Canada’s immigration system heavily relies on the National Occupational Classification (“NOC”) system, managed by Service Canada. For applicants in the economic class, a deep understanding of the NOC system is crucial. The success of their immigration applications often hinges on proving they have qualifying experience or pre-arranged employment in specific NOC categories. Employers submitting Labour Market Impact Assessment (“LMIAs”) applications to the Ministry of Economic and Social Development Canada (“ESDC“) need to know which NOCs their positions fall under because this will determine the respective prevailing wage and recruitment requirements. Moreover, international graduates should be mindful of the NOC classification of their first job after completing post-secondary education. Experience in certain NOCs is essential for it to count towards immigration eligibility.
Temporary Foreign Workers to Canada by Year and Job
The debate over temporary foreign workers is back in the news. I have received a copy of the results of an Access to Information and Privacy Act request which shows the breakdown of admittance of foreign worker by year and occupation. (I am not publishing this document on my blog, however, if you want a copy feel free to e-mail me.) The table below shows the breakdown in 2005 (the last year that the Liberal Party of Canada was in government) and 2011 (the most recent year available). That I have chosen these years of course has limitations in terms of detecting trends (who knows if an occupation had an “on” or “off” year?). However, the data is nonetheless interesting, and shows an explosion in the number of people in certain occupations. Occupation 2005 2011 Percentage Change Legislator and Senior Management 1,205 2130 77% Administrative Service Managers 610 1005 65% Managers in Financial and Business Services 200 390 95% Managers in Communication (Except Broadcasting) 25 40 60% Managers in Engineering, Architecture, Science and Information Systems 610 1615 165% Managers in Health, Education, Social and Community Services 55 90 64% Managers in Public Administration 25 35 40% Managers in Art, Culture, Recreation, and … Read More
Temporary Foreign Workers do not Deflate Average Wages (Updated)
On April 20, 2011, the Vancouver Sun published an article by David Green titled “Are there too many Foreign Workers?” The article notes that from 2004 to 2008, the number of Temporary Foreign Workers admitted to Canada increased from 112,543 to 192,281. (In 2010 the number was 182,322.) I take issue with numerous aspects of the article, including: It completely ignores the causation between the introduction of the Post-Graduation Work Permit and the increase in the number of Temporary Foreign Workers. Prior to 2006, foreign students in Canada could not apply for an open work-permit upon graduation. This is no longer the case, and many of the over 150,000 foreign students in Canada each year apply for and receive these permits. It incorrectly states that Temporary Foreign Workers do not have future prospects for immigration. As I have previously written in this blog, there are numerous immigration programs available for temporary foreign workers to become permanent residents. The Canada Experience Class and the numerous Provincial Nomination Programs all facilitate the switching from temporary residence to permanent. The article does not mention that temporary foreign workers who decide to become permanent residents are likely more able to integrate than those who … Read More
The Federal Skilled Worker NOC List
As part of its recent changes to the Federal Skilled Worker Program (“FSWP“), the government has changed which National Occupational Classification (“NOC“) categories are eligible under the program. In short, the FSWP requires that a prospective immigrant either have a job offer or sufficient experience in a designated NOC occupation. These are typically occupations of which there are a shortage of skilled Canadians. The following table shows the eligible NOC categories before and after the changes. It shows which occupations have been removed, and which have been added. NOC Before Now 0213 Computer and information systems managers 0311 Managers in health care 0631 Restaurant and food service managers Restaurant and food service managers 0632 Accommodation service managers 0711 Construction managers 1111 Financial auditors 2113 Geologists, geochemists, geophysicists 2143 Mining engineers 2144 Geological engineers 2145 Petroleum engineers 3111 Specialists physicians Specialist physicians 3112 General practitioners and family physicians General practitioners and family physicians 3141 Audiologists 3143 Occupational therapists 3142 Physiotherapists Physiotherapists 3151 Head nurses 3152 Registered nurses Registered nurses 3215 Medical radiation technologists Medical radiation technologists 3233 Licensed practical nurses Licensed practical nurses 4121 University professors 4131 College and other vocational instructors 6241 Executive chefs Executive chefs 6242 Cooks Cooks 7213 … Read More