Immigrate to Canada as a Social Worker
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Guide on How to Immigrate to Canada as a Social Worker

So you want to be a social worker in Canada? Immigrating to Canada as a social worker can be an advantageous experience. Not only do social workers enjoy good salaries in Canada, but they also help people in need and make a real difference in their communities. 

Social workers are one of Canada’s top 20 most-paid jobs. Social workers are in high demand in six Canadian states and territories and can make so much money in a year as highly skilled professionals.

Not only can you choose from a variety of immigration options, but there are also numerous employment opportunities. According to Job Bank, it is estimated that 73,600 social workers were hired in 2018, and 28,400 job opportunities will be available for social workers by 2028.

So, if you are considering immigrating to Canada as a social worker, you will make the right decision. We will show you the duties, requirements, pathways, and steps to immigrate to Canada as a social worker. This blog post will outline the steps you must take to Immigrate to Canada as a social worker and provide information on social workers’ salaries and job prospects in Canada.

What do Social Workers do?

The work performed by social workers varies depending on their specialization and the environment in which they work. However, social workers perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Assess clients’ circumstances, capabilities, and problems to determine their needs for social service programs and propose solutions to improve clients’ situations.
  • Refer individuals or families requiring educational, financial, psychiatric, or other specialized services to appropriate community resources.
  • Counsel individuals and families on marital difficulties, parenting issues, substance abuse, or unemployment.
  • Develop and deliver social education programs and staff training sessions on family violence, mental health, or suicide prevention topics.
  • Supervise daycare centers, residential care facilities, or community organizations.
  • Administer and coordinate social service programs dealing with such issues as adoption, foster care, vocational rehabilitation, child abuse prevention, and family counseling.
  • Prepare reports on clients’ progress for use by various legal authorities with an interest in the situation of particular clients.

Social Worker Job Description in Canada

Social workers help individuals, couples, families, groups, communities, and organizations develop the skills and resources they need to enhance social functioning and provide counseling, therapy, and referral to other supportive social services. Social workers also respond to other social needs and issues, such as unemployment, racism, and poverty. 

They are employed by hospitals, school boards, social service agencies, child welfare organizations, correctional facilities, community agencies, employee assistance programs, and Aboriginal band councils, or they may work in private practice. The NOC code for social workers is 4152.

Job Descriptions/Duties of a Social Worker

Social workers perform some or all of the following:

  • Interview clients individually, with their families, or in groups to assess their situation and problems and determine their needed service. 
  • Provide counseling and therapy to help clients develop the skills to deal with and solve social and personal problems. 
  • Plan assistance programs for clients, including referrals to institutions that provide financial assistance, legal assistance, housing, medical care, and other services. 
  • Investigate child abuse or neglect cases and, if necessary, take authorized safeguards. 
  • Serve as a member of an interdisciplinary team of professionals working with customer groups. 
  • Act as an advocate for customer groups within the community, advocate solutions to problems that directly affect the customer group and develop preventative and intervention programs to meet the community’s needs. 
  • Develop or advise on social policy legislation, conduct social research, and support community development. 
  • Provide mediation services and psychosocial assessments. 
  • Assess the effectiveness of counseling and social programs. 
  • Provide public education and advice on counseling services, questions, and methodologies to professionals or groups. 
  • Supervise other social workers. 
  • Specialize in childcare, family services, orthodontics, gerontology, and addiction. 

Examples of jobs under Social Worker

The following jobs are under NOC code 4152 (and related skills). You can move to Canada and get a job under these titles as a social worker. Each of these job titles is a full-fledged occupation in Canada. Immigrating to Canada as any of them will make you eligible for the Canadian Express Entry program and ultimately give you permanent residence status.

  • addiction social worker
  • case management consultant – social work
  • case management social worker
  • casework consultant – social work
  • casework supervisor – social work
  • caseworker – social work
  • certified social worker
  • child welfare social worker
  • children’s aid investigator
  • coordinator of social work
  • family social worker
  • geriatric social worker
  • group social worker
  • human relations officer – social work
  • intake worker – social services
  • medical social worker
  • psychiatric social worker
  • registered social worker
  • school social worker
  • social casework consultant
  • social work coordinator
  • social work officer
  • social work supervisor
  • social worker
  • social workers supervisor

Requirements to work in Canada as a Social Worker

  • A bachelor’s degree in social work is required in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.
  • In Alberta, a bachelor’s degree or diploma in social work is required.
  • Supervised practical experience is usually required.
  • Successful completion of provincial written and oral examinations may be required.
  • Registration with a provincial governing body is mandatory to practice as a social worker in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.
  • “Social Worker” and “Registered Social Worker” are regulated in all provinces.
  • Membership in a provincial association of social workers is usually required. Here is more information about Social Workers’ jobs in Canada.

Inclusions under Social Worker

  • children’s aid investigator

Exclusions under Social Worker

  • Educational counselors
  • Family, marriage, and other related counselors 
  • Managers in social, community, and correctional services 
  • Social and community service workers.

Requirements to Immigrate to Canada as a Social Worker

To be eligible to Immigrate to Canada as a social worker, you must have at least two years of work experience in Social Work. You can also qualify if you have equivalent part-time work experience. Alternatively, you may be eligible if you have completed a Canadian institution’s degree or diploma program in social work.

There are various requirements to immigrate to Canada as a social worker. They are general and specific requirements. Therefore, you need to check these requirements and ensure you meet them.

