Did you know that driving is considered to be a high demand skill in Canada?
It’s a common belief that you can only get a great job with formal education, in Canada, this is anything but true.
How to Immigrate to Canada as a Driver?
Since Canada wants to welcome drivers, immigration for them is relatively easy. Let’s have a closer look at how it works.
Immigration Programs for Truck Drivers
If Truck Driver is something that interests you, the first thing you need to do is apply for a work permit through an immigration program. Some of the most popular pathways are:
Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)
This is a fantastic program and a dream come true for foreign workers who are hoping to nab an in-demand position in Canada. Under the TFWP, the candidate does not need to be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident in order to work for an employer who is looking to fill positions where there are labour shortages.
Once you receive a job offer from an employer, a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) will need to be completed to justify why a foreign worker was needed to fill the job.
Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
The PNP is a great program for skilled workers who want to settle in a specific province or city. With eleven provinces and territories participating in the program, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be able to find a job that meets the labour needs of a participating province.
Most provinces have PNP streams dedicated to skilled work and In-Demand occupations, for example, Saskatchewan’s Long-Haul Truck Driver Project, a program that helps trucking firms bring Truck drivers into Canada using the Temporary Foreign Permit. Most PNP candidates go on to be considered for permanent residency. It’s a quick, fast and efficient way of coming into Canada with a job in hand.
Immigration from Other English-Speaking Countries
Immigrating from the United States?
Canada and the US have a very unique relationship and the two countries are tied together socially, economically, geographically and culturally. Most citizens of each country move between the two seamlessly whether it’s for work, travel or pleasure.
This is especially true for Truck drivers who play an integral role as a social and economic lifeline. Every year over 5 million trucks cross the Canada-US border, which means roughly 30,000 trucks crossing the border each day carrying over $ 1 billion in trade.
If you’re currently living in the US and want to immigrate to Canada, the process is extremely simple since the basic requirements for the occupation are the same in both countries. You will need to get the appropriate licenses in Canada (which is equivalent to the US CDL license), in some cases, you may even be able to work for the same company if they have a presence in Canada.
Immigrating from the United Kingdom or Australia?
For individuals arriving from the UK or Australia, the process is not complicated since the job requirements won’t vary much from their previous experience. UK drivers may need extra practise to get comfortable driving on the other side.
However, drivers will need to exchange their licenses from the UK or Australia for valid Canadian ones. Because Canada has multiple licensing jurisdictions, the requirements vary from province to province. In the majority of cases, individuals will be required to write a knowledge test, pass a road test and complete a set number of driving hours before obtaining their Canadian license. These are all easy steps to complete when arriving from another English-speaking country as the learning curve won’t be as steep.
Work as a driver in Canada
It’s a common belief that you can only get a great job with a formal education, in Canada, this is anything but true.
In fact, Truck Drivers (drivers who carry goods or passengers from one place to another) are one of the fast-rising In-Demand occupations in Canada. Over a period of ten years (2019 to 2028), it’s predicted that 119,000 new job openings will be available in this category.
By 2024, the government predicts that the industry will be facing a significant shortage of long-haul drivers, according to some estimates about 50,000 positions.
This is great news for potential immigrants since it’s an excellent opportunity to become a permanent resident.
With salaries ranging between $50,000 to $82,000 a year, Truck Drivers make good money and are often awarded signing bonuses when hired.
Not everyone has a formal education or a career path set out for them, not everyone likes being cooped up in an office space. Does this sound like you?
Do you love driving long distances and love the adventures that come with discovering new places and cities?
If yes, a truck driver might be the perfect job for you.
How to find a job in Canada
Now that you know what programs to apply through, you may be wondering where to start your job search.
The simplest place to start is online, there are plenty of job boards dedicated to driver jobs. Some websites post Canada wide vacancies while certain province or city-specific jobs will focus on vacancies in that area only.
A simple google search will yield the best results, but here are some starting points:
Some ads even specifically target foreign workers.
Don’t have truck driving experience? That’s not a problem, while experience always makes the process easier and increases your chances of being selected, it’s easy to gain the necessary experience.
Where to Find Help with Immigration?
If you’re thinking of applying or trying to get a job as a Truck Driver, don’t waste any time.
Canada is taking an extremely aggressive stance on the immigration front and is planning on welcoming over 1.2 million newcomers into the country by 2023, if you act now, you can be one of those newcomers.
Canada and its provinces are also experiencing labour shortages in some key In-Demand industries and Truck Drivers is one of them, therefore your chances of getting into Canada through this occupation are very high.
Have questions and don’t know where to start? Speak to a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) to get some solid advice and figure out a starting point.
