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Category Archives: NSNP

Statistics Canada: CEC and PNP immigrants are better in Canadian job market

According to a study conducted by Statistics Canada & IRCC, CEC  and PNP immigrants are fare better than FSWP and QSWP in the job market as they have an edge due to Canadian work experience and pre-arranged employment from working as temporary foreign workers before obtaining permanent residency in Canada.

Economic immigration consists of numerous programs, including the Federal Skilled Worker program (FSWP), Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). These programs help to select permanent residents based on the candidate’s potential ability to perform in the labour market. These programs are administered differently, have separate processes and selection criteria. During the initial years after immigration CEC and PNP immigrants have higher employment rates and earnings than FSWP immigrants although after five years of immigration PNP immigrants have lower earnings than CEC or FSWP immigrants.

Reason why PNP and CEC candidates fair better in Canadian job market?

The temporary foreign workers get a taste of real life in Canada before committing themselves and their families towards moving to Canada permanently by uprooting their lives in their home countries. This helps them to acclimatize in Canadian culture and perform better than other economic immigrants in the country.

In addition, immigrants with Canadian experience have significant benefits in labour market outcomes over immigrants without Canadian work experience, especially when it comes to high earning positions as many temporary foreign workers were international students in Canada who obtained a Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) and have lived in the country for quite a few years before becoming a permanent resident. During this time, they not only improve their language proficiency but also develop the skills the Canadian employers are looking for.

The benefits of studying in Canada are endless, including obtaining a high-quality education, gaining Canadian work experience as well as having improved outcomes after becoming permanent residents of Canada as opposed to candidates from FSWP or QSWP. This is evident as 93% of immigrants selected from the PNP and 95% of immigrants selected from the CEC found employment in the first full year after becoming Canadian permanent residents, while only 80% for candidates under FSWP were employed for the first full year.

After becoming permanent residents in the first full year CEC immigrants earned 56 per cent more than FSWP candidates and this gap diminished over time as in the fifth year CEC immigrants earned 30% more than FSWP  immigrants. Similarly, PNP immigrants also earned higher than FSWP in the first year while by the fifth year their earnings substantially decreased. This is because PNP immigrants tend to have slow earnings growth as they are more likely to be selected for low-skilled or medium-skilled jobs. Nevertheless, FSWP immigrants easily get integrated into the Canadian labour market as they possess essential traits such as high language proficiency and education levels.

Labour market outcomes of Canadian work experience as opposed to pre-arranged jobs

Pre-arranged employment and work experience are among the valuable assets for new immigrants as both are considered as an essential criterion in Canada’s Express Entry system of economic immigration selection. On one hand, pre-arranged employment reflects the employer’s preference more clearly than Canadian work experience. On the other hand, Canadian work experience can better capture the recognized market values of skills than pre-arranged employment.

During the first two years after becoming permanent residents, immigrants with pre-arranged jobs earned 15% more than those without as they had comparative higher income in Canada before becoming permanent residents which is almost double of what immigrants with Canadian work experience earn. Even under Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) immigration applicants who have a pre-arranged job offer avail 50 to 200 additional points depending on the NOC and seniority of the position offered.

To conclude, prior to immigration, Canadian work experience is a better predictor of immigrant earnings after becoming permanent residents as opposed to having a pre-arranged job.

Why global investors should invest in Atlantic Canada?

Atlantic Canada or “the Maritimes” includes the provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island that boast Canada’s most spectacular and pristine coastline. They are well known for their lush vistas and uncrowded beaches, breathtaking scenery and a vibrant and welcoming culture.

Besides tourism, The Atlantic Trade and Investment Growth Strategy has been initiated to grow export and boost foreign investment in the region. Through an unprecedented level of collaboration, the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic provincial governments have committed to working hand-in-hand to create jobs and strengthen the economy by increasing the number of exporters, the value of export sales, export markets and foreign investment in the region. Now, many multinational companies like IBM, Samsung, Tech Mahindra, Michelin have found strategic market development and have been investing in Atlantic Canada. Each of the Atlantic provinces have their own distinguished universities and industries which is appealing to investors.

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island (PEI) is Canada’s smallest province located on the east coast of North America. PEI’s population is growing which can be attributed to Atlantic Immigration Pilot. The program allows employers to attract highly skilled individuals as well as recent graduates from Atlantic Canada post-secondary institutions. New people are coming to the province, bringing new ideas and possibilities, and contributing to its social and economic fabric. The economy of Prince Edward Island is driven by a vibrant business environment, a stable labour force and a great place to operate a business which can benefit multinational companies.

PEI’s Bioscience Cluster is another industry which has gained international attraction which has more than 60 multinational companies, seven research institutions and Emergence- Canada’s Bioscience Business Incubator which assists growing companies in the bioscience and food sectors.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador is the largest producer of crude oil in eastern Canada, and is the 3rd largest oil producing province in Canada. Since 1997, 1.7 billion barrels of oil have been produced and the industry accounts for 25 per cent of provincial GDP and 41 per cent of exports over the past 20 years. St. John’s is the commercial hub of Canada’s offshore oil industry and is home to international oil companies, supply and service firms, as well as a specialized and diverse range of marine expertise. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has released a plan for growth of Oil and Gas Industry in early 2018 which will rank Newfoundland and Labrador as the most attractive Canadian jurisdiction for oil and gas investment.

The federal government’s new approach to fostering innovation and economic growth in the ocean sector – the Ocean Supercluster – positions Canada to become a global leader in the knowledge-based ocean economy.  This initiative will see hundreds of millions of new dollars invested in ocean-related research and development and commercialization.

