Federal PR Program for Semi Skill Workers is Proposed
Federal PR Pathway is Proposed for TEER-4 AND, TEER-5 Category Workers in Canada.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has proposed an amendment to the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act (IRPA) that would establish a new permanent economic immigration class for workers with Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) levels 4 and 5.
According to the agency, the process will “support the modernization of the economic immigration system by expanding the selection of permanent residents to candidates with a more diverse range of skills and experience.”
According to the IRCC, ministerial instructions detailing the new class and associated paths will be published in the Canada Gazette this fall.
TEER System in Canada
In 2022, Canada’s TEER system became part of the evolution of the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system. The system categorizes vocations as “TEERS,” which replaced “Skill Levels” in NOC 2016.
TEERs 0-3 are for vocations that normally require a post-secondary education or an apprenticeship for a set period of time. TEERS 4 and 5 cover people who require only a high school diploma, on-the-job training, or, in the case of TEER 5, no formal education but some occupations that often require short-term work demonstration.
TEERs 4 and 5 are currently ineligible for federal economic immigration programs such as Express Entry, which means that newcomers who arrive in Canada to work in one of those occupations will have a more difficult time becoming permanent residents and will contribute to Canada’s temporary population.
Many newcomers to Canada arrive as temporary residents, and due to the present job market, some end up in positions classified as “low-skilled” by Statistics Canada. Statistics Canada stated earlier this year that “there has been a shift in the employment of temporary foreign workers (TWFs) and international students toward low-skilled industrial sectors.” These include the retail trade, as well as the housing and food services sectors.”
It went on to indicate that “these shifts could potentially result in a higher proportion of low-skilled TFWs among new immigrants.”
This also means that TFWs and international students face low salaries and limited earnings growth, which slows their absorption into the Canadian economy.
Levels of Temporary Resident
The establishment of new permanent resident paths for TEER 4 and 5 entrants is another illustration of IRCC’s efforts to reduce the number of temporary residents in Canada. Earlier this year, the agency declared that it is working to stabilize these numbers, which peaked at more over 2 million in 2023.
The department stated that these levels were no longer viable for Canada’s economy. According to a statement issued at the time by Immigration Minister Marc Miller, Canada has recovered 138% of the employment lost during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Temporary inhabitants, such as workers, students, and visitors, have traditionally not been restricted. This year, IRCC modified its approach and set a strict limit on the amount of international student applications it will process. It is also adding temporary resident levels to the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which is scheduled to be released on or about November 1.
Another way IRCC will reduce the number of temporary residents is by increasing the number of “domestic draws.” This means that IRCC has been focusing on making temporary residents already in Canada permanent residents before considering bringing in new foreign nationals from abroad.
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of Express Entry drawings for candidates with a provincial nomination as well as those in the Canadian Experience Class pool. These applicants are typically already temporary residents of Canada, living and working there. In July alone, IRCC extended 14,575 invitations to apply to these prospects.
These policies have the dual effect of assisting IRCC in meeting its annual objective of permanent residents for this year and the following year, as well as reducing the number of temporary residents.