How to secure a job in Canada as a Foreigner or Immigrant in 2023

Since it is the dream of many immigrants to secure a job and move to Canada, it makes it a lot more competitive. Just like many countries, people prefer to hire their citizens unless they don’t find someone suitable to fill the role in their country and that is almost impossible.
Even though Canada has low unemployment rates, the kind of networks you have will determine how soon you will land a job. It is also very complicated to get a job in Canada if you are not living in Canada already.

As much as a company may want to hire you, the challenge employers face is that they have to get a positive LMIA (labor market impact assessment) which shows the ministry of employment and social development in Canada that they want to hire you as they could not find a Canadian that can do it. In such a scenario, even the strong networks that you have may not be in a position to help you. It is the needs of the economy that determines whether an LMIA will be issued.

How to secure a job in Canada as a Foreigner or Immigrant

Some of the ways you can use to secure a job in Canada include:

Recruitment agencies

The recruitment scene has changed, and many employers are relying on recruitment agencies for their human resource needs. That, therefore, means looking for a human resource agency may be of great help. The good thing with those companies is that the employer pays them and therefore you don’t have to necessarily pay them though there are companies that will ask you to pay some fee. The best approach would be to work with as many agencies as possible. Some agencies specialize in a certain profession. If you find such an agency the better as that means that it may be much easier to secure employment.

Study in Canada

Regardless of the level of experience, you have out of Canada; it will not have any weight in Canada. Canadians prefer something of their own like have their experience or education.  This, therefore, means that studying in Canada is an easy way to get a job in Canada. If you are in a Canadian university, you will be needed at some point to do an internship or a co-op program.

In some cases, the company you are interning with will retain you and even if they don’t at least you will get Canadian work experience which is very important if you intend to secure a job in Canada. The good thing with co-op programs is that you can do it for up to 16 months and that will make you legible to apply for permanent residency in either the CEC or the PNP program. It is, however, important to keep in mind that education for an international student in Canada may be very expensive unless you get scholarships. There is also an option of doing part-time jobs as you study to raise tuition fees. Depending on the university, most require you to have proof that you can take care of the fees comfortably.

Permanent residency

Since it is hard to secure a job in Canada if you are not in Canada, permanent residency may be a good option to take. Good thing with a permanent residency it’s like you have a work permit that does not expire hence you don’t have to worry about the validity of your work permit. If you get a permanent residency and live in Canada for 4 out of 6 years, then you qualify for citizenship. Some of the advantages of going for the permanent residency option include:

• You can live and work anywhere in Canada. You can also work for many employers apart from a few jobs that are only meant for citizens such as high-security government jobs
• You can apply for citizenship
• You can sponsor eligible family members to get permanent residency
• Have access to subsidized education. In addition to that, you can get free courses that are offered by the federal government such as language courses.
• Social security services and benefits such as pensions, unemployment insurance, subsidized housing for low-income households, healthcare subsidies and subsidized nurseries among many others.

To get a job through permanent residency/express entry, take the following steps:

• Do an educational credential assessment and get a report
• Check in the national occupations classification (NOC) if you can find your job
• Create an express entry job profile
• Look for a job bank and register with them. They can connect you to many prospective employers.
• Do a calculation of your CRS score. The higher it is the better and the good thing is that you can always improve it.
• Wait for the draw and check if your CRS points qualify. The draw is normally around November.

Apply for jobs online

Applying for jobs online from online job boards is also an option though chances are very slim. Most of the time the same job that you are applying from your country there are many who are applying it from Canada, and the employer will definitely be biased to take someone from their own country. The only chance you will get the job is if your skills are really rare and exceptional that no one in Canada has that will make the employer consider hiring you.

Applying for jobs online will, however, work if you are already living in Canada. There are LinkedIn and many other platforms that you can make use of to get your dream job. It is, however, good to keep in mind tat in Canada it is all about your networks. The 6.5% unemployment rate as much as it looks small has high competition. The hiring manager is more likely to go for a referral or someone they feel they trust with the job as opposed to a stranger.

Make sure your resume is tailored in the Canadian way

You will use a resume to do your applications, and it is important to get a Canadian style resume. Every country has different resume conventions, and it is important to use the right format to get the attention of the employer. Most employers prefer dealing with something that is familiar to them. Good thing the internet is rich in resource, and you can always find samples of relevant Canadian resumes to get a hinge of the format.  Most of the time Canadian resumes are generally shorter.

Networking

In Canada and many places in general, you will easily get a job through a referral. It is therefore important that you get t know the right people especially those that are relevant in your field. If you went to a Canadian school, it will be easier for you. If not, you will have to join clubs and professional networks to help you meet like-minded professionals in the field.

Volunteer

If you are already in Canada, this may be a great way to gain Canadian work experience which will help you in securing a job. Through volunteering, you will also be able to build your networks which will help you. In some cases, in the organization that you are volunteering if a position comes up you will be given priority.

Do your due diligence

Before moving to Canada, it is good to do your research well. The best location for you will depend on your field for example if you are in IT you should consider doing Ottawa. It is god to keep in mind that different cities have different unemployment rates and thus would require different strategies.

Do further research on the employment state of the city you are planning to move to. The internet if full of resources and you can get all the information you need including recruitment agencies and networking events.

Have the right language skills. As much as in Canada there is both French and English, English is mostly used in formal settings. If English is not your primary language, you should consider joining a language center to improve on your English.

Have the right skills. It is only with the right skills that you will attract the right opportunities. Once you have the right skills, you can then customize it to suit the Canadian job market. By knowing how to sell yourself, you will reach the right audience and thus achieve your goals.

Learn about the Canadian work etiquette.  As much as the work etiquettes are relatively the same, it has slight differences from country to country. Readjusting to the Canadian culture will make things easy for you.

Conclusion

To be successful in your job hunt in Canada, you have to be strategic and get out of your comfort zone. The naysayers will say that is not possible, but if you do the right thing at the right time, then there is nothing that will be difficult for you. You have to understand that the path someone else used may not necessarily work out for you hence you have to choose your path based on what you think will for you. Information is power and the more informed you are, the better it will be for you.