Canada’s immigration department, i.e., Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), has prioritized five occupation-focused categories and one non-occupation-focused category for 2023 category-based selections under Express Entry. One of those occupation-focused categories is the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) occupations. 

The category-based Express Entry draws were introduced by the IRCC this year in May. The criteria for choosing candidates under Express Entry include various aspects such as education, language abilities, or work experience that can help address Canada’s economic needs and preferences. Continue reading to discover Canada’s STEM Workforce Requirement. 

The Canadian government has gathered suggestions and feedback from various stakeholders as well as the public to select the categories based on work experience/occupations, which are as follows: 

  1. STEM; 
  1. Healthcare; 
  1. Transport; 
  1. Trades; and 
  1. agriculture/agri-food. 

The new category-based draws generally vary from the typical Express Express Entry draws. This is because the category-based sections focus on the candidate’s work experience (in specific fields), whereas the typical Express Entry draws mainly consider the candidate’s points based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). 

Reasons for Including STEM Occupations in Express Entry Categories  

Statistics Canada issued a study towards the end of 2022 claiming that there is a shortage of talented workers in the STEM labor force in Canada. 

The main reason for this large gap is the increasing number of retirements, advancing technology, and business automation in daily life. Below, you’ll discover Canada’s STEM Workforce Requirement, which will help it address this gap. 

Notably, the global AT index ranked Canada fourth for its global competitiveness in innovation, implementation, and investment. Also, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector in Canada is quickly expanding, which has boosted the demand for tech workers. 

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, stated that Canada’s most valuable asset is to attract talented workers. He added that the new STEM occupation category is intended to support Canada’s science and technology sector and its labor market by recruiting even more skilled workers that businesses require to drive innovation and realize their development potential. The Minister stated this when the first STEM category-based draw was announced. 

Minister Champagne further added that Canada is considered a premier global destination for initiating and expanding technology firms by harnessing its exceptional talent of attracting talented newcomers and entrepreneurial innovation within the country. 

Canada’s STEM Workforce Requirement  

In order to determine the total number of STEM-skilled workers, ESDC’s data is assessed. ESDC provides data on occupational prospects for various professions and predicts the total number of expected employment opportunities in certain professions from 2022 to 2031 using COPS. The Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) is the tool used by the ESDC. 

The following are some STEM occupation viewpoints, including the number of job vacancies: 

  • 44,300 new job vacancies for software engineers and designers; 
  • 80,500 new job vacancies for computer programmers and interactive media developers; 
  • 26,100 new job vacancies for Civil engineering; 
  • 12,700 new job vacancies for Mechanical engineering; 
  • 3,800 new job vacancies for Industrial and manufacturing engineering; 
  • 12,600 new job vacancies for Electrical and electronics engineering; 
  • 4,600 new job vacancies for Mathematicians, statisticians, and actuaries; and 
  • 12,200 new job vacancies for Technical occupations in physical sciences. 

Based on these statistics, it becomes evident that Canada will need to welcome a significant number of skilled STEM professionals to meet the upcoming job demands and alleviate labor shortages in the country. 

If you are a skilled professional with work experience in STEM occupations, consider the STEM category-based draws under Express Entry. 

Canada’s STEM sector and immigration opportunities for newcomers 

As per the year-end report of Express Entry 2022, the top three key professions among 2022 invitations to Apply (ITAs) were issued to the skilled workers in the tech industry. Specifically, the ITAs recipients were information system specialists, software engineers and designers, and computer systems developers and programmers. Thus, skilled workers in the STEM professions who desire to immigrate to Canada may check their eligibility for the Express Entry category-based draws for STEM professions. These skilled workers can have thriving careers in Canada while also helping Canada address the labor market shortages and strengthen the STEM sector of Canada’s economy. 

Summary of STEM Category-based draws till now. 

As of now, IRCC has held a single Express Entry draw for the candidates in the STEM category in which 500 skilled professionals were invited to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency. The draw occurred on July 5th this year, and candidates required a minimum CRS score of 486. 

IRCC is expected to invite candidates from the STEM category in the future; thus, STEM professionals may qualify for the Express Entry draws. By moving and establishing themselves in Canada, individuals can craft their profitable careers in the country.