OTTAWA — The federal government is changing its immigration selection rules to favour foreign workers in higher-paying jobs, giving applicants with Canadian work experience or qualifying job offers an advantage in obtaining permanent residency.Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the changes Friday in Kitchener, Ont., with the new Express Entry rules taking effect November 3.The revised system will award additional points to foreign workers employed in occupations such as engineering, health care, technology and skilled trades, provided their professions meet Ottawa's new wage requirements.Applicants with at least one year of Canadian work experience in an eligible occupation will receive between 20 and 70 additional points. Those with qualifying job offers could receive between 50 and 100 points.To qualify, an occupation must have a median wage at least 1.3 times the national median wage. Applicants eligible for points through both Canadian experience and a job offer will receive whichever score is higher.Ottawa is also dropping the requirement for a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) for qualifying job offers, removing a step previously used to assess whether hiring a foreign worker would affect Canada's labour market..Immigration officials will still review job offers to determine whether they are legitimate and whether employers can fulfil their commitments.“Canada is competing globally for people with the skills we need to build a prosperous economy and stronger public services,” Metlege Diab said.The changes follow consultations that raised concerns about favouring higher-paid professions over other occupations.Some participants warned that workers in lower-paying but essential jobs, as well as younger applicants, could be disadvantaged by the new criteria. Others argued that giving preference to immigrants already working in Canada would help employers retain experienced workers.The government will begin recalculating scores for candidates already in the Express Entry pool on November 3. Applicants seeking points for job offers must update their profiles before then.Invitations to apply for permanent residency will be suspended for up to two weeks while the new rules are introduced.Express Entry is used to select economic immigrants through several federal programs, ranking candidates based on factors including education, language proficiency and work experience.Friday's announcement follows other changes to the system this year, including measures giving priority to physicians and workers in sectors facing labour shortages.
