Immigration has played a critical role in keeping Canada’s cities and rural areas growing and supporting its labor markets. There are several employment-based pathways that lead to permanent residence.
Most Employment-Based Immigration to Canada options require applicants to be invited through the Express Entry system or a provincial nominee program. These programs are based on points and may involve lengthy processing times.
Introduction to Employment-Based Immigration to Canada
In the modern era, immigration has dramatically shaped Canada’s economy and culture. In the 1960s and 1970s, legislation laid the groundwork for a Canadian immigration regime that embraces multiculturalism and uses a points system to evaluate applicants.
Canada saw a jump in immigrants from Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean following this policy. The points system rewards occupation, work experience, education, language ability, and other factors that promote economic integration. However, arranging employment is not required for admission, and most immigrants seek employment upon arrival.
The point system enables Canadians to select individuals who will contribute to the country’s long-term growth strategy. In contrast, host countries such as the United States employ a demand-driven approach that prioritizes workers with specific skills. This is reflected in the fact that most employment-based immigrants are former temporary workers sponsored by employers.
The most common pathway for employment-based immigration to Canada is the Express Entry program. This program selects candidates on their skill, education, work experience, and other factors through a computerized ranking system.
Another large pathway is the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which allows provinces to nominate individuals who will fill their economic needs. Lastly, the Canadian government offers business-oriented immigration programs for foreign entrepreneurs and self-employed persons. However, despite higher returns for human capital characteristics among skill-based immigrants, they tend to underutilize their skills in the first years of residence.
Visa Options for Skilled Workers
The Canadian government offers several visa options to skilled workers looking to immigrate. The most common is the Federal Skilled Worker Program, which has been a popular pathway for high-skilled foreign workers to get permanent residency in Canada. This program is open to individuals who have a job offer in a National Occupational Classification (NOC) occupation with an LMIA and meet the other requirements of the program.
Another option for skilled workers is the Quebec Skilled Worker Program. This has similar requirements to the FSWP. This program is open to individuals who have an offer of employment in a NOC A, B or O occupation. And meet the other requirements of the program. The third major option is to apply through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program, which invites individuals who have worked full time and legally in Canada for at least one year in NOC A, B or O occupations.
Finally, there are a number of provincial nominee programs that operate under the same immigration laws as the federal government. These programs identify candidates based on their skill set and then nominate them for a permanent resident visa through Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
However, these options are often slower and more difficult to navigate than the FSWP or QSWP programs. Moreover, they only give visas to individuals who have an offer of employment in their field. As such, these programs are typically reserved for the best and most qualified applicants.
Employer Sponsorship
Employers can sponsor foreign workers to fill open positions. They must create an account with USCIS, and the candidate must be certified by the Department of Labor in order to obtain a work visa under this process. This certification is important because it demonstrates that the person meets all of the requirements of the job.
Some immigration programs require employers to make a significant investment in the company in order to bring in employees through employer sponsorship. This is one way that businesses can bring in qualified workers and gain a competitive advantage. The amount of money that must be invested will vary by program.
Another type of employee sponsorship is for family members to join an immigrant in Canada. This is often a more affordable option for people who do not have access to any professional opportunities in their home country. The amount of money that must be invested in a sponsored family member will vary by program as well.
The biggest challenge in this type of immigration is the fact that nobody can sponsor you to come to Canada and take a job that should be taken by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. There are entire processes in place to prevent this from happening, and if you want to immigrate to Canada on your own merits, you must qualify for it through the points-based system.
Qualification Criteria for Employment-Based Immigration to Canada
The qualifications for employment-based immigration to Canada are based on your work experience, education, language skills, and other factors. The most common way to qualify is through one of the federal high-skilled worker programs. These programs use a point system that gives preference to younger applicants with job offers and high levels of education, work experience, and language skills.
Many provinces and territories also sponsor immigrants under their Provincial Nominee Programs. These programs target specific worker groups to meet local labour needs.
For example, the entrepreneur category under these programs is for individuals who have entrepreneurial experience. And who can help grow and sustain a business in Canada. In addition, the artisan and professional athlete categories are designed to bring in people who can contribute to Canada’s cultural life and athletics.
Application Process
If you are a foreign worker in a skilled occupation, it is possible to apply for Canadian permanent residency. This process requires a significant financial and emotional investment, but it can result in a permanent life in Canada. There are four main ways to achieve this goal:
The Express Entry program is the fastest and most popular route to Canadian permanent residence. Successful applicants are awarded points based on their education, work experience, language abilities, connections to Canada and more.
The highest scores are awarded to individuals with a master’s degree, bachelor’s degree and at least one year of work experience in their field. In addition, points are awarded for proficiency in both the English and French official languages.
Another option is the Intra-Company Transfer ICT Canada Visa, which allows employees of a multinational company to move to Canada in order to work at a Canadian branch, subsidiary or affiliate. This visa is not available to all countries.
Challenges and Considerations
Countries have to balance competing goals when designing and implementing skill-based immigration policies. Some adopt a long-term growth strategy that prioritizes importing skilled workers. The latter approach can result in exploitation of temporary immigrants. As they are highly dependent on their employers because they play a key role in their pathway to permanent residency.
The economic benefits of a well-designed skilled worker program are substantial. High-skilled immigrants boost innovation, which increases productivity and wages for low-skilled native workers. They also broaden the tax base and contribute to addressing fiscal challenges posed by an aging population.
In spite of the positive impact, a number of issues challenge employment-based immigration programs. One problem is that immigrant skills are often underutilized. Suggesting either that the returns to human capital characteristics are lower than for native-born workers or that barriers such as credential recognition problems.
Another concern is the potential for large-scale unauthorized migration. Which can lead to hostility toward immigrants in some countries. Lastly, relying too heavily on immigration reduces incentives for governments to strengthen education and training systems to improve the employability of the domestic workforce.