A breakthrough year for social workers

Dear Miss Powell,

I am a social worker, and I am interested in living in Canada. I haven’t heard of any social workers being accepted in a long time. Do you think I can apply? Do I stand a good chance of being selected? I hope to read your response in The Gleaner. Thank you.

KP

Dear KP,

Since you are a social worker and interested in building a new life in Canada, 2025 could be your breakthrough year. The government of Canada has recently updated its Express Entry System to include targeted draws for specific occupations, and social workers are now officially on the list of occupations that now qualify for category-based selection. This means individuals with experience in this field now have a significantly better chance of being selected for permanent residence.

OTHER OCCUPATIONS INCLUDED

The 2025 list of occupations are larger than before, reflecting Canada’s need for skilled professionals across several essential sectors such as social workers, childhood educators, secondary school teachers, and elementary school teachers have been added to help fill persistent education gaps across the country.

Canada is also focusing heavily on healthcare and technical services. Newly added occupations include dental hygienists, pharmacy technicians, medical sonographers, cardiology technologists, and animal health technologists.

So, while the Express Entry System continues to rank candidates based on a points system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), the category-based draws introduced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada are designed to identify and invite people who have experience in jobs where there are labour shortages in Canada. So even if your CRS score isn’t the highest, having work experience in one of the targeted occupations now gives you a real advantage and increases your chance of being selected.

PROVINCIAL NOMINATION

As a social worker, your work is vital to many Canadian communities, especially as the country faces increasing demand for workers in areas like mental health, youth services, addiction recovery, and housing support. Provinces across Canada are also seeking social workers through their Provincial Nominee Programmes. A nomination from a province would mean that you will get an additional 600 points added to your Express Entry profile. This would guarantee a selection and an invitation to apply for permanent residence.

To improve your chances of selection, it’s important to ensure your qualifications and work experience match the proper National Occupation Classification code, your language test scores are strong, and your education has been officially assessed. Whether you choose to apply through Express Entry or directly through a provincial programme, with this new change, the door to Canada is more open than ever before for social workers and for many others.

If you require additional information or assistance with your application, you should contact a Canadian immigration lawyer to assist you with your application.

Deidre S. Powell is a Canadian lawyer and mediator. You may contact her via Facebook, Instagram Telephone or Whatsap 613-695-8777