General Requirements

We will first discuss the general requirements for successful immigration to Canada as a social worker. They are:

  1. Age requirements
  2. Education requirements
  3. Language requirements
  4. Work experience
  5. Adaptability

Age requirements: 

Your age determines whether you can move to Canada as a social worker. In Canada, all immigrants must reach working age before immigrating as workers. This acceptable working age in Canada is between 18-45.

Education requirements

Generally, the minimum education requirement for immigrating to Canada as a social worker is secondary education. However, there are additional benefits to getting a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

Language requirements

Of course, if you want to work and live in Canada, you must meet the criteria for speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills. To achieve this, you must present the result of a valid language test for at least two years. You can present the test results in any of these language tests:

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
  • Canadian English language proficiency index program
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE)
  • The Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees
  • Test de Connaissance de Français Canada (TCF)

Work experience

The minimum work experience required to move to Canada as a social worker is one year of full-time work experience or a part-time work experience equal to that of a one-year full-time job.

Adaptability

Medical compatibility is also critical to your immigration process. You must prove healthy enough to adapt to the Canadian weather and climate.

Read also: Can a person living with HIV immigrate to Canada?

Certifications for Social Workers in Canada

To Immigrate to Canada as a Social Worker, your certifications must be verified and assessed. You can do this by contacting the regulatory body of your profession in Canada. Standard Regulatory bodies include:

Pathways to Immigrate to Canada as a Social Worker

There are five options to immigrate to Canada as a social worker. First, however, choosing the ideal route for your application is important. Some of them are:

  1. Express Entry.
  2. Provincial nominee program.
  3. Job offer.
  4. Quebec experience class.
  5. Occupation in-demand.

1. Express Entry;

Express Entry has three immigration programs. Therefore, you can choose from one of the programs to move to Canada as a social worker. These programs are:

2. Provincial nominee program;

You can choose any province in Canada as your place of choice. But that means your chosen state is where you will stay and work. So if you are lucky enough to be accepted in your desired state, your CRS score for the immigration process will increase.

Here are the provincial nominee programs you can apply to:

  • Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP).
  • British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP).
  • Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP).
  • Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP).
  • Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP).
  • New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP).
  • Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NL PNP).
  • Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP).
  • Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSPNP).
  • Saskatchewan Immigration Nominee Program (SINP).
  • Yukon Nominee Program (YNP).

3. Job offer;

Immigrating to Canada as a social worker is easy when you have a valid job. In addition, jobs have a positive effect on your CRS points.

4. Quebec experience class;

This pathway is specific to people immigrating to the province of Quebec. For example, this is an opportunity to move to Canada as a social worker in Quebec. Therefore, you can use this route if you want to live and work in Quebec.

5. In-demand Occupation;

This pathway is available due to a shortage of work in Canada. Employers now seek foreign professionals to fill those roles. Therefore, you must find a Canadian province or other location seeking a social worker and apply. 

Steps to Immigrate to Canada as a Social Worker

To immigrate to Canada as a Social Worker, there are specific steps you must follow. Before any of these steps, you are expected to have completed a degree in social work from an accredited Canadian university or have at least two years of full-time work experience as a social worker.

Step 1: Create an Express entry account;

Creating an express entry profile on the official IRCC website would be best. Also, make sure that the information you entered is correct and valid. Invalid information can result in the loss of your application.

Step 2: Enter a program;

Choose from Canada Express Entry, Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Trade Program, Provincial Nominee Program, or Quebec Experience Course. Remember, registering with the regulatory body for social workers in the province or territory you plan to work in is helpful for certificate verifications.

Step 3: Find a job in Canada; 

Apply for permanent residence through one of the many Immigrating pathways available for Immigrating to Canada as a Social Worker. As mentioned above, you can increase your CRS points by accumulating job opportunity points. But you must be the right candidate for the job, not a Canadian citizen, to do what you have been offered. 

Step 4: Receive the application invitation;  

In addition, application invitations will only be sent to qualified applicants. Therefore, you will be asked to proceed with your application if you are eligible. Your application must be submitted within 60 days.

Step 5: Submit application supporting documents;

After being invited to apply, you must provide all supporting documents of your application. Most importantly, you have to pay a registration fee of C$150. Please note that you may lose your visa if you lack documents.

FAQ’s

Is There a Demand for Social Workers in Canada?

Yes, sure! As mentioned earlier, you can immigrate to Canada as a skilled social worker and have the opportunity to find employment in 6 of Canada’s 11 states. These vacancies are primarily in Prairie and Atlantic, Canada.

How Much Do Social Workers Earn in Canada?

Social workers in Canada earn an average annual salary of $75,065 to $95,843, depending upon the province where they live and work and their experience level. Social worker salaries vary from province to province (highest in Alberta and lowest in Quebec) but are averagely more elevated than in other countries. Workers between one and four years of experience typically earn salaries ranging from $41,000 to $51,000.

Where do Social Workers Work in Canada?   

As a foreign worker, you can work in a hospital, community health center, mental health clinic, school, child welfare, family services, social housing, correctional facilities, government sector, family courts, worker support programs, education committees, and the private sector (counseling and counseling institutions). Work opportunities are endless.

Conclusion

Applying for a visa can be time-consuming and confusing. In trying to meet stringent deadlines, procedures, and requirements, you can easily make mistakes that can sacrifice your chances of immigrating to Canada. But with the guidance and assistance on how to immigrate to Canada as a social worker, the process has already been simplified for you. So do have a great adventure.

 

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