Immigration Plays Critical Role In Construction Sector

Mar 25, 2025 - 5 months ago

In response to federal immigration policy adjustments, Executive Director of the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAE) released the following statement

Immigration Plays Critical Role In Construction Sector — *Photo: Pexels/Mikael Blomkvist*

“RCCAO supports the critical role immigration plays in bolstering Ontario’s construction industry, where immigrants account for 23% of all general contractors and builders, helping to meet rising demand for skilled trades across the province. As Ontario faces a significant wave of retirements in the coming decade of over 100,000 workers, predictable and targeted immigration remains essential to bridging critical labour shortages.

While the federal government’s goal to transition more workers currently in Canada to permanent residency is encouraging, the allocations for targeted programs like the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) should be protected and expanded to ensure that effective pathways remain available. Additionally, successful and effective initiatives like the pilot program for out-of-status construction workers in the GTA should be made permanent and expanded to retain essential construction workers already contributing to Ontario’s economy.

We also support measures to re-evaluate National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes to better align federal immigration programs with long-term labour market needs, particularly in key sectors like the skilled trades.

RCCAO urges a balanced approach to immigration policy that strengthens effective programs like OINP through enhanced federal-provincial collaboration, builds on successful initiatives, and supports Ontario’s economic future through strategic workforce planning."

Source: The Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario