New Ontario draws might target candidates who have tech experience under the Express Entry system

The Canadian immigration system is taking steps to boost the number of new permanent residents in the country. The provinces are following suit as well.

The Government of Ontario recently revealed that it plans to prioritize candidates who have work experience in the technology industry during nominations under the Express Entry system. They will be given invitations that would allow them to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Previously, Ontario had made an announcement that the province was looking to make a dedicated stream for tech workers, but that plan has not been put into action yet. In its place, the province has decided to organize targeted draws for candidates under the Express Entry system in their search for talented workers who have experience in any of the six tech-related occupations through the Human Capital Priorities Stream.

Ontario lays special emphasis on tech-focused draws presumably because there are giant tech hubs in Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo and Ottawa. At the moment, Ontario is facing a dearth of labour in the tech sector. There are not enough tech workers in Ontario, and the number needs to go up soon. The Information and Communication Technology sector in Canada will require a minimum of 220,000 skilled workers by the year 2021. The OINP, through its Human Capital Priorities Stream, searches the Express Entry pool to locate candidates who fit their federal and provincial criteria.
The six targeted occupations are:

• Software engineers and designers
• Computer programmers and interactive media developers
• Computer and information systems managers
• Database analysts and data administrators
• Computer engineers
• Web designers and developers

According to the OINP, the six occupations were selected based on the current needs of the province after consulting employers. The Human Capital Priorities Stream does not demand a job offer.