Canada fast-tracks permanent residency process for foreign workers, international students

Canada's Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has unveiled a plan to increase the number of international students and foreign workers with extensive work experience for permanent residency in fields where there is a persistent labour shortage. This took place after Liberal MP Randeep Sarai's Private Member’s Motion M-44 was approved by the House of Commons in May.

According to Fraser, the Justin Trudeau government wants to make more avenues to permanent residency possible since temporary foreign workers and international students are crucial to Canada's economy. Foreign workers bring a wide range of skill sets and educational backgrounds, assist corporate growth, creativity, and productivity, all of which contribute to the economic recovery and growth of Canada, Fraser said. They also help solve the immediate workforce needs of various companies, he added.

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International students assist Canada's workforce to expand, increase productivity and counteract the effects of an ageing population, the minister said. The minister intends to assist people in making the transition from temporary to permanent residency by extending or changing the current pathways for foreign nationals who are working in Canada and seeking to stay, including international student graduates. Several existing programmes already offer a pathway to permanent residency for temporary foreign workers and international student graduates in Canada, he added.

Canada will have a “five pillar approach” to address the issue. According to the immigration plan for 2022–2024, Canada will have a greater, permanent labour supply. In order to solve labour market shortages and support Canada's post-pandemic economic recovery, this proposal raises the chances for more temporary employees to convert to permanent residence.

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Canada will overhaul the Express Entry system, which includes giving immigration selection methods under Express Entry more freedom, particularly in regards to the points provided for Canadian work experience, education, language ability and job offers.

Canada will also look into better ways to move in-demand key workers, such as doctors, by lowering hurdles. Improvements to pilot programmes will be made to help those in the agri-food industry and those providing in-home care transition to permanent residences.

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Provinces and territories will have the freedom under the Justin Trudeau administration to modify and develop their immigration streams to suit their own labour market requirements. Through technical advancements, The government will modernise the immigration system, increase processing capacity, and enhance the client experience. All of these programmes aim to hasten the process of welcoming immigrants to Canada as permanent residents.