Following implementation of the new National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021, Transport Truck Drivers (NOC 73300) are now eligible to immigrate to Canada through the Express Entry system.
Transport Truck Drivers (NOC 73300) are one of 16 new occupations added to the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Program with the launch of the new NOC 2021.
The newly-added occupations to the FSW are:
- (NOC 13102) Payroll administrators
- (NOC 33100) Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
- (NOC 33102) Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
- (NOC 33103) Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- (NOC 43100) Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants
- (NOC 43200) Sheriffs and bailiffs
- (NOC 43201) Correctional service officers
- (NOC 43202) By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers
- (NOC 63211) Estheticians, electrologists and related occupations
- (NOC 73200) Residential and commercial installers and servicers
- (NOC 73202) Pest controllers and fumigators
- (NOC 73209) Other repairers and servicers
- (NOC 73300) Transport truck drivers
- (NOC 73301) Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators
- (NOC 73400) Heavy equipment operators
- (NOC 93200) Aircraft assemblers and aircraft assembly inspectors
The Transport Truck Drivers industry suffers from chronic labour shortages, with estimates of 20,000 and 40,000 current vacancies, likely to grow with the number of drivers retiring over the coming years.
Under the FSW, foreign Transport Truck Drivers (NOC 73300) can apply for permanent residence in Canada provided they meet the eligibility criteria, including work experience in occupations in four of the six Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) categories of the new NOC system.
Those eligible categories of occupations for the FSW now fall under the 0, 1, 2, and 3 TEER categories.
Under the NOC 2021, the second digit of the classification code indicates the TEER, indicating that Transport Truck Drivers (NOC 73300) are considered under TEER 3.
“Every sector of the Canadian economy relies on the trucking industry,” said Stephen Laskowski, president of Canadian Trucking Alliance. “Today’s announcement by Minister Fraser will help secure supply chains, from agriculture to manufacturing, by providing trucking companies access to an international workforce that was not previously available to our sector.”
