Canadian truck driver jobs have now become eligible for Express Entry. The truck driver job is on the list of the newly updated NOC 2021. The latest version of NOC includes 16 new eligible occupations for Express Entry. Canada is in ardent need of Truck driving jobs because of its huge labor shortage.
Canadian truck driver jobs- an acute shortage
The pandemic and an increasing number of people reaching their retirement age are two major reasons the industry is experiencing a massive labor shortage. Additionally, the second quarter of 2021 had around 18,000 job vacancies for the truck driving position. 2021 Trucking HR Canada’s Labor Market Snapshot revealed the above information. The entire supply chain of Canada gets affected if there is any shortage of truck drivers. Moreover, it heavily affects the national economy, specifically in circumstances of acute shortage and unprecedented interruptions.
Reportedly, Canada’s logistics and trucking industries cost around $850 billion to process the products for domestic and export markets. Besides this, Canada’s Forest Products Association provided an estimated $450 million in terms of loss due to labor shortage in this industry. However, this estimate concerns the period before the pandemic occurred.
Express Entry for truck driver jobs in Canada
Skilled workers can access the fastest and most simplified immigration pathway, the Express Entry. It takes care of the management of digital applications through its primary immigration programs, namely: Federal Skilled Worker Program, CEC, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Skilled workers must access these programs because they speed up the process of Permanent Residence applications.
Express Entry applications- the impact of NOC
IRCC gets to understand more details about an individual’s occupation with the help of NOC. The department receives a fair idea of the essential skills and experience required. The previous version of NOC focused on skill levels O, A, and B, whereas the NOC 2021 gives importance to the new TEER system. Additionally, the TEER system covers categories such as training, education, experience, and responsibilities.
Express Entry- application procedure
Candidates will need to self-check their eligibility for the Express Entry pathway. Further, they will have to obtain their Educational Credential Assessments report and start uploading the Express Entry profile on the original website of IRCC. It will take time for IRCC to process the decision; candidates will need to wait patiently. Express Entry provides scores to candidates and ranks them against one another based on the Comprehensive Ranking System. Next, IRCC evaluates the applications of each candidate and gives its decision, either approving or rejecting it.
Later, candidates with superior scores receive invitations to apply for permanent residency. Overall, candidates get 60 days to submit their final applications.
Essentially, IRCC tries to process at least 80 percent of these applications within six months.
Federal Skilled Worker Program
Candidates applying overseas have access to the most prominent program under Express Entry, the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Skilled workers with the right experience, language skills, and education (from abroad) can use the FSWP.
Candidates must gain a total score of 67 points according to the score grid of FSWP, with a CLB score of 7 and one year of work experience. They must demonstrate actual proof of education and settlement funds.
CEC
The Canadian Experience Class is particularly meant for skilled workers with one year of work experience within the previous three years. Candidates must gain CLB 5 under the TEER system of 2 and 3 jobs or CLB 7 for TEER category jobs 0 and 1.
Express Entry changes
Canadian parliament gave its royal assent to last year’s introduction of Bill C-19 and gave more control to IRCC to invite candidates based on language proficiency or work experience. Moreover, this initiative was an attempt to fill the 1 million job vacancies in the country. However, the identification and selection of these groups are not yet final.
