Category-based Express Entry prioritizes trade occupations, which is why it is one of the new categories in the category-based draws in 2023. The Express Entry category draws came into existence through Canada’s federal government. These draws became an essential source of immigration to fight the existing labor market gaps in five particular occupational categories.
The Express Entry’s new categories for 2023 include STEM professions, healthcare, agriculture and agri-food, transport, and trades.
In early 2023, the Express Entry category selection draws were introduced. This was a crucial initiative by the government to address the labor shortages prevalent in the major employment sectors.
The Express Entry category-based selection draw took place on June 28 for the first time. As of now, there have been four additional draws based on Express Entry categories among the five occupations.
The standard Express Entry placed importance on a candidate’s score under the Comprehensive Ranking System. These draws prioritize the CRS scores and treat them as the primary means of assessing a candidate’s ability to get an ITA. Contrarily, the new Express Entry category offers primary significance to a candidate’s work experience in a particular profession.
The reason for choosing trades as a targeted Express Entry category
The Employment and Social Development Canada reveals that skilled trades are highly in demand. Moreover, they are advantageous for the Canadian communities. Furthermore, ESDC predicts that addressing the existing demand for skilled trade workers is essential. Hence, the country needs over 256,000 new applicants in the forthcoming years.
Additionally, according to the Canadian government, the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum anticipates the need to welcome more than 122,000 new individuals to keep up the workforce certification across Red Seal Canadian trades from 2022 to 2026.
Notably, a Red Seal is a program that innovates tests for Red Seal Trades. A tradesperson who can clear the Red Seal test will attain an endorsement of Red Seal. This endorsement will serve as proof that the tradesperson has successfully fulfilled the national standard in their respective trades.
Combining all these above predictions and estimates, we can clearly see why Canada’s government has chosen to target Canadian immigration with specific work experience in category-based trade occupations in 2023.
Category-based Express Entry prioritizes trade occupations because of the increased demand for trade workers
Apart from all the above anticipations, ESDC, Build Force Canada, and the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum confirm that Canada’s construction industry needs to hire 299,200 workers by 2032. This estimate sounds true because nearly 245,100 employees would retire soon.
This accounts for 20 percent of the workforce in 2022. Also, ESDC comprises a tool called the Canadian Occupational Projection System. According to this COPS tool, job vacancies for trades helpers and laborers are likely to rise by approximately 20,000 between 2022 and 2031.
Moreover, the following factors will contribute to new job vacancies within this occupational group in the upcoming years:
- Expansion demand will give rise to 3,400 job vacancies, 17 percent.
- Retirements will create approximately 11,800 job positions, 60 percent.
- Other replacement demand will give rise to 1,800 job vacancies, 9 percent.
- Emigration will enable 2,600 job positions, 13 percent.
These figures also indicate that Canada will need thousands of new workers in skilled trade occupations. They will further help address the labor shortage gap within the trade occupations.
Opportunities available to potential Canadian immigrants
In 2022, the majority of candidates who received ITAs were working in trades occupations. They received invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence. All this is evident from the 2022 Express Entry annual report.
Particularly, Cooks emerged among the top 15 occupations of immigrants who attained ITAs in 2022. This has been an ongoing trend since 2021, as this year, the trades occupation people emerged to be on top for receiving ITAs.
This clearly indicates that before the launch of the category draws, the federal government worked to bring in immigrants who would be appropriate to bridge the labor shortage gap in skilled trades.
Canada’s Minister of Housing and Diversity stated a year ago that the country demands increased individuals and skilled immigrants to develop the trades and construction sector of the economy. Since Canada needs more housing facilities, they eventually need more workers to help them construct those houses. Ahmed Hussain further reiterates the existing job opportunities for immigrants arriving in Canada.
The above statement by the Minister only amplifies that candidates with recent work experience in skilled trades will only get a chance to build successful careers in the country through the Express Entry category draws for trade occupations.
The previous record of Express Entry draws
To date, IRCC has issued one invitation round, particularly for eligible Express Entry applicants with relevant and recent work experience in trade occupation.
This draw occurred on August 3, when 1,500 candidates with recent work experience in trade occupations received ITAs to apply for PR. They were required to have a minimum CRS draw of 388.
The Globe and Mail data suggests that category-based trade occupations will contribute to three to four percent of all invitations via Express Entry for the remainder of the calendar year.
If you have further queries or concerns regarding the new categories of Canada Express Entry, you can reach out to Make Home Canada experts. You may either write to us at [email protected] or call us at 1-800-979-0509.
