6 New Canadian Immigration Programs to be Launched!

Over 90,000 international graduates and essential workers and an unlimited number of French-speakers are to be invited through six New Canadian immigration programs!

In a recent announcement on April 14, 2021, made by Canada’s immigration minister, Marco Mendicino, it was confirmed that thousands of newcomers would have new pathways to immigrate to Canada, three of which would be aimed at granting permanent residency to those with Canadian work visas, currently working in hospitals, long-term care homes and on the frontlines as well as international graduates who have recently graduated from Canadian institutions.

New Permanent Residency Streams for Temporary Foreign Workers & Graduates

These new streams will be officially launched on May 6, 2021, and will begin accepting applications under three streams:

New Temporary Foreign Worker & Graduate Streams

• Temporary Foreign Workers in Healthcare - 20,000 applications;
• Temporary Foreign Workers in Other Essential Occupations - 20,000 applications; and
• International Graduates from Canadian Institutions - 40,000 applications.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will continue to accept applications through these three streams until November 5, 2021, or until the quota has been filled.

Applicants in 40 healthcare and 95 essential occupations will be eligible to apply.

The great part about these new immigration streams is that family members of applicants may also be eligible to apply for Canadian permanent residency.

New Healthcare & Essential Worker Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility for Health-care & Essential Worker Streams

At least one year of Canadian work experience in a relevant eligible occupation within the last 3 years at the time of application Language proficiency: CLB/NCLC 4 in either English or French Legally working in Canada at the time of application Have a valid temporary residence status and in Canada at the time of application Intend to live in a province or territory outside of Quebec Must apply for permanent residency online Must be deemed admissible

Below is a list of eligible health-related occupations.

Eligible Health-related Occupations
NOC	Occupation
3011	Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors
3012	Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
3111	Specialist physicians
3112	General practitioners and family physicians
3113	Dentists
3121	Optometrists
3122	Chiropractors
3124	Allied primary health practitioners
3125	Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
3131	Pharmacists
3132	Dietitians and nutritionists
3141	Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
3142	Physiotherapists
3143	Occupational therapists
3144	Other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
3211	Medical laboratory technologists
3212	Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists' assistants
3214	Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
3215	Medical radiation technologists
3216	Medical sonographers
3217	Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c.
3219	Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health)
3221	Denturists
3222	Dental hygienists and dental therapists
3223	Dental technologists, technicians and laboratory assistants
3231	Opticians
3232	Practitioners of natural healing
3233	Licensed practical nurses
3234	Paramedical occupations
3236	Massage therapists
3237	Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
3411	Dental assistants
3413	Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
3414	Other assisting occupations in support of health services
4151	Psychologists
4152	Social workers
4153	Family, marriage and other related counsellors
4165	Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers
4212	Social and community service workers
4412	Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations

Below is a list of eligible essential occupations.

Major Unit Groups

Eligible Essential Occupations
NOC	Occupation
Group 66 - Sales support occupations
6611	Cashiers
6621	Service station attendants
6622	Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers
6623	Other sales-related occupations
Group 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades
7201	Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations
7202	Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
7203	Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades
7204	Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
7205	Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
7231	Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
7232	Tool and die makers
7233	Sheet metal workers
7234	Boilermakers
7235	Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters
7236	Ironworkers
7237	Welders and related machine operators
7241	Electricians (except industrial and power system)
7242	Industrial electricians
7243	Power system electricians
7244	Electrical power line and cable workers
7245	Telecommunications line and cable workers
7246	Telecommunications installation and repair workers
7247	Cable television service and maintenance technicians
7251	Plumbers
7252	Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
7253	Gas fitters
7271	Carpenters
7272	Cabinetmakers
7281	Bricklayers
7282	Concrete finishers
7283	Tilesetters
7284	Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
7291	Roofers and shinglers
7292	Glaziers
7293	Insulators
7294	Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
7295	Floor covering installers
Group 74 - Other installers, repairers and servicers and material handlers
7441	Residential and commercial installers and servicers
7442	Waterworks and gas maintenance workers
7444	Pest controllers and fumigators
7445	Other repairers and servicers
7451	Longshore workers
7452	Material handlers
Group 75 - Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations
7511	Transport truck drivers
7512	Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators
7513	Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs
7514	Delivery and courier service drivers
7521	Heavy equipment operators (except crane)
7522	Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers
7531	Railway yard and track maintenance workers
7532	Water transport deck and engine room crew
7533	Boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations
7534	Air transport ramp attendants
7535	Other automotive mechanical installers and servicers
Group 76 - Trades helpers, construction labourers and related occupations
7611	Construction trades helpers and labourers
7612	Other trades helpers and labourers
7621	Public works and maintenance labourers
7622	Railway and motor transport labourers
Group 86 - Harvesting, landscaping and natural resources labourers
8611	Harvesting labourers
8612	Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers
8613	Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers
8614	Mine labourers
8615	Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers
8616	Logging and forestry labourers

