Dear Mr Brown,

I am a health-care worker who is interested in applying for permanent residence in Canada. I heard that health-care workers are in demand so I would like to know the latest information regarding that so I can start my plans. I hope to apply within the next couple of years.

LW

Dear LW:

I am not sure about your specific occupation in the health-care sector, however, in terms of the latest news, I can state that the federal government of Canada has recently made changes to the Express Entry system so as to increase the number of foreign-trained doctors to obtain permanent residence. This is part of the larger plan of prioritising temporary resident work permit applications for essential workers in health care.

Self-Employment

The Express Entry system does not cater to self-employed persons. Therefore, doctors who work in Canada under the fee-for-service model, which means they are considered self-employed, cannot qualify for the programmes managed through express entry.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser has announced that doctors would receive an exemption to allow them to apply for the Federal Express Entry system. The change would lead to a greater number of those physicians already in Canada and filling vacancies in the health-care sector, remaining permanently.

Health-care workers

Thus far in 2022 Canada has received over 8,600 temporary and permanent resident applications from foreign nationals intending to work in the health sector. In 2021 the Government of Canada approved work permit and work permit extensions for over 2,500 physicians, 620 nurses, and 550 nurses’ aides and orderlies. Since 2015 over 22,400 people, including 3,600 physicians and 8,600 nurses, became permanent residents through Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Program. As of June 2022 some 4,300 permanent residents have been admitted under the health-care streams of the one-off Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence Pathway.

Please visit JAMAICA2CANADA.COM for additional information on Canadian Permanent Residence programmes including Express Entry, the Study & Work programme, visas or appeals, etc.

Antonn Brown, BA, (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM—a Canadian immigration & education firm in Kingston. Send questions/comments to documents.jamaica2canada@gmail.com