Immigrate to Canada as a Social or community service worker

Immigrate to Canada as a a Social or community service worker

Social and community service workers are in demand right across Canada and you may be able to secure a Canadian Permanent Residency Visa either with or without a job offer.

There are thousands of Social and community service workers just like you moving to Canada. Find out how to join them. Canada needs more Social and community service workers. If you are thinking about moving to Canada as a Social or community service worker, all the information you need is right here.

Moving to Canada as a Social or community service worker

Social and community service workers are wanted in Canada

Did you know that Social and community service workers are one of the most in-demand jobs in Canada? Social and community service workers are in high demand in all 11 of Canada’s provinces and territories, and as a highly-skilled professional, you can expect to earn between $73500 and $99600 per year.

When considering Canada as your new home, there are not only numerous immigration options for you to choose from, but plenty of job opportunities too.

Jobs in Canada for Social and community service workers

One of the biggest questions when moving to Canada is “will I be able to find work as a Social or community service worker in Canada?”. The simple answer is Yes, you will! (Of course each Social and community service workers level of training and experience is a core factor, as is the case in any country.)

Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about jobs in Canada for Social and community service workers.

Is There Really a Demand for Social and community service workers in Canada?

Yes there is! As mentioned previously, you can immigrate to Canada as an experienced Social and community service worker with a high chance of finding employment in any of Canada’s 11 provinces. These job opportunities can be found in:

Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan

Over the next few years, it is estimated that there will be 29000 new jobs created due to expansion and a need for replacement as well as 36000 new positions for graduates and immigrants to fill who want to live and work in Canada.

This is why Canada needs Social and community service workers. You really can be moving to Canada as a Social or community service worker

How Much Do Social and community service workers Earn in Canada?

Salaries in Canada are very competitive and, as an experienced Social and community service worker, you can expect to earn between $73500 and $99600 per year.

How do I search for Social and community service worker positions in Canada?

Most Social and community service worker jobs in Canada are advertised online on jobs sites. Often, a code is used to identify Social and community service worker jobs. These codes are used across Canada to identify all kinds of occupations.

The codes are called NOC codes. The NOC code for Social and community service worker is 4212. There are a range of positions that are associated with Social and community service workers.

These are occupations many Social and community service workers also participate in. If you work in or are employed as any of the following positions, you are covered by the overarching noc code of 4212 for Social and community service workers

Social and community service workers administer and implement a variety of social assistance programs and community services and assist clients to deal with personal and social problems. They are employed by social service and government agencies mental health agencies group homes shelters substance abuse centres school boards correctional facilities and other establishments.;

Further Positions within the term of Social and community service worker include:

Aboriginal centre co-ordinator
Aboriginal outreach officer – social services
Aboriginal outreach worker
Addictions worker
Addictions worker – compulsive gambling
Case aide – social services
Certified return-to-work co-ordinator – disability management
Certified return-to-work facilitator – disability management
Child and youth worker
Child life specialist
Child welfare worker
Child-care worker (except day care)
Community and social services worker
Community centre co-ordinator
Community centre worker
Community counsellor – social services
Community development worker
Community liaison worker
Community mental health worker
Community organization worker
Community rehabilitation worker
Community service worker
Community services officer – social services
Community worker
Crisis intervention worker
Detention home worker
Development service worker
Developmental service worker
Disability management worker
Drop-in centre worker
Drug addiction worker
Eligibility co-ordinator – social assistance
Eligibility co-ordinator – welfare
Exceptional-child-care worker (except day care)
Family service worker
Financial assistance officer – social assistance
Financial assistance worker – social services
Group home operator

If your position is on the above list, you have found your relevant NOC Code, it is 4212

How Do I Move to Canada to Live and Work as a Social or community service worker?

Step 1 : Determine you are eligible to immigrate

The simplest way to do this is to take our free visa assessment. There are more than 80 visa pathways to Canada. Once you take your visa assessment we will be able to guide you as to which is the best path for your particular circumstances.

Step 2: Have Your Qualifications Accredited for Canada

In order to live and work in Canada as a Social or community service worker, you will need to have your qualifications that you earned outside of Canada accredited and ensure that it is recognized in Canada.

An Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) confirms that your degree, diploma or certificate is both valid and equal to Canadian standards. This is vital as it will allow you to claim the Permanent Residency points for your education and training and might also be required for employment, professional registration within Canada and Canadian immigration services.

