STEM professions are one of the five categories of professions that IRCC chooses to prioritize via Express Entry category-based draws.
Express Entry category-based draws were launched earlier this year. The draws select newcomers with specific qualifications, like education, work experience, language skills, etc., to support economic priorities & needs.
After gathering feedback & suggestions from a variety of stakeholders & public, the federal government chose five priority occupational categories experiencing labor market gaps, i.e., STEM, healthcare, trade, transport, & agriculture.
Category-based draws vary from Express Entry draws as they emphasize & prioritize applicants with relevant work experience. On the other hand, Express Entry draws focus majorly on the applicant’s CRS score.
Category-Based Draws: Why Was STEM Selected As A Targeted Express Entry Category?
Statistics Canada released a report stating that there is a gap in the skills required for the STEM labor force. This gap was majorly because of high levels of retirement, evolving technology, & automation of businesses.
Canada’s AI sector is growing rapidly, resulting in an increased demand for tech professionals. In addition, Canada was ranked fourth for its global competitiveness in implementation, innovation, & investment by the Global AI Index.
Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science, & Industry stated that the nation’s greatest strength is its ability to attract talented professionals. In addition, these new STEM-focused category-based draws will support the technology & science sector by attracting skilled talent that industries require to drive innovation.
How Many STEM Professionals Does Canada Require?
ESDC operates a tool known as COPS, i.e., the Canadian Occupational Projection System. It offers data on the professional outlook for different occupations. In addition, it also calculates the number of projected job openings in a specific profession from 2022 to 2031.
Some STEM profession outlooks consist of:
- Software engineers & designers (44,300)
- Computer programmers & interactive media developers (80,500)
- Civil engineering (26,100)
- Mechanical engineering (12,700)
- Industrial & manufacturing engineering (3,800)
- Electrical & electronics engineering (12,600)
- Statisticians, mathematicians, & actuaries (4,600)
- Technical professions in physical sciences (12, 200)
These numbers suggest that Canada will need hundreds of thousands of new STEM professionals to fill the job vacancies, thus addressing labor shortages.
What Opportunities Do Prospective Immigrants Have?
According to an Express Entry report of 2022, the top three primary professions among 2022 ITA recipients were all in the tech sector. In addition, software engineers, designers, information system specialists, computer system developers, etc., were the most common professions among applicants invited to apply via Express Entry.
Thus, skilled STEM professionals interested in migrating to Canada might be eligible to come to the nation via category-based draws for STEM professionals. These skilled professionals will help fill labor market gaps & build the STEM sector of the Canadian economy along with having meaningful careers.
STEM Express Entry Draws: History
So far, IRCC has issued only one round of invitations for skilled professionals in STEM professions.
The draw occurred on July 5 & over 500 immigration applicants with relevant work experience in STEM were invited to apply for PR in Canada. For this draw, applicants had a minimum CRS score of 486.