Find out if you’re eligible to immigrate to Canada as an essential worker or graduate

On May 6, 2021, Canada will open new one-time temporary pathways to permanent residence. These pathways will not re-open annually. Once the intake limit has been met, they will be closed permanently.

Only 90,000 applications will be accepted for the English-speaking programs, and there is no cap on the number of applications that will be accepted for the French-speaking programs. These programs will be open until November 5, 2021, or once the intake cap has been filled. The English-speaking programs will likely fill up extremely fast, so potential applicants are encouraged to start gathering their required documents now in anticipation of the May 6 launch date, when Canada’s immigration department will start welcoming applications.

Assessment form: Check your eligibility

Want to know if you’re eligible? Complete this free assessment and we’ll contact you to let you know if you’re eligible, or not.

Please note that this assessment form was removed after this immigration program closed on November 5, 2021.

Basic eligibility requirements for Canada’s new immigration programs for essential workers and international graduates

These new programs are aimed at ensuring that international graduates and essential workers can obtain permanent residence if they do not qualify through one of the current immigration programs due to various factors, including a lack of eligible Canadian work experience or lower proficiency in French or English.

Each of these programs are for those currently working in Canada on a part-time or full-time basis in any occupation at the time that the application for permanent residence is received. If you are not currently working in Canada, then you will not be eligible for these new programs. Those currently working 20 hours a week or less on a valid study permit can apply if they meet all of the other program requirements. In order to be eligible, applicants must intend to reside outside the province of Quebec.

For those who have applied for their post-graduate work permits (PGWP), but who have not yet received it, can apply if they meet all of the other program requirements and all of the following requirements:

• had a valid study permit at the time that you submitted your application for a PGWP,
• had completed your program of study at the time that you submitted your application for a PGWP,
• were eligible to work off-campus without a permit at the time that you submitted your application for a PGWP, and
• did not work off-campus more than 20 hours a week during academic sessions.

Applications for these programs will be submitted online but will not be submitted through the Express Entry system. Those who have already applied for permanent residence through another stream such as the Canadian Experience class can submit a second application through one of these streams if they wish.

We have broken down each of the four new immigration programs in detail as well as which documents will be required to apply. If you want help determining your eligibility for any of the programs or preparing your application, we recommend beginning by booking a consultation with Canada Abroad here.

In some cases, news outlets covering these programs have referred to ‘six’ new programs, rather than ‘four’ — this is because two of the programs contain two distinct streams. Feel free to jump ahead to the program that most interests you:

• Program #1: Workers with recent Canadian experience in essential occupations:
  • Stream A: Healthcare occupations
  • Stream B: Non-healthcare occupations
• Program #2: French-speaking workers with recent Canadian experience in essential occupations:
  • Stream A: Healthcare occupations
  • Stream B: Non-healthcare occupations
• Program #3: International graduates currently employed in Canada
• Program #4: French-speaking international graduates currently employed in Canada

Program #1: Workers with recent Canadian experience in essential occupations

This program is for those who have accumulated at least one year of authorized Canadian work experience that meets all the following requirements:

• be the equivalent of at least one year of full-time work experience, or the equivalent in part-time experience (1,560 hours) and,
• wages or commissions must have been paid to the foreign national for their work and,
• the work must have been in an eligible occupation (please refer below for healthcare and non-healthcare occupation lists) and,
• the work must have taken place in the three years preceding the date when the application for permanent residence is received and,
• the work must not have been self-employment, unless the foreign national was working as a medical doctor in a fee-for-service arrangement with a health authority.

The foreign national also needs to meet all the following requirements:

• Be employed in Canada, in any occupation for which wages or commissions are earned, at the time that their application for permanent residence is received (can be full-time or part-time) and,
• have achieved a CLB or NCLC level 4 in each of the four language skills areas on one of the following approved language tests, the results of which must be less than two years old when the application for permanent residence is received,
  • IELTS – General Training
  • CELPIP – General Test
  • TEF Canada
  • TCF Canada
• reside in Canada with valid temporary resident status (or be eligible to restore their status) and,
• be physically present in Canada at the time the application for permanent residence is received and,
• by physically present in Canada when the application is approved (no status requirements stipulated at this time) and,
• intend to reside in a province or territory other than Quebec and,
• must not be inadmissible to Canada for any of the following reasons:
  • having a criminal record,
  • having a serious medical condition which could be a danger to public health or safety, or would cause an excessive demand on Canadian health or social services,
  • security reasons (you have been involved in espionage, subversion, violence or terrorism, or have been a member of an organization involved in any of these),
  • human or international rights violations including war crimes, crimes against humanity, or being a senior official in a government engaged in gross human rights violations or subject to international sanctions,
  • one of your family members is inadmissible for one of the above reasons.

This program has an intake cap and only 50,000 applications will be accepted under this program. This cap is further broken down into Stream A and Stream B. Only 20,000 applications will be accepted for processing under Stream A, and only 30,000 applications will be accepted under Stream B.

Stream A – This stream is for those who have accumulated their one year of work experience in one of the following eligible healthcare occupations:

Stream B – This stream is for those who have accumulated their one year of work experience in one or more of the non-healthcare occupations listed below (or a combination of occupations from both the healthcare and non-healthcare lists):

Skip ahead to learn about the required documents.

