In an effort to bolster Canada’s military, and in recognizing that permanent residents represent an important, skilled, and diverse workforce in Canada, permanent residents are now allowed to join the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
The Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand, announced on December 5, 2022, that the CAF will now not only accept applications from permanent residents but also encourage them. Until the announcement, only Canadian citizens were allowed to join the CAF, although the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group accepted training applicants from foreign militaries, which have included pilots, logistics officers, infantry officers and other skilled professionals.
With the new policy announced, the CAF encourages permanent residents to consider a military career in Canada, where Anand believes that enrolment of permanent residents will “help us grow our military with qualified, well-trained people who choose a career in uniform.”
The new policy will increase the pool of candidates to all permanent residents who have the same qualifications as Canadian citizens. The Department of National Defence has also indicated that Canada will offer “facilitated pathways” to citizenship by recognizing the military service of someone who joins the CAF, where citizenship applications from CAF members will be processed on a priority basis by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The announcement comes at a time where Canada’s military has suffered from personnel shortages, both from the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and questions surrounding the CAF culture. Changing the culture within the CAF supports the recruitment of new members and allows them to retain existing members as the Department of National Defence and the CAF continue their efforts to build an institution where everyone feels safe, protected, and respected.
As of July 2022, the Regular Force has approximately 63,500 members. To meet its mandate set out in Canada’s Defence Policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, the CAF need 71,500 Regular Force members. In October 2022, the CAF announced a significant reconstitution effort, focusing on growing the military. The CAF is currently recruiting for more than 100 occupations in diverse trades, such as radiologists and marine technicians. The CAF’s plan is to increase capacity to bring in at least 5,900 new members by March 2023, and since Canada plans to welcome 465,000 new permanent residents in 2023, these individuals are encouraged to consider a career in the CAF.
“To grow and meet the challenges of tomorrow, the Canadian Armed Forces needs to recruit, train, and retain diverse talent in Canada. This talent includes permanent residents, who will bring great enthusiasm, experience, and knowledge to the Defence Team. We receive much interest from permanent residents looking to join the Canadian Armed Forces to serve their new country, and our recruiters are keen to begin conversations with these prospective members of our team.”
– General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff
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