Supporting Newcomers and International Talent in Transition

Canada relies on newcomers’ skills and global experience to strengthen its workforce and communities. For many immigrants, temporary foreign workers, and international graduates, career decisions are closely tied to immigration status. Choices about occupation, location, and employer can influence permanent residency (PR) eligibility.

Understanding the basics of Canada’s immigration system is therefore increasingly important. While Career Development Practitioners (CDPs) do not provide immigration advice, basic immigration literacy helps guide clients more effectively and align career decisions with long-term settlement goals.

Canada’s Immigration Strategy: Increasingly Targeted

Canada’s immigration policy continues to evolve to better align with labour market needs and infrastructure capacity. The 2025–2027 Federal Immigration Levels Plan prioritizes transitioning temporary residents already living in Canada—including international graduates and foreign workers—into permanent residency. Government projections indicate that over 40% of future permanent residents will come from individuals already in Canada.

The Express Entry (EE) system has also shifted toward targeted recruitment in sectors facing labour shortages. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) now conducts category-based selections for occupations in healthcare, transportation, skilled trades, education, agriculture, and French-language candidates. The Canadian Armed Forces have also begun recruiting highly skilled foreign military applicants for specialized roles.

These changes reflect a broader shift; immigration is increasingly used as a labour-market strategy rather than a population-growth tool.

Recalibration of Temporary Foreign Worker Programs

Canada has tightened temporary labour program oversight. Recent changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) limit the proportion of low-wage foreign workers employers may hire and increase the monitoring of labour market conditions.

These measures aim to ensure employers recruit internationally only when Canadian workers are unavailable. However, exemptions remain in sectors with persistent shortages, including healthcare, construction, agriculture, and food production.

For newcomers, these policy changes can influence employment strategies and long-term immigration opportunities.

Provincial Immigration Pathways: A Strategic Role

Provinces are instrumental in immigration selection through Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), and regional initiatives. Many provinces prioritize local candidates already working locally or employed in sectors facing labour shortages, such as healthcare, construction, technology, and social services.

Specifically, the Atlantic Immigration Program allows designated employers to recruit international workers to fill regional workforce gaps. This place-based approach helps provinces and communities select newcomers who can support regional economic development.

Why Immigration Awareness Matters in Career Coaching

Many newcomers seek career guidance for job searches, yet employment choices often carry immigration implications. Career professionals can help clients:

• Identify employment aligned with immigration pathways
• Understand occupational classifications through National Occupational Classification (NOC) and Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) levels
• Plan career pathways that support long-term settlement
• Recognize when to consult licensed immigration professionals

Understanding this employment-immigration connection allows CDPs to guide more strategic job searches.

Work Permits and Occupational Classification

Many newcomers begin their Canadian careers through temporary work permits, sometimes supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) confirming that hiring a foreign worker will not negatively affect the Canadian labour market. Some permits are LMIA-exempt through programs such as the Global Skills Strategy.

International graduates may obtain a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) to gain Canadian work experience supporting immigration pathways.

Eligibility for many immigration programs also depends on Canada’s NOC system, which classifies jobs by TEER levels based on training, education, experience, and responsibilities. Most federal economic programs prioritize experience in TEER 0–3 occupations, and eligibility depends on job duties rather than job titles.

TEER levels include:

• TEER 0: Management occupations
• TEER 1: Occupations requiring a university degree
• TEER 2: Technical or supervisory roles requiring college or apprenticeship training
• TEER 3: Skilled occupations requiring shorter college or apprenticeship training
• TEER 4: Jobs requiring secondary school or on-the-job training
• TEER 5: Occupations requiring minimal formal training

Practical Strategies: Supporting Immigrant Clients

Career professionals can support newcomer clients in eight ways:

1) Help clients document job duties.

Encourage clients to track responsibilities, job descriptions, contracts, and work hours, ensuring their experience aligns with NOC classifications. For example, a Marketing Assistant performing social media management, market research, and advertising may align more closely with a Marketing Specialist (TEER 1) role, improving eligibility for programs, such as Express Entry.

2) Support continuous skilled work experience.

Many immigration pathways require consistent skilled employment. For example, a software developer in Toronto who gains one year of TEER 1 Canadian work experience may qualify for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), under Express Entry.

3) Identify employers experienced with international talent.

Some employers are more familiar with hiring foreign workers. For example, an Ontario-based Restaurant Supervisor (TEER 2) on an LMIA-supported permit may strengthen future immigration eligibility by maintaining consistent supervisory experience.

4) Encourage strategic geographic mobility.

Immigration opportunities vary by region. Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), such as the   Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, and Atlantic Immigration Program prioritize workers in high-demand sectors. For instance, a Healthcare Aide (TEER 3) in Saskatchewan may benefit from provincial nomination opportunities tied to healthcare shortages.

 5) Strengthen networking and professional visibility.

Encourage informational interviews, professional associations, LinkedIn engagement, and industry events. For instance, an international graduate struggling to find work in a large city might connect with designated employers in Nova Scotia’s hospitality sector through the Atlantic Immigration Program.

6) Strategize long-term career progression.

Career planning should extend beyond obtaining PR. For example, a Manitoba-based Truck Driver (TEER 3) nominated through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program might pursue supply chain or logistics management certifications to advance into leadership roles.

7) Build Canadian workplace competitiveness.

Career professionals can support soft skills development—communication, collaboration, leadership—and help newcomers highlight transferable skills and English or French language abilities.

8) Hold trauma-informed space for the immigrant experience.

Immigration often involves professional identity shifts, underemployment, and rebuilding networks. Career practitioners can support clients by acknowledging these challenges, building confidence, and connecting them with mentorship and newcomer support networks using a trauma-informed approach.

The Career Professional’s Role

Career professionals are strategic partners in the newcomer journey. While immigration representatives provide legal guidance, career practitioners help clients build employability, navigate labour markets, and develop positioning strategies. By building foundational immigration literacy, CDPs can guide NOC/TEER-aligned job searches, support strategic employment and location decisions, connect clients with licensed immigration professionals, and strengthen workplace readiness.

When career strategy and immigration awareness align, newcomers are better positioned to transition from temporary work permits to permanent residency, build meaningful careers, and contribute to Canada’s workforce and communities.

For more information, explore CPC’s training and certification programs, including the Certified Employment Strategist (CES) and Certified Career Strategist (CCS) programs.

 – By Lori A. Jazvac and Ksenia Lazoukova –

This article was edited with the support of ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI. The ideas and insights shared are entirely the authors’ own. Photo by Cedric Fauntleroy on Pexels.