Program #2: French-speaking workers with recent Canadian experience in essential occupations:

This program is the same as Program #1 with the following two exceptions:

1. Have achieved a NCLC level 4 in each of the four language skills areas on one of the following approved French language tests, the results of which must be less than two years old when the application for permanent residence is received,
   • TEF Canada
   • TCF Canada
2. There is no cap on the number of applications that will be accepted for processing for this program.

Skip ahead to learn about the required documents.

Program #3: International graduates currently employed in Canada

This program is for those who have completed an eligible qualification as of January 1, 2017 onwards from an eligible Canadian Designated Learning Institution while on a valid study permit.

The eligible Designated Learning Institutions for this program are:

• a public post-secondary institution, such as a college, trade/technical school, university or in Quebec CEGEP;
• a private post-secondary school in Quebec that operates under the same rules and regulations as public institutions in Quebec;
• a private or public post-secondary institution in Quebec offering qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer leading to a diploma of vocational studies (DVS) or an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS); or
• a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees under provincial law but only if the program of study completed was a degree as authorized by the province, which may not include all programs of study offered by the private institution.

The three eligible qualifications for this program are:

1. 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; or
2. A degree, diploma, certificate, or attestation issued on completion of a program of any duration leading to an occupation in a skilled trade listed in Annex A below; or
3. one or more diploma/certificate/attestation where the following conditions are met:
   • For diplomas/certificates/attestations, each program of study must be at least 8 months in duration AND the combined length of the credential(s) must be equivalent to a two-year credential (at least 16 months in duration).
   • For the DVS and AVS, each program of study must be at least 900 hours in duration AND the combined program of study must be at least 1,800 hours in duration.
     • When combining one AVS with one DVS, the length of the AVS may be less than 900 hours if the combined length is at least 1,800 hours.

The foreign national also needs to meet all the following requirements:

• Be employed in Canada, in any occupation for which wages or commissions are earned, at the time that their application for permanent residence is received (can be full-time or part-time),
• the work must not be self-employment, unless the foreign national was working as a medical doctor in a fee-for-service arrangement with a health authority,
• have achieved a CLB or NCLC level 5 in each of the four language skills areas on one of the following approved language tests, the results of which must be less than two years old when the application for permanent residence is received and,
  • IELTS – General Training
  • CELPIP – General Test
  • TEF Canada
  • TCF Canada
• reside in Canada with valid temporary resident status (or be eligible to restore their status) and,
• be physically present in Canada at the time the application for permanent residence is received and,
• by physically present in Canada when the application is approved (no status requirements stipulated at this time) and,
• intend to reside in a province or territory other than Quebec and,
• must not be inadmissible to Canada for any of the following reasons:
  • having a criminal record,
  • having a serious medical condition which could be a danger to public health or safety, or would cause an excessive demand on Canadian health or social services,
  • security reasons (you have been involved in espionage, subversion, violence or terrorism, or have been a member of an organization involved in any of these),
  • human or international rights violations including war crimes, crimes against humanity, or being a senior official in a government engaged in gross human rights violations or subject to international sanctions,
  • one of your family members is inadmissible for one of the above reasons.

This program has an intake cap and only 40,000 applications will be accepted under this program.

Skip ahead to learn about the required documents.

Program #4: French-speaking international graduates currently employed in Canada

This program is the same as Program #3 with the following two exceptions:

1. Have achieved a NCLC level 5 in each of the four language skills areas on one of the following approved French language tests, the results of which must be less than two years old when the application for permanent residence is received,
   • TEF Canada
   • TCF Canada
2. There is no cap on the number of applications that will be accepted for processing for this program.

Required forms and supporting documents for Canada’s new immigration streams for essential workers and international graduates

For all of Canada’s new immigration programs for essential workers and international graduates, applicants should be prepared to submit the following documents and forms along with their application. Please note that we’ve compiled these lists of forms and documents based on the information available prior to launch, but the exact forms and documents required may differ when the programs officially open.

Unlike with applications for permanent residence submitted through the Express Entry system, applications will not be cancelled as incomplete after a completeness check. Instead, applications will be fully processed and refused if they are incomplete. This means that application fees will not be refunded if the application is refused, and applicants will not know that there was a problem with their application until the full processing time has elapsed.

It is not yet known if a medical examination with a panel physician would be required upfront or requested later in the process. It is also not yet known if they will accept previously completed medical examinations or not. Typically, they would accept them if they had been completed in the past twelve months with an approved panel physician.

It has not been stipulated that there will be a required amount of funds for these applications. Typically, those already working in Canada are not required to show proof of funds.

If you have any questions about your eligibility for these programs, or the required forms and documents, begin by booking a 30-minute consultation or by completing the assessment form at the top of this page. We’ll review your eligibility for these immigration pathways, as well as an overview of Canada’s other immigration options. Plus, we can advise you on how to get yourself ready for the May 6 launch date!

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has stated that more information will be made available in May. This means that the above information may change, or new requirements may be stipulated. This article will be updated as new information becomes available.