Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has proposed an amendment to the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act (IRPA) to establish a new permanent economic immigration class for workers with experience and training at Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) levels 4 and 5. This change aims to modernize the economic immigration system and facilitate permanent residency for individuals with a broader range of skills and experience, addressing the challenge of securing permanent status faced by those with valuable Canadian work experience.
Abhijit Zaveri, Director and Founder of Career Mosaic, emphasizes the importance for Indian professionals to highlight their qualifications and experiences to leverage opportunities within Canada’s evolving job market. Details regarding the new class and pathways will be released this autumn in the Canada Gazette, Part I, with subsequent publication in Part II, as part of the Forward Regulatory Plan for 2024-2026. This initiative follows the 2022 introduction of the TEER system, which updated the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system by categorizing jobs into TEERs, replacing the previous Skill Levels from NOC 2016.
TEERs 0-3 cover roles requiring post-secondary education or specific apprenticeships, while TEERs 4 and 5 encompass jobs needing only a high school diploma, on-the-job training, or, in the case of TEER 5, minimal formal education but some short-term work experience. Currently, TEER 4 and 5 occupations are generally not eligible for federal economic immigration programs like Express Entry, posing challenges for newcomers in these roles to attain permanent residency.
A recent Statistics Canada study highlights a trend towards low-skilled employment among temporary foreign workers (TFWs) and international students, particularly in sectors such as accommodation, food services, and retail trade. This shift has implications for earnings and economic integration, potentially leading to a higher proportion of low-skilled TFWs among new immigrants. The proposed amendments seek to improve pathways to permanent residency for individuals with Canadian work experience in TEER 4 and 5 positions, thus enhancing their ability to contribute to the Canadian economy and meet sectoral labor market needs.
IRCC has identified this initiative as a medium-term priority, and the regulatory changes will not require coordination with domestic or international regulatory bodies. India remains one of the top ten countries for Canadian Permanent Residency, with approximately 65,000 PRs issued to Indian nationals in 2024. Indian immigrants typically use Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programme (PNP), or Family Sponsorship pathways. The new TEER-based pathway is expected to facilitate the transition from temporary to permanent residency for more Indian workers, enabling them to fully engage in and contribute to the Canadian economy. IRCC will conduct consultations during the pre-publication phase in the Canada Gazette, Part I, to gather feedback from stakeholders, including businesses, advocacy groups, and the public, to refine the proposed changes.
