Immigration Corner | Jobs that are in demand in Canada

Dear Miss Powell,

Greetings! I am interested in living in Canada and I have been reading quite a few of your articles about express entry and provincial nomination. I prefer to live in Ontario, as I have a lot of friends and relatives there. A few of us at work are interested in exploring our options to apply, but we are not quite sure if our jobs are in demand. Can you give me the list of in-demand jobs for Canada?

– NG

Dear NG,

There is no specific, in-demand list of occupation for individuals who would like to apply under the Express Entry System to become a permanent resident of Canada. However, if you have a job offer or provincial nominee, your chances of being granted an invitation to apply for permanent residence would be significantly increased.

Since the pandemic, there has been a general shortage of labour in most provinces. Individuals who serve in occupations that involve working on the ‘frontlines’ or who are classified as ‘essential workers’ are in demand.

Most occupations in the food processing, medical and logistics field are needed in most provinces. You stand a good chance of being granted a provincial nomination if you satisfy the other requirements and have a minimum of one continuous year of work experience working as a laboratory technician, nurse, nurse aide, doctor, clinical researcher, computer programmer, software engineer, web developer, computer and information systems manager, statistician, logistician, conservation scientist, and some specialised machine operator.

ONTARIO PNP

Since you are interested in Ontario, we can use the recent provincial nominations as a guide. Nominations were given to individuals who have experience working as:

• Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates.

• Home support workers and related occupations, excluding housekeepers.

• General farmworkers.

• Nursery and greenhouse workers.

• Harvesting labourers.

• Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers.

• Machine operators, mineral and metal processing.

• Metalworking and forging machine operators.

• Machining tool operators.

• Other metal products machine operators.

• Chemical plant machine operators.

• Plastics processing machine operators.

• Woodworking machine operators.

• Industrial sewing machine operators.

• Process control and machine operators.

• Food, beverage, and associated products processing.

• Electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors, and testers.

• Mechanical assemblers and inspectors.

• Industrial painters, coaters, and metal finishing process operators.

• Other products assemblers, finishers, and inspectors.

If your job is not listed above, do not be discouraged as there is a general need for immigrants who have the necessary credentials and resources to successfully integrate in the Canadian society. It is just a matter of knowing the best route for you.

You should ensure that you have proof of your education and language skills before applying under the Express Entry System, or any Provincial or Municipal Nominee Programme.

You and your friends should consider consulting with a Canadian immigration lawyer to get more information about the requirements and the best programme, based on your individual personal circumstances.

Deidre S. Powell is a lawyer, mediator and notary public in Ottawa, Ontario. Connect with her via www.deidrepowell.com or via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. You may also call 613-695-8777 or 876-922-4092.