Temporary foreign workers in Canada are increasingly turning to economic immigration programs, particularly the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), to gain permanent resident status. A recent Statistical study highlights this growing trend.
According to the report, the CEC and PNP have become the primary pathways for temporary foreign workers to transition to permanent residency. The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) and other economic programs, such as the Caregiver programs and Quebec selection, have seen a decline in their significance.
Significant Numbers of Transitions
The study by Yuqian Lu and Feng Hou (2022) on “Foreign Workers In Canada: Differences In The Transition To Permanent Residency Across Work Permit Programs” reveals important findings. By the end of 2022, over 955,000 temporary foreign workers who obtained their first work permits between 2006 and 2020 had transitioned to permanent residency.
This significant number highlights the increasing success of temporary workers in obtaining permanent resident status.. Among those who got their first work permit from 2006 to 2010, 86 percent of them achieved permanent residency through economic immigration programs. This percentage increased to 93 percent for those who received their first work permit between 2016 and 2020.
Impact of COVID-19 on Immigration Pathways
The analysts cautioned that some of the recent trends might be influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Special measures during the pandemic emphasized processing economic immigration primarily through the CEC, which may have affected the pathways for those arriving between 2016 and 2020.
Growth of the Post-Graduate Work Program
One significant factor contributing to the rise in economic immigration is the growth of the Post-Graduate Work Program (PGWP). Additionally, there has been an increase in the number of spouses and common-law partners of skilled workers and international students transitioning to permanent residency. Their share among work permit holders transitioning to permanent residency grew from 29 percent in the 2006-to-2010 cohort to 73 percent in the 2016-to-2020 cohort.
Immigrants Filling More Entry-Level and Professional Jobs
The study by Garnett Picot and Feng Hou (2021) on “Immigration and the Shifting Occupational Distribution in Canada”, also revealed that Canadians are less willing to fill these lower-level jobs. Over the past two decades, immigrant workers have occupied a significant number of these lower-skilled positions.
Shifts in Occupational Distribution
Between 2001 and 2021, employment in lower-skilled occupations in Canada decreased by 500,000 positions. During this period, Canadian-born workers reduced their participation in these jobs by 860,000, creating a significant gap in the labor market. Immigrant and temporary foreign workers stepped in to fill this gap, increasing their employment in lower-skilled roles by 360,000, demonstrating their crucial role in sustaining these essential sectors.
Growth in Professional Occupations
While immigrants have been filling entry-level jobs, they are also increasingly moving into professional positions. The study reports that professional occupations showed the fastest employment growth in Canada between 2001 and 2021, with managerial and technical skill levels following closely. Immigrants were more likely than Canadian-born workers to move into professional jobs.
Conclusion
The shift towards economic immigration programs like the CEC and PNP reflects the changing landscape of Canada’s immigration policies. Temporary foreign workers are increasingly finding pathways to permanent residency through these programs, driven by the growth of initiatives like the PGWP and the evolving job market. As Canada continues to attract skilled workers, understanding these trends is crucial for shaping future immigration policies.
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