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On 14 March 2008, the Government of Canada introduced changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act with the objective of reducing the waiting time for applicants who have the skills Canada needs.
The changes, approved by Parliament on 18 June 2008, give Canada's immigration minister the authority to issue instructions to immigration officers which would allow them to fast-track skilled migration applicants who possess particular skill sets.
Immigration Minister Diane Finley is currently holding consultations with provinces, territories and other key stakeholders about the types of occupations that will be needed in Canada and where there are shortages within the workplace, both provincially and across Canada as a whole.
The 'Regional Lists of Occupations under Pressure' -- maintained by Human Resource Social Development Canada (HRSDC) -- shows health occupations in particular shortage throughout all Canadian provinces and territories, with a particular need for Registered Nurses.
In addition, HRSDC research entitled 'Looking Ahead: A 10 Year Outlook of the Canadian Labour Market' found that the health sector had the largest number of occupations showing signs of shortages at the national level.
Pressures are particularly acute for physicians, therapy and assessment professionals (e.g. physiotherapists), head nurses and nurse aides. Other health occupations are also experiencing shortages, such as registered nursing assistants, audiology technicians, physiotherapy technicians and medical radiation technologists.
Growth in demand for those occupations has been strong, due to the rising needs associated with population aging, increases in government funding for health care, and a high number of people retiring from the workforce. On the other hand, supply growth in many of these occupations has been relatively weak.
In some areas, the lack of supply may reflect the effects of earlier deficit control decisions (including accelerated retirements), declines in enrollments in related training programs, or delays in graduation due to lengthening course requirements. In those occupations, new supply from immigration is also limited as a result of foreign-credentials recognition issues and strong competition stemming from the overall global demand for health care workers.
It is expected after the Minister has completed the consultations on immigration priorities that cases for applicants who meet the point's requirements in occupations such as Registered Nurses will be fast tracked.
In addition, the time it will take to gain permanent residence in Canada will be dramatically reduced in some cases to less than a year -- if the proposals go ahead as planned.
