SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE: New temporary resident to permanent resident plans in the works
On September 20, 2022, IRCC released a strategy on how it will approach its aim to expand routes for temporary foreign workers and international students to become permanent residents.
The strategy is light on specifics and is more of a high level insight into what changes may be coming down the line.
It contains no concrete changes that are being made right now to improve transition from temporary resident to permanent resident.
The strategy outlines five pillars which IRCC are looking at to improve transitions from temporary residency to permanent residency.
Pillar 1: Leverage increased immigration levels
There’s no new information in this pillar. It only talks about using the increased immigration targets in the 2022-2024 Immigration Levels Plan to accommodate more permanent residents.
It’s just a restatement of existing policy.
Pillar 2: Reform Express Entry and increase flexibility in immigration selection tools
Pillar 2 does potentially offer some insight into the direction of travel IRCC are maybe taking to improve temporary residency to permanent residency.
It talks about that IRCC will carefully assess recent measures such as the Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway and apply insights learned to other programs. Which will result in changes to Express Entry.
So this might indicate that IRCC are not necessarily looking to replicate the Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway but rather to enhance Express Entry to be able to better target temporary residents with the skills and attributes it wants.
Pillar 2 also talks about the amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act which gave IRCC more flexibility to target candidates with specific attributes such as specific educational credentials and work experience in Canada. It says IRCC is looking and how best to use the new flexibility to meet its goals and that implementation of these new measures will likely be by Spring 2023. It states that the changes will be applicable to the suite of programs (the Federal High-Skilled Programs) currently managed through Express Entry.
Also included in this pillar is a review of the CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) used in Express Entry to ensure that sufficient points are given to Canadian work experience, Canadian education, job offers and language ability.
This pillar also talks about IRCC undertaking a review of the International Student Program to clarify how the dual intent to remain in Canada eventually (through one of the permanent resident routes) and the requirement to leave at the end of your authorised stay are assessed so that more students can stay who do want to become permanent residents in the future. This is in tandem with considering the implementation of open work permits to family members of all foreign workers in Canada who have a work permit.
Pillar 3: Enhance Permanent Economic Immigration Programs and Pilots
Pillar 3 involves:
- Adopting the most recent version of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. The new NOC system will allow IRCC to take a more nuanced approach and expand eligibility to certain occupations.
- Improvements to the process for recognising foreign qualifications.
- Enhancements to existing pilot programs: Agri-Food pilot and caregivers.
- Making it easier to facilitate transition of physicians to permanent residents.
- Improving the transition of international students.
One of the key commitments here is the creation of a clearer pathway to permanent residence for international students. IRCC has been testing new approaches such as allowing certain international students more time to stay in Canada to gain work experience to put them on the path to permanent residency. It will use lessons learned from such approaches and apply them to a policy review of the International Student Program.
Pillar 4: Support communities in attracting and retaining newcomers, including through Francophone immigration
Pillar 4 aims to give support to local communities to attract and retain newcomers by using the existing suite of regional immigration programs and any new programs that might be beneficial.
Pillar 5: Build operational capacity
This pillar is basically ensuring that IRCC has the manpower to process applications within a timely manner. And that IT systems are updated to accommodate changes to the Express Entry process intimated in other pillars.
So the strategy offers little insight on a markedly different approach to temporary resident to permanent resident immigration such as the temporary pathway outlined in this article.
You can read the IRCC strategy on expanding transitions to permanent residency here.
As more information becomes available this page will be updated.
TR to PR pathway for 90,000: summary
On April 14th, 2021 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the temporary resident to permanent resident pathway (TR to PR pathway). This is a new pathway to permanent residency for over 90,000 essential workers and international graduates already in Canada.
This new immigration pathway targets temporary residents. Specifically people who are already in Canada as temporary workers or recent graduates from Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Temporary workers must work in the healthcare sector or a broad range of other occupations deemed essential by IRCC.
IRCC has set a cap on the number of applications for each type of applicant.
There are three streams, each with its own cap on the number of applications:
- Recent international graduates from a Canadian institution – 40,000 applications from recent graduates from Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Note that the recent international graduates stream has reached the maximum number of applications and no further applications will be accepted for this stream only.
