Ineligible for category-based draws - Explore in-demand jobs

The IRCC has introduced category-based draws within Express Entry, marking a significant change that has raised questions for applicants. After nearly a year of anticipation and the passing of Bill C-19, the first-ever category-based selection has occurred. The IRCC has now provided more comprehensive details about these draws, addressing concerns. These selections will target applicants with specific skills, training, or language proficiency, aligning with Canada’s needs for permanent residency. Category-based Express Entry draws prioritize professional experience over CRS scores, expanding immigration opportunities. But what about professions not targeted? Explore Canada’s in-demand jobs and immigration options if you are ineligible for category-based draws.

Immigrate to Canada through PNP

Canada’s Constitution grants immigration authority to federal and provincial governments. The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) lets provinces nominate immigrants who want to settle there, except Nunavut and Quebec. Quebec sets its criteria. PNP aims to distribute immigration benefits across Canada. Before 1998, most immigrants settled in Ontario, Quebec, and BC. Since then, Prairie and Atlantic provinces attracted more immigrants through PNP. Some PNPs align with Express Entry, granting enhanced nominations, offering 600 CRS points and faster processing. Others use ‘base’ streams where provincial nominations lead to federal permanent residence applications.

We’ve listed in-demand jobs by province targeted through PNPs, each with its eligibility criteria. To find a matching job title, search for the National Occupation Code (NOC) to understand job responsibilities and alignment with your current role. NOCs categorize Canadian jobs for reference.

Explore in-demand jobs in Alberta if you are ineligible for category-based draws

The province of Alberta, located in Western Canada, is the most populous province in the Prairies and is home to two of the country’s biggest cities: Calgary and Edmonton. In addition to Banff and Jasper National Parks, it is renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty.

Previously known as the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program, Alberta Advantage Immigration Program is managed by the province. Alberta Provincial Nomination Certificates can be obtained by prospective immigrants who have the skills and experience the province requires.

The Alberta PNP (AAIP) does not have a defined list of targeted professions, but it does identify high-demand jobs. This list includes jobs like retail sales supervisors, licensed nurses, transport truck drivers, trade managers, and clerks and includes the current employment figures for each role. Alberta also lists ineligible occupations, meaning individuals holding these positions are not eligible for PNP immigration. Through the Dedicated Healthcare route, Priority Sectors, and Farm streams, the province holds specific draws for workers in the healthcare and agricultural industries.

British Columbia

One of the nation’s most diverse provinces, British Columbia is home to Vancouver, the third-largest city in the country. The economy of the region relies heavily on natural resources, especially forestry and mining. Canada and the rest of the world celebrate the natural beauty of this province, which is home to vast forests and a distinct coastal climate.

The targeted occupations in the British Columbia PNP (BCPNP) are divided into four distinct groups:

Tech Roles: This group includes various tech-related positions, such as data analysts, website developers, physicists, and stargazers, among others.
Medical Roles: Within this group, healthcare experts like dental practitioners, pharmacists, and physical therapists are the main focus.
Early Education Roles: This group specifically targets Early Childhood Educators and Assistants, addressing the province’s childcare requirements.
Other Priority Roles: In this category, the emphasis is on veterinarians and professionals in Animal Health Technology and Veterinary Assistance, addressing specific priorities in this field.

These groups assist in simplifying the selection process for individuals with relevant skills and knowledge.

Manitoba

The Manitoba PNP (MPNP), being Canada’s oldest PNP program, categorizes its focused industries into ten distinct sectors:

Business, Finance, and Administration Jobs: This section covers positions like finance executives, HR specialists, and office administrators.
Physical and Applied Sciences and Related Jobs: This involves experts such as building designers, data analysts, and mechanical and structural engineers.
Medical Jobs: Focusing on healthcare experts like drug dispensers, mental health professionals, and rehabilitation specialists.
Teaching, Legal, and Social, Community, and Government Services Jobs: This sector includes attorneys, social service providers, therapists, and early childhood instructors.
Art, Recreation, and Sport Jobs: Incorporating positions such as technicians for recording audio and video and designers for graphics.
Sales and Service Jobs: This group encompasses positions such as managers for corporate sales, supervisors for retail sales, chefs, and pastry chefs.
Trades, Transport, and Equipment Operators and Related Jobs: Professionals like managers for construction, electricians, and plumbers are part of this group.
Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Related Jobs: Specifically targeting managers for agriculture.
Manufacturing and Utilities Jobs: Focusing on managers for manufacturing, managers for utilities, and engineers for power.
Rural In-Demand Jobs: This group includes positions such as assistants for nurses, assistants for orderlies, butchers for industrial purposes, and preparers for poultry.

