Canada immigration news: The massive wave of retiring baby boomers is making it absolutely vital for Canada to welcome more immigrants, including skilled workers through the Express Entry system, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says.

“With five million Canadians set to retire by the end of the decade, the economic need for immigration is more important than ever,” tweeted Fraser.

In Banff, Alberta earlier this month, the immigration minister listened to tourism industry stakeholders and their need to fill critical labour market shortages. 

“Together, we will continue to welcome a record number of immigrants to contribute to our communities,” pledged Fraser.

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Ottawa is bullish on immigration and has set – and achieved – record-breaking immigration targets.

At the current rate of immigration, Canada is poised to receive 449,976 new permanent residents this year, far above Ottawa’s record-setting immigration target of 431,645 immigrants for 2022.

The current immigration levels plan is targeting 447,055 new permanent residents for next year and 451,000 in 2024.

Among the most promising ways to come to Canada as an economic immigrant are the three programs which use the Express Entry system,  the Federal Skilled Worker(FSW), Federal Skilled Trades (FST), and Canada Experience Class (CEC) programs. 

Here are all of the eligible occupations under these Express Entry programs. The FSW has 347 eligible occupations listed under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system for candidates in the Express Entry pool who are ranked through the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Trades A Hot Commodity As Canada’s Economy Bounces Back

Under the FST, trades people can come to take jobs in Canada listed under the NOC in four major groups and two minor ones. Those groups are:

Under the NOC, skilled work is defined as meaning:

This is the kind of work experience that counts towards eligibility in the CEC program.

Applicants to the CEC must have at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada in the last three years but that work can have been either:

That also includes any work experience a foreign national may have gained by working in Canada while under a temporary resident visa with authorization to work. But it has to be paid work.