An international report released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) declared Canada as a world leader in regards to immigration matters such as the selection of immigrants and retention of foreign labour. According to the organization with 36 member countries, Canada’s point-based system of selecting foreign workers is one of the most effective in the world.
According to Matthew Jeffery, an immigration lawyer based in Toronto, this success can be attributed to the Express Entry program that was introduced by the former conservative government as well as the critical changes that were done by the Liberals. This system allows the government to keep track of the flow of economic immigrants in Canada by creating a pool of interested candidates who don’t file an application unless they are invited to do so by the immigration authorities. This Express Entry program has not only allowed the government to improve the quality of economic immigrants but also expedites the immigration process.
However, Mr. Jeffery noted that there are still some immigration programs in Canada that needed to be improved or eliminated altogether. According to Mr. Jeffery, the Federal Skilled Trades program has only admitted 400 skilled tradespeople in 2018. Many of the immigrants were cooks who are not really needed. Eliminating such ineffective programs could save the government a lot of money. This program was meant to address a shortage in skills such as electrical work, carpentry, and plumbing but it doesn’t.
Matthew Jeffery also says that the government should restructure the CEC program for those immigrants who are already working in the country with just valid work permits. These immigrants should also compete for jobs with other skilled workers under the Express Entry program. This will enable the government to attract workers with more advanced education and work experience.
