Jobs in Canada for Unskilled Workers

According to industry experts, Canada is experiencing a massive job shortage across the country. While a lot of these are skilled positions, there are significant vacancies in certain unskilled fields, for example, there are 38,000 openings in construction, 45,900 jobs in hospitality, and 50,000 jobs in retail, which has urged the government to advertise jobs in Canada for unskilled workers. The best part is Canada’s excellent minimum wage with the average salary of an unskilled worker exceeding $20,000 per year.        

With plans from the Canadian government to welcome over a million immigrants into their workforce (read more about Canada's new immigration targets for 2021 and beyond here), these positions are ideal for you to apply for because they aren’t being filled by locals. As an unskilled/semi-skilled worker, one of the best options is to apply for a stream under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) because Express Entry works with the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) which all require some form of a qualification.   

What is the Provincial Nominee Program? 

Provincial Nominations are for candidates who wish to live and work in a specific province of Canada. There are specific streams which 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 simply 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, there is no fast-track system 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

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

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.  

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.