Statistics Canada is hiring for 32,000 jobs across Canada – work permit holders qualify, may build eligibility for PR

The next Census of Population is being conducted in May of 2026, and Statistics Canada is hiring for approximately 32,000 jobs across the country to aid in data collection.

Work permit holders will qualify for consideration for a variety of supervisory and non-supervisory roles.

The hiring of associated roles for the census will begin between March and July of 2026, with some potentially counting towards Canadian Experience Class (CEC) work requirements.

Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm

This article will cover

• Who can apply for a 2026 census position;
• Which roles are available; and
• How experience gained can count toward CEC work requirements.

Who is eligible for consideration?

To be considered for a census job, individuals must meet the following requirements:

• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or possess a valid work permit;
• Live in Canada and have a Canadian home address; and
• Have reached the age of majority in their current province or territory.
  • For Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan, this is age 18 years of age; elsewhere it is 19 years of age.

If you meet the above eligibility requirements, you can fill out and submit an online form, which takes less than 10 minutes to complete. You will be required to provide references for two individuals who have supervised or are familiar with your work.

The deadline to submit an application is July 31, 2026.

Following initial screening and a reference check, Statistics Canada will conduct interviews for supervisory positions (non-supervisory positions do not require one), before conducting a security screening of each candidate.

You will only be contacted if there are positions available in your geographic area.

Which positions are available?

Statistics Canada is hiring for enumerator (non-supervisory) and crew leader (supervisory) roles. This is what each role entails:

Enumerator ($25.87/h): Primary duties include collecting census information through door-to-door visits.

Individuals applying for an enumerator role must be available to work at least 20 hours per week (determined by workload), with most work to be completed in the evening and on weekends.

The employment period for enumerators runs from May to July 2026.

Crew leader ($31.32/h): Primary duties include managing an assistant and a team of enumerators, coordinating and overseeing questionnaire collection-related activities within a designated area.

Those in crew leader positions need to be available 40 hours per week—this includes days, evenings, and weekends.

The employment period for crew leaders is March to July 2026.

For both positions, individuals may claim authorized expenses such as mileage and parking.

Those who are selected must attend mandatory training (paid per hour).

Statistics Canada notes that recruitment for certain positions begins early in some locations. Early census collection will start in February 2026 in select northern and remote communities.

There will also be some hiring for crew leader assistant, field operations supervisor assistant, and collection support unit operator roles, though Statistics Canada notes that most available census jobs will be for crew leaders and enumerators.

Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm

Can hours worked be counted toward CEC work requirements?

For work to be counted under Express Entry’s Canadian Experience Class (CEC) program, it must fall under TEER* 0, 1, 2, or 3, be paid, and be gained while working in Canada under a valid temporary resident status (e.g., while on a valid work permit).

You must have at least 1,560 hours (one year) of skilled work experience in the three years before applying for permanent residence with the immigration department, and this can be in more than one National Occupational Classification (NOC) code. Work requirements can be met through full-time or part-time work at one or more jobs, but you can only count up to 30 hours per week (even if you work more hours per week).

Enumerators will not be able to count time worked toward CEC work requirements, as this role is classified as TEER 4 under Canada’s NOC system—NOC 14110 (Survey interviewers and statistical clerks).

Census crew leaders, on the other hand, may be able to count time worked to meet CEC work requirements, as this role falls under NOC 12113 (Census Crew Leader in Canada).

Given the limited duration of the employment, it will not independently satisfy the one-year requirement, but it can serve as a top-up alongside other qualifying Canadian work.

If, as a crew leader, you work from March 1 to July 31, 2026 (at least 30 hours per week), you can use this job to fulfill 660 hours of the 1,560-hour CEC requirement.

A note for crew leaders: Keep in mind that to claim work experience under NOC 12113 for CEC, you must be able to show that you performed most of the main duties listed under the NOC job description (and the actions in the job description’s lead statement).

The full array of duties of a Statistics Canada census crew leader has not been shared publicly at this time (only primary duties); so, whether you can claim having done “most of the main duties” for this NOC and thereby use it to meet CEC requirements, remains to be seen.

As for the remaining roles mentioned earlier, these are unlikely to fall under skilled work and thereby will likely not count toward CEC work requirements.

* Canada’s NOC system assigns each occupation a TEER level from 0 to 5, reflecting the role’s required training, education, experience, and responsibilities, with TEER 0 representing the highest-skilled jobs and TEER 5 the lowest.

What is the Canadian Census?

The Canadian census is Statistics Canada’s five-year nationwide survey and population count.

Its purpose is to provide a detailed statistical portrait of Canada by collecting information about people, families, and dwellings across the country.

The information collected helps shape policy and program design in core areas such as education and childcare, health care delivery, public transportation, housing, and community planning.

Participation in the census is legally required; all Canadian households must complete a:

• Short form demographic-based questionnaire: age, sex and gender, language, marital status, and household composition; and
• Long-form questionnaire: Includes questions on topics like place of birth, ethnic or cultural origins, religion, mobility, education, labour, commuting, and housing.

Schedule a Free Work Permit Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm