Canada’s economy continues to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new Statistics Canada report.

A total of 91,100 people were added to payrolls across Canada in September, representing the fourth straight monthly increase.

Payroll employment increased in eight provinces. Ontario led the way with over 43,000 new employees added to payrolls. British Columbia (BC) was second, followed by Quebec.

Nationally, job gains were driven by the services-producing sector, namely accommodation and food services, public administration, and finance and insurance.

Statistics Canada notes that the re-opening of the Canada-U.S. border in August and easing of travel restrictions for tourists in September may have contributed to job growth in tourism and related sectors.

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Job shortages continue to be an issue. There were over 1 million job vacancies at the beginning of September. There were nearly 200,000 vacancies in the accommodation and food sector and the job vacancy rate was 14.4 per cent. The job vacancy rate measures all vacant positions as a percentage share of all vacant and occupied positions.

Over half of businesses in accommodation and food services report they expect to face obstacles in recruiting the right candidates. Just 30 per cent of all other businesses report similar concerns.

Health care and social assistance had over 130,000 vacancies in September, nearly double the total of vacancies in the third quarter of 2019.

Retail trade had nearly 122,000 vacancies in September.

Meanwhile, both the construction and manufacturing sectors had over 80,000 vacant positions each.

Statistics Canada explains that an increase in job vacancies may signal an increase in economic activity and hiring as employers create new roles. It may also signal worsening structural labour market imbalances, such as skills shortages and geographic mismatches between vacancies and workers capable of filling them. It also potentially signals a change in the willingness of workers to accept wages, hours, and other factors associated with job vacancies.

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Even without a job offer, you may be eligible for two immigration pathways if you wish to live and work in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) is among a number of Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) that offer immigration options for international applicants without a job offer.

While the most popular immigration route in Canada is known as the Express Entry system, there is an equally promising route called the PNP.

Express Entry is based on a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) in which points are accumulated based on human capital factors. While in most cases Express Entry candidates do not require a job offer, having one will result in a much higher number of points, and therefore a better chance of being invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

Canada’s PNP, on the other hand, was introduced to ensure a more balanced distribution of the benefits of immigration throughout the country. The program gives participating provinces and territories the opportunity to nominate a set number of economic immigrants for permanent residence each year. PNPs are quite different from one province to another, with each province determining its own set of nomination requirements.

In order to immigrate to Canada through a PNP, you must first be nominated by the province or territory.

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How can I immigrate through the SINP without a job offer?

Nine Canadian provinces and two territories participate in the PNP, Saskatchewan is one of them.

Saskatchewan is a prairie province located in Western Canada. The province’s economy is based primarily on agriculture and natural resource industries such as forestry and fishing. It also plays a major role in the production and supply of agricultural products needed by the fastest-growing economies in the world.

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) provides pathways for immigration to Canada. Through the SINP, Saskatchewan nominates non-Canadians who wish to settle in the province and gives successful candidates the opportunity to become permanent residents of Canada.

Among the various streams that are operated under the SINP, there are two very active provincial nomination streams that do not require job offers. The first is the Saskatchewan Express Entry-linked stream, which does, however, require one to have an active profile in the federal Express Entry system in order to apply.

The Express Entry sub-category is an enhanced PNP, which means it is linked to the federal Express Entry system. Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination from the province of Saskatchewan are awarded an additional 600 points toward their CRS score. This award effectively guarantees them a chance to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

In order to be considered for an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination under this stream, candidates must create an Express Entry profile and express their interest in settling in Saskatchewan.

The second is the Saskatchewan Occupation In-Demand stream, which does not require one to have an Express Entry profile. The stream is designed to bring skilled workers to fill labour market needs. To be eligible, an applicant must have at least one year of work experience in one of the positions included on Saskatchewan’s Occupations In-Demand list.

Saskatchewan regularly issues invitations through these two streams. So far this year, 2,733 Saskatchewan Express Entry and 3,433 Occupations In-Demand candidates have been invited. In all, 6,166 invitations have so far been issued through these two streams in 2021.  This is close to the number of invitations issued by Ontario through its Human Capital Priorities Stream, another PNP stream that does not require a job offer and is considered as one of the most active in the country.

