Immigrate to Canada as a Plumber: Everything you need to know

The demand for internationally trained plumbers is expected to increase by hundreds over the next eight years jobs in Canada already begging for a lack of qualified workers.

That means the time is right for foreigners with these skills and work experience to gain them permanent residence through Canada Fast entry programs vocational draws.

Under changes announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) at the end of May, the Express Entry streams, including the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program, Federal Skilled Commerce (FST) program and Canadian experience class (CEC), as well as parts of the Provincial nominated programs (PNP) will now better respond to labor market needs through occupational draws.

Plumber, categorized under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 system with the code 72300, is one of the 82 professions that these new Express Entry draws are now targeting.

There are already many opportunities for plumbers in Canada. The Federal Job Bank’s job search and career planning website listed 456 such jobs up for grabs in early June.

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The greatest demand for carpenters at the time was in British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Those four provinces together accounted for 389 jobs at the beginning of June, or 85.3 percent of all these jobs.

There were then 217 plumbing jobs in British Columbia listed on Job Bank and another 78 in Ontario, as well as 49 in Alberta and 45 in Saskatchewan.

At the time, employers in Quebec were looking for 21 people to fill these types of jobs, Nova Scotia was looking for 15 plumbers, New Brunswick nine, Manitoba 12 and Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island one each.

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In early June, the Northwest Territories were looking for two plumbers.

Job Bank, the federal job search and career planning website, forecasts a labor shortage of 2,400 plumbers nationwide over the next eight years.

“For plumbers, a total of 12,600 new job openings are expected to arise over the period 2022-2031 due to expansion demand and replacement demand, while 10,200 new job seekers due to school leavers, immigration and mobility are expected to be available to fill them. ” says the Job Bank.

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In Canada, the average hourly wage for a plumber is $31, with a minimum of $18 to $42.64, Job Bank reveals.

Based on a standard work week of 37.5 hours, that would be $83,148 at the top end of the annual plumber pay scale in Canada.

Until this year, the flagship Express Entry selection system has previously only conducted draws based on immigration programs, not targeting specific occupations.

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Applicants must have at least six months of continuous work experience in Canada or abroad within the past three years in one of these occupations to be eligible, experience that may have been gained while working in Canada as temporary foreign workers with a work permits or as an international student with a student visa.

“Everywhere I go, I have heard loud and clear from employers across the country who are experiencing chronic labor shortages,” said Immigration Secretary Sean Fraser.

“These changes to the Express Entry system will ensure they have the skilled employees they need to grow and succeed. We can also grow our economy and help companies with labor shortages, while also increasing the number of francophone candidates to help ensure the vitality of francophone communities.”

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Canada first signaled its intention to launch profession-specific draws via Express Entry last June when changes were made to the Immigration, Refugee and Protection Act to allow invitations based on occupations and other characteristics, such as language skills.

Most Canadian provinces have been issuing job-specific invitations for many years.

Under the amendments to the law, the immigration minister is required to consult with provinces and territories, industry members, unions, employers, workers, worker advocacy groups, settlement provider organizations, and immigration researchers and practitioners before announcing new categories.

IRCC is also required to report annually to Parliament on the categories chosen and the rationale for the choices.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) says the number of occupations with a shortage will double between 2019 and 2021. From 2018 to 2022, federal high-skilled admissions accounted for between 34 and 40 percent of total francophone admissions outside of Quebec, which is its own immigration intake.