Canada’s Economic Immigration Is Stuck in the Past – And It’s Time to Catch Up

Economic immigration is slated as a driver of prosperity — attracting “high-skilled workers, entrepreneurs, and self-employed individuals,” as well as those filling critical labour shortages. It celebrates regional programs, employer partnerships, and long-term economic needs. 

On paper, it all sounds forward-thinking. But here’s the problem: I can’t match that vision to reality. 

A System Built for 2010, Not 2025 

When I look at the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), one of the main pathways for skilled workers in Canada to become permanent residents, I see a program where eligibility requirement hasn’t evolved in the 12+ years. It’s a system built for a 9-to-5 world in steady payroll employment. That might have made sense in 2010. It doesn’t in 2025. 

Freelancers, consultants, contractors, and remote workers not present in Canada now make up a substantial part of our economy. They bring skills, pay taxes, and contribute in meaningful ways. Yet, under the CEC program, this work is ignored. 

And Then There’s “Skilled” 

And then I get hung up on the word “skilled”. Right now, economic immigration programs operate on the assumption: degrees + years on the job = skills we need. 

But anyone who’s followed hiring trends in the past decade knows this isn’t how the labour market works anymore. 

The hiring world has moved past “skilled” as they are defined in immigration regulations. For immigration purposes, skilled applicants perform the duties in the lead statement for their occupation in the National Occupational Classification (NOC), plus a “substantial number” of the main duties listed. 

That definition feels frozen in time. 

Because when employers talk about skills today, they mean something very different. They look for real, transferable, cross-competency skills. The kind of skill-building that comes through challenging work, micro-credentials, industry certifications, bootcamps, or even self-taught pathways. The portfolio someone can show, not the diploma they hang on the wall. 

Employers have moved on. They hire based on what candidates can do, not just what degrees they hold or how many years they’ve worked in one role. 

Meanwhile, our immigration system is stuck measuring skill by old-school job titles, duties and paper qualifications. 

Entrepreneurs and Self-Employed Workers: Still Waiting 

And how exactly is Canada targeting, self-employed workers in 2025? Not through the self-employed program that’s for sure, which is currently paused. Even when it was available, wait times were astronomical.  

Of course, there’s the Start-Up Visa Program, but that’s aimed at a very specific type of entrepreneur, the high-growth, venture-capital-backed kind with scalable business plans. It’s a narrow path designed for a narrow group. 

Meanwhile, the reality of today’s economy is much broader.  

Thousands of freelancers, independent contractors, small-business owners, and side hustlers are building careers in non-traditional ways, piecing together income through multiple gigs, contracts, or passion projects. They’re paying taxes, gaining Canadian experience, and contributing to economic growth. Yet in the eyes of major immigration programs, they don’t fit the definition of a “real” worker.

The International Student Puzzle 

And here’s another thing I’ve never understood: why is IRCC still not counting work experience gained as an international student toward the Canadian Experience Class? 

It feels like the system is punishing the very drive, grit, and determination we claim to value in economic immigrants. 

Think about it: an international student juggles a full-time course load and a job, gaining Canadian work experience while proving they can handle pressure, responsibility, and competing demands. 

That’s not someone to dismiss. That’s exactly the kind of individual Canada should be fighting for. 

So why are we still ignoring it? 

If anything, the ability to excel under those conditions should make a candidate more attractive, not less. 

Modernization Needs to Go Beyond Technology 

IRCC is committed to digital modernization, new portals, online tools, streamlined processing. And yes, those things matter. And the fact that Budget 2021 earmarked $827.3 million over five years to build a secure, stable, and flexible digital platform to improve processing times and client support shows just how seriously IRCC takes this. 

But here’s the thing: moving archaic immigration programs onto a shiny new platform doesn’t make them any less outdated. Sure, the user experience might be a bit smoother, but if the core rules still reflect practices from a bygone era, all the technology in the world won’t make the system fit for 2025. 

Modernizing forms and portals is one thing. Modernizing eligibility criteria, definitions of skill, and pathways for today’s workforce is another. And that’s the modernization Canada truly needs.