International Skilled Worker: Express Entry Requirements

This sub-category is for candidates who do not have a job offer in Saskatchewan but have experience in an in-demand occupation.  More specifically candidates must meet these requirements:

• score a minimum of 60 points out of 110 on the SINP point assessment grid;
• have an Express Entry Profile Number and Job Seeker Validation Code;
• meet Express Entry language requirements and can provide test results;
• have a minimum level of work experience related to their field of education or training in a skilled occupation (NOC 0, A, or B) that is considered to be in-demand in Saskatchewan;
• have post-secondary school or training that is equivalent to at least one year of Canadian education;
• have sufficient funds to cover settlement costs in Saskatchewan.

International Skilled Worker: Occupation In-Demand Requirements

This sub-category is for applicants who do not have a job offer in Saskatchewan but are highly qualified in an occupation in demand. More specifically candidates must meet these requirements:

• score a minimum of 60 points out of 110 on the SINP point assessment grid;
• live outside of Canada or have proof of legal status in Canada;
• not be a refugee claimant;
• have a language score of at least 4 according to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB);
• completed post-secondary education, training, or apprenticeship and have an equivalent foreign education credential;
• have work experience that is related to occupation and education;
• must have a minimum level of work experience related to their field of education or training in a skilled occupation (NOC 0, A, or B) that is in-demand in Saskatchewan at the time of application;
• have sufficient funds to cover settlement costs in Saskatchewan.

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Canada has a proud and rich tradition of welcoming immigrants from Lebanon.

Lebanese immigration to Canada began in 1882 and today there are up to 400,000 people of Lebanese origin estimated to live in Canada. Lebanese-Canadians have gone on to hold prominent roles in many jobs, such as politicians, business people, athletes, academics, and actors.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Canada was welcoming an average of 1,800 new immigrants from Lebanon each year. Canada is now looking to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants per year, mainly as skilled workers. The following is an overview of the main ways you can pursue immigration to Canada as a Lebanese skilled worker.

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Immigration to Canada from Lebanon Through Express Entry

Express Entry is your main option if you are looking to immigrate from Lebanon to Canada as a skilled worker. Under its Immigration Levels Plan, Canada is looking to welcome around 110,000 new immigrants annually through Express Entry.

There are two steps to Express Entry.

The first step entails confirming you meet the eligibility criteria of one of these programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)
• Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
• Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)

The FSWP tends to be the most viable option for those who have not lived in Canada before.

If you confirm your eligibility for Express Entry, you can proceed to step two.

Step two entails uploading your profile onto the website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). IRCC will evaluate your human capital characteristics. This includes evaluating your age, language skills, work experience, and education. IRCC also evaluates other factors such as your Canadian experience, if you have a Canadian job offer, and whether a Canadian province or territory has invited you to immigrate to their jurisdiction.

After considering all these factors, IRCC issues a score to you through the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Your CRS score will determine the competitiveness of your application.

Every two weeks or so, IRCC holds Express Entry draws. Generally speaking, IRCC invites candidates with the highest CRS scores to apply for permanent residence. Those that get an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence have 60 days to submit their application to IRCC. You can move to Canada once IRCC approves your permanent residence application.

It is beneficial to enter the Express Entry pool shortly after confirming you are eligible. Being in the Express Entry pool gives you a chance of getting an ITA. Express Entry is designed to be unpredictable since IRCC adjusts draws based on Canada’s various policy goals. You never know when you might get an ITA so it is better to be in the pool to have at least some chance, rather than zero chance by excluding yourself from entering the pool. Second, being in the pool gives you a chance to get a job offer. A valid job offer can lead to an additional 50 or 200 CRS points. Third, you can gain 600 extra CRS points if you receive a provincial nomination while you are in the pool. Getting these 600 points almost guarantees you will receive an ITA for permanent residence.

