Six priority non-healthcare occupations that can accelerate the pathway to permanent residency

The Canadian federal government has ushered in a new era of permanent residency (PR) selection, prioritising foreign nationals with work experience in in-demand occupations.

There are many in-demand healthcare jobs, some of which can qualify in less than 2 years, but what about PR hopefuls who do not wish to work in healthcare?

Priority occupation list

Below are six priority occupations for permanent residency, many of which require little to no post-secondary education:

*Assumed annual income based on 40 hours per week at the average hourly wage and top hourly wage of Job Bank for this occupation, rounded to the nearest thousand.

**Licensing is required in some provincial jurisdictions but not in others.

***Licensing is required in all provincial jurisdictions.

Eligible work experience

Foreign nationals with work experience in these occupations are being prioritised for permanent residence through the Express Entry .

Whether an applicant’s work experience counts is based not on the job title, but on the duties performed, classified under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system, the Canadian federal government framework for classifying occupations.

For a given role to be considered, applicants must have performed all duties in the lead statement and most of the main duties.

Obtaining permanent residency

To obtain permanent residence through Express Entry, applicants must qualify for one of its three permanent residence programmes and receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for PR through the Express Entry system.

Having work experience in a priority occupation gives applicants an advantage by allowing them to receive an ITA in a category-based draw, with lower scores under Canada’s The Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) compared to the scores typically required for a general draw or a Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

To qualify for category-based selection (CBS), applicants must have six months of continuous full-time or equivalent part-time work experience in a single eligible CBS occupation within the past 3 years.

To receive an invitation through a category-based draw, applicants must have an active profile in the Express Entry pool when the draw is held, and their CRS score must meet or exceed the cut-off score for that invitation round.

If applicants receive an ITA through Express Entry, they have up to 60 days to respond with a complete application for permanent residence.

If applicants are in Canada and hold a valid work permit, they can apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) after receiving an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) for their permanent residence application.

Eligibility for Express Entry

To qualify for Express Entry, applicants must meet the requirements for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Worker Programme (FSWP) or Federal Skilled Trades Programme (FSTP).

Applicants will need language test results from an approved provider taken within the past two years, and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for any non-Canadian education they wish to count towards their eligibility and CRS score.