Skilled building trades qualify for the express lane to permanent residency under new guidelines for Canada’s immigration application system. The category-based selection process is expected to be in place this summer, targeting prospective immigrants with either French language proficiency or work experience in one of five designated occupational fields.

“Everywhere I go, I’ve heard loud and clear from employers across the country who are experiencing chronic labour shortages,” says Sean Fraser, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. “These changes to the Express Entry system will ensure that they have the skilled workers they need to grow and succeed.”

That system is already in place to manage applications for permanent residency from skilled workers who have entered Canada through either federal or provincial nominee programs. The new rules scope the field further, giving priority to specific categories of arrivals, which are to be established annually with input from public consultations.

In addition to French speakers and building and construction trades, health care workers, STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) professions, transport workers, and agriculture and agri-food workers have been tapped for 2023. The Express Entry system assesses immigration candidates on a points-based system and extends invitations to apply for permanent residency to the top-ranked candidates approximately twice per month throughout the year.