Half of new skilled immigrants have Canadian experience

Half of new skilled immigrants have Canadian experience

In Canada, more immigrants stay, work, and study before becoming permanent residents. Through Canadian work and study experience, more immigrants are obtaining permanent residency in recent years.

Between 2000 and 2018, the number of temporary foreign workers and students grew significantly, Statistics Canada says. In 2018 more than half of the new immigrants from the economic class were former temporary foreign workers.

Through the help of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNPs) and the launch of the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) in 2009, more temporary foreign workers have obtained permanent resident status in Canada. In 2018, the CEC welcomed 20% of all main applicants from the economic class, while the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) accepted 25%. At 46 percent, PNPs given the largest share.

These results are drawn from the second installment of a five-part series of StatsCan research in collaboration with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The studies have analyzed the role of temporary foreign workers in new immigrants’ labor market outcomes, although only three studies have been published so far.

When a candidate arrives in Canada as a worker or student and then becomes a permanent president, it is referred to as a “two-step” immigration selection. In this process, students or eligible migrants first acquire temporary residence status and have their credentials assessed by employers in Canada. The temporary resident then applies to immigration, where she is chosen on the basis of the requirements set out in federal or provincial programs.

The first study showed that immigration in two stages could strengthen the balance between immigrant skills and labor market demands. Employers may specifically determine the temporary worker ‘s skills and intangible qualities. This also noted that the COVID-19 crisis exposed possible issues linked to reliance on temporary foreign labor, such as instability in labor supply and bad working conditions for employees.

The second paper reveals the development in the selection of immigrants in two stages after 2000. The number of temporary foreign workers rose from around 60,000 to 429,300 between 2000 and 2018.

The third study reveals two-step immigration and labor market outcomes. The study showed that, from 2000 to 2016, more immigrants had higher annual earnings in the first full year following immigration. The rise in jobs was related to increased yearly income (over $50,000) due to the growing number of immigrants who had served in Canada before at medium ($20,000 to $50,000).

Such results show that immigrants with Canadian experience typically find more jobs and earn higher annual income. Initiatives by the federal government to launch more pathways for foreigners with Canadian experience appear to have significantly improved these results.

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