The Jobs in Demand In Canada

On 1 January 2015, Canada launched its most exciting immigration overhaul yet – Express Entry.  A smarter and more streamlined process, it aims to get the skills and experience Canada needs into the country quicker than before.

If you’re one of 347 eligible occupations and meet certain criteria, you could successfully move, live and work in Canada and start living the Canadian dream.

Are you eligible for Express Entry?

To be able to apply for Canada’s Federal Skilled Worker program, you need to use Express Entry. To be eligible for Express Entry you must meet all of the below criteria:

• Your occupation is on the eligible occupation list (see below) and have one year of continuous full-time paid work experience or the equivalent in part-time continuous employment within the past 10 years;
• Your work experience must be classified by Canada’s National Occupational Classification system as Skill Type 0 (Managerial Occupations), Skill Level A (Professional Occupation) or Skill Level B (Technical Occupations and Skilled Trades);
• You must score sufficient points under the skilled worker point grid that has six selection factors including language skills, education, age, and work experience. The current pass mark is 67 out of 100;
• You must undergo language testing to prove your English or French language skills;
• You must have enough funds to allow you to settle in Canada;
• You must successfully pass a background security check and medical exam.

How Express Entry Works

If you’re interested in applying for Express Entry, here’s how the process works:

1. Fill out an online profile that includes details of your language test scores and work experience. There is no charge to do this.
2. Your application then goes into a pool with other applicants where you’ll be ranked against other applicants. You can remain in the pool for up to one year.  If after a year you haven’t been invited to apply, your application will expire.
3. If you’re a top candidate, you will receive an invitation to apply.
4. If you’re invited to apply, you can apply online for permanent residency.

The current processing time is six months or less.

Eligible Occupations

Before you apply for Express Entry, you need to make sure that your occupation is on the eligible occupation list. There are 347 occupations on this list – for the full list, check out our separate blog entry.

Where to go for Help

To help you through the Express Entry process, there are places you can go:

• Citizenship & Immigration Canada has all the information you need to apply. Visit their Express Entry page.  They also have a handy tool to quickly check your eligibility to apply – try the tool.
• Migration experts can help guide you through Canada’s visa process – see who’s able to help.

You can also start your job search today, for jobs located in Canada – good luck!