In a statement on Wednesday, the immigration department said the new categories would build on plans to attract global talent in high-demand sectors such as healthcare, construction and transport.

		Read more: As Canada boosts immigration, skills mismatches ‘discourage’ newcomers 		
	read more 	


			As Canada boosts immigration, skills mismatches ‘discourage’ newcomers

New occupations now eligible for permanent residency under the Express Entry program include nursing assistants, dental assistants and pharmacy technicians as the country’s health care system is in crisis with staff shortages, long emergency room wait times and surgical delays. The list also includes primary and secondary teacher assistants, truck drivers, bus drivers, subway operators, aircraft assemblers and beauticians, among others. Story continues below ad “We are using all the tools at our disposal to address labor shortages, particularly in key sectors such as health care, construction and transport,” Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said in a statement. “These changes will support Canadians who need these services, and they will support employers by providing them with a stronger workforce that we can rely on to lead our economy into a prosperous future.” 1:28 International students allowed to work longer hours to help with labor shortages The announcement comes as Canada has increased its immigration targets, aiming to welcome 1.45 million new immigrants over the next three years. Current trend

			Oakville high school at center of teacher uniform controversy receives bomb threat 	   				FIFA World Cup: ‘Dress conservatively, behave discreetly’, Canada warns fans in Qatar

Of these, 848,595 people will be in different economic streams for skilled workers to help industries facing acute labor shortages, according to the government.

		Read more: Canadians worried about housing as Ottawa raises immigration targets: poll

Story continues below ad The move has been widely welcomed by manpower experts and industries who say it will benefit the economy, but a more strategic and skills-based approach is needed without delays. “If we’re really going to bring in skilled workers, we have to let them start working right away,” Sherry Rabinowitz, a human resources expert in Montreal, said in an interview Monday. “We need to speed up the process and we need to integrate them into the workplace as soon as possible,” he told Global News. 2:25 Sean Fraser: Canada needs more people In an effort to fill job gaps, Ottawa has temporarily lifted the 20-hour work week cap for international students in Canada. Immigrants make up nearly a quarter of all people in Canada, according to the latest 2021 census data. Story continues below ad Immigration accounts for 90 percent of Canada’s labor force growth and about 75 percent of population growth, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.