The maximum number of applications was reached one day after the steam opened.
You can apply to the equivalent French speaking stream if you can speak French (see more on this below). - Workers in Canada: essential, non-health care – 30,000 applications for temporary workers in selected essential occupations. As of July 16th update, 30,000 applications had been received by IRCC for this stream and so it is now also full.
- Workers in Canada: health care – 20,000 application from temporary workers in healthcare. As of the program closing, 7,155 applications had been received by IRCC for this stream.
Note that the cap is 90,000 applications; not 90,000 approved permanent residents.
Applications to the new pathway will be accepted from May 6th, 2021 until November 5th, 2021 or until the cap for that particular stream is reached.
Three additional streams also exist for applicants who can speak French. These streams mirror the English-speaking streams but crucially they have no cap on the number of applications. Read more about this below.
The new pathway allows for family members of the principal applicant, spouse and dependent children, to also receive permanent residency.
The Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway closed on November 5th, 2021.
So no new applications will be accepted to any of the stream.
If however you’ve already submitted an application before the deadline it will be processed and you can use the portal to check your application status.
- SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE: New temporary resident to permanent resident plans in the works
- Who can apply to the TR to PR pathway?
- Workers in Canada eligibility criteria (streams 1 and 2)
- Recent graduate from a Canadian institution eligibility requirements (stream 3)
- French-speaking temporary resident to permanent resident pathway streams
- How to apply to the TR to PR pathway
- What supporting documents will I need to submit to apply for the TR to PR pathway?
- Eligibility requirements for family members’ permanent residency
- What to do if your current permit will expire before your new PR status is received
- Background to the new TR to PR pathway
Who can apply to the TR to PR pathway?
To apply for one of the new streams for permanent residency you must fit broadly into one of three categories:
- A temporary worker in the healthcare sector.
- A temporary worker in other essential occupations. This includes a broad spectrum of jobs from cashiers to electricians.
- A recent graduate from a Canadian post-secondary institution.
The specifics for all of these streams is outlined in the sections below.
Workers under streams 1 and 2 must have at least 1 year of Canadian work experience.
Graduates (stream 3) must have completed an eligible post-secondary course within the last 4 years and no earlier than January 2017.
For all the streams you must plan to live outside of Quebec.
Workers in Canada eligibility criteria (streams 1 and 2)
To apply to the TR to PR pathway using the temporary worker in the healthcare stream or the temporary worker in other essential occupations stream, the eligibility requirements you must meet are:
- Have at least one year of full time, or equivalent part time, work experience in Canada in one or more eligible occupations.
One year of experience is considered as 1,560 hours within the last 3 years from when you submit your application.
Check the section below for the eligible occupations. - Be employed in Canada in any occupation when you submit your application.
- The eligible employment can’t be self-employed unless you were working as a medical doctor in a fee-for-service arrangement with a health authority.
- You will have to sit a test to prove your proficiency in either English or French across reading, writing, speaking and listening from one of the recognised testing regimes, such as IELTS.
The test must have been taken within the last two years.
If you’re not a native English speaker a good tip that many of my friends and colleagues use to improve their spoken English is the ELSA app. They have a partnership with IELTS so it’s ideal to help pass the spoken part of the language tests. It’s pretty cool with some fancy AI. If you want to purchase the PRO pack then you can use this link to get a 80% discount on the lifetime option or a 30% discount on the 1-year option (which is better than the upgrade option you’ll be given in the app). Either way, you can check the app out here. *
You must demonstrate a basic grasp of the language – benchmark 4. You can check the specifics of the language requirements here. - Live in Canada with a valid temporary resident status.
- Not intend to live in Quebec.
What occupations are included in the temporary workers immigration streams?
This TR to PR pathway stream is open to workers in 40 healthcare occupations and over 95 other (non-healthcare) essential jobs across a wide spectrum of fields.
IRCC are using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system to specify which occupations are accepted for each worker stream.
You must have one year of work experience (1,560 hours within the last 3 years) in one or more of these specified occupations.
