Extend your stay in Canada as an essential worker

Posted on April 21, 2021 at 8:00 AM EDT

Cashiers, cleaners, and healthcare workers are among the many important jobs eligible for Canada’s new immigration programs.

From May 6, temporary foreign workers can apply for the new long-term residence in 135 key professions. If you work outside of Quebec, you could be among the 50,000 new immigrants expected to receive permanent residency through the new PR pathway for foreign temporary workers in key occupations.

Do you live in Canada? Apply for PR using these news channels!

This program will be open until November 5, or until the 20,000 medical staff and 30,000 other critical staff positions are filled, whichever comes first.

If you speak French, you may be eligible for the PR pathway for French-speaking foreign temporary workers in key professions. This program has an unlimited number of vacancies as Canada has had a history of difficulty attracting French-speaking immigrants from Quebec.

See if you are eligible

The prerequisite for admission is at least one year of professional experience within the last three years in a major profession. There are 40 eligible occupations for the health sector and 95 for the other main occupation. You may also be eligible if you have equivalent part-time experience or work 1,560 hours in a substantial occupation.

Both streams require you to be employed in any occupation at the time of your application in Canada. You cannot be self-employed unless you are a chargeable doctor at a health department.

You must live or be eligible for restoration in Canada with valid provisional status. You must also plan to immigrate to a province other than Quebec.

You need a Canadian language benchmark of at least 4 in all language skills in English or French. The French Speaking Stream requires an NCLC of at least 4 to be eligible.

Nor can they be deemed inadmissible for Canada for criminal or medical reasons.

Do you live in Canada? Apply for PR using these news channels!

Eligible professions

Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has divided the new programs for critical workers into two streams: Stream A and Stream B.

Stream A is for healthcare workers. Temporary residents who work in health professions cannot use professional experience in other essential professions for their application.

Stream B is intended for essential workers in other occupations and they can combine any work experience in a health care occupation with their need for work experience.

Stream A professions

Here are the eligible health professions listed by the National Occupational Classification (NOC):

• 3011 care coordinators and supervisors
• 3012 Nurses and Mental Health Nurses
• 3111 specialists
• 3112 general practitioners and general practitioners
• 3113 dentists
• 3121 optician
• 3122 chiropractor
• 3124 Allied family doctors
• 3125 Other occupations in health diagnostics and treatment
• 3131 pharmacist
• 3132 dietitians and nutritionists
• 3141 audiologists and speech pathologists
• 3142 physiotherapists
• 3143 occupational therapists
• 3144 Other occupations in therapy and diagnostics
• 3211 Medical laboratory technicians
• 3212 Medical laboratory technicians and pathologist assistants
• 3214 respiratory therapists, clinical perfusion technicians, and cardiopulmonary technicians
• 3215 Medical Radiation Technologists
• 3216 Medical Sonographs
• 3217 Cardiology technicians and electrophysiological diagnostic technicians, nec
• 3219 Other medical technicians and technicians (except dentistry)
• 3221 dentists
• 3222 dental hygienists and dental therapists
• 3223 Dental technicians, technicians and laboratory assistants
• 3231 optician
• 3232 naturopaths
• 3233 Licensed Practical Nurses
• 3234 paramedic professions
• 3236 massage therapists
• 3237 Other technical occupations in therapy and diagnostics
• 3411 dental assistants
• 3413 nurses and staff in patient service
• 3414 Other support professions in support of health care
• 4151 psychologists
• 4152 social workers
• 4153 family, marriage and other related counselors
• 4165 health policy researchers, consultants and program officers
• 4212 social workers and community service providers
• 4412 homeworkers, housekeepers and related professions

Stream B professions

The IRCC sorted the Stream B professions into units and sub-units. They are listed here by NOC code:

Main unit groups

Sales and support professions

• 6611 cashier
• 6621 gas station attendant
• 6622 Storage rack warehouse, salesman and order filler
• 6623 Other sales-related professions

