IRCC’s update on its plan to attract global talent

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has outlined recent progress on Skills Missions, one of the key objectives outlined in the Strategic Immigration Review released in October 2023.

The report comes from an Access to Information Request (ATIP) obtained by CIC News. According to the ATIP, the department is working on establishing the foundations for skills missions abroad to attract and retain the global talent that Canada needs to maintain its labour force and economy.

Skills missions are part of IRCC’s strategy to attract high-skilled newcomers to immigrate to Canada. They involve IRCC staff, as well as relevant stakeholders such as businesses or provincial/ territorial officials, traveling abroad to countries where there are large pools of potential labour.

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These missions are meant to fall under the jurisdiction of Chief International Talent Officer (CITO), but it has yet to be confirmed if IRCC has hired someone to fill this position.

In the meantime, the department says it has “made significant progress” in terms of developing a work plan, mapping existing provincial and federal services, taking stock of ethical recruitment practices, and holding preliminary discussions with stakeholders.

As part of the feedback IRCC received from stakeholders when creating the Strategic Immigration Review, the department noted that many employers in Canada find the process of hiring newcomers daunting, which can discourage them from considering hiring newcomers, especially those abroad, to fill urgent positions.

IRCC says skills missions will benefit employers by simplifying the immigration process and “bringing relevant parties together to address specific foreign talent needs.”

Some provinces already execute skills missions through their Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). For example, Manitoba regularly nominates candidates in the Skilled Worker Overseas category of the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program through Strategic Recruitment Initiatives, which aims to help employers in Manitoba who have “demonstrated an immediate, ongoing need for skilled workers.”

Which countries will IRCC target?

The ATIP explains that skills missions will also support other objectives such as increasing the number of French speakers outside of Quebec and the diversification of source countries for newcomers.

That said, the department says the countries targeted for skills missions depend on the type of occupation or group singled out in each mission. For example, regulated professions may be evaluated differently than unregulated.

For regulated professions, such as those in healthcare or trades, IRCC will work to identify countries with training or accreditation that is similar to Canada to help reduce the time it takes for newcomers to be eligible to work in their chosen professions when they arrive. It will also work with other partners to pinpoint countries where there is not a shortage of local labour to avoid being perceived as “poaching” talent.

For missions that target non-regulated professions, IRCC says it will work with other organizations and stakeholders to identify large, concentrated pools of labour.

In both instances, IRCC says it also considers existing bilateral agreements on labour mobility and free-trade agreements.

These missions will also potentially target countries with Francophone populations to assist IRCC in its obligations outlined by the Official Languages Act. The report notes that skills missions can be used to increase the demographic weight of Francophones outside of Quebec. IRCC has an official goal of ensuring that 6% of newcomers to Canada in 2024 are French speakers.

What occupations?

According to the ATIP, targeted occupations will vary “according to the region selected for a skills mission as well as participating employers.”

However, it also says occupations will be identified using data from the Canadian Occupational Project System (Models developed by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to anticipate demand for labour between now and 2031.)

The system already identified shortages in healthcare, STEM and skilled trades occupations in Canada. These have also been targeted in recent category-based Express Entry draws since May 2023.

Long term, the federal government says missions will not only be driven by short-term employment or regional needs.

IRCC's next steps

After IRCC identifies the occupations and countries it is targeting, it will consult with external stakeholders such as provincial and territorial governments and industry experts. From there, trip logistics will take shape in terms of employers invited to participate in the mission, travel reservations and the services IRCC will provide, which can vary between missions.

These missions will be planned by the Chief International Talent Officer who will act as a key part of IRCC’s Strategic Immigration Review objectives, one of which is to align immigration with labour market needs. According to the Review, the Officer is responsible for collecting information about the skills Canada needs for the future and ensuring that immigration better aligns with Canada’s labour market and sectoral strategies.

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