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6 min
With over a million vacancies available, Canada is set to welcome foreign nationals from across the globe to fill labour gaps across sectors. While the major emphasis is often placed on the dire need for skilled workers to take up vacant high-level posts, it should not be forgotten that unskilled workers play a huge role in the Canadian economy. Canadian employers are desperately in need of immigrants with a variety of skill sets to keep the wheels rolling.
Steps to Apply for Unskilled Jobs in Canada with Visa Sponsorship
Step 1: Find Out More About Jobs in Canada with Visa Sponsorship
Regarding sponsorship, you should note that Canadian employers won’t always sponsor you in the literal sense. They will, however, apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development (ESDC) Canada for you.
What is a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)?
A LMIA is a document that gives a Canadian employer the green light to hire a foreign worker. A positive LMIA will conclude that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job.
If you are set on working in Canada via visa sponsorship, you’ll have to find an employer keen to sponsor your visa application and carry you through the process.
If you do find an employer that will fully sponsor your visa, here are some of the responsibilities they could agree to:
- Paying for your airline ticket
- Helping with accommodation arrangements
- Offering medical insurance for a set amount of time
- Helping you sign up to a provincial occupational safety insurance plan
Top tip: Look out for global corporations or businesses situated in remote areas with a major skills drain.
Step 2: Find Out if There’s an NOC Code For Your Job
Canada initially focused its immigration efforts on National Occupational Classification Code (NOC) 0, A, and B professions. NOC 0 includes management jobs, NOC A is for jobs that call for a university degree, and NOC B includes trades and occupations that usually require a college diploma or apprenticeship training.
It should, however, be noted that there are actually several options for immigration to Canada if your occupation falls under NOC codes C or D. Economic immigration is a great tool for solving labour shortage issues. NOC C jobs often require a high school diploma. NOC D, on the other hand, would require on-the-job training. NOC C occupations include butchers, truck drivers, and food service workers. Examples of NOC D occupations include fruit pickers, cleaning staff, and oil field workers.
What is the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system?
Canada uses the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system to determine an occupation’s skill level. This system will, however, switch to the Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) system towards the end of 2022.
Some Unskilled or Semi-skilled Jobs in Canada
- Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates (NOC 3413)
- Caregivers (NOC 4411 and NOC 4412)
- Butchers, meat cutters, and fishmongers-retail and wholesale (NOC 6331)
- Food And beverage servers (NOC 6513)
- Transport Truck Drivers (NOC 7511)
- Construction trades helpers and laborers (NOC 7611)
- General Farm Workers (NOC 8431)
- Fish and seafood plant workers (NOC 9463)
- Labourers in food, beverage, and associated products processing (NOC 9617)
- Machine Operators (Major NOC Group 94)
Step 3: Find Out How to go About Getting a Job in Canada
The infographic below has great tips for landing a job in the Great White North.
You can also take a look at what the in-demand jobs in Canada are. For more, watch the video below.
Remember: To be able to work in Canada, you’ll need a job offer and a Canadian work permit. Job and labor shortages are filled through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), which has special worker streams for caregivers, agriculture workers, and other low-wage workers. If you have a job offer in Canada, you can apply for a Canadian work permit through one of these streams.
Step 4: Find a Program that Matches Your Needs
Quite a few provincial programs allow foreign employees to apply for residence in Canada as unskilled, low-skilled, or semi-skilled workers under the terms of their employment contracts. The industries or sectors in which these employees are needed vary depending on the province in which they live. You may apply to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program if you want to live and work in Canada for a short period.
Let’s go through all the program options for unskilled workers.
Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) was established to aid Canada’s economic growth by bridging the gaps in labour shortfalls by employing skilled foreign workers. Canadian employers use this program as a great source of assistance when hiring temporary foreign workers.
Home Care Provider Pilot
Home care providers, you’ll find two immigration pilots for you in Canada.
If you work as a home care child provider, you’ll help parents take care of their children. You may also have to assist with household duties. Jobs that fall under this category include:
- Babysitter
- Nanny
- Au pair
- Child care live-in-caregiver
- Child care provider - private home
- Foster parent
If you choose to work as a home support worker, your work involves assisting people with disabilities, the elderly and those recovering from an illness or operation. Duties may include feeding, bathing, preparing meals and administering medication. Jobs in this category include:
- Housekeeper
- Home support worker
- Personal care attendant - home care
- Doula
- Family caregiver
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program
Another stream to obtain an employer-specific work permit and work in the top LMIA available occupations up north is the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program. This program allows Canadian companies to employ temporary foreign workers if Canadians are unable to fill the positions. An employer can hire a foreign worker for eight months. You would be eligible for a work permit under the agriculture workers program if you’re from a participating Caribbean country.
Participating countries include:
- Mexico
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Barbados
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Jamaica
- Montserrat
- St. Kitts-Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
Pathways to Permanent Residency for Unskilled Workers
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
As the Canadian government plans to welcome more than a million immigrants to join the Canadian workforce, there is lots of scope for unskilled and semi-skilled workers. One top option is applying for a stream under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This is because Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) all have formal education requirements.
