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Canada welcomes work-experienced immigrants

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By Mercy Kelani

While the United Kingdom ban foreign nationals, Canada invites them for labour.

Recently, the Canadian government, in a statement on its website, announced that it has launched a new process of welcoming skilled immigrants with work experience in relevant jobs as permanent residents. The government asserted that immigration is recognized as an important medium of solving the challenge of inadequate workers in the country. As a result of this realization, the government is developing an immigration system that fosters growth, empowers businesses, addresses labour needs and strengthens French communities.

A combination of the aforementioned efforts will make Canadians beneficiaries of economic and social prosperity for many years. On the contrary, the government of the United Kingdom recently announced a ban on Nigerians and other foreign nationals, regarding them as being dependent on their country. This move has caused controversy and has gotten various reactions from many analysts who have stated that the announcement will affect foreign nationals in the UK and the British economy negatively.

Drafted Immigration plan to recruit 1.45 million immigrants.

In November 2022, it was reported that the Canadian government announced that there is shortage of workforce in the country, and as a result it drafted a 2023-2025 immigration levels plan for recruitment of 1.45 million immigrants from Nigeria and across other countries around the world into various sectors of its economy by 2025. Some of the targeted areas for employment of immigrants include Federal High Skilled Department for Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Business, Caregivers, and Economic Pilots, and Federal Skilled Trades Program.

On May 31, 2023, Sean Fraser, the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the first launch of category-based selection for the country’s flagship economic immigration, management system called “Express Entry”. This selection will permit Canada issuance of invitations for application to potential permanent residents with skills, language ability or training. In the coming weeks, the minister said details on invitation timing for different categories and process of applying will be announced. He added that this year’s selection is focused on candidates with fluent French language proficiency or healthcare work experience.

Changes has been made to Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

According to Fraser, changes made to the Express Entry system will ensure provision of skilled workers in Canada to foster growth and success. This system is designed to grow the country’s economy, assist business that suffer labour shortages, and increase the number of candidates who are proficient in French language to ensure vibrancy of French-speaking communities. He added that the country’s immigration system has never been more responsive to the social and economic needs of the nation.

The minister added that the category-based selection will aid more responsiveness of Express Entry to the transitioning economic and labour market needs of Canada. This will be done through dependence on the high human capital approach that has driven the successfulness of the country’s economic immigration system. In June 2022, the Canadian government made some changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to permit selection of immigrants, depending in major attributes that would drive economic priorities.

Immigration accounts for over half of the labour force growth.

It was affirmed that the categories of immigrants determined were agreed upon after extensive consultations with provincial and territorial partners, the public, relevant stakeholders and a review of the needs of the labour market. The Canadian government’s website now has the complete list of eligible jobs for new categories. Data from Employment and Social Development Canada has it that between 2019 and 2021, the number of occupations experiencing shortages doubled. Currently, almost 100 percent of the labour force growth of Canada is accounted for by immigration.


Related Link

Canadavisa: Website


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