Ontario hope to ban employers from demanding Canadian work experience and relax the immigration eligibility of the province so that international graduates from one-year college programs can be eligible for permanent residence.
These changes are expected to take effect in 2024 and will be part of legislation that the provincial government plans to introduce soon.
From December 1, over 30 occupational and professional licensing bodies will banned from using Canadian work experience requirements in licensing. An identical ban against employers in job postings and application forms will further remove a crucial employment hindrance for newcomers.
According to officials, helping internationally trained newcomers work in the professions they studied for could increase Ontario’s GDP by as much as $100 billion over the next five years. They said the ban on Canadian experience requirement would help better qualified candidates progress in the interview process.
David Piccini, minister of labour, immigration, training and skills development, said: “For far too long, too many people arriving in Canada have been funnelled toward dead-end jobs they’re overqualified for. We need to ensure these people can land well-paying and rewarding careers that help tackle the labour shortage.
“When newcomers to Ontario get a meaningful chance to contribute, everyone wins.”
Ontario controls its own provincial immigrant nominee program, which allows the province to screen and pick prospective permanent residents with the skills in demand, especially in health care and skilled trades. In 2023, the province has a quota of 16,500.
The province said it would welcome more international students via the nominee program by revising their eligibility requirements so students who finish a one-year college graduate certificate program can also be eligible.
This will help Ontario retain international students who already have an undergraduate degree and decide to upgrade their education in Canada.
Also, the new legislation will reduce how regulated professions like accountants, architects and geoscientists use third-party companies to assess international qualifications to ensure they are carried out in a “fast, transparent and fair” fashion.
Officials revealed changes to the provincial immigrant nominee program will take effect in early 2024 while other changes may take a bit longer to give employers and professional regulators time to comply.
