Military wants to recruit foreign pilot to fly new F-35s with new immigration stream

The Liberal government is planning to recruit foreign workers, including recent immigrants, to fill high-skilled positions in the Canadian Armed Forces, even allowing them to pilot F-35 fighter jets.

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The Liberal government is planning to recruit foreign workers, including recent immigrants, to fill high-skilled positions in the Canadian Armed Forces even allowing them to pilot new F-35 fighter jets currently being purchased from the U.S.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced last week that the government will fast-track permanent residency applications for “highly skilled” foreigners hired by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for jobs such as doctors, nurses, or pilots. The news went viral, with many Canadians and Americans raising concerns that foreign actors could infiltrate the armed forces.

On Monday, General Jennie Carignan, Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff, told reporters in Halifax that the CAF, in conjunction with Canada’s immigration department, is already looking to attract military members with “specialized skills,” including “pilots who already know how to fly F-35 fighter jets,” according to The Canadian Press.

Carignan also noted that Canada needs more maritime technicians as the Royal Canadian Navy expands capacity. She said Canada is “definitely interested” in attracting talent from NATO countries and members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, such as Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S.

The general said the CAF is seeking recruits who can operate advanced military gear used by the CAF, such as long-range precision weapons, new drones, and those skilled in cyber and space warfare.

The article also noted comments from Charlotte Duval-Lantoine, from the Canadian Global Affairs Institute in Ottawa, who claimed the CAF has more of a retention problem than a recruitment issue.

The military advocate said the new measures to recruit foreign soldiers and staff “might be aimed” at attracting disgruntled American military personnel who are critical of the U.S. government’s supposed “open hostility” towards women, “those who are racialized” or transgender.