Canada is not the only country in world that’s seeking to attract young skilled workers from foreign countries. However, what makes Canada truly unique is that its federal and provincial governments go beyond general policy measures and focus on specific active measures to help boost immigration.

Like many other provinces of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador too has set itself a very ambitious immigration target. From existing levels, the province is targeting a 300 percent increase by 2026. Authorities aim to bring in more than 5000 immigrants per year to triple its immigration levels in the future.

Further, the authorities have deployed a new Pathways Job Matching tool to make it easier for employers in the province to find the right skilled and qualified foreign workers for vacant positions.

Understanding Pathways Job Matching

The Pathways job Matching tool covers the following categories of skilled workers.

• International graduates with a valid Post Graduation Work Permit
• Spouses of such international graduates
• Open work permit holders who are already living in the province.

Open work permit holders living in other provinces of Canada and who are ready to relocate to Newfoundland and Labrador.

Also Read

• 4 Reasons Why Skilled Immigration is Key to Canada’s Economic Prosperity and Social Stability
• After the Pandemic—Where are the Jobs in Canada and What’s the Right Immigration Strategy?
• Pandemic a Non Issue as Canada’s Focus on Skilled and Economic Immigration Remains Unchanged

The Process

Interested candidates must submit their work permit details, resume, and their occupational classification during pre-announced application intake periods. Once the information is in the tool, authorities will match qualified applicants with the vacant positions with participating employers in the province.

One key benefit of this process for foreign skilled workers is the foreign qualification recognition built into the tool. For a long time, foreign workers have struggled to overcome the disadvantage of preference for Canadian qualifications among employers.

By recognizing foreign qualifications, the tool makes it easier for even those without a Canadian degree or those with a combination of Canadian and non-Canadian qualifications to easily find a job in the province.

Key Takeaways for Foreign Workers

Your NOC code is a core part of the Pathway Job Matching tool. This means you need to get your NOC code right, which means you need to look beyond the designation and analyze your key duties and responsibilities to submit the right NOC code into the tool.

The tool allows you to submit details of up to three occupations, which means you can leverage work experience covering three different job positions and responsibilities when searching for a job in the province.

The tool is restricted to those who can take up immediate employment in the province. So, don’t apply until you have all the necessary licenses and permissions for your occupation. Whether your occupation is a regulated one and whether you need such permissions is best discussed with an experienced and qualified immigration professional.

After the NOC code, this is the second-most important aspect of the tool where professional advice and guidance will be very beneficial.

It’s important to note that this tool is open only to those who have valid status in Canada in the form of a PGWP or open work permit. The former requirement clearly shows preference for those who have studied in Canada.

The latter requirement covers even those outside the province, which means the competition between provinces to attract and retain foreign talent is only going to increase in the future.

Finally, governments and immigration authorities in Canada are going to be even more aggressive in setting immigration targets and in finding ways to meet them. Attracting talent is unlikely to remain the sole responsibility of employers.

Instead, authorities will help in the form of Job Matching tools or new PNP streams, faster changes to In-Demand occupations list, and even relaxed eligibility requirements to help boost entry of skilled workers into the province.

If you are searching for a job in Canada, then it’s important to understand that you need not do this all alone. An immigration professional can guide you through the process and help you with useful information about best provinces for your occupation, median wage levels for your position, and the general eligibility requirements for a Canadian work permit.

Combining professional assistance with such tools can help you find a job quickly, which means the time between deciding to explore opportunities in Canada and actually working in the country can be easily reduced from months or even years to just a few weeks.