Canada accelerates accreditation for foreign health professionals
The Canadian Government assists 6,600 internationally trained health professionals to work in Canada by providing $86 million for credential recognition. The funding will be allocated to 15 different organizations to improve foreign credential recognition in key health professions. The move is in response to Canada’s labour shortages and an increasing demand for health workers. The new investment will simplify the credential recognition process and provide Canadian work experience for internationally trained health professionals. The funding is part of Canada’s long-term plan to improve healthcare, with a total investment of over $200 billion planned over the next decade.
Provinces to enhance university supervision after international student limit
Canada’s provinces warned that proposed caps on study permits could close some colleges and universities due to fewer international students. Immigration Minister Marc Miller imposed a two-year cap, reducing permits by over a third. This cap will result in around 364,000 permits, a 35% decrease from 2023, with each province’s cap based on population. Some provinces may increase their international student population, but others, like Ontario, will see significant cuts. This coincides with Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP) eligibility changes, which may exclude some private college students.
Two-step immigrants in Canada outearn one-step newcomers
A recent report from Statistics Canada compared the earnings of one-step and two-step economic immigrants. The study found that two-step immigrants, selected from temporary foreign workers and international students with Canadian work experience, consistently earn more than one-step immigrants, even after a decade of arrival. This gap remains after adjusting for sociodemographic differences. The proportion of immigrants with pre-landing Canadian work experience increased from 12% in 2000 to 78% in 2021, improving immigrant economic outcomes. Two-step immigrants, especially those in high-skilled jobs, had better labour market outcomes due to employers’ ability to assess skills, directly leading to a better skill-job match. This process also reduces skill transferability issues often faced by one-step immigrants.
