Canada expands express immigration pathway for skilled workers

In Wednesday’s announcement, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser said new changes are coming to Canada’s express entry pathway to address labour shortages across multiple fields.

Minister Fraser was joined by Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, to officially announce new features to the Express Entry program for individuals applying for permanent residency from particular fields or with specific skills, training or language ability.

The initiation of the program comes with two dedicated rounds to healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists and optometrists.

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The first round opened Wednesday with 500 applications available and a second round of 1,500 spots will open July 5.

The hope for the invitations for permanent residency is to fill labour shortages with skilled workers seeking Canadian residency from across the world.

Minister Fraser says additional sectors that will be part of the initiative include STEM professions, agriculture, transportation, and the skilled trades.

Following the launch of these new features this week, category-based selection rounds are expected to continue throughout the year with more details to come in the coming weeks.

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