This industry is supported by research & development at Memorial University and The Fisheries and Marine Institute. Besides industry-based research they offer certificate, diploma, undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programs. They have been providing talented graduates who can be assets to local industry and multinationals like Kongsberg Maritime, Kvaerner, TechnipFMC and Vale who have invested in the province.

New Brunswick

Located on Canada’s east coast along the Atlantic Ocean, New Brunswick offers a distinct way of life and exciting career opportunities. NB has been growing its cybersecurity ecosystem where business, academic institutes, and government work together to facilitate growth and increase in talented workforce, promote innovation for secure critical infrastructure and secure business growth and customer trust.  IBM’s major innovation hub and Siemens Canada have their centers for cybersecurity in NB. And, with the opening of National Innovation Centre for Cybersecurity at Knowledge Park in Fredericton, NB, there will be a major addition to Canada’s national cyber security capabilities.

Nova Scotia

Located on Canada’s east coast, Nova Scotia has strong and stable economy, well-educated workforce, adequate environmental policies that offer competitive advantages for exporters and investors in Growing industry sectors including ocean technology, life sciences, aerospace & defense, finance & insurance and advanced manufacturing.

Michelin North America, manufacturer of tires, employs 3,300 people across the province while DSM Nutritional Products manufacturers concentrated fish oils in NS.

NS ocean technologies are its strength with high levels of R&D and innovation. Centre for Ocean Ventures & Entrepreneurship (COVE) is a collaborative facility for applied innovation in the ocean sector. This collaborative space will be home to local and global ocean technology businesses, start-ups, researchers, marine-based and service businesses.

Nova Scotia has a total of 10 universities and 13 community colleges and has one of the most educated workforces in the country, with over 62% of the population having some post-secondary education. Thus, there is a sustainable supply of top talent for the investors.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot Project is a fast-track employer driven immigration program that allows employers in four Canadian Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island) to hire foreign nationals for jobs they haven’t been able to fill locally. The program also has the goals of supporting population growth, developing a skilled workforce, and increasing employment rates in the region.

Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) : an opportunity for international graduates for PR

Canada not only offers quality education to international students but also an opportunity to gain valuable Canadian work experience and settlement opportunities thereafter. Every year significant number of students come to Canada from around the globe. Around 572,425 foreign students obtained Canadian study permits by the end of 2019 and it has been suggested that approximately 68% of these international students intend to work and settle in Canada as permanent resident.

International students contribute to the cultural, social, and economic landscape of Canada. They add an estimated $15.00 billion a year to Canada’s economy, and many are viewed as ideal candidates for permanent residency given their language proficiency, Canadian education credentials and Canadian work experience. Thus, various provinces have been targeting to attract and retain young graduates with their nomination programs.

BC offers two categories for international graduates across Canada who have a job offer from Canadian employer in BC and satisfy other eligibility criteria:

  • Express Entry BC – International Graduate
  • Skills Immigration – International Graduate

BC has Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) which is a points-based registration and application system that helps BC select the best workers to meet its labour market needs. The applicant’s score is based on the job, its location in B.C. and offered wage, as well as applicant’s work experience, education, and language ability. However, in BC it is more difficult for international graduates to become permanent residents who have high school and post-secondary diploma from BC as they do not get enough points for education and thus, do not qualify to be invited from BC-PNP.

Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP): better option for international graduates

The Skilled Worker stream assists employers in hiring workers whose skills are in limited supply in the province. The stream helps employers recruit and/or retain foreign workers with the required skills for positions that they have been unable to fill with a permanent resident or Canadian citizen. The Skilled Worker Stream is not an Express Entry (EE) linked Stream which means foreign nationals can apply for Canadian permanent residence even if they are not eligible to enter the federal Express Entry pool.

This stream is not a point-based system and, the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration accepts the application on first cum first basis. International Graduates having one years of Canadian experience usually qualify for the program indeed they meet other program requirements.

The Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI) does not provide a specific occupation or skills shortage list for the Skilled Worker Stream. However, the NSOI utilizes the National Occupational Classification to distinguish between three occupation types: Skilled Workers, Semi-skilled, and Low-skilled Workers.

Skilled Workers: This category is for individuals with experience in an occupation classified as NOC level 0, A or B. NSOI gives priority to these highly skilled applicants.

Semi-Skilled Workers: This category is for workers whose occupations are classified as NOC level C. Applications in this category will only be considered if all eligibility criteria are met and the applicant has worked for at least six months with a Nova Scotia employer that is supporting the applicant’s permanent residency application.

Low-Skilled Workers: This category is for individuals whose occupations are classified as NOC level D. Applications in this category will only be considered if all eligibility criteria are met and the applicant has worked for at least six months with a Nova Scotia employer that is supporting the applicant’s permanent residency application. There must be a strong sense of support from an employer, such as contribution to the immigration fees, accommodation/housing, language training, and career training plans.

General eligibility requirements: To apply for Skilled Worker Stream you must:

  • have a full-time permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer;
  • have 1 year of work experience related to the job. (Semi-skilled and low-skilled workers must already have six months’ experience with the employer.);
  • be 21 to 55 years old;
  • have a high school diploma;
  • have the appropriate training, skills and/or accreditation for the job;
  • prove language ability equal to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 5 if you are a skilled worker. If your first language is English or French, that is enough proof. Semi-skilled and low-skilled workers must have test results to prove they meet CLB 4 even if their first language is English or French;
  • show enough financial resources to successfully settle in Nova Scotia.

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