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Looking to Study and Immigrate to Canada? In-Demand Skills May Be Your Best Route


Legal Aid

Canada's recent plans for a more robust immigration system have revealed key details about Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada's (IRCC) strategy for prioritizing immigration going forward. One of the main focuses is aligning immigration with essential skills to fill labor shortages and further Canada's economic, social, and cultural goals.


Discover Your Options to Study in Canada

To better achieve these goals, IRCC’s newest immigration strategy outlines how international students in the future may be prioritized when applying for Canadian permanent residence (PR) based on how their skills match labor market demand. Specifically, IRCC’s new plan references "enhancing connections between students, post-secondary institutions, and employers" to better position international students with in-demand skills to participate in the workforce and attain PR.


To accomplish this, IRCC is exploring several measures, including work-integrated learning opportunities within the International Student Program and updating the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) to support critical sectors in Canada. Additionally, the department will look to market high-demand skills and sectors to prospective international students—a future announcement which may carry significant weight for international students hoping to transition to workers, and finally, PR status in Canada.


What Will These High-Demand Skills Be?

It is currently too early to say with certainty what key skills and sectors IRCC will target for economic immigration in the future. However, recent developments in Canada’s Express Entry system may provide some indication of what skills IRCC might target.

Express Entry is one of Canada’s biggest immigration pathways for economic immigrants; it is a system of application management for three immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).


In 2023, the system saw major changes with the introduction of category-based selections for PR. Under these changes, IRCC is now able to invite immigration candidates to apply for PR based on their professional skills and language proficiency. These changes align with IRCC’s objective of better matching the skills of potential immigrants to domestic labor market and demographic needs, addressing persistent job vacancies in key sectors. The current created categories are:

  • Professional experience in Healthcare-related professions

  • Professional experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professions

  • Professional experience in Trades, such as carpenters, plumbers, and contractors, and other associated professions

  • Professional experience in Transport-related professions

  • Professional experience in Agriculture and Agri-food professions

  • Proficiency in French


Given that the category-based selection measure seeks to align immigration with labor market needs, we can extrapolate that many in-demand skills will be related to, or specifically in, professions targeted by the new Express Entry category-based selections. Importantly, in-demand professions are also a key part of Canada's Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)—soon to be Canada's main pathway for economic immigrants and the main vehicle for IRCC to spread the benefits of immigration throughout the country.


Does This Just Apply to Students?

While international students represent a key talent pool for Canada in the future, the move to target more in-demand skills is not exclusive to students but to all those who can potentially contribute to the Canadian labor market in key areas.


For one, category-based selections for Express Entry are expected to continue into the foreseeable future, specifically targeting workers with skills in critical sectors like healthcare and housing, both of which have been afflicted by continued job vacancies.


Additionally, the federal government will look to increase awareness of supports for newcomers pursuing credential recognition, ensuring they are best equipped to receive the necessary credentials to implement their in-demand skills in the Canadian labor market.

Lastly, a significant indication of the importance Canadian immigration will place on in-demand skills is the forthcoming hiring of a Chief International Talent Officer (CITO).

The CITO is a new role that will oversee Canadian immigration to ensure that the annual flow of newcomers aligns with Canada’s labor market needs and sectoral strategies. The individual who eventually takes this role may have significant influence on what skills and sectors will be targeted for future immigration.


In conclusion, Canada's evolving immigration strategy presents a promising opportunity for prospective immigrants with in-demand skills. Whether you're a student planning to study in Canada or a skilled worker seeking new opportunities, aligning your skills with Canada's labor market needs could be your best route to successful immigration and a thriving career in Canada.



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