New Immigration Pathway Planned For Semi-Skilled Workers in Canada

Here’s what we know so far: 

Key Takeaways

• Workers with Canadian experience in Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) occupations 4 and 5 (semi-skilled positions) currently rely on Provincial Nominee Programs to become permanent residents of Canada. This may change in the near future. 
• These changes are not likely to come into effect until very late in 2024 at the earliest. 

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Details: New Permanent Residence Pathway For TEER 4 and 5 Workers Planned

The information the federal government has released so far is quite sparse. 

We know that the government intends to create a permanent residence pathway for economic immigrants with Canadian work experience in TEER 4 and 5 occupations. These occupations usually require some education and would usually be considered semi-skilled. 

We know that it is likely to operate similarly to the Canadian Experience Class program, since it is intended for workers with Canadian experience. 

And we know that the purpose of these changes is to allow Canadian businesses who have labour market needs in semi-skilled occupations to attract and retain workers to fill positions. 

You can read the release here.

It’s unclear whether the occupations will be restricted to in-demand occupations or what other restrictions (if any) will be placed on the program. We would guess it’s likely that the Canadian experience requirements will mean workers must have one year of full-time employment experience in Canada, or the equivalent in part-time work.

We do know a federal Immigration pathway targeting those with TEER 4 or 5 work experience will be a welcome relief to many, given the limited number of programs available for this level of work experience.

How To Prepare For This New Pathway

At this stage, workers with experience in TEER 4 and 5 occupations who are currently working in Canada should work on an immigration pathway to permanent residence that does not rely completely on this pathway becoming a reality if your work permit expires soon. 

For those looking further into the future, it’s still helpful to have alternate pathways open to you. Immigration policy can change at any time, so keeping your options open is always a good plan. 

But, you can start to prepare for this pathway by taking the following steps: 

Gather Your Documents 

The details released so far give no indication of what documents will be needed to apply under this new pathway but here is a list of common documents needed to support a permanent residency application:

• Passport
• Birth certificate for family members
• Marriage certificate (if applicable)
• Reference letter from current and past employers
• Educational documents including certificate and transcripts
• Police clearances.

Sit a Language Test 

Most federal and provincial immigration programs require you to demonstrate a certain level of English or French ability. We expect this program to be no different, although we have no idea the level of language proficiency you will need. 

As we have very limited information about this program, like when it will open and whether it will be quota based, we recommend that you sit an approved language test to have results ready to go. If you don’t feel ready to take a language test, spend some time preparing for the test so you can sit it as soon as possible.

Get An ECA Report

An Educational Credential Assessment, also referred to as an ECA report, is used by Canadian immigration officials to verify a foreign education credential such as a post-secondary degree, diploma or certificate.

These reports are usually valid for five years, so you can usually safely get these early in the process. Even if you get it early, the report will likely be valid when your application is assessed (unless the process takes you longer than five years). So it’s often a good idea to get it out of the way early so you can focus on other things closer to your application date. 

How to Know If Your Work Experience is TEER 4 or 5

To determine if your work experience is in TEER 4 or 5, you will first need to find the NOC code for your occupation. You can do this by searching your job title using the NOC search tool offered by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

Once you have identified the 5 digit NOC code of your occupation, you can determine the skill level by looking at the 2nd digit. 

• If the 2nd digit is a 4, the TEER level is 4. 
• If the 2nd digit is a 5, the TEER level is a 5.

How Much Work Experience is Required?

This information is not yet available however if we go by the Canadian Experience Class requirements for skilled workers, we expect applicants to have at least 1 year of work experience in a TEER 4 or 5 occupation. 

Will I Be Able To Get A Bridging Open Work Permit Through This Pathway?

This is not clear based on what has been published so far. 

The government may opt to add this pathway to the list of program applications that are eligible for a BWOP – or it may not. You should be ready for either eventuality if you hope to rely on these changes for your permanent residence pathway.