FAQs on New Temporary or Essential Workers and International Graduates Program | Immigration Canada

Our immigration lawyers know that on April 14, 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it is launching new programs that will allow at least 90,000 eligible international student graduates, temporary workers, and French speakers to apply for permanent residency. According to Immigration Canada, the goal behind these programs is to allow eligible candidates including temporary workers employed in Canadian hospitals and long-term care homes and the other essential workers, as well as international graduates, gain permanent residency in Canada and become established.

When is the launch date of these programs?

May 6, 2021.

Can candidates from outside Canada apply to these programs?

Only eligible applicants who are already in Canada and meet the credentials, language requirements and experience can apply under these programs for permanent residency.

Do you have to have any work experience to qualify for this program as an essential worker?

Yes, to be eligible, workers must have at least 1 year of Canadian work experience in a healthcare profession and essential occupation that are approved and listed by IRCC. This means that the foreign national must have accumulated at least one (1) year of full-time work experience, or the equivalent in part-time experience (1,560 hours), in Canada in the three (3) years preceding the date when the application for permanent residence is received. This program applies to workers in 40 healthcare occupations, as well as 95 other essential jobs.

What are the main requirements for international students?

 Here are the requirements for international students:

• International graduates must have completed an eligible Canadian post-secondary program within the last 4 years and no earlier than January 2017.
• They also must be employed in Canada at the time the application for permanent residence is received with a valid permit or authorization to work and must not be self-employed unless working as a medical doctor in a fee-for-service arrangement with a health authority.
• Also, they must have received a score of at least benchmark 5 in either official language for each of the four language skill areas, as set out in the Canadian Language Benchmarks.

For the complete list of the requirements and further details please click here. 

What are the caps or limits for New Temporary Foreign Workers and International Graduates Programs?

• 20,000 applications for temporary workers in health care;
• 30,000 applications for temporary workers in other selected essential occupations.
• 40,000 applications for international students who graduated from a Canadian educational institution.

These programs will remain open until November 5, 2021, or until they have reached their limit. Up to 90,000 new permanent residents will be admitted under the above noted 3 programs.

 There are 3 additional programs that are created to promote Canada’s official languages and have no intake caps. Eligible bilingual or French-speaking candidates can apply through these programs.

Summary

Candidates for these programs are required:

• to be legally employed in Canada at the time of applying, and
• to meet minimum language requirements under each program; and
• to meet admissibility requirements according to the IRPA Act; and
• must not intend to reside in Quebec.

These programs are newly announced and will be highly competitive. Space is limited so book a consultation now with our experienced immigration lawyers to properly apply for these programs.