Canada ramps up search for skilled immigrants in specific trades

Canada’s state and national governments are ramping up their search for skilled workers, targeting the USA as well as the UK, continental Europe and other world nations.

The Canadian immigration office now considers itself part of a global competition to gain the most skilled tradespeople and entrepreneurs, a contest it’s determined to win for the benefit of the country. The new ‘specific trades’ category, which includes plumbers, electricians, pipefitters and other skilled construction workers, is expected to attract 3,000 migrants during its first year.

Vancouver-based Richard Kurland, a policy analyst and immigration lawyer for the country’s mega-companies, praised the fast-track visa service now available for migrants with much-needed trades. Last year, over 38,000 previous immigrants gained permanent residency under already existent programmes.

The push to build a flexible, fast immigration system in response to Canada’s present-day economic needs is a response to the geographic imbalance of the country’s labour force. Internal migration from the western provinces to the far north and west has been tried and failed, with few Canadians willing to exchange cosmopolitan comfort for the long, dark northerly winters.

Process times for applications under the new programme should be around 12 months, with basic English or French proficiency a condition of entry. Construction workers, farm supervisors, crane operators and managers, workers in oil and mining, heavy vehicle mechanics and operators for waste treatment plants are needed, and salaries more than compensate for the hassles of emigrating.