Canada’s Immigration Programs Updated May 1, 2014
Canadian immigration programs were recently updated on May 1, 2014, to reflect the changing needs of Canada for skilled foreign workers. Dozens of different occupations were added to the eligibility lists for Canadian immigration programs with the goal of helping businesses across the country to fill thousands of high-demand jobs in Canada. In addition to making many more occupations eligible for Canadian immigration programs, Canada’s government also significantly raised the number of applications it will receive during 2014 for its Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP) and Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). This is good news for skilled foreign workers seeking jobs in Canada because these changes to Canadian immigration regulations may provide more people in various occupations with an opportunity to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada.
For example, the Federal Skilled Workers Program (FSWP), which is designed for qualified foreign nationals in professions that often require a college or university degree or other post-secondary education, expanded the number of eligible occupations to 50 and raised the overall application limit to 25,000, due to the ongoing need to fill thousands of high-demand jobs in Canada, effective May 1, 2014. Examples of needed jobs in Canada that are now eligible for the FSWP include: accountants, civil engineers, computer programmers, dieticians, early childhood educators, electrical engineers, financial analysts, human resource managers, healthcare managers, nurses, occupational therapists, petroleum engineers, physicians, psychologists and university professors, among many others.
Another Canadian immigration program that is now offering more skilled foreign workers a chance to be issued a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada is the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP). The number of occupations eligible to apply for the FTSP was expanded to 90 as of May 1, 2014, and include such skilled trades as: aircraft and auto mechanics, cable television service and maintenance technicians, carpenters, crane operators, oil and gas well drillers, paramedics, plumbers and welders, to name just some.
These are only two examples of several Canadian immigration programs that offer a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada to eligible skilled foreign workers. Each Canadian immigration program has its own unique requirements, which usually include having adequate English or French language skills and the necessary education and work experience, among other criteria. This major expansion of both eligible occupations and the number of applications being accepted for Canadian immigration has created one of the best opportunities available to those seeking good-paying jobs in Canada. To find out if you meet the eligibility requirements to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa to Canada, click here!