Explore in-demand jobs in New Brunswick if you are ineligible for category-based draws

The only legally bilingual province in the country is New Brunswick, which is in the northern Maritime area of Canada. Roughly 30% of its residents speak French as their first tongue. Through the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), New Brunswick provides a route to Canadian permanent residency for individuals with the knowledge and experience the province needs. Successful candidates are given a provincial nomination certificate from New Brunswick, which entitles them to submit an application for Canadian permanent residence.

Even though the NBPNP (New Brunswick PNP) does not provide an exact inventory of targeted professions, it does furnish data on sectors experiencing the highest number of job openings. As of July 2023, the sectors in demand consist of:

Sales and Customer Service: This sector encompasses positions such as retail sales associates, cashiers, and supervisors in retail sales.
Miscellaneous Services: It includes occupations like office support assistants, hair stylists, barbers, beauty therapists, and bus mechanics, among others.
Business, Finance, and Administration: Roles like janitors, financial sales representatives, police officers, office support assistants, and customer and information service representatives fall under this category.
Trades, Transportation, and Equipment Operators: Jobs like shelf stockers, clerks, truck drivers, postal workers, and laborers in food, beverage, and related products processing are part of this sector.
Education, Law, and Social and Community Government: This category includes elementary and kindergarten schoolteachers, university professors, non-commissioned ranks of the Canadian armed forces, building superintendents, and more.
Health Occupations: Professions like licensed practical nurses, early childhood educators and assistants, home support workers, nurses’ aides, orderlies, and patient service associates are in demand.

Please note that these reports are updated monthly, and the specific in-demand sectors may vary from month to month.

Newfoundland and Labrador

The NLPNP classifies its sought-after job categories into four main groups:

Medical Professions: This group includes careers such as doctors, nurse practitioners, licensed vocational nurses, and clinical psychologists.

ICT Roles: It encompasses positions like software engineers, bioengineers, user interface/user experience developers, and artificial intelligence developers.

Specialized Technical Jobs: This category consists of roles such as cybersecurity specialists, cloud computing specialists, bioinformatics experts, data analysts, offshore technicians, and others.

Aquaculture Jobs: This group covers occupations such as captains (requiring a fishing master class-4 certificate), farm and feed managers, facility technicians, assistant managers, and others.

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories PNP (NTPNP) does not possess a specific directory of targeted professions. Nevertheless, it offers a projection of the most sought-after jobs for the subsequent 15 years, commencing in 2019. These positions are classified based on the necessary levels of education or experience, and the leading five occupations anticipated to have the highest number of job openings until 2034 are as follows:

Professions Requiring Less than High-School Education: The top three jobs in this category with the greatest projected job openings are custodians, caretakers, and building superintendents, followed by light-duty cleaners and cashiers.
Professions Requiring High-School Education: The top three occupations in this group are operators of heavy machinery (excluding crane operators), retail salespeople, and drivers of transport trucks.
Skilled Trades Requiring Occupational Certification: This classification includes carpenters, electricians (excluding industrial and power system electricians), and automotive service technicians, as well as truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers, as the top three roles with the highest projected job openings.
College Diploma Required: Administrative officers, administrative assistants, and social and community service workers are the top three roles with the highest forecasted vacancies in this category.
Roles Requiring a University Degree: This category includes elementary school and kindergarten teachers, registered nurses and psychiatric nurses, and secondary school teachers as the top three professions with the highest job vacancies.
Management-Level Roles: Jobs that require management experience include retail and wholesale trade managers, construction managers, and financial managers as the roles with the highest vacancies.