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Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is the second main way Lebanese nationals can pursue immigration to Canada as skilled workers.

The PNP allows Canada’s provinces and territories to recruit skilled workers that meet their jurisdiction’s labour market needs. If you meet a PNP’s selection criteria and your application is approved, the province or territory will provide you with a provincial nomination certificate. The provincial nomination certificate will support your permanent residence application to IRCC.

The largest PNP streams are operated by Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. The provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba also have large PNP streams. If you want to immigrate to Canada through the PNP, the best way is by conducting research on the various streams and then applying directly to the jurisdiction of your choice. You can also earn consideration for the PNP simply by entering IRCC’s Express Entry pool. Provinces regularly invite Express Entry candidates to apply directly to their PNP. If you accept this invitation, as noted above, you will get 600 extra CRS points and become much closer to immigrating to Canada.

Learn About your PNP Options

Immigrate to Quebec as a Skilled Worker

Many Lebanese nationals that speak French choose to immigrate to Canada’s only Francophone province, Quebec.

Quebec operates its own immigration system and has Canada’s third largest immigration pathway for skilled workers. Applicants to Quebec need to demonstrate they have French-language skills.

The Quebec Regular Skilled Worker Program (QSWP) is probably your best option if you have not lived in Quebec before. It operates like Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). Once you confirm your eligibility for the QSWP, you receive points based on your profile, and then Quebec invites the highest-scoring candidates to proceed with the immigration process. Once approved by Quebec, you can go ahead and submit your permanent residence application to IRCC.

Also keep in mind that beyond Express Entry, the PNP, and Quebec’s streams, there are other Canadian immigration options available to skilled workers. These are more targeted in nature, such as if you want to move to Canada’s Atlantic provinces, or if you want to work in a particular sector, such as the agri-food sector.

Overall, Canada operates over 100 different economic class immigration pathways.

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Canada’s economy gained 157,000 jobs last month, bringing the employment rate to within a percentage point of pre-pandemic levels.

Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey captured the Canadian labour market for the week of September 12 to 18. That week, several provinces had introduced proof-of-vaccination requirements to enter certain non-essential venues like gyms and restaurants.

The employment rate is the number of employed people as a percentage of the population age 15 and over. In September, Canada’s employment rate was 60.9 per cent, still 0.9 per cent under the February 2020 rate as a result of population growth.

The unemployment rate declined for the fourth consecutive month in September, falling to 6.9 per cent, the lowest rate since the onset of the pandemic.

Employment continues to increase for very recent immigrants

The employment rate among very recent immigrants continued on an upward trend, reaching 71 per cent last month.

Although the overall population of newcomers has not grown over the course of the pandemic, the number of very recent immigrants working in some industries has grown. Namely, in professional, scientific, and technical services, as well as finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing. These two industries have had sustained employment growth throughout the pandemic.

Immigrants who have been in Canada for more than five years saw an employment rate of nearly 59 per cent, which is down about one percentage point from September 2019. People born in Canada had an employment rate of about 61 per cent, down two percentage points in the same time frame.

White collar sectors ahead while blue collar lags behind

The services-producing sector surpassed its pre-COVID employment level for the first time. The increases were led by public administration, information, culture and recreation, and professional, scientific and technical services.

By contrast, some industries such as accommodation and food services has yet to return to the employment levels seen in February 2020. This is partially due to the industry being heavily affected by public health measures. This September employment in food services fell for the first time in five months. Employment in retail also declined.

The goods-producing sector saw little change overall, which has been the case since it lost 94,000 jobs between April and June. Manufacturing and natural resources were the exceptions, both industries saw some employment growth in September.

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Work experience only counts for Express Entry if it is considered “skilled” according to Canada’s occupation classification system.

When Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) assesses your work experience, it looks at how much education is required of to do your job. Generally speaking, the more education and experience it takes to work in your position, the higher your occupational skill level will be. Canada currently analyzes a job’s skill level using the 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC).

