in Canada, engineers who immigrate through this program may seek work in Quebec’s cities or extensive natural resource sector, or they may pursue employment opportunities elsewhere in Canada.

Additionally, Civil Engineers are on the current list of eligible occupations for the popular Federal Skilled Worker Program. The Federal Skilled Worker Program is accepting only 300 applications for each targeted occupation, so interested applicants should be aware that quick action may be required to submit an application before the program closes for this year.

If an individual is already working in Canada as a civil engineer, s/he may be eligible to apply through the Skilled Worker stream of the Provincial Nominee Program that covers their province of residence, or through the Canadian or Quebec Experience Class programs.

“Overall, there is no shortage of opportunities for a civil engineer to come to Canada,” said Attorney David Cohen. “With such valuable skills, they will truly have all of Canada ready to welcome them to their new home.”

Source: http://www.cicnews.com/2013/10/canadian-industries-boom-civil-engineers-high-demand-102959.html