Canadian Minister of Immigration announces expediting of program under Express Entry system

OTTAWA — Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the implementation of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 for immigration programs managed under the Express Entry system. Using the new NOC categories will allow Canada to bring in global talent in high-demand sectors like manufacturing, construction, and transportation.

Nurse aides, long-term care aides, hospital attendants, elementary and secondary school teacher assistants, and transport truck drivers are examples of some of the 16 occupations now included in Express Entry.

The NOC system is used to track and categorize all jobs in the Canadian labour market and is updated to reflect changes in the economy and in the nature of work. The changes to the NOC system support the Minister’s commitment to expand pathways to permanent residency for temporary workers and international students, as more jobs will become eligible for the programs managed under Express Entry. Through this update, 16 occupations that were not previously eligible can now benefit from expanded pathways to permanent residency.

“We are using all of the tools at our disposal to tackle labour shortages, particularly in key sectors like health care, construction, and transportation. These changes will support Canadians in need of these services, and they will support employers by providing them with a more robust workforce who we can depend on to drive our economy forward into a prosperous future. I’m thrilled to announce expanded pathways to permanent residence in Canada for these in-demand workers,” said Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.