Healthcare professionals are in high demand across Canadian communities. The health sector in Canada is currently experiencing an unmatched shortage, alongside other vital industries in the country’s workforce. Minister Fraser recently unveiled new modifications to Canada’s primary economic immigration initiative to tackle this predicament better. The Canadian government can send invitations for permanent residency applications to individuals with expertise in specific fields.
Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, revealed their plan. They will utilize innovative tools for a specialized invitation round. These are aimed at healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, dentists, physiotherapists, and optometrists. The initial phase of category-based selection will commence today, targeting 500 healthcare professionals for application. On July 5, a second phase will be conducted, where 1,500 workers will be invited to submit their applications. This systematic approach will guarantee a seamless program launch.
By prioritizing candidates with knowledge and skills in the healthcare field, this initiative aims to enhance the availability of healthcare services for Canadians. All things considered, it will also help their loved ones by attracting and recruiting the appropriate talent. Moreover, introducing category-based selection rounds aligns with Canada’s pledge to invite sought-after professionals and skilled workers into various communities nationwide. In addition to the overall invitation rounds, there will be ongoing selection rounds based on specific categories throughout the year. Further information regarding these rounds will be revealed in the following weeks.
To address labor shortages in the healthcare industry, there is an exclusive invitation round targeting health workers, complementing the current immigration efforts.
Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot
They recently added two new programs, offering skilled refugees and displaced individuals the chance to apply their education, training, and expertise to pursue their careers in Canada. As a result, the healthcare industry has experienced the highest adoption of this pilot program. More than half of the applications received are from individuals currently employed as nursing assistants, orderlies, and patient service associates.
In April, modifications were implemented to the Express Entry program to simplify the process of granting permanent resident visas to doctors who offer medical services funded by the government in Canada.
In December, Canada’s government revealed its plan to allocate $90 million towards initiatives to eliminate obstacles that hinder qualified and skilled immigrants from obtaining valuable work experience in their respective professions or fields of study.
From 2017 to 2022, Canada welcomed 21,656 skilled individuals in the healthcare sector as newcomers.
Canada’s announcement is a strategic move to enhance its ability to retain and attract healthcare professionals to tackle the ongoing health workforce crisis. The Government of Canada and provinces and territories have collectively identified the importance of promoting a sustainable healthcare workforce. Further, this proposal receives backing through a Budget 2023 pledge of nearly $200 billion over a decade. This includes $46. 2 billion in fresh funding to enhance healthcare services for the people of Canada. As a result of these agreements, provinces and territories are requested to simplify recognizing foreign credentials for internationally-trained healthcare professionals. As has been noted, it promotes ease of job mobility, beginning with the mutual recognition of credentials across multiple regions for essential healthcare professionals.
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