Skilled Worker Applications - TOASTED

For years, I have called the Federal Skilled Worker application the white bread of all immigration applications. It serves a purpose, is commonly used and offers no real benefit compared to multi-grain and high fibre applications like provincial nominees or sponsored spouses. Late in ’08 the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism issued instructions to improve the class which are as effective as toasting white bread to increase its nutritional value.

Under the Minister’s instructions, all skilled worker applications filed after February 27, 2008 will be assessed using specific guidelines, designed to prioritize applicants likely to find a job in Canada and to weed out those who are not. The estimated 800,000 Applications filed before February 27, 2008 are not captured by the new policies and will remain languishing at visa posts until processed.

As instructed, three different filters will be used to determine the likelihood of an applicant to find work and settle in Canada. The first is an occupation list issued by the Minister, the second is the existence of arranged employment and the third is an examination of an applicant’s status in Canada.

Obtaining 67 points on a skilled worker assessment is no longer good enough; an applicant must now also pass through one of these three filters. If an applicant fails to satisfy the new criteria, their application will be returned, unprocessed and with a full refund.

The occupation list is a rigid compilation of what have been deemed by the Minister to be 38 high-demand occupations, ranging from financial managers to natural resource, construction, food service and medical professionals, among others. If an applicant has qualifying work experience in one of theses 38 occupations, their application will be welcomed and processed.

The real problem with this approach is that unless the Minister has a crystal ball, there is no way of knowing that designated occupations will remain in high-demand. We all know that past performance of our economy in no way guarantees future performance and one only need to look at the recent massive job loss reports in sectors where occupations were deemed by the Minister as “high-demand” to reach this conclusion. If the Minister has a crystal ball, it clearly hasn’t been working very well. While the Minster can amend or adjust the occupation list at any time, one has to wonder how effective that approach will be; I liken it to catching up with the past instead of preparing for the future.

The second and third criteria make a lot more sense. If an applicant has an offer of arranged employment, which is a job offer waiting for him or her upon becoming a permanent resident, than that application will be processed and prioritized. There is no sense in denying a Canadian employer an identified employee who will contribute to the success of a business. As for the third filter, if an applicant is already in Canada and settled in as a worker or student, they qualify and are probably more likely to settle and integrate with fewer complications and for the betterment of our country.

The question of the need for the Minister’s instructions has been debated for months and the controversy will continue as the policy is put into practice. At the end of the day, the tinkering with the skilled worker class only creates more uncertainty and confirms what I have been writing about for the past couple of years – if you are serious about immigration and are thinking skilled worker, think again.