Industrial, electrical and building trades

• 7201 Master builders, machining, forming, forming and assembly trades and related professions
• 7202 Construction and supervisory staff, electrical trades and telecommunications professions
• 7203 construction and supervisory personnel, pipeline construction trade
• 7204 construction and supervisory staff, carpentry
• 7205 building contractors and supervisors, other building trades, plumbers, repair companies and service technicians
• 7231 Machinists and machining and tool inspectors
• 7232 Tool and mold maker
• 7233 sheet metal worker
• 7234 boiler manufacturer
• 7235 Metal and panel builders and fitters
• 7236 ironworkers
• 7237 welders and associated machine operators
• 7241 electrician (except industrial and power grid)
• 7242 industrial electricians
• 7243 network electrician
• 7244 power line and cable workers
• 7245 Telecommunication Line and Cable Workers
• 7246 Telecommunications installation and repair workers
• 7247 Cable television service and maintenance technician
• 7251 plumber
• 7252 Steam, Pipe, and Sprinkler Installers
• 7253 gas fitters
• 7271 carpenter
• 7272 carpenter
• 7281 bricklayer
• 7282 concrete paver
• 7283 tiler
• 7284 plasterers, drywall and finishers and foamers
• 7291 Roofers and Schindlers
• 7292 Glaser
• 7293 isolators
• 7294 painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
• 7295 flooring installer

Other plumbers, repair shops and service technicians as well as material handlers

• 7441 installers and service technicians for private households and businesses
• 7442 Waterworks and Gas Maintenance Service
• 7444 Pest Controllers and Fumigators
• 7445 Other repair and service companies
• 7451 dock workers
• 7452 material handler

Transport and heavy machinery operation and related maintenance activities

• 7511 transport truck driver
• 7512 bus drivers, subway operators and other transport companies
• 7513 Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs
• 7514 delivery and courier service drivers
• 7521 Heavy machinery operator (except crane)
• 7522 Operators of equipment for the maintenance of public works and related workers
• 7531 Railway station and truck maintenance workers
• 7532 Water transport deck and engine room personnel
• 7533 Boat and cable ferry operators and related professions
• 7534 flight attendants on the apron
• 7535 Other car mechanics and service technicians

Craftsmen, construction workers and related professions

• 7611 Construction workers and workers laboratory
• 7612 Other handicraftsmen and workers
• 7621 construction and maintenance personnel
• 7622 rail and road workers

Harvest, landscape and raw material workers

• 8611 harvest workers
• 8612 landscape and property maintenance workers
• 8613 Aquaculture and Marine Harvesters
• 8614 miners
• 8615 Oil and gas drilling, maintenance and allied labor
• 8616 wood and forest workers

Subordinate unit groups

Professions in mail and messaging

• 1511 postal workers, postal workers and allied workers
• 1512 postman
• 1513 couriers, messengers and door-to-door traders

Retail salesman

cleanser

• 6731 light cleaner
• 6732 special cleaner
• 6733 caretaker, caretaker and site manager

Agricultural and horticultural workers

• 8431 General Farm Workers
• 8432 horticultural and greenhouse workers

Other workers in fishing, trapping and hunting professions

• 8441 deckhands on fishing vessels
• 8442 trappers and hunters

Machine operators and allied workers in the processing of food, beverages and related products

• 9461 Process Control and Machine Operators, Food and Beverage Processing
• 9462 Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry cookers and allied workers
• 9463 Seafood Factory Workers
• 9465 Testers and Sorters, Food and Beverage Processing

Specific 4-digit unit groups

• 0821 executives in agriculture
• 0822 Manager in horticulture
• 4031 secondary school teacher for French and French immersion (language of instruction must be French)
• 4032 French and French immersion teachers for primary schools and kindergartens (language of instruction must be French)
• 4411 home childcare providers
• 4413 assistants for primary and secondary school teachers
• 6331 Retail Butcher
• 6523 airline ticket and service agents
• 6524 land and water transport ticket agents, freight service employees and associated clerks
• 6541 Guards and related security professions
• 6551 Customer Service Representatives – Financial Institutions
• 6552 Other customer and information service employees
• 8252 Agricultural service providers, farm managers and skilled workers in animal husbandry
• 8255 Construction, supervisory, landscaping, property maintenance, and horticultural services
• 9617 Food and Beverage Processing Workers
• 9618 seafood processing workers

Do you live in Canada? Apply for PR using these news channels!