TORONTO – The government of Canada has announced a dedicated round of invitations to be sent to health workers as the country needs more workers from this sector.
Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, announced the dedicated round of invitations to be sent to health workers, including doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists and optometrists.
In a press release, the government stated that the first round for category-based selection will open on Wednesday and will invite 500 health workers to apply. A second round, inviting 1,500 workers to apply, will take place on July 5.
The authorities have confirmed that alongside general invitation rounds, these category-based selection rounds will continue throughout the year, and more details will continue to be announced in the coming weeks.
‘A dedicated round of invitations for health workers is in addition to existing immigration initiatives to fill labour gaps in the health sector,’ stated the press release.
The health field is one of several key sectors of Canada’s labour force that is facing unprecedented shortages. To help respond to this challenge, Sean Fraser last month announced new changes to Canada’s flagship economic immigration program, Express Entry. Now the Government of Canada can issue invitations to apply for permanent residency in Canada to candidates from particular fields or with specific skills, training or language ability.
The government of Canada is now focusing specific sectors in the country facing labor gap and medical sciences is one of them. In April, reforms were introduced to Express Entry to facilitate the issuance of permanent resident visas for physicians providing publicly funded medical services in the country.
Moreover, in December, the government announced that $90 million will be invested in projects to help remove barriers barring qualified and skilled newcomers from gaining work experience in their own profession or field of study. Canada is actively trying to retain and recruit health workers to address the health workforce crisis.
“In no sector is the labour shortage more prominent than in the health care sector. Today’s announcement will facilitate, fast track and streamline permanent residency applications and help improve health workforce recruitment efforts by bringing more qualified health professionals into Canada. In return, it will help patients get the timely quality care they need and deserve. We will also continue working with provinces, territories and stakeholders to address the health workers crisis by improving workforce planning, retention, and the streamlining of foreign credential recognition so that new health professionals arriving in Canada can apply their skills and expertise faster,” Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship said on the ocassion.
Express Entry
Express Entry is Canada’s flagship application management system for those seeking to immigrate permanently through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program.
In June 2022, the Government of Canada made changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to allow for the selection of immigrants based on key attributes that support economic priorities, such as specific work experience or knowledge of French.
