Canada is one of the most celebrated countries for its best and brightest global talent. Recently, the Business Council of Canada (BCC) released a report in which 80 Canadian businesses were evaluated on how they use Canada’s immigration programs to employ skilled workers. The evaluated organizations cumulatively hired over 1.6 million workers. Out of which, two-thirds of companies evaluated mentioned that they hire global talent using Canada’s immigration system. The remaining employ the talent who have already relocated to Canada.

The Immigration Levels Plan 2022-2024 states to invite over 450,000 new permanent residents by 2024. Canada presents a multitude of work permits and economic class immigration programs.

Increasing Job Vacancies and Increasing Labor Shortage

The job vacancy rate in Canada is at an all-time high. Right now, the country is facing a labor shortage which is to increase by 2030 when more than nine million Canadians reach the retirement age of 65 years.

According to the BCC evaluation, all employers agree that Canada’s labour shortage is increasing, and the country is facing difficulty in finding skilled workers. The shortages are significantly pronounced in Canadian provinces like Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. Canada’s technology sector has been affected the most as industry growth and demand is surpassing the number of skilled workers. Occupations such as computer science, engineering, and information tech are in high demand.

This has been a challenge for a while now. According to the 2020 Express Entry annual report, applicants for permanent residency who have garnered experience in these occupations were among the most likely to receive an invitation to apply (ITA).

Immigration Programs used by Employers

Employers depend mainly on the Global Talent Stream, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) to hire international talent.

Global Talent Stream

The Global Talent Stream (GTS) is a temporary work permit that comes under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). It is for applicants with work experience in tech occupations and meets the urgent requirements of the rapidly growing tech sector. To attain a work permit under the GTS, organizations must apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP) and then submit them to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). After a positive response, the applicant they wish to hire must submit their work application to IRCC.

Express Entry Program

Express Entry is a federal government application management system and is the largest entry stream for skilled immigrants who wish to become permanent residents. Applicants with tech backgrounds are one of the leading receivers of permanent residence invitations under Express Entry. This pathway is exclusively created to accelerate applications for skilled workers. The most celebrated Express Entry option is the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). This stream is for those with a minimum of one year of work experience that comes under the National Occupational Codes (NOC) 0, A, or B.

Federal Skilled Worker Program

Applicants in the Federal Skilled Worker Program should meet a minimum requirement of one year of skilled work experience, a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 7 and meet the minimum educational requirements for their occupations by getting an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).

Canadian Experience Class

Under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), applicants must have one year of Canadian work experience completed in the last five years and meet the minimum Canadian Language Benchmark depending on the occupations that fall in the NOC skill codes.