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GLOBAL TALENT

Immigration law

18 Feb

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has provided insights into their successful implementation of Skills Missions, which is a significant achievement outlined in their Strategic Immigration Review released last October.

This initiative is a game-changer for IRCC's mission to jazz up Canada's immigration system by honing in on skilled individuals from around the world. Think of it as Canada’s way of hosting a global talent show, where the prize is a spot in the Great White North—no talent acts required, just top-notch skills.

Through these missions, IRCC aims to meet the evolving needs of Canada's labor market while reinforcing the country's commitment to welcoming and integrating talented individuals into its workforce and society.

The information comes from documents obtained through an Access to Information Request (ATIP) by CIC News. According to these documents, the department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is actively engaged in establishing the foundational framework for skills missions abroad.

These initiatives are like Canada’s secret sauce for luring top-notch international talent to beef up our workforce and fuel economic growth. It's IRCC’s way of saying, "We’re not just sitting back and watching; we’re actively mixing up the perfect recipe for success," all while staying true to the game plan from the Strategic Immigration Review released in October 2023. It’s as if Canada’s giving a standing ovation to global skills and saying, "Welcome to the stage"

Skills missions are IRCC's way of globe-trotting with purpose, like a team of international talent scouts with a serious case of wanderlust. Picture IRCC staff, along with business bigwigs and provincial VIPs, on a mission to countries overflowing with skilled workers, armed with maple syrup and job offers in hand.

Their goal? To charm and woo top-notch talent into making Canada their new home sweet home, while also ensuring the workforce gets a boost of productivity. These missions aren't just about finding skilled folks-they're about turning Canada into the ultimate destination for ambitious professionals looking to thrive in a land where winter isn't just a season, but a national sport.

These missions are intended to be overseen by the Chief International Talent Officer (CITO), though it remains uncertain whether IRCC has appointed someone to assume this role.

Meanwhile, the department has been busier than a cat at a laser pointer convention. They've been crafting a detailed work plan, mapping out all the services provided by both the federal and provincial governments. It’s like trying to organize a potluck with everyone bringing a different dish, only this potluck includes bureaucratic red tape and a few thousand pages of policy documents.

They're also ensuring that recruitment practices are fair and ethical, which is crucial when bringing in new talent. Additionally, they've started discussions with key stakeholders who are involved in these processes to get their input and make sure everyone's on the same page.

In simpler terms, they're putting together a plan, figuring out who does what, making sure they're doing things right when they hire people, and talking to the right people about it all.

As part of the input IRCC got from stakeholders during the Strategic Immigration Review, the department found that many Canadian employers are about as excited about hiring newcomers as they are about doing their taxes.

The process can be so intimidating that it sometimes scares them off from even considering hiring overseas talent, especially for those urgent job openings. It’s a bit like trying to convince someone to try a new dish at a potluck, only this dish comes with a complicated recipe and a side of paperwork.

IRCC says skills missions make it easier for employers to hire foreign talent. They bring together different groups like businesses and government to work together better. This helps cut through red tape and makes things smoother for everyone involved.

By doing so, IRCC intends to make it easier for employers to navigate the complexities of hiring international talent, ultimately ensuring that Canada can efficiently meet its workforce demands with skilled individuals from around the world. It’s like giving them a GPS for the hiring process—so they don’t get lost in the bureaucratic maze and end up hiring another office plant instead.

IRCC promises that skills missions will be like a matchmaking service for employers and foreign talent, cutting through bureaucratic red tape like a hot knife through butter. Picture them as the ultimate wingman, bringing together businesses and skilled workers from abroad with the finesse of a cupid armed with immigration forms and job offers. It's like speed-dating for the global workforce, making it easier than ever for Canadian employers to find their perfect match in the international talent pool.

Some provinces, like Manitoba, use skills missions in their Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), kind of like recruiting scouts for a talent show. For instance, Manitoba often selects candidates under the Skilled Worker Overseas category of its PNP through Strategic Recruitment Initiatives. This helps Manitoba businesses that urgently need skilled workers, both now and in the future. It’s like a matchmaking service, but instead of finding your soulmate, they’re finding the perfect fit for that elusive job opening you’ve been struggling to fill.

