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Move to Canada Without A Degree

February 9, 2021

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  • Robynn Farrell

Many first-world countries, such as the USA require foreign nationals to have degrees or at least 3 years of relevant work experience to be eligible to immigrate to their country. Canada is different. In fact, Canada has more immigration programs that don’t require a degree than those that do. Isn’t that impressive?  Due to growing labor market shortages, Canada has revealed plans to welcome over a million foreign nationals into the economy within the next three years. Occupations fall under unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled jobs according to the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system, meaning that if you don’t have a degree, there is sure to be a pathway that applies to your background. Read on to find out more about these programs and the best provinces for unskilled jobs in Canada. 

The Route to Canada Without a Degree

Canadian flag If you have been planning on moving to Canada, you may have heard of the Express Entry system. The Express Entry is a popular online immigration system that Canada uses to manage online profiles for permanent residence from three economic classes; the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Trades Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class. Foreign nationals without a degree can apply to immigrate through any of these three immigration programs because higher education is either irrelevant, not the primary or only eligibility requirement.
Federal Immigration Program Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
Education Level Not required Secondary Education Not required
Work Experience Minimum of 1 year  inside of Canada Minimum of 1 year  Minimum of two years in a trade job, like plumbing or automotive repair.
Express Entry profiles are scored according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) which measures other criteria listed below.  CRS Criteria Awards Points For:
  • Age
  • CLB Language proficiency (English and French)
  • Level of Education (In and outside Canada)
  • Work Experience (In and outside Canada)
  • Arranged employment
  • Provincial Nomination achieved
  • Sibling in Canada
  • Your spouse’s profile (if married)

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is designed to address specific labor market shortages according to requirements by Canadian provinces and anyone who is eligible can apply. The good news is that most of these labor shortages fall under occupation categories for unskilled or semi-skilled workers such as truck drivers, industrial butchers, nurse aides, or food and beverage servers. Two popular PNP programs are the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program and the Saskatchewan Long-Haul Truck Driver Category that doesn’t require a degree to apply for permanent residency. Learn more specific details below: 

Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program

For those who enjoy living in or near coastal areas will be happy to know that Canada is looking for semi-skilled and unskilled foreign workers to move, live and work in one of the four beautiful oceanside provinces; Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.  Candidates who meet an in-demand occupation within one of the Atlantic Provinces and have work experience at National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level B or C, can apply for the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program. NOC skill levels B and C are types of jobs that usually require a secondary (high school) education, apprentice training, and/or job-specific training. 

Saskatchewan Long-Haul Truck Driver Category

Long haul truck driver Some Canadian provinces narrow down their job shortages in very specific labor categories, like the province of Saskatchewan who is looking to recruit international truck drivers. Transport truck drivers operate heavy trucks to transport goods and materials over urban, interurban, provincial and international routes and the average annual salary for a truck driver in the province is around $50,720.  The Saskatchewan Long-Haul Truck Driver category allows trucking firms to bring long-haul truck drivers to Saskatchewan. To qualify for this project, long-haul truck drivers:
  • Must begin working for an approved trucking firm in Saskatchewan on a temporary foreign work permit.
  • If an approved trucking firm offers permanent employment, the trucker may apply to the Saskatchewan Immigration Nominee Program (SINP) for permanent resident status after at least six months of employment.

What We Do

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In this article, we briefly discussed 5 of more than 100 different Canadian immigration programs that you can apply for in order to move to Canada without a degree. But which one do you qualify for? What do you need to apply? And how do you apply? Our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) are immigration and visa specialists who can assist you in the tedious immigration process.  Don't risk your chances of living your Canadian dream. Let us make sure that all forms are completed correctly and sent in on time. Simply fill out our application form to receive your assessment today and take one step closer to a better life in Canada.