Is Immigration to Canada Challenging for Everyone in 2025, or Are There Easier Paths for Some Now!

Even foreign nationals who have already begun their journey in Canada, whether as workers or students, find it challenging to obtain an invitation for permanent residency. For those outside Canada, there are even fewer options.

The tightening of Canadian immigration measures was implemented for various reasons, including immigration fraud related to job offers, abuse of the study program, higher unemployment rates, and housing challenges for Canadians and permanent residents. While Canadian immigration options are becoming more competitive, candidates with certain backgrounds still have good chances for permanent residency.

Priority Invitations for Candidates with Work Experience in Certain Occupations

While unemployment rates are high in some regions, there are reported skill and labour shortages in Canada for specific occupations. Immigration opportunities have emerged for those with work experience to address the needs of the Canadian labour market.

This new approach has been applied across many Canadian immigration programs. For instance, international college students can obtain a post-graduation work permit only if they complete a program that leads to skills in demand. In addition, Canadian employers have a streamlined process for hiring foreign workers in occupations that are experiencing shortages. Lastly, immigration programs leading to permanent residency have also been targeting candidates with experience in in-demand occupations in Canada.

Occupations in Demand in Canada

Foreign nationals with a minimum of six months of continuous full-time work experience obtained in Canada or abroad within the past three years in the following occupations have a higher likelihood of being invited for permanent residence:

Healthcare and Social Services Occupations

• Audiologists and speech language pathologists - NOC 31112
• Dental hygienists and dental therapists - NOC32111
• Dentists – NOC 31110
• Dieticians and nutritionists – NOC 31121
• General practitioners and family physicians – NOC 31102
• Optometrists – NOC 31111
• Pharmacists – NOC 31120
• Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine – NOC 31100
• Specialists in surgery – NOC 31101
• Veterinarians – NOC 31103

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Occupations

• Architecture and science managers – NOC 20011

Trade Occupations

• Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling andservices – NOC 82021
• Floor covering installers – NOC 73113
• Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) – NOC73112
• Roofers and shinglers – NOC 73110
• Concrete finishers  -NOC 73100
• Other technical trades and related occupations – NOC 72999
• Water well drillers – NOC 72501
• Electrical mechanics – NOC 72422
• Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics – NOC72402
• Heavy-duty equipment mechanics - NOC 72401
• Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics – NOC72400
• Bricklayers – NOC 72320
• Cabinetmakers – NOC 72311
• Carpenters – NOC 72310
• Gas fitters – NOC 72302
• Plumbers -NOC 72300
• Industrial electricians – NOC 72201
• Electricians (except industrial and power system) – NOC72200
• Welders and related machine operators – NOC 72106
• Sheet metal workers  -NOC 72102
• Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors – NOC 72100
• Home building and renovation managers – NOC 70011
• Construction managers – NOC 70010
• Cooks  - NOC 63200
• Construction estimators- NOC 22303

Agriculture and agri-food occupations

• Butchers - retail and wholesale – NOC 63201

Education occupations

• Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants – NOC43100
• Instructors of persons with disabilities – NOC 42203
• Early childhood educators and assistants  - NOC 42202
• Elementary school and kindergarten teachers – NOC 41221
• Secondary school teachers  -NOC 41220

Candidates with French Language Proficiency

Candidates who can demonstrate a minimum score of 7 in all four language abilities on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens also have a high chance of being invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence. They fall under the Express Entry category for French Language Proficiency.

How to Immigrate to Canada if You Have In-Demand Experience and Skills?

Those who work or have experience in the above-mentioned occupations should consider immigration through Express Entry. They have better chances than other candidates with no such experience and skills. There are three programs managed through the Express Entry System – Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, and Federal Skilled Trades Program. The first step is to meet the criteria under at least one of these programs to participate in category-based draws. Contact us for eligibility assessment.

Occupations Deemed in Demand May Change

The list of occupations eligible for Express Entry category-based draws could be updated at any time, likely once a year. Eligible candidates shouldn’t delay registering in the pool, as their occupation may no longer be in demand and could thus be removed from the list. This is what happened with transport truck drivers, who are no longer included. At the same time, new categories or occupations may be added to the list, which is based on Canadian labour market data that we monitor and update. Contact us for eligibility assessment.

Illustrative Statistics on Occupational Priorities

In the chart below, you can see a significantly lower cut-off score for candidates in the category-based draws for 2024. As mentioned above, the list of occupations has been slightly modified, but the principle of addressing Canadian labour market needs remains valid and may present a very good immigration opportunity for foreign nationals skilled in specific occupations.

Options for Individuals Without Experience in In-Demand Occupations orDifferent Backgrounds

In this post, we focus on Express Entry and occupation-based opportunities for skilled workers. Other immigration pathways exist for entrepreneurs and skilled workers, some of which are managed by Canadian provinces through Provincial Nomination Programs and non-Express Entry streams. Please contact us if you are interested.