Immigrate to Canada as a Social worker

Immigrate to Canada as a a Social worker

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

Moving to Canada as a Social worker

Social workers are wanted in Canada

Did you know that Social workers are one of the most in-demand jobs in Canada? Social 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 $66870 and $115700 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 workers

One of the biggest questions when moving to Canada is “will I be able to find work as a Social worker in Canada?”. The simple answer is Yes, you will! (Of course each Social 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 workers.

Is There Really a Demand for Social workers in Canada?

Yes there is! As mentioned previously, you can immigrate to Canada as an experienced Social 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 23000 new jobs created due to expansion and a need for replacement as well as 30000 new positions for graduates and immigrants to fill who want to live and work in Canada.

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

How Much Do Social workers Earn in Canada?

Salaries in Canada are very competitive and, as an experienced Social worker, you can expect to earn between $66870 and $115700 per year.

How do I search for Social worker positions in Canada?

Most Social worker jobs in Canada are advertised online on jobs sites. Often, a code is used to identify Social 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 worker is 4152. There are a range of positions that are associated with Social workers.

These are occupations many Social 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 4152 for Social workers

Social workers help individuals couples families groups communities and organizations develop the skills and resources they need to enhance social functioning and provide counselling 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.;

Further Positions within the term of Social worker include:

Addiction social worker
Case management consultant – social work
Case management social worker
Case work consultant – social work
Casework supervisor – social work
Caseworker – social work
Certified social worker
Child welfare social worker
Children’s aid investigator
Co-ordinator 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 co-ordinator
Social work officer
Social work supervisor
Social worker
Social workers supervisor
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If your position is on the above list, you have found your relevant NOC Code, it is 4152

How Do I Move to Canada to Live and Work as a Social 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 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 workers include:

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.
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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 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 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 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 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 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 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 workers in Canada are described as doing the following:

This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Interview clients individually in families or in groups to assess their situation and problems and determine the types of services required
Provide counsel and therapy to assist clients in developing skills to deal with and resolve their social and personal problems
Plan programs of assistance for clients including referral to agencies that provide financial assistance legal aid housing medical treatment and other services
Investigate cases of child abuse or neglect and take authorized protective action when necessary
Serve as members on interdisciplinary teams of professionals working with client groups
Act as advocates for client groups in the community lobby for solutions to problems directly affecting client groups and develop prevention and intervention programs to meet community needs
Develop or advise on social policy legislation conduct social research and assist in community development
May supervise other counsellors social service staff and assistants
May provide public education and consultation to other professionals or groups regarding counselling services issues and methods

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

There has never been a better time to get moving to Canada as a Social 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 worker. You can find the complete list of all Canadian Embassies Worldwide here.