Canada eases PR process for semi-skilled workers

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has proposed a significant change to the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act (IRPA), aiming to introduce a new permanent economic immigration class for workers with experience and training at the Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) levels 4 and 5. This proposed adjustment seeks to modernize the economic immigration system and grant permanent residency to individuals with a diverse set of skills and experiences.

The intention behind this change is to address the longstanding issue of recognizing the contributions of individuals who have acquired valuable Canadian work experience but have faced difficulties in securing permanent residency. By including those with TEER 4 and 5 qualifications, the IRCC hopes to provide more opportunities for skilled workers who have proven their value in the Canadian job market.

The TEER system, which was introduced in 2022, categorizes jobs into different levels, replacing the previous National Occupation Classification (NOC) system's skill levels. TEER levels 4 and 5 are generally associated with roles that require only a high school education or brief on-the-job training, as opposed to higher levels requiring post-secondary education or longer training periods. Currently, jobs at these levels are often ineligible for federal economic immigration programs like Express Entry, which complicates the path to permanent residency for many newcomers working in these positions.

A recent study by Statistics Canada highlighted a shift in employment trends towards low-skilled sectors such as accommodation, food services, and retail trade among temporary foreign workers and international students. This shift suggests that a larger proportion of low-skilled workers might become permanent residents, which could impact their earnings and integration into the Canadian economy.

The proposed amendments aim to facilitate the transition of foreign nationals with Canadian work experience in TEER 4 and 5 roles to permanent residency. This change is expected to enhance the ability of these workers to continue contributing to Canada's economy and meet the labour market demands in sectors where these roles are prevalent. The initiative is marked as a medium-term priority by IRCC and will not require collaboration with other regulatory bodies.

Under the TEER system, job categories are classified as follows:

• TEER 0: Management positions, such as advertising and marketing managers.
• TEER 1: Jobs requiring a university degree, including financial advisors and software engineers.
• TEER 2: Roles needing a college diploma, apprenticeship of two or more years, or supervisory experience, like medical laboratory technologists.
• TEER 3: Positions requiring a college diploma, apprenticeship of less than two years, or over six months of on-the-job training, such as dental assistants.
• TEER 4: Jobs typically need a high school diploma or brief on-the-job training, including retail salespersons.
• TEER 5: Roles requiring short-term work experience and no formal education, such as delivery service drivers.

For Indian workers, who make up a significant portion of Canada's new permanent residents, this change could be particularly beneficial. India is among the top ten countries for Canadian Permanent Residency, with around 65,000 PRs issued to Indian nationals in 2024. The new TEER-based pathway could make it easier for Indian professionals in various fields to move from temporary to permanent residency, thereby enhancing their ability to contribute fully to the Canadian economy.