Minor Unit Groups

Eligible Essential Occupations
NOC	Occupation
Group 151 - Mail and message distribution occupations
1511	Mail, postal and related workers
1512	Letter carriers
1513	Couriers, messengers and door-to-door distributors
Group 642 - Retail salesperson
6421	Retail salespersons
Group 673 - Cleaners
6731	Light duty cleaners
6732	Specialized cleaners
6733	Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents
Group 843 - Agriculture and horticulture workers
8431	General farm workers
8432	Nursery and greenhouse workers
Group 844 - Other workers in fishing and trapping and hunting occupations
8441	Fishing vessel deckhands
8442	Trappers and hunters
Group 844 - Other workers in fishing and trapping and hunting occupations
9461	Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
9462	Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
9463	Fish and seafood plant workers
9465	Testers and graders, food and beverage processing

Specific 4 digit unit groups

Eligible Essential Occupations
NOC	Occupation
0821	Managers in agriculture
0822	Managers in horticulture
4031	French and French Immersion Secondary school teachers (language of instruction must be French)
4032	French and French Immersion Elementary school and kindergarten teachers (language of instruction must be French)
4411	Home child care providers
4413	Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
6331	Retail butchers
6523	Airline ticket and service agents
6524	Ground and water transport ticket agents, cargo service representatives and related clerks
6541	Security guards and related security service occupations
6551	Customer services representatives - financial institutions
6552	Other customer and information services representatives
8252	Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
8255	Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services
9617	Labourers in food and beverage processing
9618	Labourers in fish and seafood processing

New French-Speaker Eligibility Requirements

Canada values its French heritage and with an aim to promote its official languages will launch three brand new immigration streams to help Francophones or bilingual speakers find a pathway to permanent residence in Canada.

Eligibility for French-Speaker Essential Occupations Streams

At least one year of Canadian work experience in a relevant eligible occupation within the last 3 years at the time of application Language proficiency: CLB/NCLC 4 French (results of the evaluation must be less than 2 years old) Legally working in Canada at the time of application Have a valid temporary residence status and in Canada at the time of application Intend to live in a province or territory outside of Quebec Must apply for permanent residency online Must be deemed admissible

New Graduate Eligibility Requirements

Canada has and continues to value its talented and innovative international graduates, which is evident by the existing Post-Graduate Work Permit Program, which allows recent graduates from Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) to stay and get the necessary work experience needed to get permanent residence status through programs like the Canada Experience Class. This new immigration stream will help both university and college graduates from Canadian institutions fast-track their journey to becoming Canadian residents.

Eligibility for Graduate Stream

Eligible Qualification from a Canadian Institution in the last four years (no earlier than January 2017) Have one of the following credentials: a degree (Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate) which must be a degree issued on completion of a program of at least 8 months in duration; a degree, diploma, certificate, or attestation issued on completion of a program of any duration leading to an occupation in a skilled trade; or one or more diploma, certificate or attestation where each program was at least 8 and combined are equivalent to a two-year program or diploma of vocational studies (DVS) or an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS) where each program was at least 900 hours in duration fi the combined length is at least 1,800 hours Legally working in Canada at the time of application Have a valid temporary residence status and in Canada at the time of application Intend to live in a province or territory outside of Quebec Must apply for permanent residency online Must be deemed admissible Language proficiency: CLB/NCLC 5 in either English or French (results of the evaluation must be less than 2 years old)

What the Future Holds for Canadian Immigration

As Canada’s population growth fell to World War 1 levels in 2020, only increasing by 0.4 percent, and immigration targets were not met due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the Canadian government remains focused on bringing more foreigners into the country, announcing the highest immigration targets in Canadian history. In 2021, Canada hopes to invite 401,000 newcomers to Canada, the total number of invitations increasing by 10,000 each year until 2023.

“The pandemic has shone a bright light on the incredible contributions of newcomers. These new policies will help those with a temporary status to plan their future in Canada, play a key role in our economic recovery and help us build back better. Our message to them is simple: your status may be temporary, but your contributions are lasting—and we want you to stay.”

– The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Find Out if You’re Eligible