Below is a list of designated organizations that are licensed to do your assessment:

Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies;
International Credential Assessment Service of Canada;
World Education Services;
International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS); and
International Credential Evaluation Service.

Educational and experience requirements for Social and community service workers include:

Completion of a college or university program in social work child and youth care psychology or other social science or health-related discipline is usually required.
Previous work experience in a social service environment as a volunteer or in a support capacity may replace formal education requirements for some occupations in this unit group.
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You may be required to provide a range of documentation and references to prove your abilities and experience during your evaluation process for Canadian Immigration.

Start Your Evaluation

Step 3: Start the Migration Process, apply for your Canada Visa

There are many routes you can take when moving to Canada as a Social or community service worker but we’ve listed the top 4 ways that will give you the greatest chances of success in the application process:

Express Entry system
Provincial Nominee Program
The Rural and Northern Immigration Program
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot

1. Express Entry

The Express Entry (EE) system is our top choice for moving to Canada as a Social or community service worker. Not only is it the fastest but it is also one of the simplest ways to immigrate to Canada. With the right age, language skills in French and/or English, qualifications and other criteria you could be moving to Canada fast, you could be on your way to Canada in 6 months.

The first stage in your Canadian Express Entry immigration process is to calculate your Canada Immigration points for Express Entry using the Canadian Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Some of the elements that CRS Points are awarded for include:

Age
Qualifications
English ability
French ability
Your partner’s skills
Work experience

Take our free online visa assessment for an up to date report on whether you have enough points to move to Canada as a Social or community service worker from both an Express Entry and Immigration points perspective.

2. Provincial Nominee Program

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allows skilled and semi-skilled immigrants to live and work in Canada. You will need a valid job offer in Canada of at least 1 year for most immigration streams. 11 provinces and territories have their own PNPs, each with their own with specific labor needs.

If your skills match what your chosen province or territory is looking for, you may receive a provincial nomination, which is worth 600 extra Permanent Residency points which means that you’re practically assured of an offer for Canadian permanent residence.

3. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

Seeing as Social and community service workers are in-demand you may be eligible to immigrate to Canada through the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP). There are 11 participating communities currently participating in the pilot program. You will need a valid job offer in one of the participating communities to be considered eligible to apply for Canadian permanent residency through the RNIP.

4. The Atlantic Immigration Pilot

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot allows intermediate to highly and semi-skilled foreign workers to move to Canada’s Atlantic provinces and seeing as Social and community service workers are in high need in the 4 Atlantic provinces, you may be eligible to apply if you have a valid job offer for at least 1 year.

Step 4: Apply for a Social or community service worker Job in Canada

As a highly skilled worker, it is not a requirement that you have a job to be able to immigrate to Canada but it will make it faster. It will help with the immigration process as you can earn between 50 and 200 PR points for a valid job offer. This moves you ahead in the pool of candidates, as the more points you have the more chance you have of receiving an invitation in one of the many offer rounds made within the Canada Visa System.

Social and community service workers in Canada are described as doing the following:

Review client background information interview clients to obtain case history and prepare intake reports
Assess clients’ relevant skill strengths and needs
Assist clients to sort out options and develop plans of action while providing necessary support and assistance
Assess and investigate eligibility for social benefits
Refer clients to other social services or assist clients in locating and utilizing community resources including legal medical and financial assistance housing employment transportation day care and other services
Counsel clients living in group homes and halfway houses supervise their activities and assist in pre-release and release planning
Participate in the selection and admission of clients to appropriate programs
Implement life skills workshops substance abuse treatment programs behaviour management programs youth services programs and other community and social service programs under the supervision of social services or health care professionals
May plan and organize activities for school-age children in child-care programs before and after regular school hours
May supervise and co-ordinate activities of other early childhood educators and early childhood educator assistants.

You can expect to see these terms in Job ads in Canada for Social and community service workers along with the following common tasks, duties and responsibilities of Social and community service workers in Canada.

There has never been a better time to get moving to Canada as a Social or community service worker.

If you are looking to apply to move to Canada in a different occupation, you can find the information on our Canada Skilled Immigration Guides page.

If you are looking for a job in Canada – you can find a guide on each occupation and the job application procedure for Canada on our Canada Job Guides index.

As mentioned above you will need to attend the Canadian Embassy nearest you during your application process to live in Canada as a Social or community service worker. You can find the complete list of all Canadian Embassies Worldwide here.