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Canada seeks up to 265,000 skilled workers to emigrate in 2010

LONDON, 7 December 2009 – The Canadian Government has announced its plans to welcome between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents in 2010, targeting its immigration system to recruit skilled workers like plumbers, welders, nurses and physiotherapists.

Currently, 38 occupations are in such desperate need in Canada that the government is offering applicants with these occupations priority processing, giving them the potential to arrive in Canada within months of commencing the application process.

Nigel Smith, of the Canadian Visa Bureau, said that people in these 38 occupations are considered in such demand that the Canadian Government believes they will be able to find work very quickly upon emigrating.

“These are the few occupations that are the lucky exception from the requirement of needing a job offer from a Canadian employer before emigrating, and that is due to the Government’s confidence that people in these occupations will be able to secure work,” he said.

“The application process for people in these 38 occupations is very quick, only taking about nine months for them to secure Canadian permanent residence. This is due in part to the requirement that anyone wanting to migrate to Canada, other than those in these key occupations, must have a job offer,” Mr Smith continued.

“Canada moved to this system this year, and in doing so, streamlined their immigration processes. Now, applicants who have an occupation on the Priority Occupation List will receive an initial response from the Canadian Government within only six to eight weeks after lodging an expression of interest. If they consider you eligible, you then put together your paperwork. If they don’t find you eligible, they return your application fee.

“The Canadian Government deems these occupations in such demand in the country that they have decided to keep the door open on skilled migration, just for these workers,” he said.

The Canadian Government is actively seeking people with an apprenticeship or Bachelors degree in the following occupations:

Mining, geological, and petroleum engineers
Construction managers
Electricians and industrial electricians
Welders
Crane operators
Plumbers
Pipefitting trades
Heavy construction equipment crews
Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
Mining and quarrying supervisors
Oil and gas drilling and service supervisors
Petroleum, gas, chemical processing and utilities supervisors
Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, head nurses and supervisors
Medical radiation technologists
Physiotherapists
Occupational therapists
Audiologists and speech language pathologists
Managers in health care
Accountants and financial auditors
Financial managers
Restaurant, food service managers
Chefs and Cooks
Accommodation service managers
Computer, information systems managers

More information on the Canadian Priority Occupation List, including the full list of occupations, and further details regarding emigrating to Canada can be found on the Canadian Visa Bureau website, visabureau.com/canada.

If you have undertaken advanced trade studies, or if you have family members already in Canada, you may also be eligible.

The Canadian Skilled Migration Program is a points-based system, with points awarded according to age, education, work experience, and language skills. Applicants aged 20 to 50 are awarded maximum age points, a higher age limit than most other countries. British workers wanting to emigrate to Canada also have a number of advantages including English language points as well as a similar cultural heritage. Online assessments to determine points and eligibility can be found by taking the online assessment.