News from the Immigration Minister of Canada
Sean Fraser: ‘Unacceptable’ that immigrant surgeons are working as taxi drivers
Minister pledges system that lets newcomers use their skills while filling the real labour gaps in Canada.
Doctors driving taxis in Canada to earn a living
Non-tech immigrants who make it to Canada struggle to have their skills recognized by various professional associations, which hurts productivity because workers are blocked from meeting their full potential.
Solution is to recognize professional degrees
It’s really frustrating for me when I meet talented people who have arrived in Canada but are not able to contribute at their full potential. Our immigration minister pledges a revised system that lets newcomers use their skills while filling the real labour gaps in Canada.
Aside from tackling labour shortage the minister pointed out that there are just three workers for every retiree today, compared seven about 50 years ago, a number that’s likely to decline if Canada doesn’t pursue growth through immigration.
New National Occupation Code matrix in the Express Entry system
The government aims to accept in a record 1.45 million newcomers in the next three years. This is linked to a change in rules made under the express entry system through the Budget Implementation Act that was adopted in the House of Commons in June 2022. The new selection tools will allow Fraser and future ministers to select immigrants to fill job gaps in specific industries and regions. By way of example, Fraser said he can now sift through applications to address New Brunswick’s shortfall of French language educators, Nova Scotia’s chronic lack of nurses, or Ontario’s constant struggle to find enough carpenters.
How can you benefit?
Make sure your Express Entry profile is up to date, that you have the necessary funds in a bank account or a job offer lined up.
Tiff Macklem, the Bank of Canada governor stated that if Canada’a labour pool was larger, he probably wouldn’t have needed to raise interest rates as aggressively as he has this year to contain inflation. That’s because the shortage puts upward pressure on wages and hinders the ability of companies to keep up with demand.
The government became too enamoured with recruiting coders and software engineers. At the same time, non-tech immigrants who make it to Canada struggle to have their skills recognized by various professional associations, which hurts productivity because workers are blocked from meeting their full potential.