Provincial Nominations are for candidates who wish to live and work in a specific province of Canada. There are specific streams you can apply for (if you meet the criteria) underneath each program that start the process towards being nominated by that province. Once nominated, you are invited to apply for permanent residence.
Alternatively, you can apply for a category that falls under the Express Entry system or goes directly into this pool. If you apply through Express Entry first, you either need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to your chosen province or wait for them to send you a Notification of Interest (NOI), depending on how that province works. If you are successful in this, you are invited to create a separate application for a nomination. Achieving the nomination adds 600 points to your profile in the Express Entry pool, which uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank you. For the programs listed here, however, no fast-track system is used.
Alberta
The province of Alberta currently has around 33, 900 skilled and unskilled vacancies available across the province. You can apply to be considered for permanent residence under this Provincial Nominee stream if you already have a temporary work permit, you completed high school and you have a job offer from a Canadian employer under one of the following occupations in these sectors:
Semi-skilled Occupations
| Food and Beverage Industry | Hotel and Lodging (Hospitality) Industry | Long-haul Trucking Industry | Food Services Industry | Manufacturing Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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British Columbia
British Columbia has an overwhelming 60, 000 unfilled skilled and unskilled vacancies in the skilled and unskilled sectors. To apply for permanent residence under the following stream, applicants must have been employed full-time in one of these occupations on a temporary work permit. Below are some of the jobs that are most in need within the British Columbia province.
Entry Level + Semi-skilled Pilot Project
| Unskilled Occupations Offered | |
|---|---|
| Industry | Occupations Available |
| Food Processing |
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| Travel and Accommodation |
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| Tour and Recreational Guides & Casino Occupations |
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| Long-haul Truck Drivers |
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| Food and Beverage Service |
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| Cleaners |
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| Elemental Services |
|
Saskatchewan
While Saskatchewan has only 8, 200 unfilled skilled and unskilled positions open, this province has more of a focus on industries such as hospitality, food services, and truck driving. The following are streams specifically dedicated to applying for these positions and offer specific jobs.
Hospitality Sector Project
You will need to have a high school education, be working in Saskatchewan for at least six months on a temporary work permit, and be proficient in English. The following positions are on the list of occupation vacancies that need to be filled:
- Food/Beverage Server
- Food Counter Attendant/Kitchen Helper
- Housekeeping/Cleaning Staff
Long-haul Truck Driver Project
Start working in Canada as a truck driver on a temporary work permit. You need to have a Class 1A driver’s license, have an offer of full-time employment from an approved trucking firm, and have been working in Saskatchewan for six months. Another perk of this program is the wages for long-haul truck drivers, which can be as much as $70, 000 per year.
Yukon
Yukon is thought to have the highest job vacancy in Canada with a rate of 5.1%. They have a serious deficit of unskilled workers in particular because the province is known for its tourism appeal more than the corporate industry. The program below invites candidates to apply for several streams in these sectors.
Critical Impact Worker Program
To qualify under this stream, you need to have a full-time position on a temporary work permit in any of the fields that don’t require intensive skills training or further studies. This could be in hospitality, construction, industrial work, or other such sectors. More importantly, you will need to be proficient in English or French as a lot of these roles involve interaction with customers and clients.
Start Your Journey as an Unskilled or Semi-skilled Worker in Canada
Now that you know how to apply for unskilled jobs in Canada, it’s time to start your journey. Remember that some employers may consider visa sponsorship as simply getting an LMIA on your behalf. In contrast, others may actually sponsor your application process, along with other elements, like airline tickets, accommodation, etc. When considering your pathway to Canada, you can opt for a temporary program or something more permanent if you wish to reap all the benefits of living in the Great White North. With over 1 million vacancies to fill, Canada does need you!
How Can We Help?
Our services offer the help of a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) who can personally guide you through the immigration process. Applying for a Canadian visa as an unskilled worker can be competitive, so having assistance in gathering the correct documentation as well as understanding the programs and policies is very useful. Sign up today to take the next steps to a future job in Canada.
FAQS
Where Can I Find Jobs For Unskilled Workers?
There are several sites you can visit. This includes:- Job Bank
- Linked In
- Glassdoor
Which Unskilled or Semi-skilled Jobs are the Highest Paying in Canada?
- Truck drivers
- Train and tram drivers
- Home care workers
- Sales managers
- Construction manager
- Hazardous waste manager
What Other Options do I Have to Immigrate to Canada as an Unskilled or Semi-skilled Worker?
There are actually quite a few options. Let’s go through them.
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (AIP)
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is for immigrants who want to settle in one of the following provinces: Newfoundland and Labrador; Prince Edward Island; New Brunswick; and Nova Scotia. If you are applying for a semi-skilled worker, make sure you meet all of the criteria, including a full-time offer of employment in Canada.
The Immigration Pilot Program for Rural and Northern Areas
This program is for foreign employees who want to move to one of 11 participating cities and towns in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. You would have to be interested in living and working in the rural and northern parts of these provinces.
The Agri-Food Pilot Program
This program allows you to work in agriculture, meat processing, and animal production industries. You’ll also be able to apply for permanent residence in Canada via this pathway. You’ll need an offer of employment for a full-time position and a minimum of one year’s non-seasonal work experience for this program.