The table below lists the NOC codes and occupations accepted for the healthcare stream.
| NOC | Occupation |
|---|---|
| 3011 | Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors |
| 3012 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| 3111 | Specialist physicians |
| 3112 | General practitioners and family physicians |
| 3113 | Dentists |
| 3121 | Optometrists |
| 3122 | Chiropractors |
| 3124 | Allied primary health practitioners |
| 3125 | Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating |
| 3131 | Pharmacists |
| 3132 | Dietitians and nutritionists |
| 3141 | Audiologists and speech-language pathologists |
| 3142 | Physiotherapists |
| 3143 | Occupational therapists |
| 3144 | Other professional occupations in therapy and assessment |
| 3211 | Medical laboratory technologists |
| 3212 | Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists' assistants |
| 3214 | Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists |
| 3215 | Medical radiation technologists |
| 3216 | Medical sonographers |
| 3217 | Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c. |
| 3219 | Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health) |
| 3221 | Denturists |
| 3222 | Dental hygienists and dental therapists |
| 3223 | Dental technologists, technicians and laboratory assistants |
| 3231 | Opticians |
| 3232 | Practitioners of natural healing |
| 3233 | Licensed practical nurses |
| 3234 | Paramedical occupations |
| 3236 | Massage therapists |
| 3237 | Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment |
| 3411 | Dental assistants |
| 3413 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 3414 | Other assisting occupations in support of health services |
| 4151 | Psychologists |
| 4152 | Social workers |
| 4153 | Family, marriage and other related counsellors |
| 4165 | Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers |
| 4212 | Social and community service workers |
| 4412 | Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations |
Table 1: permitted occupations for the temporary workers in Canada healthcare stream.
The following table lists the NOC codes and occupations accepted for the essential occupations stream.
For this stream, you can have one year of experience (1,560 hours within the last 3 years) in one or more of these occupations. Or have one year experience in a combination of occupations from this list and the healthcare list.
| Major and minor group | NOC Code | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| 66 - Sales support occupations | 6611 | Cashiers |
| 67 - Sales support occupations | 6621 | Service station attendants |
| 68 - Sales support occupations | 6622 | Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers |
| 69 - Sales support occupations | 6623 | Other sales related occupations |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7201 | Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7202 | Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7203 | Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7204 | Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7205 | Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7231 | Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7232 | Tool and die makers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7233 | Sheet metal workers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7234 | Boilermakers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7235 | Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7236 | Ironworkers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7237 | Welders and related machine operators |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7241 | Electricians (except industrial and power system) |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7242 | Industrial electricians |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7243 | Power system electricians |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7244 | Electrical power line and cable workers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7245 | Telecommunications line and cable workers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7246 | Telecommunications installation and repair workers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7247 | Cable television service and maintenance technicians |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7251 | Plumbers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7252 | Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7253 | Gas fitters |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7271 | Carpenters |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7272 | Cabinetmakers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7281 | Bricklayers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7282 | Concrete finishers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7283 | Tilesetters |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7284 | Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7291 | Roofers and shinglers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7292 | Glaziers |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7293 | Insulators |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7294 | Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) |
| 72- Industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7295 | Floor covering installers |
| 74 - Other installers, repairers and servicers and material handlers | 7441 | Residential and commercial installers and servicers |
| 75 - Other installers, repairers and servicers and material handlers | 7442 | Waterworks and gas maintenance workers |
| 76 - Other installers, repairers and servicers and material handlers | 7444 | Pest controllers and fumigators |
| 77 - Other installers, repairers and servicers and material handlers | 7445 | Other repairers and servicers |
| 78 - Other installers, repairers and servicers and material handlers | 7451 | Longshore workers |
| 79 - Other installers, repairers and servicers and material handlers | 7452 | Material handlers |
| 75 - Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations | 7511 | Transport truck drivers |