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For economic-class immigration, IRCC generally uses the NOC to evaluate how the work experience of a given immigration candidate will support the mandate of the immigration program they are applying for. Economic-class immigration programs are specifically designed to fill job vacancies with foreign talent to support Canada’s labour market, and long-term prosperity.

When it comes to Express Entry, the specific occupation does not matter as much as the skill level. When assessing your application, IRCC will match your job duties with the NOC description to determine your occupation and whether or not it is skilled. There are five NOC skill levels described on the Canadian government website:

• Skill Type 0 (zero): management jobs, such as: restaurant managers, mine managers, and shore captains (fishing).
• Skill Level A: professional jobs that usually call for a degree from a university, such as: doctors, dentists, and architects.
• Skill Level B: technical jobs and skilled trades that usually call for a college diploma or training as an apprentice, such as: chefs, plumbers, and electricians.
• Skill Level C: intermediate jobs that usually call for high school and/or job-specific training, such as: industrial butchers, long-haul truck drivers, food and beverage servers.
• Skill Level D: labour jobs that usually give on-the-job training, such as: fruit pickers, cleaning staff, and oil field workers.

For the purposes of Express Entry, only jobs that fall under skill types 0, A, and B are considered “skilled.” You need skilled work experience to be eligible for one of the three Express Entry-managed immigration programs. How much work experience you need depends on which program you are applying for.

IRCC considers “full-time” to be equal to 30 hours per week. Over one year, this adds up to be 1,560 hours. You can meet this in a few different ways, by working full-time for a year or part-time. For part-time work, you can work more or less than 15 hours per week as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours. IRCC does not count any hours you worked above 30 hours per week. So, you cannot become eligible faster for working more hours.

Also, all work experience for the purposes of an Express Entry-managed program must be paid. Volunteer work, and unpaid internships do not count.

Work experience requirements for Federal Skilled Worker Program

To meet the basic eligibility criteria for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) you need to meet work experience, language proficiency, and education requirements.

At minimum, you need at least one year of skilled work experience within the past 10 years. The work experience you use to qualify you for the program, your previous work experience has to match your primary occupation in your immigration application.

Once you have met the minimum eligibility requirements, IRCC assesses your application on a points system that is specific to the program. You need to score at least 67 out of 100 in order to pass. At least 15 of these points come from work experience.

To get points for your work experience, you need to have held a full-time job in a skilled occupation for at least one year. Again, it has to add up to 1,560 hours total. Part-time work counts as long as it adds up to the minimum number of hours within the 10 years before you apply.

Your work experience will count if it was in Canada or abroad, completed while you were studying or while being self-employed outside of Canada. Self-employment in Canada does not count.

To get the full 15 points, you need at least six years of eligible work experience. Having only one year of work experience will get you nine points. Two to three years is enough for 11 points, and four to five years equates to 13 points.

You can also get an additional 10 points for “adaptability” if you have at least one year of full-time, skilled work experience in Canada.

Work experience requirements for Canadian Experience Class

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is for people who have work experience in Canada.

In order to meet the work experience requirement, you need to have worked full time for at least one year in Canada in a skilled occupation. This work experience may have been completed anytime within the three years before you apply for permanent residency through the CEC. Self-employed work and work that you did while studying in Canada does not count.

For the CEC, you also have to demonstrate a minimum language proficiency, among other eligibility criteria.

Work experience for Federal Skilled Trades Program

The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) is for skilled trades workers.

To fulfill the work experience requirement, you need at least two years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade within the five years before you apply. The equal amount of part-time work experience is also eligible, as long as it is paid.

You also need to meet the job requirements for the skilled trade on your application as set out in the NOC, except for needing a certificate of qualification. Plus, you need a valid job offer of full-time employment for at least one year, or a certificate of qualification in your skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial, territorial, or federal authority.

Beyond the work experience, FSTP candidates also have to meet a minimum language proficiency, among other requirements.

NOC to become TEER next year

About every 10 years Canada’s occupation classification system gets an overhaul. The next big change is expected to take effect in late 2022 when the NOC will be replaced by the Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) categories. The Canadian government website offers a list of the new NOC codes coming into effect next year.

