Corporate Immigration Law Firm Suggests Using Express Entry to Fill Excessive Job Vacancies
Several key industry sectors in Canada—including energy and tradespeople—are facing severe shortages in available skilled labourers. According to corporate immigration law firms and politicians in Canada, immigration may be the solution; specifically, the CIC’s recently-launched Express Entry system for skilled workers.
Specifically in the trades, the average age of a skilled tradesperson in Canada has risen to 47, and the industries supported by these labourers may continue to experience shortages as more people in each trade begin to retire, and there are very few Canadians ready to take their places. Fewer Canadians than ever are receiving educations in these fields, and it may take as much as a decade for an individual to have the combined education and experience necessary for the jobs in question. So what can businesses do in the mean time? To keep these sectors thriving in Canada, immigration may become essential.
The Express Entry system fast-tracks permanent resident applications through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class, helping potential newcomers attain residency and the right to work in Canada in as little as 6 months or less. A corporate immigration law firm may help applicants prepare all the necessary materials for application and selection, which is based on a points system.
It may be equally important to supplement this strategy with increased efforts to recruit Canadian citizens into vocational training programs. Many companies can replenish their dwindling employment figures by integrating Express Entry immigration into the framework of their HR strategy, thereby casting a global net to seek out skilled and talented workers to fill their ranks. The potential exists for a mutually beneficial system, whereby skilled workers in countries with little demand can fill spots in markets that have a high demand in Canada, but lack in local prospects.
Since Express Entry’s inception in January of this year, over 11,000 foreign workers have been invited to become permanent residents. In Canada, immigration has always been a major driver of economic growth, and by all appearances the program seeks to encourage this growth by making it easier for economic immigrants to gain residency. If the program can also be put to work filling the needs of job sectors that are seeing flagging employment figures, then it will be doubly successful in producing measurable benefits for the Canadian economy, as it was intended to do.
For assistance in applying for Express Entry as a skilled worker or tradesperson, you can contact a corporate immigration law firm. Immigration lawyers have the experience and expertise to navigate Canada’s immigration system, and will help make sure you put your best foot forward.
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Arghavan Gerami
Arghavan Gerami is the Founder and Senior Counsel at Gerami Law Professional Corporation ('PC'), a full-service immigration law firm in Ottawa, Ontario. Since 2011, Ms. Gerami has focused her practice on immigration and refugee litigation. Prior to that, Ms. Gerami worked at the Ministry of Attorney General and the Department of Justice and had the privilege of serving the Honourable Mr. Justice M. Evans at the Federal Court of Appeal on immigration and administrative law appeals. Ms. Gerami contributes to the Immigration Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Ms. Gerami has also published numerous journal articles and presented at various immigration and refugee law conferences and events across Canada.