The Express Entry category-based draws will be beginning soon this summer. They continued to be the highlight of Sean Fraser’s latest announcement. Fraser talked about these category-based draws on May 31.
The general draws had IRCC issuing invitations to candidates with superior scores to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence.
The program-specific draws limit the invitations to the high-scoring applicants by each program.
Express Entry category-based draws
The new Express Entry category-based draws will occur alongside the general and program-specific draws. These category-based draws will issue invitations to candidates with enhanced scores and higher French language proficiency or with considerable work experience in the following:
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – STEM occupations
- Trades including Carpenters, Contractors, and Plumbers
- Agriculture and Agri-Food
- Transport
- Healthcare
The process of selecting these categories
It would be helpful to understand the structuring process of the employment market for your category. It would be best to know about most openings if you are qualified for selection under one of these categories.
The new categories were chosen to fill open positions across Canada since immigration is viewed as a critical strategy for addressing the country’s workforce shortfall. Legislative requirements ensured that the Minister participated in consultations with the provinces and territories, injured parties, unions, employers, employees, worker advocacy groups, settlement provider organizations, and immigration scholars and practitioners before these categories were decided upon.
Healthcare
Canada has seen a sharp rise in job prospects in the healthcare and social assistance sector since the COVID-19 epidemic.
Canada’s healthcare sector is primarily dependent on immigrants to fill open positions. In Canada, 36% of physicians and 25% of registered nurses were born abroad. As a result, IRCC is taking steps to make it simpler for foreign-trained healthcare professionals to immigrate, including lifting some restrictions for doctors who are already in Canada on a temporary residency visa.
The category of Healthcare and Social Assistance had 143,695 open positions in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022, resulting in a 6% job vacancy rate. According to each province, there were:
- Ontario: 55,250
- Northwest Territories: 565
- Saskatchewan: 2,955
- Quebec: 40, 105
- Newfoundland: 2,250
- Alberta: 9,770
- Manitoba: 6,790
- Nova Scotia: 4,780
- New Brunswick: 2,630
- PEI: 685
- British Columbia: 17,705
Trades
For the objective of the Statistics Canada data, the category of trades includes wholesale transactions and retail trades. There were 30,930 job openings in the wholesale trades overall, compared to 108,795 in the retail trades. According to each province, there were:
- PEI: 520 (retail trade, no wholesale trade job vacancies)
- New Brunswick: 2,155
- Manitoba: 3,025
- British Columbia: 19,215
- Alberta: 15,545
- Saskatchewan: 4,665
- Newfoundland: 895
- Nova Scotia: 3,065
- Quebec: 34,495
STEM Professions
Jobs in the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—often fall under the broad category of professional, scientific, and technical services. In Q4 2022, this industry had 56,915 job openings, or 4.6%. According to each province, there were:
- Ontario: 24,525
- Alberta: 5,515
- Quebec: 14,725
- Saskatchewan: 895
- British Columbia: 8,115
- Manitoba: 630
- New Brunswick: 595
- Newfoundland: 405
- Nova Scotia: 1,110
- PEI: 200
There are either no job openings or no availability for the territories’ employment openings.
The need for STEM jobs in Canada is rising. According to research issued by Statistics Canada in November 2022, a skills gap in the Canadian labor force is being caused by the high rate of retirement as well as changing technologies and automation employed in business and daily life.
Compared with different categories, many STEM careers offer competitive income. In Q4 2022, the hourly median wage shown was $35.80, as opposed to $16.35 in the Accommodation and Food services sector, for instance.
Transport
The number of job openings in the transportation and warehousing sector was 43,700, or 5%. The number of open positions in the transportation industry has decreased since the beginning of 2021. According to each province, there were:
- Ontario: 15,110
- British Columbia: 9,060
- Quebec: 7,950
- Alberta: 6,445
- Newfoundland: 210
- Saskatchewan: 915
- Manitoba: 1,915
- Nova Scotia: 1,055
- New Brunswick: 720
- PEI: 115
Agriculture and Agri-Food
The category of Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting had a 10.535, or 3.9%, job vacancy rate in Q4 2022. The number of open positions in this region has decreased since 2021, peaking at 7.2% in the second quarter of 2022.
Vacancies according to each province are as follows:
- Ontario: 3,070
- British Columbia: 2,475
- Quebec: 1,950
- Alberta: 940
- New Brunswick: 720
- Manitoba: 550
- Saskatchewan: 540
- Nova Scotia: 425
- PEI: 130
According to Minister Fraser, bringing in more qualified employees in these fields will help Canada attract highly sought-after experts to its cities and towns. The category-based drawings are scheduled to start this summer, but there is no definite date at this time.
