When seeking to immigrate and start a new life, skilled professionals are increasingly drawn to Canada. At present, Toronto is one of the most sought-after locations in Canada for skilled immigrants, which makes sense considering its excellent educational system, rich cultural diversity, and high standard of living.
Owing to a lower population and an extreme lack of skilled labourers in vital sectors such as transport and healthcare, the Canadian government is consistently attempting to stabilize immigration to the country, which will potentially draw in newcomers capable of driving economic growth and shaping future trends.
The Express Entry system is one of the most significant immigration-related initiatives in Canada that specifically focuses on skilled foreign nationals. Essentially, it is an electronic immigration program that helps Canadian authorities manage immigration applications in an effective manner.
The Express Entry System
The easiest and fastest route to permanent residency in Canada is through Express Entry. That being said, not every applicant wishing to immigrate to Canada can use the Express Entry system. It was created specifically by IRCC to manage and process skilled worker applications. It is a points-based system intended to evaluate immigration candidates effectively, taking into account various factors such as age, education, language proficiency, previous employment history, and more. It oversees immigration applications under three main categories: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and Federal Skilled Trades Program. Thanks to Express Entry, applicants wishing to obtain permanent residence in Canada can accomplish the same goal in a few months.
Let us look into the three major immigration initiatives operational under the Express Entry
system:
- The Federal Skilled Worker Program — The Federal Skilled Worker program is administered under the Express Entry system and ranks candidates seeking permanent residence in Canada using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). It is intended to facilitate the immigration of all qualified individuals with prior international work experience. A job in management, professional jobs requiring a university degree, technical jobs or trades requiring a college diploma, or apprenticeships are required, as is a high level of proficiency in either English or French (Level 7). Last but not least, it also requires a year of continuous work in the pertinent field over the preceding ten years.
- The Federal Skilled Trades Program — The Federal Skilled Trades program was framed by the Canadian authorities for skilled workers in particular trades who have work experience abroad. This is a technical job that requires two years of work experience within the last five years, a college degree, or an apprenticeship, and proficiency in either English or French at Level 5 or 4. A certificate attesting to their high level of trade proficiency and a current job offer from a Canadian company are also requirements for candidates.
- The Canadian Experience Class Program — Candidates seeking permanent immigration to Canada and having recent work experience in Canada are best suited for the Canadian Experience Class program. Processes for CEC can be completed in as little as three to four months, making it one of the quickest paths to permanent residence in Canada. A Level 5 or 7 in English or French language proficiency and employment in management, professional, or technical jobs are prerequisites for consideration for immigration under this program. In the previous three years, they must also have one year of work experience in Canada.
There is fierce competition for Express Entry, as only a small number of invitations are granted annually. It’s a novel and forward-thinking method of choosing qualified professionals and granting them permanent residency in the country. Based on their Express Entry Points assigned for various factors like experience, language ability, skills, and others, the system evaluates the applications of eligible immigrants seeking to migrate to Canada.
The Provincial Nominee Program
The main objective behind the development of the Provincial Nominee Program was to facilitate the immigration of specific skilled professionals chosen by Canadian provinces and territories to effectively meet their economic needs. It should be noted that on being invited to apply, it is mandatory for the selected applicant to reside and work in the province that nominated them. This program is operated by the Canadian provinces and only accepts online profiles through the Express Entry portal. Every Canadian province and territory has a unique provincial nominee program that is tailored to the requirements of the regional labour market.
The Global Talent Stream
Launched in 2017 with the intention to assist Canadian employers in quickly recruiting qualified foreign nationals, the Global Talent Stream (GTS) is an accelerated work permit program. It is a two-year pilot programme that aims to give Canadian employers faster, more dependable access to global top talent.
When Canadians are unavailable for particular roles, employers in Canada can expedite the hiring of foreign workers to fill specialized occupations through the Global Talent Stream immigration programme. Applications for Global Talent Streams are handled through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which is a group of work permit streams that allows immigrants to enter Canada temporarily in order to meet labour shortages. A branch of the TFWP dedicated to highly skilled workers in specialized fields, the Global Talent Stream gives preference to applicants with prioritization in engineering and tech-related fields.
Upon selection, candidates may work for the chosen employer in Canada for a period of two weeks, beginning on the day they receive a work permit. For skilled workers who would prefer to work in Toronto temporarily but may not be interested in permanent residency, the Global Talent Stream is a great option.
Conclusion
Skilled professionals who seek to immigrate and find employment in Toronto should be well aware of the various immigration programs available to them. It is absolutely imperative to have the right knowledge and direction in order to ensure the success of one’s immigration application.
At Kurzfeld Law, we’re devoted to helping you get through every stage of the immigration process by leveraging accurate and trustworthy information.
