If you’re considering immigrating to Canada, now may be the perfect time for you. Canada is experiencing one of the hardest-hitting labour shortages that we’ve seen in this country. Trucking is among the areas that have been hit with the most demand and it doesn’t seem like that’s going to change anytime soon. Are you considering immigrate to Canada as a truck driver? If so, now may just be the time for you to do so.
In-Demand Truck Driving Jobs
The truck transportation sector is experiencing an 8% vacancy rate, which amounts to 55,600 unfilled jobs across Canada. Furthermore, Statistics Canada has projected that about 36,000 workers will retire between 2019 and 2023. In order to adequately support economic recovery in Canada, the trucking and logistics industry needs additional support and programming to address the driver shortage.
For the past few years, truck drivers in Canada have been considered semi-skilled, which has limited their chances of being able to immigrate. Fortunately, there’s good news coming! After November 16th, truck drivers will be classified as skilled workers instead of semi-skilled.
The Advantages of Working as a Truck Driver in Canada
There is a number of benefits to trucking in Canada that are worth highlighting. These benefits include:
- With an average salary of $46k per year, truck drivers are well paid and have the potential to be promoted in their careers.
- Some employers offer health insurance as a compensation package.
- You’ll get to enjoy your time off without worrying about your paycheck.
- Truck drivers are in high demand, so there’s no shortage of opportunities. When you secure a job in this field and do it right, you won’t have to worry about unemployment!
- Many people enjoy sightseeing, so traveling around the country while working allows you to vacation and be paid at the same time!
The Process to Immigrate to Canada as a Truck Driver
Immigrants who want to work as truck drivers in Canada need the necessary skills, education, and job experience. Your chances of being nominated for a specific immigration pathway will rely on the province’s need for qualified workers since each pathway is province-specific. IRCC assesses, recruits, and selects candidates that meet the right criteria under 3 different economic programs which include:
1. Express Entry
Express Entry is Canada’s most popular and largest channel for skilled workers with an interest in receiving citizenship status. Candidates are ranked through a number of different factors, such as age, experience, education, proficiency in a language, and more. The IRCC will assess and recruit candidates who meet the appropriate criteria under 3 different economic programs:
As of 2022, truck driving is a new eligible occupation for Express Entry because of the NOC codes that were announced in 2021. The new codes are slated to be implemented in late 2022.
2. Provincial Nomination Provincial (PNP)
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), is a branch of Express Entry because the applications received under PNPs are frequently handled and processed through the same system. Applying for a PNP nomination places you in a pool where that province or territory might nominate you and give you permanent residence in Canada in order to fill their particular labor shortages. This is the ideal route for any competent foreign worker who already knows the province or territory they wish to settle in.
3. Temporary Foreign Worker Permit (TFWP)
Obtaining a Temporary Foreign Worker Permit can provide you with temporary status in Canada, and may later grant you permanent residency. For the best chance of achieving a Canada Permanent Residency, look for an employer who is either LMIA certified or willing to become LMIA certified as well as consider if there are already jobs available with that company. The perfect TFWP scenario would be connecting to your potential employer through an online job search and interviewing process in Canada, gaining Canadian work experience, and then applying through a Canadian Experience Class.
How to Find Truck Driving Jobs in Canada
If you’re just starting your job search, don’t worry! You can do a quick Google search to reveal thousands of available positions. To get even more options, try browsing online job portals for new jobs that are posted daily. These are some of the most insightful and worth mentioning:
- LinkedIn is a social media site that is popular among job-seekers, recruiters, and employers.
- Driverlink is a Canadian online employment board that specializes in truck drivers.
- Indeed Canada is an online website that aggregates listings from over a thousand different job boards so you can find the right career opportunities.
Let Us Assist You to Immigrate to Canada as a Truck Driver
If you’re looking for a place to settle down, we recommend moving up to the North where there’s universal healthcare, a low cost of living, and high chances for success. With inadequate truck drivers in many areas of the country, you’re likely to make a stable living and have plenty of opportunities for advancement.
Getting a Canadian work permit is a complex process and it can be hard to get started. Thankfully, we’re here to help! Cougar Immigration specializes in getting people their visas. Feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.