In the new system, there will be six skill levels instead of five, and instead of being alphabetical, they will be numerical. So instead of skill levels 0, A, B, C, and D, there will be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Also, each occupation code will have five digits instead of four, but the majority will only change by name and not description. There will be 516 occupations in the new classification system, up from 500 in the current edition. New occupations were created to reflect emerging fields in data science, cyber security and others.

The NOC is overseen by Employment and Social Development Canada and Statistics Canada. The new system will be the most extensive revision to the NOC since 2011.

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In 1967, Canada became the first country in the world to introduce an objective points system to welcome skilled immigrants.

This was done through the launch of the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). For much of Canada’s history, immigrants were selected based on subjective factors such as their country of origin. Canada moved away from this approach in the 1960s, by instead focusing on objective factors such as age, education, language skills, and work experience when determining whether an immigrant was well-placed to succeed in the country’s labour market.

The FSWP continues to be a huge success for many immigrants and Canada itself. Its success is also proven by the fact it has since been adopted by countries around the world such as Australia and New Zealand.

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Since 2015, Canada has managed the FSWP through its Express Entry application management system (Express Entry also manages three other skilled worker programs). Under its 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada aims to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants per year. Around 110,000 of these immigrants will arrive through Express Entry each year. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, about half of those who immigrated to Canada under Express Entry did so through the FSWP. This is guided by Canadian government research that shows FSWP immigrants tend to have highly successful careers in Canada.

The process of immigrating to Canada through the FSWP is broken down below.

Step-by-step guide on how to immigrate to Canada through the FSWP

Step 1: The first step is to ensure you meet the FSWP’s eligibility criteria (see below to learn more). You can also use CanadaVisa’s free eligibility tool.

Step 2: Complete your Express Entry profile on IRCC’s website. Once you complete your profile, you will receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. The CRS grades each Express Entry candidate based on factors such as their age, education, language skills, work experience, Canadian work and study experience, whether they have pre-arranged employment in Canada, and whether they have been nominated by a Canadian province.

Step 3: Monitor Express Entry draws to see if you get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. IRCC tends to hold draws every two weeks and usually issues ITAs to candidates with the highest CRS scores (although this policy has been interrupted during the coronavirus pandemic).

Step 4: Submit your permanent residence application to IRCC if you get an ITA. You can move to Canada once IRCC finalizes your application.

FSWP eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the FSWP, you need to meet the minimum criteria for work experience, language ability, education, and get at least 67 out of 100 points:

You will need at least one year of continuous full-time, paid work experience (or part-time equivalent hours) within the past 10 years. The work experience must be skilled and fall under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A or B. NOC 0 jobs are managerial, NOC A typically require university education, and NOC B jobs are in the skilled trades.

You will need to complete an English and/or French language test that is designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The purpose of the testing is to assess your language skills objectively.

In addition, you need to obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). The purpose of the ECA is to ensure that your foreign education is equivalent to Canadian standards.

Finally, you need to get at least 67 out of 100 points on the FSWP grid. The grid is broken down as follows:

• Education (Up to 25 points)
• Language Skills (Up to 28 points)
• Work Experience (Up to 15 points)
• Age (Up to 12 points)
• Arranged Employment (Up to 10 points)
• Adaptability (Up to 10 points)

Benefits of applying for immigration now

You may wish to consider going ahead with the immigration process once you confirm you are eligible for FSWP or another skilled worker program. In the case of the FSWP, there are several benefits to starting the process sooner rather than later.

First, you give yourself a chance to receive an ITA by being in the Express Entry pool. Put another way, your chance of getting an ITA when you are not in the pool is zero.

Second, being in the pool gives you a chance to receive a provincial nomination which will give you 600 extra CRS points and will effectively guarantee you will receive an invitation for permanent residence.

Third, being in the pool gives you added benefits in the Canadian government’s Job Bank portal. These benefits can help you obtain pre-arranged employment, potentially resulting in up to 200 more CRS points, and an increased shot of landing a permanent residence invitation.

