Canada is bouncing back from COVID-19, and the unemployment rate is reflecting that. The unemployment rate is currently at 7.1%, the lowest rate since before the pandemic.
So, what does this mean for immigrants in Canada?
For immigrants that have been in Canada for five years or less, the employment rate trended upwards in August 2021, reaching 70.4%. The employment rate is 6.1% higher for new immigrants than it was in August 2019.
For immigrants that have been in Canada for over five years, the employment rate was 58.5% in August 2021. Pre-COVID, the employment rate for mature immigrants was only 1.5% lower. In contrast, the employment rate for Canadian-born residents is 61.4%, but took a 2.2% decrease from its pre-COVID level. This is significant, as the immigrant worker population had a higher initial employment rate and a higher long term employment rate.
Why do immigrants have a higher employment rate and face less risk of their employment rate dropping?
- In general, you need to apply for a work permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or a Canadian visa office before you come to Canada.
- Having a job offer by a Canadian LMIA approved employer significantly increases your chances of immigration. If you are looking to apply to Canadian LMIA approved businesses, click here. Additionally, Immigrate can help put your resume at the top of the list of these employers.
- Most immigrants come to Canada with the hope of gaining permanent residency. The easiest route to gain PR is to apply once you have worked in Canada for over a year.
- There are six main pillars in the eligibility requirements for Permanent residency: work experience, adaptability, arranged employment, age, English proficiency level, and education level.
- Work experience, employment, and education are all tied to ‘employability,’ which is often the easiest route to get into Canada. Canadian employers tend to be loyal to their employees. Turnover is seen as a negative attribute to Canadian employers, so they are likely to keep them on once they hire workers.
- These different categories are rated on a points-based scale.
- Immigrant workers are crucial to Canada’s economy. To learn more about this, check out our other blog, looking into immigrant unemployment rates versus Canadian unemployment rates.
What if I don’t have a job offer from a Canadian employer and still want to come to Canada?
- There are different types of immigration applications and other routes that can help you come to Canada. If you are looking to be a Canadian worker but do not have a job offer, there are immigration programs that do not require job offers.
- These include Provincial Nominee Programs, Federal Skilled Worker programs, Study Permits, and Investor Programs.
The experts at Immigrate can help you identify your best options to ensure you have the best opportunity to come to Canada. We will work with you to identify your goals and give you professional options to choose from. We always represent the best interests of our clients. If you would like an example of the level of expertise and quality of service we provide, read our blog about us working with the government to achieve application approval.