| 76 - Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations | 7512 | Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators |
| 77 - Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations | 7513 | Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs |
| 78 - Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations | 7514 | Delivery and courier service drivers |
| 79 - Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations | 7521 | Heavy equipment operators (except crane) |
| 80 - Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations | 7522 | Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers |
| 81 - Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations | 7531 | Railway yard and track maintenance workers |
| 82 - Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations | 7532 | Water transport deck and engine room crew |
| 83 - Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations | 7533 | Boat and cable ferry operators and related occupations |
| 84 - Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations | 7534 | Air transport ramp attendants |
| 85 - Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations | 7535 | Other automotive mechanical installers and servicers |
| 76 - Trades helpers, construction labourers and related occupations | 7611 | Construction trades helpers and labourers |
| 77 - Trades helpers, construction labourers and related occupations | 7612 | Other trades helpers and labourers |
| 78 - Trades helpers, construction labourers and related occupations | 7621 | Public works and maintenance labourers |
| 79 - Trades helpers, construction labourers and related occupations | 7622 | Railway and motor transport labourers |
| 86 - Harvesting, landscaping and natural resources labourers | 8611 | Harvesting labourers |
| 87 - Harvesting, landscaping and natural resources labourers | 8612 | Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers |
| 88 - Harvesting, landscaping and natural resources labourers | 8613 | Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers |
| 89 - Harvesting, landscaping and natural resources labourers | 8614 | Mine labourers |
| 90 - Harvesting, landscaping and natural resources labourers | 8615 | Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers |
| 91 - Harvesting, landscaping and natural resources labourers | 8616 | Logging and forestry labourers |
| 151 - Mail and message distribution occupations | 1511 | Mail, postal and related workers |
| 152 - Mail and message distribution occupations | 1512 | Letter carriers |
| 153 - Mail and message distribution occupations | 1513 | Couriers, messengers and door-to-door distributors |
| 642 - Retail salesperson | 6421 | Retail salespersons |
| 673 - Cleaners | 6731 | Light duty cleaners |
| 674 - Cleaners | 6732 | Specialized cleaners |
| 675 - Cleaners | 6733 | Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents |
| 843 - Agriculture and horticulture workers | 8431 | General farm workers |
| 844 - Agriculture and horticulture workers | 8432 | Nursery and greenhouse workers |
| 844 - Other workers in fishing and trapping and hunting occupations | 8441 | Fishing vessel deckhands |
| 845 - Other workers in fishing and trapping and hunting occupations | 8442 | Trappers and hunters |
| 946 - Machine operators and related workers in food, beverage and associated products processing | 9461 | Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing |
| 947 - Machine operators and related workers in food, beverage and associated products processing | 9462 | Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers |
| 948 - Machine operators and related workers in food, beverage and associated products processing | 9463 | Fish and seafood plant workers |
| 949 - Machine operators and related workers in food, beverage and associated products processing | 9465 | Testers and graders, food and beverage processing |
| Specific | 821 | Managers in agriculture |
| Specific | 822 | Managers in horticulture |
| Specific | 4031 | French and French Immersion Secondary school teachers (language of instruction must be French) |
| Specific | 4032 | French and French Immersion Elementary school and kindergarten teachers (language of instruction must be French) |
| Specific | 4411 | Home child care providers |
| Specific | 4413 | Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants |
| Specific | 6331 | Retail butchers |
| Specific | 6523 | Airline ticket and service agents |
| Specific | 6524 | Ground and water transport ticket agents, cargo service representatives and related clerks |
| Specific | 6541 | Security guards and related security service occupations |
| Specific | 6551 | Customer services representatives - financial institutions |
| Specific | 6552 | Other customer and information services representatives |
| Specific | 8252 | Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers |
| Specific | 8255 | Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services |
| Specific | 9617 | Labourers in food and beverage processing |
| Specific | 9618 | Labourers in fish and seafood processing |
Table 2: permitted occupations for the temporary workers in essential occupations stream.
Recent graduate from a Canadian institution eligibility requirements (stream 3)
To apply to the TR to PR pathway using the recent graduate stream, the eligibility requirements are:
You must have completed a program of study at a post-secondary institution in Canada.
The program of study must have already been completed at the time of application and not before January 2017.
The program must be from a designated learning institution (DLI). You can get details of what this means and confirm if your institution is on the list here.
The credential you receive from eligible institutions must meet one of these requirements:
- A degree (Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate) from of program of at least 8 months duration.
- A degree, diploma, certificate, or attestation issued on completion of a program of any duration leading to a job in a skilled trade. The accepted skilled trades are listed below.