Explore in-demand jobs in Nova Scotia if you are ineligible for category-based draws

A list of targeted occupations is available through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP), which falls primarily within the training, education, experience, and responsibilities (TEER) levels 3, 4, and 5. In terms of education, experience, and responsibilities, TEER levels range from 0 to 5, with 0 being the most educational and experiential requirement, and 5 being the least educational and experiential requirement.

Nova Scotia targets the following occupations:

Nurse’s Aides: Healthcare professionals who assist registered nurses in providing patient care.
Food and Beverage Servers: Individuals who serve customers in restaurants, cafes, and bars by taking orders and delivering food and beverages.
Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers, and Related Support Occupations: Workers who assist in food preparation, maintain kitchen cleanliness, and serve customers in fast-food establishments.
Light Duty Cleaners: Individuals responsible for cleaning tasks in various settings, such as offices, hotels, and public facilities.
Transport Truck Drivers: Professionals who operate heavy trucks to transport goods between locations.
Heavy Equipment Operators: Workers skilled in operating heavy machinery and equipment, often used in construction and industrial settings.
Construction Trades Helpers and Laborers: Workers who assist skilled tradespeople in construction projects, performing tasks like carrying materials and preparing job sites.

These are the professions that Nova Scotia is focusing on in its immigration initiatives, especially for those with TEER levels 3, 4, and 5.

Ontario

The OINP Employer Job Offer stream is used by the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to choose candidates who have a job offer from an employer and possess the required skills for an in-demand position. It is important to note that this stream has specific criteria related to factors such as the median wage, work experience, language proficiency, and others.

In Ontario, in-demand jobs are divided into two categories: those that are in-demand throughout the entire province and those that are in-demand in regions outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

In any part of Ontario, some positions that are considered in-demand include:

Home Support Workers, Caregivers, and Related Occupations: These roles involve providing support and care to individuals who require assistance due to various health or age-related needs.
Meat Cutters and Fish Mongers (Retail and Wholesale): Professionals in these roles are responsible for cutting and preparing meat and fish products for retail or wholesale distribution.
Construction Trades Helpers and Laborers: Workers in this category assist skilled tradespeople in construction projects by performing tasks such as material handling and site preparation.

Alternatively, some jobs are in demand specifically outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA):

Machine Operators, Mineral, and Metal Processing: Workers in this category operate machinery used in mineral and metal processing industries.
Metalworking and Forging Machine Operators: These professionals operate machines used in metalworking and forging processes.
Mechanical Assemblers and Inspectors: Workers responsible for assembling mechanical components and inspecting finished products for quality and functionality.

A candidate with a job offer in one of these in-demand professions — which are vital to the province’s economic growth — may qualify for immigration through the OINP Employer Job Offer program.

Prince Edward Island

The Provincial Nominee Program (PEIPNP) of Prince Edward Island prioritizes hiring people with experience in particular high-demand professions. The healthcare industry highly values positions such as nurse’s assistants, orderlies, and patient service associates. Transport truck drivers are also in demand to move goods around the province quickly, while laborers and assistance in the construction trades are needed for a variety of development projects. Other workers in the processing, manufacturing, and utility sectors carry out crucial jobs in numerous businesses, while light-duty cleaners maintain cleanliness in a variety of establishments. The PEIPNP also targets industrial butchers, meat cutters, poultry preparers, process control, and machine operators who work in the food and beverage processing industry.

Saskatchewan

No detailed list of targeted professions is provided by the Saskatchewan Provincial Nominee Program (SINP). Instead, it concentrates on jobs that fall into TEER levels 0, 1, 2, and 3, with a few exclusions listed under the excluded occupations section. SINP does not accept applications for jobs on the excluded list for Express Entry and Occupations in Demand.

Explore in-demand jobs in Yukon if you are ineligible for category-based draws

Like several other provinces, the Yukon PNP (YNP) does not have a specific list of permitted professions but instead offers two streams: one for skilled workers and the other for critical impact workers. These streams aim to attract individuals employed in occupations categorized under TEER levels 0, 1, 2, and 3, followed by TEER levels in occupations categorized under TEER levels 0, 1, 2, and 3, followed by TEER levels 4 and 5.