Labor issues in Canada are only getting worse. According to Statistics Canada, the country had 957,000 job vacancies in the first quarter of 2022. The health care, social assistance, construction, manufacturing and retail sectors are actively seeking staff, indicates The Globe and Mail.
The challenge is to match supply and demand. The Canadim site, specializing in immigration law, recalls that the Express Entry online system, which manages immigration applications submitted by qualified professionals, classifies immigrants according to a points system and issues invitations according to a minimum score based on the Global Ranking System.
The powers of the Minister of Immigration strengthened
Promulgated on June 23, Bill C-19 provides for an overhaul of Express Entry, writes the specialized site CIC News. It grants the Minister of Immigration
”the power to invite candidates Express Entry based on their occupation, language ability, intended destination, or classifying them in any other group that supports Canada’s economic objectives..
By allowing authorities to include selection factors that meet labor needs based on a given industry, region, and language skills, Canada will be able to select more ready immigrants. succeed in the labor market, explains to CIC News Sean Fraser, Minister Sean Fraser:
“The goal is really to maximize the contribution that a newcomer can make to their community so that they are ready to succeed when they arrive, but also meet the needs of the community where they will reside.”
By the same token, anticipates the Minister, “we’re going to see a potential increase in retention rates open up because people come to where they know they have opportunities”. It is, according to him, to select immigrants ready to enter the labor market. The Immigration News Canada site points out that the law grants it ”the power to designate specific jobs or skills as high priority”.
Transparent selection process
Sean Fraser says he is attentive to critics who fear that interest groups are pushing for a certain kind of candidate:
“I need to engage with people at the local community level. I have to dialogue with my provincial and territorial counterparts. I have to engage with business councils and sectors that have high needs so that we can understand what their needs are.”
Amendments were added before the adoption of the law to ensure that the selection process will be transparent.