Now more than ever, truck drivers are essential. To maintain the supply and demand balance, Canada will need to hire almost 17,000 new truck drivers annually by 2025. The development of Canada’s national supply chain depends on the trucking sector. Trucking HR Canada says the number of open positions in this business has increased from 18,000 in Q2 2021 to 20,110 as of Q2 2022. This high number of vacancies enormously affects the national economy when there are delays and manpower shortages.
School districts throughout the nation frequently have to announce school bus delays or cancellations because of a lack of people, as the demand for school bus drivers is currently so great. A national service representative for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Marcos Salib, went so far as to label the state of affairs a crisis last year.
Since Canada relies heavily on goods trucks to move its goods, there will always be a need for qualified truck drivers. Data from Trucking HR Canada (THRC) indicates that by 2024, there will be 55,000 truck job openings nationwide. The new NOC codes, which featured a transport truck driver code, were released on November 16, 2022.
The Canadian government is still optimistic that more foreign nationals will choose to immigrate to Canada as bus or truck drivers through the express entry program in the future, particularly skilled workers who are best suited to fill the nation’s most urgent labor shortages, such as that of the truck and bus driver shortage mentioned above. This expansion of Express Entry eligibility and other changes to the program, such as targeted draws, will help to achieve this goal.
Immigrating to Canada as a Truck/Bus Driver through the Express Entry Program
For anyone who wishes to immigrate to Canada as a truck driver through the Express Entry Program, the Canadian government first organizes and processes applications from qualified professionals seeking to immigrate to Canada and obtain Canada permanent residence (Canada PR) status. The system administers one of the three main federal economic programs, the Federal Skilled Program (FSW).
Before the applicant may be added to a pool of potential immigrants, they must fulfill the FSW conditions. To showcase their abilities and credentials, they can fill out an Express Entry web profile. Next, the Express Entry system employs a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to assign a point value to each applicant based on a range of criteria, such as age, education, work experience (both home, I.e., Canada and foreign), family ties, language proficiency in both English and French, and specifics about any job offers. The Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence (a Canada PR visa) is extended to the top-ranked candidates in the IRCC’s periodic lotteries, which take place every two weeks.
Another way for foreign nationals to immigrate to Canada as Truck drivers through the Express Entry Program is through the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), which is still under the Express Entry system.
Application Can Be Done in Two Ways
- The candidates contact the province or territory and submit an Express Entry stream nomination application. They receive a nomination via their account, which they electronically accept. They will then initiate the process of creating an Express Entry profile or amending an existing one and indicate that they have been positioned if the province or territory consents to their nomination.
OR
- Candidates who wish to immigrate to Canada as truck or bus drivers through the Express Entry Program indicate their interest in certain provinces and territories on their Express Entry profile. They apply for their Express Entry stream. If they are selected, the nomination will be made available via their account, which they will accept online. They contact the province or territory directly if they receive a “notification of interest” on their account.
In either scenario, candidates must fulfill the eligibility standards of the province or territory to immigrate to Canada as a truck driver through the Express Entry system using the PNP stages already outlined. If they obtain an invitation to apply (ITA), they should submit an electronic application to the IRCC. In addition, interested candidates are required to sign up for an Express Entry profile and provide proof that they meet all the minimal requirements of the program, including being eligible for one of its managed immigration programs.
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After candidates have checked eligibility and taken the necessary processes involved to immigrate to Canada as a truck driver through the Express Entry Program, the following steps are then taken to apply for a job as a truck or bus driver.
- First step: Locate Your NOC (TEER 7511 for transport truck drivers)
- Second step: Verify Your Qualifications
- Third step: Look for Work and Get Hired
- Fourth step: Determine which kind of work permit is needed.
- Fifth step: Compile all supporting documentation and complete every necessary field.
Job Links for Truck/Bus drivers in Canada
Thousands of jobs posted can be found with a short Google search if anyone is eager to explore and so immigrate to Canada as a truck or bus driver through the Express Entry Program. To constantly find newly listed positions every day, the job links listed below can be used.
- Driverlink: a well-known Canada online job network where truck drivers can find employment.
- LinkedIn is a social media platform for companies, job seekers, and employers.
- Indeed: a website in Canada where millions of jobs are posted from thousands of job boards.
Conclusion
There are many benefits for anyone who wants to immigrate to Canada as a Truck or bus driver through the Express Entry Program. These include: paid vacation days while on the road; government regulations governing the maximum number of hours driven each day; an annual salary ranging from $50,000 to $70,000; job security owing to high demand; and additional private insurance offered by numerous employers.
