Canada will bring in more carpenters, plumbers, health-care professionals and French speakers from abroad this summer as it focuses on filling up “countless vacant positions across the country,” says the immigration ministry.

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Canada targets immigrants with specific skills and French speakers Back to video

The move is part of a new policy that will invite newcomers with specific skills, training and language abilities to address jobs that are in demand.

“As we deal with the labour shortage … we needed to do more to make sure that we are not just bringing talented people to Canada, but bringing talented people into the sectors that face the greatest demands,” Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, said at a press conference on May 31.

“What we have been hearing is these sectors are not only facing short-term demands, but over the course of the next number of decades, we expect some of these shortages to continue if further action is not taken.”

Express Entry is the main application management system for those seeking to immigrate permanently to the country.

In 2022, the number of job vacancies in Canada averaged 942,000, two and a half times the average of 377,000 in 2016, according to Statistics Canada.

The substantial growth in the number of job vacancies recorded during this period suggests the economy is battling a labour crunch. But Statistics Canada said in a report on May 24 that “employers’ difficulties to fill job vacancies requiring high levels of education cannot, in general, be attributed to a national shortage” or local shortage of highly educated job seekers.

The agency said vacancies may arise because of a mismatch between the skills required by employers and the skills possessed by highly educated job seekers. A labour crunch, however, has been observed for jobs requiring a high school diploma or less education since 2021.

The federal government will also be targeting the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions, agriculture and transportation.

The categories were determined following consultations with provincial and territorial partners, stakeholders and the public, as well as a review of labour market needs, the ministry said. The first category-based invitations to apply are expected to be sent this summer.

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