Canada’s Immigration Department Plans to Fast Track Truck Drivers
Canada is opening a new window to welcome skilled newcomers as permanent residents. Truck Drivers will be included in this new Express Entry program.
Yesterday, May 31, 2023, The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the first-ever launch of category-based selection for Canada’s flagship economic immigration management system. It will be called Express Entry.
Trucking was one of the select few occupations to be included.
Canada will issue invitations to attract prospective permanent residents with specific skills, training, or language abilities. Transport truck drivers will be officially included as eligible in this new program.
The announcement was part of Canada's plan to increase immigration to support our economic growth. With employers eagerly seeking to fill countless vacant positions nationwide, immigration is vital to solving this puzzle. Recognizing this reality, the Government of Canada is building an immigration system that acts as a catalyst for growth, empowering businesses, helping address their labor needs and strengthening French communities.
The new announcement is part of an initiative begun in November 2022 to create a way to fast-track immigration and includes areas of skill and aptitude in the process. The trucking lobby fought to have truck drivers in that list of skills, known as the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 for immigration programs. This helped pave the way for trucking’s entrance into the Express Entry programs.
The Canadian Trucking Alliance helped push the government into including the trucking sector in the new category-based selections for fast-tracking new Canadians. Both the Federal Government and the trucking industry recognized that for Canada to have healthy growth and a strong economy, there was a direct need to fuel new employees into the trucking industry and the supply chain.
In late 2022, IRCC held a public consultation on enhancing Express Entry through category- based selection. The Canadian Trucking Association CTA made a business case to include in the category-based selection system.
It’s a complicated process since the needs of immigration and the country keep changing. Each year categories for express entry will be assessed based on; labor market information and projections and input received from the government’s partners, which include provinces and territories and stakeholders across the country.
The category system will make Express Entry more responsive to Canada’s changing economic and labor market needs. These priorities focus on bringing in skilled workers who can integrate and contribute to Canada’s future.