A final consideration is your age. Depending on your age, it might be better to enter the pool without delay. You get maximum CRS points for age between the ages of 20-29. You start to see your points potential for age decline from 30 and onward.

The FSWP has helped many immigrants fulfil their Canadian immigration dreams since 1967. You too can be among the many who immigrate to Canada via the FSWP in the years to come.

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As of August 31, 2021, temporary foreign workers who reside in Quebec and have been selected by Quebec as skilled workers, are eligible, under certain conditions, to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP).

Holders of a BOWP are able to work for any employer of their choice while they wait for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to process their permanent residence application.

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To be eligible for the Bridging Open Work Permit, temporary foreign workers must have:

• submitted to IRCC a Quebec skilled worker application for permanent residence as the principal applicant
• received an acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) from IRCC that confirms the permanent residence application has been received by IRCC and passes the completeness check

Among its features, a completeness check entails an IRCC officer ensuring that the applicant has submitted all necessary forms, information, evidence, signatures, and fees that are required under a given program.

The principal applicant’s spouse or common law partner is also eligible to obtain an open work permit if they are included on the permanent residence application.

The purpose of the policy is to give skilled workers selected by Quebec the support they need to remain employed in the province while they await permanent residence.

IRCC notes on its website that it can take 24 months or more for it to process Quebec skilled worker applications. As such, the initial duration of approved BOWP applications will be 24 months or the length of the applicant’s passport validity. This is to minimize the need for applicants to submit multiple BOWP applications while waiting for IRCC to finalize their permanent residence. IRCC also says any needed BOWP extensions will be for 12 months, however IRCC’s officers have discretion to adjust the length of BOWP extensions based on how long it is taking the department on average to process permanent residence applications.

Getting a BOWP serves multiple benefits. It enables permanent residence applicants to remain in Canada, contribute to the labour market, pay taxes, and to integrate economically and socially. It is also beneficial for Canadian and provincial governments such as Quebec since applicants can contribute to the economy as opposed to remaining in the country as visitors or leaving Canada altogether during the permanent residence application process.

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Canada announced that it is extending until February 28, 2022, a coronavirus-related measure allowing visitors to obtain work permits.

Since August 24, 2020, temporary residents who are in Canada with valid visitor status have been able to apply for an employer-specific work permit from within Canada.

This is a temporary regulatory change as normally foreign workers who are in Canada on a visitor’s visa cannot change status without leaving the country.

When it was introduced, the meausure was intended to help employers who were having difficulty finding workers and to allow visitors facing visa status challenges due to the pandemic to enter the labor market. With limited air travel worldwide, some visitors were unable to leave the country, and some foreign workers had to change their status to “visitor” because their work permits had expired and they could not apply for new ones due to lack of employment.

Initially, the policy allowed all visitors who arrived in Canada before August 24 and were still in Canada with valid temporary resident status to apply for a work permit. Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has since expanded the eligibility criteria to include all visitors, regardless of when they arrived in Canada.

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To be eligible for an employer-specific work permit, those with visitor status must:

• be in Canada with valid temporary resident status as a visitor, which includes maintained status, at the time of they submit the work permit application;
• have submitted an employer-specific work permit application;
• remain in Canada with a valid status;
• submit the application no later than February 28, 2022.

The policy also allows foreign nationals who meet the above criteria and who have held a valid Canadian work permit in the previous 12 months to apply for interim work authorization for their new employer while their application is pending. In order to apply for interim work authorization, applicants must:

• have valid temporary status  when they submit their application and remain in Canada with status;
• intend to work for their employer and in the occupation specified on their work permit application;
• complete an IRCC Web form.

This extension will benefit visitors who have been able to come to Canada despite travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus. Since August, travel restrictions have begun to ease, with the border reopening to U.S. citizens and, as of September 7, 2021, to all fully vaccinated international travelers.

While Canada is in a better position than many countries, it continues to face significant economic and social impacts from the pandemic. As a result, the country is redoubling its efforts to strengthen its workforce by enabling people already in the country as well as new immigrants to help drive economic recovery and strengthen the Canadian labour market.