- One or more diplomas, certificates or attestations where the following durations conditions are met (taken directly from the public policy):
You must be employed in Canada at the time you apply for permanent residency with a valid permit or authorization to work. The job can be anything but cannot be self-employed unless you are working as a medical doctor in a fee-for-service arrangement with a health authority.
You will have to sit a test to prove your proficiency in either English or French across reading, writing, speaking and listening from one of the recognised testing regimes, such as IELTS.
If you’re not a native English speaker a good tip that many of my friends and colleagues use to improve their spoken English is the ELSA app. They have a partnership with IELTS so it’s ideal to help pass the spoken part of the language tests. It’s pretty cool with some fancy AI. If you want to purchase the PRO pack then you can use this link to get a 80% discount on the lifetime option or a 30% discount on the 1-year option (which is better than the upgrade option you’ll be given in the app). Either way, you can check the app out here. *
The test must have been taken within the last two years and you must demonstrate an intermediate grasp of the language – benchmark 5. You can check the specifics of the language requirements here.
You must live in Canada with a valid temporary resident status.
And finally you can’t intend to live in Quebec.
Which skilled trades are accepted as employment following a degree, diploma, certificate, or attestation?
One of the conditions of the graduate stream is that if your degree, diploma, certificate, or attestation does not meet minimum duration requirements (as outlined in the section above) then it must have led to a job in a skilled trade.
If your certification or combination of certifications does meet the duration requirements then you don’t need to have had a job in any particular skilled trades.
The skilled trades which are accepted if you don’t meet the duration requirements are listed below. IRCC use the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system to specify which skilled trades are accepted.
| Major and minor group | NOC Code | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7201 | Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7202 | Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7203 | Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7204 | Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7205 | Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7231 | Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7232 | Tool and die makers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7233 | Sheet metal workers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7234 | Boilermakers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7235 | Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7236 | Ironworkers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7237 | Welders and related machine operators |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7241 | Electricians (except industrial and power system) |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7242 | Industrial electricians |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7243 | Power system electricians |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7244 | Electrical power line and cable workers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7245 | Telecommunications line and cable workers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7246 | Telecommunications installation and repair workers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7247 | Cable television service and maintenance technicians |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7251 | Plumbers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7252 | Steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7253 | Gas fitters |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7271 | Carpenters |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7272 | Cabinetmakers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7281 | Bricklayers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7282 | Concrete finishers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7283 | Tilesetters |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7284 | Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7291 | Roofers and shinglers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7292 | Glaziers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7293 | Insulators |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7294 | Painters and decorators (except interior decorators) |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7295 | Floor covering installers |
| 72 - industrial, electrical and construction trades | 7295 | Floor covering installers |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7301 | Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7302 | Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7303 | Supervisors, printing and related occupations |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7304 | Supervisors, railway transport operations |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7305 | Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7311 | Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7312 | Heavy-duty equipment mechanics |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7313 | Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7314 | Railway carmen/women |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7315 | Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7316 | Machine fitters |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7318 | Elevator constructors and mechanics |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7321 | Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7322 | Motor vehicle body repairers |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7331 | Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7332 | Appliance servicers and repairers |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7333 | Electrical mechanics |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7334 | Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7335 | Other small engine and small equipment repairers |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7361 | Railway and yard locomotive engineers |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7362 | Railway conductors and brakemen/women |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7371 | Crane operators |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7372 | Drillers and blasters - surface mining, quarrying and construction |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7373 | Water well drillers |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7381 | Printing press operators |
| 73 - maintenance and equipment operation trades | 7384 | Other trades and related occupations, n.e.c. |
| 82 - supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production | 8211 | Supervisors, logging and forestry |
| 82 - supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production | 8221 | Supervisors, mining and quarrying |
