IRCC announces new initiatives to attract global talent. The Strategic Immigration Review, which was published in October 2023, identified Skills Missions as a primary goal. IRCC has emphasized recent developments in this area.
The data was received by News through an Access to Information Request (ATIP). According to the ATIP, the IRCC is laying the foundation for skills missions overseas in an effort to draw and keep the international talent that Canada needs to maintain its labor force and economy.
Streamlining Immigration to Attract High-Skilled Talent to Canada
An essential part of the IRCC’s plan to attract highly skilled immigrants to Canada is the skills missions program. IRCC personnel travel to nations with sizable labor pools on these missions, together with pertinent stakeholders including enterprises and provincial or territorial officials.
The Chief International Talent Officer (CITO) is expected to oversee these missions. However, it is not yet known if IRCC has appointed someone to this role.
The IRCC says that it has developed a work plan with considerable progress in the interim. This entails mapping out the federal and provincial services that are currently in place, evaluating moral hiring procedures, and holding early conversations with stakeholders.
IRCC noted that many Canadian firms find the process of employing newcomers intimidating as part of the stakeholder feedback they collected during the drafting of the Strategic Immigration Review. They are frequently deterred from considering foreign applicants for critical posts by this complication.
According to IRCC, firms will benefit from skills missions through a simplified immigration process. Additionally, the missions will “bring relevant parties together to address specific foreign talent needs.”
Many provinces already use their Provincial Nominee Program to carry out skills missions. For example, Manitoba regularly uses Strategic Recruitment Initiatives to nominate applicants for the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program’s Skilled Worker Overseas category. Employers in Manitoba who have “demonstrated an immediate, ongoing need for skilled workers” are the target audience for these projects.
IRCC Targets Key Countries for Skills Missions to Attract Global Talent
According to the ATIP, skills missions will also seek to accomplish other objectives, like expanding the number of French speakers outside of Quebec and broadening the pool of nations from which immigrants are drawn.
The department states that depending on the profession or group designated for each mission, different countries will be targeted for skills missions. For example, licensed and unregulated occupations might be evaluated differently.
The IRCC intends to identify nations that offer training or accreditation that is equivalent to Canada for regulated professions, such as those in healthcare or the trades. This strategy seeks to hasten the procedure by which immigrants can be authorized to practice their professions as soon as they arrive. To avoid being perceived as “poaching” talent, IRCC will work with partners to select countries with no local labor shortages. This approach aims to ensure that the missions do not exacerbate existing labor needs in those countries.
To identify countries with large, concentrated labor pools, IRCC will collaborate with other organizations and stakeholders. This will apply to missions focused on non-regulated professions.
The IRCC will consider current free-trade agreements and bilateral labor mobility agreements in both scenarios.
Additionally, in order to fulfill the IRCC’s obligations under the Official Languages Act, these missions can concentrate on nations with Francophone populations. The study emphasizes how skills missions may contribute to a rise in the number of Francophones living outside of Quebec. The IRCC hopes that 6% of immigrants to Canada in 2024 will speak French.
Target Occupations for IRCC Skills Missions
The ATIP states that the jobs targeted by skills missions will vary based on the employers involved. Additionally, the region selected for each mission will influence the specific occupations targeted.
The Canadian Occupational Projection System will be used to identify occupations. This system includes models created by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to project labor demand through 2031.
Canada’s shortages in the healthcare, STEM, and skilled crafts sectors have already been identified by the system. Since May 2023, these regions have been given preference in the most recent category-based Express Entry draws.
The federal government states that, in the long run, the focus of skills missions will not be solely based on local or urgent job needs. Instead, it will also consider broader factors beyond immediate employment demands.
IRCC’s Upcoming Actions
IRCC will consult with external stakeholders, such as provincial and territorial governments and industry experts. This will occur after determining the target occupations and countries for its skills missions. After these conversations, the details of the visits will be planned. This includes deciding which employers will be invited to participate and booking flights. Additionally, IRCC will summarize the services provided, which may vary depending on the mission.
To advance the goals of IRCC’s Strategic Immigration Review, the Chief International Talent Officer will oversee the design of these missions. This role is crucial in ensuring the missions align with the review’s objectives. This role is responsible for gathering data on the talents Canada will need in the future. It also ensures that immigration policies are better aligned with the country’s labor market and sectoral requirements.