According to the latest labour market figures, there were a total of 815,800 job openings in June — the highest rate of job openings since Statistics Canada began collecting data in October 2020. In the coming months, the labour shortage could continue to worsen, according to a recent RBC report.

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This past June, there was a spike in job openings in accommodation and food services in Canada.

As restaurants started reopening in June, there were 129,100 vacant positions in accommodation and food services jobs, according to Statistics Canada’s job vacancy report. There were more openings in this sector than even health care and social assistance, which had the highest number of vacancies the month before. Canada’s retail trade sector came in third place.

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Job vacancies in food services drove up the number of vacant positions in Canada. There were a total of 815,800 job openings in June, a 22 per cent increase from May. The majority of these openings were in service sectors.

June also had the highest job vacancy rate since Statistics Canada started collecting data in October 2020. There is a difference between the job vacancy rate and the number of job vacancies. The vacancy rate is the proportion of vacant positions compared to the number of all positions in a sector. In June, Canada’s overall vacancy rate reached 5 per cent.

Accommodation and food services also had the highest job vacancy rate of all sectors at more than 12 per cent. Employers were actively recruiting to fill vacant positions as restaurants began opening up outdoor dining starting in late May.

Among the provinces, B.C. and Quebec had the highest job vacancy rates. Manitoba and Nova Scotia had the lowest job vacancy rates.

Labour shortages expected to intensify

A recent RBC report suggests that labour shortages will continue to increase in the coming months.

In 2020, workers held off retiring and switching jobs due to dissatisfaction amid the period of overwhelming economic uncertainty. These workers may now start quitting their jobs, which would drive up the number of vacant positions.

Also, many workers in service sectors that were affected by the pandemic may have left their positions due to extended shut downs.

Economist Carrie Freestone, who authored the report, says a high job-vacancy rate can drag economic growth. Businesses may be forced to operate at reduced capacity. Employees are now in a stronger bargaining position to negotiate higher wages and better benefits. Also, the tight labour market may put upward pressure on wages, leading to higher consumer prices.

Provinces with the highest job vacancy levels may face challenges hiring for lower-paid positions. Although wages in accommodation and food services were up in June, average wages remained 57 per cent below other service-sector jobs. This may explain the increase in food services vacancies, and may continue to affect the sector if workers have left permanently.

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Saskatchewan held a new round of invitations on September 8.

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) invited 528 candidates to apply for one of two immigration programs. Of those invited, 316 may be eligible for the SINP’s Express Entry subcategory, and 212 through the Occupations In-Demand sub-category.

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The lowest-scoring candidate from each sub-category had 66 points Saskatchewan’s Expression of Interest (EOI) ranking system.

In this draw, there were 16 eligible occupations for each category. The full list of eligible occupations can be found on Saskatchewan’s government website.

Both groups also needed Educational Credential Assessments to demonstrate their foreign education was comparable to the Canadian standard.

About Saskatchewan’s Express Entry sub-category

The Express Entry sub-category is an enhanced Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), meaning it is linked to the federal Express Entry system.

Express Entry manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s main economic-class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class.

Candidates with Express Entry profiles must also create EOI profiles for Saskatchewan in order to be considered for an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination.

Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination from the province of Saskatchewan are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System score. This award effectively guarantees them a chance to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

About the Occupations In-Demand subcategory

The Occupations In-Demand sub-category is a base PNP, meaning it is open to immigration candidates who do not have an Express Entry profile.

This sub-category is for highly skilled workers with experience in an in-demand occupation in Saskatchewan, who do not yet have a job offer in the province.

In order to apply for Canadian immigration through this sub-category, foreign nationals need to create an EOI profile through the SINP’s online application system.

Saskatchewan’s EOI system allows the province to select immigration candidates that have the potential to thrive in the prairie province. Candidates will be assessed on how their work experience, education, language ability, age, and connections to the province demonstrate their ability to settle in Saskatchewan.

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