According to the ATIP, skills missions will also help achieve goals like boosting the number of French speakers outside Quebec and broadening the countries from which newcomers originate.

On a lighter note, the department mentions that the choice of countries for skills missions depends on the specific occupations or groups targeted in each mission. For instance, they might approach regulated professions differently than unregulated ones. It’s like choosing the right fishing spot, if you’re after trout, you’ll head to a different lake than if you’re after bass. So, if you’re a highly specialized brain surgeon, don’t be surprised if they don’t send you on a mission to find plumbers!

In the world of regulated professions like healthcare and trades, IRCC aims to find countries where training or accreditation closely matches Canada's standards. This way, newcomers can get into their chosen fields quicker than it takes to finish a sitcom episode. They're also teaming up with partners to scout out places where the local talent pool is plentiful, so they don't come off like talent-stealing magpies.

For missions focused on non-regulated professions, IRCC plans to collaborate with various organizations and stakeholders to pinpoint significant clusters of available labor. In both cases, IRCC also takes into account established bilateral agreements on labor mobility and free-trade agreements.

These missions aren't just about finding skilled individuals; they also serve some strategic purposes for IRCC. By targeting countries with significant Francophone populations, IRCC aims to meet its obligations under the Official Languages Act, which emphasizes the promotion and preservation of both English and French as Canada’s official languages. It’s like sending a team to recruit for a bilingual talent show because if you’re going to get the best performers, you might as well make sure they can sing in both languages!

The report emphasizes that these skills missions are important for increasing the number of French speakers outside of Quebec. IRCC aims for 6% of newcomers to Canada in 2024 to speak French well. This goal helps Canada become more diverse linguistically and supports French-speaking communities nationwide by promoting their culture and language.

Furthermore, IRCC considers international agreements on labor mobility and free trade when planning these missions. This approach ensures that efforts to attract skilled individuals also align with broader economic and diplomatic objectives, promoting Canada. It's like planning a party where you invite the right guests to keep everyone happy—except instead of guests, it's skilled workers, and the party is in Canada.

According to the ATIP, the choice of which jobs to target in skills missions will depend on where they're heading and who's throwing the party (or hiring, rather).

They're not just winging it, though, they're using a fancy system called the Canadian Occupational Projection System, which predicts job shortages like a crystal ball but with more data and fewer wizards. It's already flagged gaps in healthcare, STEM, and skilled trades across Canada, which explains why those fields have been the stars of recent Express Entry draws since May 2023.

And while they're keen on meeting immediate needs, the government insists these missions won't just be a short-term fix. They're aiming for something more like a long-term relationship with global talent, not just a one-night stand of employment needs.

Once IRCC decides which jobs and countries it's focusing on, they'll talk to other important groups like provincial governments and industry experts.

After these consultations, IRCC will start planning the practical details of the missions. This means they’ll decide which employers will be invited, arrange travel plans, and figure out what services they’ll offer during each mission. These services can change based on things like the types of jobs they’re focusing on, what the employers need, and which countries they’re visiting.

These missions will be orchestrated by the Chief International Talent Officer, who plays a pivotal role in IRCC’s Strategic Immigration Review goals, including the noble quest to match immigration with what Canada really needs.

As per the Review, the Officer’s job is to gather Intel on the skills Canada will need in the future and ensure immigration plans align perfectly with Canada’s job market and sector strategies. Think of them as a mix between a talent scout and a matchmaker-scouting for skills and matchmaking between immigrants and job openings. As if they are trying to find the right ingredients for a recipe, making sure everything blends together without any awkward mismatches or culinary disasters.

In conclusion, IRCC's plan to reel in global talent with skills missions is like setting up the ultimate talent-catching net. By pinpointing the right jobs and countries, consulting with all the bigwigs, and smoothing out immigration hurdles, they're not just playing matchmaker for employers and skilled workers-they're orchestrating a global dance-off where Canada's job market gets the best moves.

This initiative isn't just about plugging skill gaps; it's also about spicing up Canada's cultural mix, especially with their mission to boost Francophones outside Quebec. With a strategic mix of charm and logistics, IRCC is turning Canada into the ultimate hotspot for global talent, ensuring a future as bright and diverse as fireworks show on Canada Day.

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