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Do you love driving long distances and discovering new places? Why not earn an income while doing what you love? Truck drivers are in high demand in Canada. If you’re interested in immigrating to Canada as a truck driver, this is your chance.
There are plenty of employment opportunities for truck drivers in Canada. If you’re a truck driver, you could work in any of the following positions, to name just a few:
- Long distance truck driver
- Bulk goods truck driver
- Automobile carrier driver
- Cement truck driver - construction
- Mobile cement mixer driver
- Escort- transportation
- Gasoline truck driver
- Fuel oil truck driver
- Gravel hauler
- Log hauler
To grab hold of one of the many truck driver jobs in Canada, you need to apply for a permit to be able to work in Canada. So how do you apply for a Canada work visa? There are various immigration programs that you can apply through to work as a truck driver in Canada. Here are three top programs you can apply through for a Canadian work permit.
1. Temporary Foreign Worker Program
One way to get your Canada work visa as a truck driver is through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The TFWP allows people who are neither a Canadian citizen nor a permanent resident to work in Canada in positions that are facing labor shortages. This program allows employers to hire foreign workers to fill these in-demand positions.
If you are applying through the TFWP and receive a job offer in Canada, an important part of the hiring process is applying for a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) . A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do the job. A positive LMIA can also be called a confirmation letter.
2. Atlantic Immigration Pilot
The Atlantic Immigration Pilot is geared toward skilled workers who are seeking permanent residence in one of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces, namely, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
The pilot is also open to foreign graduates who have completed their studies in one of these four provinces.
There are three programs within the Atlantic Immigration pilot, namely:
- Atlantic International Graduate Program
- Atlantic High-Skilled Program
- Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program
If you’re planning to work as a truck driver in Canda, the program you should focus your attention on is the Atlantic Intermediate Skilled Program.
To apply for the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program you must:
- Have at least one year’s experience working in a position that requires a high school education or on the job training
- You must have a high school diploma equal to a Canadian credential
- To prove this, you will need to take an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report
- You’ll need to take an approved language test to prove that you are proficient enough in English or French to work and live in Canada
- You need to provide proof of funds that meet the minimum required amount to support yourself and your dependents, whether they are accompanying you in Canada or not
If you want to work as a truck driver in one of these provinces, check that you meet the necessary requirements.
3. Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
You can also obtain a Canada work visa as a truck driver through Provincial Nominee Programs. PNPs allow skilled workers to live and work in one of the 11 participating provinces and territories in Canada, if you can help meet its specific labor needs.
The 11 Provincial Nominee Programs include:
- Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)
- British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)
- Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)
- New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NW PNP)
- Newfoundland & Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NL PNP)
- Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP)
- Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NS PNP)
- Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (OINP)
- Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP)
- Yukon Nominee Program (YNP)
Since truck driving is an in demand occupation, you could stand a good chance of being successful by applying through a PNP.
In fact, Canada has dedicated a special program to the truck driving industry. The Long-Haul Truck Driver Project is part of the Provincial Nominee Program’s Saskatchewan Experience category. This is dedicated to getting trucking firms to bring long-haul truck drivers to Canada on a Temporary Foreign Permit.
If your application for a PNP in your chosen province is successful, you will then be nominated to be considered for residency.
Where to Work as a Truck Driver
If you’re thinking of working as a truck driver in Canada, it’s helpful to know in which provinces truck drivers are most in demand. Here are some of the top provinces to land a job as a truck driver, as well as average yearly salaries in each province.
British Columbia
| Truck Driver Occupation in British Columbia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Occupation | Annual salary | |
| Long haul truck driver | $45,825 | |
| Mobile cement mixer driver | $48,631 | |
| Garbage collector | $37,749 | |
| Gravel hauler | $42,893 | |
Nova Scotia
| Truck Driver Occupation in Nova Scotia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Occupation | Annual salary | |
| Loading truck | $63,686 | |
| Bulk goodsr | $45,579 | |
| Escort-transportation | $33,352 | |
| Dangerous goods | $52,650 | |
| Fuel truck driver | $44,597 | |
Ontario
| Truck Driver Occupation in Nova Scotia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Occupation | Annual salary | |
| Water truck driver | $50,700 | |
| Solid waste collection operator | $50,959 | |
| Delivery truck driver | 35,100 | |
| Long haul truck driver | $58,916 | |
| Dump truck driver | $43,875 | |
FAQs
Do I need an LMIA to work as a truck driver in Canada?
Yes. All employers should apply to the federal Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process in order to hire international truck drivers as Temporary Foreign Workers.
How much do truck drivers in Canada earn?
Truck drivers in Canada can earn an annual (yearly) salary of between $30,000 to $80,000 per year; with entry level positions starting at $39,770 and highest paying long haul drivers earning up to $81,418 per year. The average salary for a truck driver in Canada a year.
Can I apply for a job as a truck driver without experience?
While it’s not a requirement to have work experience if you wish to work as a truck driver in Canada, having work experience can increase your chances of a successful application to certain immigration programs. If you’re applying for Express Entry, having previous work experience in the field you wish to work in can increase your chances of being successful.
The IRCC usually uses the NOC (National Occupation Classification) to evaluate how the work experience of a given immigration candidate will support the requirements of the immigration program they are applying for.
Do you want to find out if you could become a truck driver in Canada? Don’t do it all on your own. Let us take the stress out of the visa application process.
