On May 31, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) disclosed new Express Entry candidate selection categories. Healthcare and Stem jobs.
The first-ever category-based Express Entry draw, which invited healthcare professionals, was held by IRCC. More healthcare professionals will be invited, according to the statement, during the course of the following week. Furthermore, the IRCC intends to conduct its first round of category-based lotteries for STEM professionals the following week.
The categories heavily rely on a candidate’s profession or a job history in a particular, in-demand industry.
According to the IRCC, the new categories were chosen based on information on the labor market, including estimates, and feedback from stakeholders around the nation.
This information was utilized by the department to choose six new categories for candidates for Express Entry in upcoming lotteries this year. The new classifications are intended to help Canada’s economic objectives or encourage the immigration of francophones from outside of Quebec.
The new categories are:
- Healthcare occupations
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) occupations
- Trade occupations
- Transport occupations
- Agriculture and agri-food occupations
- French-language proficiency
All of these fields are thought to be in demand and crucial to maintaining Canada’s economy and labor force. However, in terms of the amount of available jobs, two selection categories stand out.
Healthcare occupations lead in demand
The birthrate in Canada is among the lowest in the world, and the country’s population is aging. By 2030, nine million Canadians are anticipated to be 65 or older. As a result, there will be more people using the healthcare system and fewer people available to fill the voids in the labor force caused by a large number of retirements in the upcoming years.
The already overburdened Canadian healthcare system may see less incoming pressure if immigration candidates are chosen who have demonstrated experience in a healthcare occupation.
As of March 2023, there were 144,500 open opportunities in the healthcare and social support sector, making up 17.7% of all open posts, according to recent job vacancy data from Statistics Canada.
The healthcare category includes a variety of jobs, with over half of the eligible occupations for the new category-based draws falling within this group:
- Audiologists and speech language pathologists
- Chiropractors
- Dentists
- Dieticians and nutritionists
- Education counsellors
- General practitioners and family physicians
- Instructors of persons with disabilities
- Kinesiologists and other professional occupation in therapy and assessment
- Licensed practical nurses
- Massage therapists
- Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
- Medical laboratory technologists
- Medical radiation technologists
- Medical sonographers
- Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
- Nurse practitioners
- Nursing coordinators and supervisors
- Occupational therapists
- Optometrists
- Other assisting occupations in support of health services
- Other practitioners of natural healing
- Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
- Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
- Paramedical occupations
- Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
- Physiotherapists
- Psychologists
- Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
- Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
- Specialists in surgery
- Therapists in counseling and related specialized therapies
- Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
- Veterinarians
STEM occupations
In Canada, demand is rising for jobs in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. According to a research by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, the information, communications, and technology sector will generate $242 billion in revenue in 2021.
Invest in Canada says that Canada ranks fourth for its global competitiveness in AI implementation, innovation, and investment. Canada is also a hotspot for AI (artificial intelligence), home to 1,032 AI and machine learning businesses.
According to a report issued by Statistics Canada in November of last year, the high rate of retirement as well as quickly advancing technology and automation employed in daily life and business are causing a skills gap in the Canadian labor market. It claims that this is leading some Canadian firms to select less competent employees, which could impede the expansion of their companies. Healthcare and Stem jobs.
Numerous professions that fall under the STEM category have starting salaries that are competitive. According to a Statistics Canada report published in April of this year, the typical starting salary for international students with an undergraduate degree working in a STEM field was $52,000 as of 2019.
There are 23 STEM occupations listed as eligible for category-based selection draws.
- Architects
- Architecture and science managers
- Business systems specialists
- Civil Engineers
- Computer and information systems managers
- Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
- Computer systems developers and programmers
- Cybersecurity specialists
- Data scientists
- Database analysts and data administrators
- Electrical and electronics engineers
- Engineering managers
- Industrial and manufacturing engineers
- Information systems specialists
- Land surveyors
- Landscape Architects
- Mathematicians, statisticians, and actuaries
- Metallurgical and materials engineers
- Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants, and program officers
- Software developers and programmers
- Software engineers and designers
- Urban and land use planners
- Web designers
- Web developers and programmers
Eligibility for the new categories
Candidates must still confirm that they are eligible for an Express Entry program even if they have the minimum amount of work experience necessary for one of these categories, which is at least six months of continuous work experience in an appropriate occupation (within the last three years), whether in Canada or overseas. Being eligible requires more than just having the appropriate work experience.
The Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program are all managed under the application management system known as Express Entry. For entry into the Express Entry application pool, applicants must meet the specific work experience, educational, and language requirements of each of these programs. Healthcare and Stem jobs
According to IRCC, it would continue to rank candidates using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) in the new selection category drawings. The likelihood of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence is still highest for those with better test results.
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