Canada is launching new Express Entry immigration streams for permanent residents to meet the future needs of the economy, including categories for research, transportation and military recruitment, Immigration Minister Lena Diab said.
These will be in addition to the specialized streams already in place for health care and social services workers, such as nurse practitioners, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and chiropractors, and for trades, such as carpenters, plumbers and machinists.
In December, Ottawa announced a specialized Express Entry stream for foreign-trained doctors with Canadian work experience.
The first round for applications under that category will begin this week, Diab said.
Which categories will be approved faster?
The first category that’s being added is for researchers and senior managers with Canadian work experience to help drive research in Canada.
“We’re supporting the broader federal efforts to drive innovation and growth, including a $1.7 billion initiative announced in December by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to attract world-leading researchers to Canada,” she said.
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The federal government is also adding a second category for transportation workers, to help plug labour shortages in Canada’s transportation sector, she added. This will include applications for people who are trained pilots, aircraft mechanics and inspectors.
“We’ve identified these sectors as areas in critical need. Strengthening those helps us move goods across the country and to new markets supporting trade, supply chains and economic resilience,” Diab said.
Ottawa is also launching a third stream of entry — skilled military recruits.
“We are creating a new category for skilled military recruits to attract highly skilled foreign military applicants. Eligible recruits with a job offer from the Canadian Armed Forces, including doctors, nurses, pilots can be invited to apply for permanent residence,” Diab said.
She added that this category is being introduced to complement the defence industrial strategy, announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday.
Carney released his new Buy Canadian plan for supplying the military and growing Canada’s domestic defence industry on Tuesday, saying Canada can never be “hostage” to the decisions of others when it comes to security.
The $6.6-billion plan promises to prioritize building military equipment at home, hike the share of defence contracts awarded to Canadian firms and add up to 125,000 new jobs over the next decade.
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