They're looking for you

Doctors and nurses, IT professionals and blue-collar workers are sought after in Canada, immigration consultants said.

Anna Tsim, immigration program director of Goldmax, told The Standard that manpower shortage is global, especially in medical and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professions.

"It has been the trend that countries compete for technology advancements," Tsim said. "So do medical staff."

The Canadian government has an updated list of preferred jobs for its skilled worker immigration schemes.

Tsim was referring to the national occupational classification system, which was last updated in November 2022, to classify jobs into five tiers based on their training, education, experience and responsibilities required.

If an applicant's job falls in TEER zero, one or two that are managerial, or professional roles requiring a degree or diploma - such as doctors and computer technicians -the applicant could apply for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

The country also faces difficulties in hiring blue-collar workers amid a construction boom in central Canada as young people refuse to join the industry.

It is estimated one-fifth of the country's construction workers are reaching retirement age as the industry struggles to fill a gap of 80,000 vacancies.