Canada accelerated immigration for 30+ professions

Canada is still short of workers in many sectors. At the end of last year there were more than a million job openings, in February this year there were more than 300,000 new jobs across the country. And this despite the fact that unemployment is now only 5.5% — it has fallen to pre-pandemic levels.

One of Canada's popular provinces has published a new list of in-demand professions for which they will now select and call candidates on a priority basis. It is British Columbia. It is home to the well-known city of Vancouver, and immigrants go there for high salaries and a warm climate.

Speaking of wages. Canada recently raised the minimum hourly rate at the federal level to $15 CAD an hour, but in British Columbia it's even higher at $15.20 CAD an hour, with plans to raise it to $15.65 CAD in June. That's almost the highest rate in Canada. But only the lowest-skilled jobs get the minimum wage; the rest of the professionals are paid more. Canada has recently simplified the rules for work visas, so immigration by employment is especially important now.

In-demand professions

The list of priority occupations includes two categories: child care workers, these are caregivers and early childhood educator assistants, and medical professionals. There is also a list of IT occupations, but it is not new; there is a separate immigration program for them.

There are more than 30 specialties in health care. The list includes health care managers, nurses, doctors of various specialties, pharmacists, primary care workers, nutritionists, speech pathologists, medical technologists, laboratory technicians, assistants, nurses, as well as psychologists, social workers and even specialists in unconventional medicine such as acupuncture, aromatherapy and the like. There is a article with a complete list.

Medics can make more than $100,000 CAD a year in Canada, but most professions require a licence or you cannot work. This is not true for all professions, for example, nurses, managers, and some social workers do not need a license.

Caregivers earn less than doctors, averaging only $25,000 CAD a year. They also need a license in Canada, but it's not as hard to get as a medical license. We have a interview with a girl who works as a teacher in British Columbia, she got her license online while she was in her own country. And from her own country found an employer in Canada.

Suitable immigration programs

Now to the immigration programs by which the professions listed can move to British Columbia. Three programs with not very high requirements are suitable for majors:

• a stream of skilled professionals that requires 2 years of experience and low English;
• A stream of Canadian graduates for those who have completed their higher education in Canada, not necessarily in British Columbia, and also have a low level of English;
• stream intermediate and lower skilled, it is not suitable for everyone, but only for nurses and dental assistants, the language requirements are the same.

Pros and Cons of Immigrating to British Columbia

There is one common requirement for all streams — to find a job in British Columbia. Fortunately, the province is big, and there are plenty of jobs there. There was already an example: the heroine of the interview found a job in the province remotely, while she was still in her country. And for medics in the province, there is a special online tool that helps you find jobs.

Another disadvantage is that the programs require large amounts of money in the accounts. From $19,000 CAD for one person and from $35,000 CAD for a family of 4. This is a lot of money, but the requirement can be bypassed if you first come to Canada on a work visa, that is, find a job, come, start working and then apply for the immigration program, then you do not need to show the funds in the accounts.

On the plus side of British Columbia's immigration programs: this province holds immigration draws every week. There have already been targeted selections for new professions, with a minimum score of 70 out of 190. Such a drawing was held on April 5. There is a category in which the passing score was even lower.

Chances of immigration

Let's break down who may be invited based on the points in the selections. British Columbia evaluates candidates on its own scale, where points are awarded for the profession for which the job was offered, the salary offered, the location of the employer, work experience, education, and language level.

Take as an example pharmacist. This is a skilled occupation, so the specialty will earn 25 points. The average salary in Canada is $88,900 CAD per year. If an employer offers a candidate that much, it will get 34 points. The employer location factor will only give points if the employer is outside of Vancouver. But Vancouver is the largest city in the province, there are probably more jobs there. So let's say the candidate found a job there and got 0 points.

Then there are the human factors. In the requirements, the minimum work experience is 2 years. It does not necessarily have to match the job offer, but let's say the candidate has worked as a pharmacist for 2 years. That's 6 points. The pharmacist's education is probably higher, so another 11 points will be given. The last factor is language skills. In the requirements it is quite low, let the candidate be a little higher, it is another 10 points. The total is 86, and in the selection was 70.

There is a margin of 16 points, so if your profession is less qualified, or you are offered a lower salary, or your education is not higher, there is still a chance of getting an invitation. And if you apply while already working in B.C., you get an extra 10 points. This is for people who, for example, do not want to show the money in their account.

The passing score for nurses in one selection was only 63. And orderlies also don't need a license to work, so if you work in the medical field, you may want to consider this profession. Those who do need a license, medics specifically, will most likely have to retrain in Canada. For caregivers, remember, it's easier to get a license.

We cooperate with universities all over the country, including those that offer medical education. Our company also handles the selection of immigration programs and permanent residency paperwork. See our full list of services at link.