Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced a proposed amendment to the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act (IRPA). This amendment aims to create a new permanent economic immigration category for semi-skilled workers who have experience and training falling under Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) levels 4 and 5.
Supporting Economic Immigration Modernization
The IRCC states that this new pathway will contribute to the modernization of Canada’s economic immigration system by broadening the selection criteria of permanent residents to include candidates with a wider array of skills and experiences.
Detailed ministerial instructions about this new class and any associated pathways are expected to be published in the Canada Gazette this fall.
Canada’s TEER System
The TEER system was introduced in 2022 as part of an update to the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system. This system classifies occupations into various “TEER” categories, replacing the previous “Skill Levels” from NOC 2016.
- TEER levels 0-3: Occupations typically require post-secondary education or apprenticeship training.
- TEER levels 4-5: Occupations generally only need a high school education, on-the-job training, or in some cases, no formal education but some short-term work demonstrations.
Currently, federal economic immigration programs like those managed by Express Entry do not usually extend eligibility to TEERs 4 and 5. As a result, newcomers working in these occupations face more obstacles on their path to obtaining permanent residence status. This often increases the number of temporary residents in Canada.
Challenges for Temporary Residents
A significant number of newcomers arrive in Canada as temporary residents and find themselves working in positions classified as “low-skilled” by Statistics Canada. A study released earlier this year indicates a shift towards low-skilled sectors such as accommodation, food services, and retail among temporary foreign workers (TFWs) and international students.
This trend results in TFWs and international students experiencing low earnings and slow earnings growth. Consequently, their integration into Canada’s economy is delayed.
