RECRUITING IMMIGRANT WORKERS : canada 2019.

Foreword
Acknowledgements
Acronyms and abbreviations
Executive summary
Assessment and recommendations
Summary of main policy recommendations
Chapter 1.  Context for labour migration to Canada
	Introduction
	Overview of labour migration flows and the economic and demographic context
		Permanent labour migration flows are high in international comparison, and Canada’s immigrant population is exceptionally qualified
		Current labour market conditions are favourable, and long-term projections predict labour shortages in high-skilled occupations
		The Canadian population is highly concentrated, and growth is driven by migration while the native-born population is ageing
		Entries and exits from the labour market are broadly balanced
	Evolution of Canadian immigration policy
		Settlement and nation building
		Selection based on ethnicity and country of origin
		The beginning of the point-based system
		Occupational targeting and temporary labour demands
		Regionalisation and demographic concerns
		Introduction of transition pathways for temporary migrants and increase in total intake
		From demand to supply driven permanent labour migration policies
		A new Immigration Act and application backlogs
		Ministerial Instructions and the introduction of Express Entry
		The establishment of two major streams of temporary labour migration
	Key actors in the management of labour migration to Canada
	Composition of labour migration to Canada
		Permanent labour migration
		Temporary labour migration
	Notes
	References
Chapter 2.  Permanent labour migration
	Evolution of the Points-Based System
	Express Entry
		The general process of the Expression of Interest system
		Step 1: Minimum entry requirements
			Age restrictions
			Skilled work experience
			Language competency
			Educational qualification
			The FSW specific entry grid
			Additional criteria for FST
		Step 2: The Comprehensive Ranking System
			Core and human capital factors
			Points for spouses and common-law partners
			Skill transferability points
			Additional points
	Key issues in the functioning of Express Entry
		Control and flexibility
			IRCC controls the timing and magnitude of new application intakes…
			…including programme-specific draws
			The floating pass mark (CRS-cut off) suggests a system that responds to changing parameters
			Ministerial Instructions allow for flexibility in migration management, but should be used parsimoniously
		Selecting those with the highest potential to succeed
			Early labour market outcomes of Express Entry immigrants are favourable
			EE prioritises those with the highest skills and other attributes linked with lasting integration
			Express Entry operates a large pool of skills
			The reason for continuing a Federal Skilled Trades Program is not evident
			A universal pool entry grid, based on the core CRS factors, would set minimum standards
			Landing depends on the migration class rather than on the CRS-score
			Low points for (foreign) work experience results in younger applicants
			Points for Canadian work and study experience favour onshore selection
			Salary should be considered as a proxy for high-skilled work experience in Canada
			Provinces can recruit directly from Express Entry while employers can use the government online platform Job Bank
			The current system prioritises skilled population growth over specific occupational demand…
			… but it is not clear if immigrants can find employment suited to their skill-level
			Barriers for immigrants’ access to regulated professions should be reduced and information exchange improved
		Efficiency and Transparency
			Express Entry shortened application processing times and increased efficiency
			The benefit of a LMIA in the context of permanent skilled migration is not evident
			Multi-year plans allow for a longer planning horizon
	Federal permanent labour migration outside of Express Entry
		Business programmes
		Pilot programmes
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References
		Annex 2.A. Canada’s points system and process comparison
Chapter 3.  Temporary labour migration
	Overview of temporary labour migrant groups
		Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program
			Recent reforms to the labour-market-tested programme reduced the number of permits issued
			The labour market test for “high-wage” positions is cumbersome
			The Global Talent Stream facilitates temporary migration for certain employers and occupations…
			…but most work permits remain employer-specific
			Work permit extensions involve a repetition of the process, including the fee…
			…and processing times for renewals are high, as are refusal rates
			Non-compliance rates under the TFW Program are low
			Exceptional arrangements for labour migration in the caregiving sector exist
			The 2019 caregiver pilots address shortcomings of the previous programmes
			Skill-selective access to permanent residence in caregiver categories would increase the programmes flexibility
			A new pilot in the agri-food sector will test an industry-specific approach to address structural low-skilled labour needs
		International Mobility Program (IMP)
			High growth, driven by a few admission categories
			Youth participating in temporary working programmes
			Non-compliance rates under the IMP are low
		International Students
			Strong increase in international students in parallel with expanded working possibilities
			Possibility to work is a key driver for deciding to study in Canada
			Approval rates have slightly declined but vary by province and programme as do processing times
	Common issues for the management of temporary labour migration
		Attracting Talent
			Canada is an attractive destination for highly educated workers from abroad
		Labour Market Impact
			Changes in labour market tested permits correlate with regional unemployment
			Missing information on IMP work permit holders hampers assessment of their labour market impact
			Labour market impact of international students is hard to monitor
			Intended occupations by region overlap among labour market tested and non-tested streams
		Transition
			Onshore transition has increased substantially in Canada
			Various pathways to onshore transition exist
			Onshore transition levels remain lower than in other settlement countries
			Immigrants with Canadian pre-admission experience have higher earnings than their peers selected from abroad
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References
Chapter 4.  Provincial migration management
	The interaction between the federal and the provincial governments in selecting labour migrants
		Selecting Economic Immigrants: shared competences between federal and provincial governments
			Federal and provincial programmes to select economic immigrants
			Quebec programmes
			Evolution and relative weight of PNP by province
	Federal versus provincial programmes: a comparison between Canada and Australia
	Economic immigrants selected by federal and by provincial governments: A comparison
		A profile of federal and provincial economic immigrants
		Labour market outcomes of federal and provincial economic immigrants
		Onshore transitions and the question of structural vs. temporary labour needs
	Inter-provincial mobility of labour immigrants
		Mobility of provincially selected labour immigrants
		Mobility of federally and Quebec-selected labour immigrants
		Mobility of labour immigrants by years since landing
	Settlement of provincially selected immigrants within provinces
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References