| 82 - supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production | 8222 | Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services |
| 82 - supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production | 8231 | Underground production and development miners |
| 82 - supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production | 8232 | Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers |
| 82 - supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production | 8241 | Logging machinery operators |
| 82 - supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production | 8252 | Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers |
| 82 - supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production | 8255 | Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services |
| 82 - supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production | 8261 | Fishing masters and officers |
| 82 - supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production | 8262 | Fishermen/women |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9211 | Supervisors, mineral and metal processing |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9212 | Supervisors, petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9213 | Supervisors, food and beverage processing |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9214 | Supervisors, plastic and rubber products manufacturing |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9215 | Supervisors, forest products processing |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9217 | Supervisors, textile, fabric, fur and leather products processing and manufacturing |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9221 | Supervisors, motor vehicle assembling |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9222 | Supervisors, electronics manufacturing |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9223 | Supervisors, electrical products manufacturing |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9224 | Supervisors, furniture and fixtures manufacturing |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9226 | Supervisors, other mechanical and metal products manufacturing |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9227 | Supervisors, other products manufacturing and assembly |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9231 | Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9232 | Central control and process operators, petroleum, gas and chemical processing |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9235 | Pulping, papermaking and coating control operators |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9241 | Power engineers and power systems operators |
| 92 - processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators | 9243 | Water and waste treatment plant operators |
| 632 - chefs and cooks | 6321 | Chefs |
| 632 - chefs and cooks | 6322 | Cooks |
| 633 - butchers and bakers | 6331 | Butchers, meat cutters and fishmongers - retail and wholesale |
| 633 - butchers and bakers | 6332 | Bakers |
Table 3: accepted skilled trades following a degree, diploma, certificate or attestation which does not meet minimum duration requirements.
French-speaking temporary resident to permanent resident pathway streams
As described above, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a new pathway to permanent residency for people already in Canada who are temporary workers or recent graduates from Canadian post-secondary institutions.
IRCC set up two routes.
An English-speaking route and a French speaking route.
The English speaking route has a cap on the number of applications it will accept: 90,000 applications.
But there is no cap on the number of French-speaking applicants.
The three streams set up for English speaking applications are mirrored for French speaking applicants:
- French-speaking recent graduates from Canadian post-secondary institutions
- French-speaking workers in Canada: essential, non-healthcare occupations
- French-speaking workers in Canada: healthcare occupations
All eligibility requirements are exactly the same between the English speaking streams and the French speaking streams except that proficiency in French must be proven rather than English.
You can check the eligibility requirements above for temporary workers (streams 1 and 2) and recent graduates (stream 3).
And of course the crucial difference is there is no cap on the number of French-speaking applications IRCC will accept.
Applications to the French speaking streams will be accepted from May 6th, 2021 until November 5th, 2021.
How to apply to the TR to PR pathway
Applications will be submitted through a dedicated online portal. The Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway Portal can be accessed here.
The first step is to confirm your eligibility for the new pathway. IRCC have released an eligibility tool to check if you’re eligible to apply for one of the steams. The eligibility tool can be found here.
If you’re eligible you should start pulling together the supporting documents you’ll need. Check the section below for an overview of the documents you’ll need.
You’ll need to create an account in the portal using the link above.
Once you’ve created an account you’ll be given a document checklist specific to your application of all the forms and documents you’ll need to submit.
The forms are not in the portal itself, they’re separate downloadable forms that you’ll need to complete (ideally electronically on your computer) then upload into the relevant section of the portal.
You can access the application forms here. There’s also specific details at this link on how you need to electronically sign the relevant forms.
You’ll need to also pay the application fees. Details of the cost and how to pay can be found here.
What supporting documents will I need to submit to apply for the TR to PR pathway?
The supporting documents you will need to submit with you application will vary slightly depending on the stream you are applying to. But there are a number of documents that apply to all streams.
You can get the full details of the documents required here and my summary is below.
The supporting documents required for all temporary resident to permanent resident pathway streams are:
Proof of your entry and status in Canada
This will be needed both when you apply and when a final decision is made on your application. To prove you status you’ll need to submit a copy of your most recent immigration document such as work permit or study permit.
Proof of current employment in Canada
This include both your work permit, an employer reference letter from your current employer and most recent pay stubs.
These documents are to satisfy the eligibility requirement that you must be employed when you apply. So these could be different to the documents you’ll need to prove you were employed in a healthcare or accepted essential occupation.
You can get all the details of what needs to be in the reference letter at the link at the end of this section.
French or English language test results
A copy of your test results from from one of the recognised testing regimes, such as IELTS. You can get more details of this here.
