Dear Mr Brown,

I heard that Express Entry will be changed so that immigrants are selected based on specific jobs. Can you provide more detail about the jobs? I am thinking of applying later this year but I am not sure of which jobs will be included.

— CM

Dear CM:

Bill C-19 seeks to tweak Canada’s Express Entry system to invite candidates for permanent residence based on criteria such as:

• Specific industry-based occupation

• Language

• Educational credential to meet Canada’s labour shortage.

Immigration based on economic goal

The current regulations allow draws to take place targeting specific immigration programmes, including: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). As such, the amendments would authorise the immigration minister to invite Express Entry candidates on a new basis, one that would support an economic goal identified by the minister.

For example, a category of Express Entry candidates could be based on work experience and related educational credentials in the technology or health-care sectors. As such, top candidates from the category can be invited to get permanent residence.

The immigration minister would have extreme flexibility on who can be invited from the Express Entry pool, based on identified economic goals. To be able to identify which occupations are targeted is important to growing the population. The system could look very different when draws do finally resume this summer. In effect, thousands of invitations could be given to applicants overseas with lower CRS scores who would not have received an invitation under previous draws.

The process for determining which groups would be selected is still being developed. The Government would likely make such decisions following consultation with employer groups, stakeholders, and provincial and territorial governments, and after meeting the objectives within the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Labour market demand

Economic sectors that are currently booming in Canada include: health care, education, construction and manufacturing.

Based on labour shortages, I believe that occupations which could be included in economic goals include:

• Key account managers

• Software developers

• Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations

• Retail salespersons

• Food and beverage servers

• Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses

• Cooks

• Construction trade helpers and labourers

• Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates

• Light-duty cleaners

• Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers

• Social and community service workers.

I hope additional information will be provided by the Government soon for guidance.

Please visit JAMAICA2CANADA.COM for additional information on Canadian Permanent Residence programs, including Express Entry, The Study & Work program, 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