published on 15 April 2021 @ 10:54 am · COMMENT
Immigration Update
Generous and Exceptional New Permanent Residence Programs for Essential Workers and International Graduates, Including Essential Workers in National Occupation Classification (NOC) C or D Occupations
On April 14th 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced extremely generous and unprecedented new permanent residence programs for essential workers and international graduates in Canada. IRCC will begin accepting applications under the following three (3) program streams on May 6th 2021:
- Temporary workers in health care;
- Temporary workers in other selected “essential occupations”; and
- International students who graduated from a Canadian institution
To qualify under the temporary worker streams, applicants must have at least one year of work experience in Canada, in an eligible occupation. To qualify for the international student stream, applicants must have completed an eligible program of study at a Canadian post-secondary institution within the last four (4) years. Applicants must be currently residing in Canada and either have valid temporary resident status or be eligible for restoration of status.
Each program has a limited quota of applications they will accept, so applicants who meet the criteria should apply as soon as possible once the programs open on May 6th. IRCC will accept applications under these categories until November 5th 2021 or until the quotas are met. Three additional programs with no intake cap have been launched for bilingual applicants.
Given the broad scope of occupations included, these new programs provide an excellent opportunity for temporary workers in Canada to obtain permanent resident status. The inclusion of National Occupation Classification (NOC) C and D occupations provides a pathway to permanent residence for workers who are excluded from the Canadian Experience Class category. These programs also provide an opportunity to obtain permanent resident status for temporary workers in Canada who may not score high enough under the Express Entry system to be selected, due to factors such as age, level of education or language proficiency.
The eligible occupations for the temporary worker streams are as follows:
Temporary Workers in Health Care:
3011 Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors
3012 Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
3111 Specialist physicians
3112 General practitioners and family physicians
3113 Dentists
3121 Optometrists
3122 Chiropractors
3124 Allied primary health practitioners
3125 Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
3131 Pharmacists
3132 Dietitians and nutritionists
3141 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
3142 Physiotherapists
3143 Occupational therapists
3144 Other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
3211 Medical laboratory technologists
3212 Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants
3214 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
3215 Medical radiation technologists
3216 Medical sonographers
3217 Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c.
3219 Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health)
3221 Denturists
3222 Dental hygienists and dental therapists
3223 Dental technologists, technicians and laboratory assistants
3231 Opticians
3232 Practitioners of natural healing
3233 Licensed practical nurses
3234 Paramedical occupations
3236 Massage therapists
3237 Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
3411 Dental assistants
3413 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
3414 Other assisting occupations in support of health services
4151 Psychologists
4152 Social workers
4153 Family, marriage and other related counsellors
4165 Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers
4212 Social and community service workers
4412 Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations
Temporary Workers in other Essential Occupations:
6611 Cashiers
6621 Service station attendants
6622 Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers
6623 Other sales related occupations
7201 Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations
7202 Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
7203 Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades
7204 Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
7205 Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
7231 Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
7232 Tool and die makers
7233 Sheet metal workers
7234 Boilermakers
7235 Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters
7236 Ironworkers
7237 Welders and related machine operators
7241 Electricians (except industrial and power system)
7242 Industrial electricians
7243 Power system electricians
7244 Electrical power line and cable workers
7245 Telecommunications line and cable workers
7246 Telecommunications installation and repair workers
7247 Cable television service and maintenance technicians
7251 Plumbers
7252 Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
7253 Gas fitters
7271 Carpenters
7272 Cabinetmakers
7281 Bricklayers
7282 Concrete finishers
7283 Tilesetters
7284 Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
7291 Roofers and shinglers
7292 Glaziers
7293 Insulators
7294 Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
7295 Floor covering installers
7441 Residential and commercial installers and servicers
7442 Waterworks and gas maintenance workers
7444 Pest controllers and fumigators
7445 Other repairers and servicers
7451 Longshore workers
7452 Material handlers
7511 Transport truck drivers
7512 Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators
7513 Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs
7514 Delivery and courier service drivers
7521 Heavy equipment operators (except crane)
7522 Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers
7531 Railway yard and track maintenance workers
7532 Water transport deck and engine room crew
7533 Boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations
7534 Air transport ramp attendants
7535 Other automotive mechanical installers and servicers
7611 Construction trades helpers and labourers
7612 Other trades helpers and labourers
7621 Public works and maintenance labourers
7622 Railway and motor transport labourers
8611 Harvesting labourers
8612 Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers
8613 Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers
8614 Mine labourers
8615 Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers
8616 Logging and forestry labourers
1511 Mail, postal and related workers
1512 Letter carriers
1513 Couriers, messengers and door-to-door distributors
6421 Retail salespersons
6731 Light duty cleaners
6732 Specialized cleaners
6733 Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents
8431 General farm workers
8432 Nursery and greenhouse workers
8441 Fishing vessel deckhands
8442 Trappers and hunters
9461 Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
9462 Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
9463 Fish and seafood plant workers
9465 Testers and graders, food and beverage processing
0821 Managers in agriculture
0822 Managers in horticulture
4031 French and French Immersion Secondary school teachers (language of instruction must be French)
4032 French and French Immersion Elementary school and kindergarten teachers (language of instruction must be French)
4411 Home child care providers
4413 Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
6331 Retail butchers
6523 Airline ticket and service agents
6524 Ground and water transport ticket agents, cargo service representatives and related clerks
6541 Security guards and related security service occupations
6551 Customer services representatives – financial institutions
6552 Other customer and information services representatives
8252 Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
8255 Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services
9617 Labourers in food and beverage processing
9618 Labourers in fish and seafood processing
The application process, however, will involve the usual complex screening and verification requirements based on regular immigration law, policy and case law, in addition to the new policy requirements for this program. Employers and employees are encouraged to take advantage of this exceptional opportunity as it has been created as a result of the pandemic. Normally, our government would not introduce facilitative options of this nature, based on the past experience over the course of the last 29 years in our immigration practice at BARTLAW LLP. This immigration measure is extremely special.
Express Entry Update
On April 14th 2021, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued a new round of invitations to apply for permanent residence under the Express Entry system.
The April 14th draw invited candidates who qualify for selection under the Provincial Nominee Class. The minimum score selected was 753, and 266 candidates were invited to apply. To qualify for selection under the Provincial Nominee Class, candidates must have received a nomination certificate from a Canadian province or territory. Canadian provinces and territories have their own unique set of immigration programs through which applicants can apply for permanent residence. Candidates who receive a provincial or territorial nomination can be awarded 600 additional points under the federal Express Entry system.
filed under: IMMIGRATION NEWSPERMANENT RESIDENCE