A category-based Express Entry draw for a transport occupation has never been conducted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada before! Canada has made much progress as it tries to address some of the biggest employment gaps and shortages in its labor market.
Table of Contents
What made Transport occupations an Express Entry category?
Did you know there are six industry-specific groups in the Canadian labor market? These groups are for workers in those industries to get help navigating the job market and finding the best opportunities.
Job seekers can find the right fit for their career goals because each group specializes in one occupation. So, if you want to work in Canada, check out these industry groups!
While making this decision, the IRCC consulted government partners, provincial and territorial governments, and other national stakeholders. According to these consultations, around 16% of respondents said trades, transport, and equipment operations are the most pressing need.
Transportation-related occupations eligible for category-based selection
The following 10 jobs qualify for Express Entry’s transport occupation category:
- Inspectors and aircraft assemblers
- Chauffeurs of transport trucks
- Traffic controllers & marine traffic regulators
- Transport engineers
- Deck officers, water transportation
- Controllers and related occupations
- Pilots, flight engineers, and flying instructors
- Mechanics and inspectors of aircraft
- Railway car drivers/women
- Transport managers
Options for transport workers to immigrate to Canada
The following reviews several other immigration options for transport workers besides Express Entry category-based selection.
Standard Express Entry Draw
The category-based draw is designed for individuals with experience in transport jobs who wish to immigrate to Canada. There is, however, the possibility of these guys applying to the normal Express Entry draws.
Immigration applications from three economic immigration programs are considered in these draws, prioritizing the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score rather than the candidate’s work experience. These programs include the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP).
Here’s a list of the three Express Entry programs, and potential candidates should self-evaluate their eligibility for one before applying.
In the meantime, eligible candidates can upload their profile to the IRCC website and wait to hear back. Candidate profiles are ranked against each other using a points-based system in “standard” Express Entry draws. The candidate pool will rank your profile based on the score it receives from the score assignment. An Invitation to Apply (ITA) will be issued to candidates with a CRS score above the cut-off during a standard Express Entry draw, allowing them to apply for permanent residence.
Note: The IRSC expects candidates to submit their finalized applications within 60 days of receiving an invitation to apply.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and more
Are you aware that 11 Canadian provinces and territories have Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), excluding Quebec and Nunavut? It might interest you that if you’re in the transportation industry, you can immigrate to Canada through the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) or the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP). You can find out more about AIP and RNIP if you want.
Do you know those programs in which different provinces or territories can choose the skilled workers they believe will best suit their local job market? In other words, when the provincial government extends an invitation, those workers can apply for immigration to that province or territory.
You may have a better chance of getting accepted if you choose an area with a high demand for workers if you’re an immigrant looking to work in transportation. If you do this, your application has a better chance of acceptance.
Other federal and provincial options
Are you familiar with the Atlantic Immigration Program? It’s a program that helps bring immigrants to Atlantic Canada’s four provinces – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, or Prince Edward Island. The idea is to connect local employers with foreign talent who can fill the gaps in their labor market. Also, it provides a plan for newcomers to settle in and adjust to life in Canada. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.
A total of 11 communities in Canada are part of the RNIP. It’s a cool initiative welcoming newcomers to the community and helping them settle in. The local people there are amazing at making new people feel right at home, and they even provide settlement services to help them get started.
Quebec
Quebec has great options for transport workers who want to move to Canada’s majority French-speaking region. There are other popular immigration pathways, too, besides those mentioned earlier.
The Quebec Skilled Workers Program (QSWP) and the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) are two of these programs.
The QSWP program invites people seeking to relocate to different parts of Quebec to fill out an online application. Candidates for permanent residency are selected by the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) based on the same criteria as those used by the federal government for the FSWP.
Meanwhile, the Quebec Selection Certificate (QSC) program is a fast-track pathway to obtaining a Quebec selection certificate for foreign graduates (Quebec post-secondary institutions) and individuals with Quebec work experience. As a condition of permanent residency in this province, you must obtain this selection certificate.