As I mentioned above, a good tip to help pass the speaking part of the English test is the ELSA app. They have a partnership with IELTS so it’s well suited to passing the test. Many of my non-native English speaking friends and colleagues use it to improve their spoken English. It’s pretty cool with some fancy AI. If you want to purchase the PRO pack then you can use this link to get a 80% discount on the lifetime option or a 30% discount on the 1-year option (which is better than the upgrade option you’ll be given in the app). Either way, you can check the app out here. *
Immigration Medical Exams
All new permanent residents are required to take a medical exam by an approved physician.
You may be able to use one you’ve already received as part of a previous application regardless of how long ago.
If you don’t already have one you should complete the exam before you apply or as close as possible to the date you submit. You will be able to provide proof at application that you have a test scheduled if you can’t get it done before the application.
More details on this at the link at the end of this section.
Police certificates
You’ll need criminal record checks for everyone in your application 18 years or older. You’ll need a police certificate for every country you stayed in for more that 6 months in a row in the last 10 years.
Marriage certificate or other civil status documents
If you’re married you’ll need your marriage certificate and any divorce certificates. If you’re in a common law union then you’ll need to complete a Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union and submit supporting information like a joint bank account statement, copies of leases or utility bills.
A photo of each member of the application family
The photos must have been taken within six months of submitting the application. Further details on the requirements for the photo are at the end of this section.
Supporting documents required for the healthcare and essential worker streams include:
In addition to the documents required for all streams outlined in the section above, you’ll also need:
A copy of your work permit.
Employer reference letter for the periods or work you identify as your applicable work experience. More details on what needs to be in the letter can be found at the link at the end of this section.
Copies of your T4 tax slips and your Notice of Assessment; or work contracts; or pay stubs.
Supporting documents required for the international graduate stream include:
In addition to the documents required for all streams outlined in the section above, here’s what else you’ll need.
You will need to submit proof of completed studies in Canada.
This should be a final transcript and letter from the institution or formal notice of graduation.
It must show the type of credential, the length of study, the completion date and the name of the institution.
It must also show that you were authorized to study for the duration of studies
Eligibility requirements for family members’ permanent residency
The principal applicant for permanent residency on this pathway will be able to include family members for permanent residency in the application.
A family member in this context is considered as:
- your spouse or common-law partner
- your dependent child
- your spouse’s or common-law partner’s dependent child
- a dependent child of a dependent child
The family does not need to meet all the same requirements as the principal applicant.
Family members will be granted permanent residency along with the principal applicant if they meet the following conditions:
- the family member is in Canada
- the family member is included in the application as an accompanying family member
Family members who are not currently living in Canada may also be eligible as accompanying family members – you can read more about this case here.
Full details of the exact requirements for all the supporting documents can be found in IRCC’s guide.
What to do if your current permit will expire before your new PR status is received
As an update to the TR to PR pathway, IRCC have introduced a new open work permit for TR to PR pathway applicants.
This might be useful to you if you have applied to the TR to PR pathway but your current permit for Canada will expire before you receive your new permanent resident status. Check out the details at the link above.
Background to the new TR to PR pathway
Canada’s 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan set a goal of admitting 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021.
Given the current border restrictions from the pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have been struggling to meet this goal and have been looking for ways to target temporary residents already in Canada.
So far this year, IRCC have only made Express Entry draws from immigration programs targeting people who likely already in Canada. This includes the biggest ever Canadian Experience Class (CEC) draw in history – inviting every single CEC candidate in the pool to apply: 27.332 people.
It seems this new pathway is the next step in IRCC targeting temporary residents already in Canada to meet its immigration targets.
It will allow a whole new group of people to apply for permanent residency who would have been unable to meet the eligibility requirements for other programs, such as Canadian Experience Class.
* All of the products and services I recommend on Canada for Newbies are independently selected based upon what I’ve personally found to be useful. When you get the ELSA app using one of the links in this article, I might earn a small affiliate commission. It won’t cost you anything at all and I would never recommend something I don’t believe in or use myself.
I hope you found this article useful. Please do let me know in the comments below what you think.
What do you think about the new pathway?
Do you think it’s going to be a one-time event or is it likely that another round will be announced later in the year?