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Called CIC today and got starnge answer

Applications for low wage jobs are being refused now that the LMO has been replaced by the LMIA. I have been in that situation along with many of my international co-workers. The job has to meet the median provincial hourly wage which is currently $21.90 here in Québec in order to be accepted. Many of my international co-workers had to leave Canada because there were left with no other option. I managed to save my butt by obtaining one of the very last young professional visas of the 2014 quota (thank god I am German and under 35). That's the deal now though - if you make less than the median provincial wage, that's it. You're out. ::)
 
Marlee said:
Applications for low wage jobs are being refused now that the LMO has been replaced by the LMIA. I have been in that situation along with many of my international co-workers. The job has to meet the median provincial hourly wage which is currently $21.90 here in Québec in order to be accepted. Many of my international co-workers had to leave Canada because there were left with no other option. I managed to save my butt by obtaining one of the very last young professional visas of the 2014 quota (thank god I am German and under 35). That's the deal now though - if you make less than the median provincial wage, that's it. You're out. ::)
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I'm sure that is misguided information. LMIAs pass if you have a job under the NOC 0, NOC A, NOC B. 21.4 is a pretty hefty pay package for entry level jobs. So according to you any new graduate student has to have a salary of more than 45k a year to stay in Canada? That is absurd.
 
Marlee said:
Applications for low wage jobs are being refused now that the LMO has been replaced by the LMIA. I have been in that situation along with many of my international co-workers. The job has to meet the median provincial hourly wage which is currently $21.90 here in Québec in order to be accepted. Many of my international co-workers had to leave Canada because there were left with no other option. I managed to save my butt by obtaining one of the very last young professional visas of the 2014 quota (thank god I am German and under 35). That's the deal now though - if you make less than the median provincial wage, that's it. You're out. ::)
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:o
For PNP also we need to get positive LMIA ??
For OPNP, full time permanent job offer (not completed 1 yr), completed grad study in Canada, police check, IELTS, medical...what else ?
 
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We are all NOC B and this is what they responded. Our LMIAs have been refused due to the reason that we earn less than the median hourly wage. I can only tell you what CIC told us.
 
Marlee said:
We are all NOC B and this is what they responded. Our LMIAs have been refused due to the reason that we earn less than the median hourly wage. I can only tell you what CIC told us.
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Really? Well, I am NOC A and make more than what you quoted, but it is still very unlikely that you have to make more than the median. I'm sure that there is a minimum amount but rejecting an LMIA based on income is very very unlikely.
 
Well, I guess they would not have written it explicitly into the rejection letter if they would not have been serious about it.
 
Most people had a positive LMO (or they were exempt because they came here with a working holiday visa like me) but now that their work permits are expiring they had to apply for an LMIA in order to acquire an extension. The problem is that the conditions have changed and that under the new rules everything is a lot stricter. The median wage policy did not apply in the old LMO system. That's why.
 
Ok, first of all you do not need LMO in order to apply under CEC
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But your job has to be in NOC 0,A,B. And when you are in B section- they look at your wages. (they allways look at wages, but especially at B section jobs).
 
Regina said:
But your job has to be in NOC 0,A,B. And when you are in B section- they look at your wages. (they allways look at wages, but especially at B section jobs).
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What about NOC A? and LMIA is only for bridging expiring visa's right? Before EE, CEC Applicants never had to worry about it I guess.
 
I am talking about general work permit extensions which require a positive LMIA.
Up until now, applicants under the CEC program were eligible for an open work permit and hence LMIA exempt. However, I do not know if that still applies as of January 1st due to the new EE system.

Prospective PRs in Québec have the problem that they have to apply for the CSQ (Certificat de Séléction du Québec) first before they are able to submit their PR application federally. This can take up to 2 years and those people are unfortunately NOT eligible for an open work permit during this awfully long waiting period. Hence they need regular temporary work permits until they receive their CSQ if they wish to stay. The CSQ makes you LMIA exempt but unfortunately it takes an eternity to get it.
 
Marlee said:
I am talking about general work permit extensions which require a positive LMIA.
Up until now, applicants under the CEC program were eligible for an open work permit and hence LMIA exempt. However, I do not know if that still applies as of January 1st due to the new EE system.

Prospective PRs in Québec have the problem that they have to apply for the CSQ (Certificat de Séléction du Québec) first before they are able to submit their PR application federally. This can take up to 2 years and those people are unfortunately NOT eligible for an open work permit during this awfully long waiting period. Hence they need regular temporary work permits until they receive their CSQ if they wish to stay. The CSQ makes you LMIA exempt but unfortunately it takes an eternity to get it.
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See the reason why LMIA is required for EE is because they want to make sure that when people apply for EE they have jobs that help the economy. This will eradicate the scenarios where even a store manager job qualifies. CEC applicants are generally NOC A or NOC B and they almost always pass the LMIA.
 
praneet87 said:
CEC applicants are generally NOC A or NOC B and they almost always pass the LMIA.
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Yes. IF they meet the salary requirements. Me and my co-workers did not. I am sure this is a measurement that has been taken in order to avoid the financial abuse of highly skilled workers from abroad. If you are truly in desperate need of a foreign worker, they expect you to pay him appropriately. Not to mention the highly increased application fee of $1k which used to be $275 (LMO). It is the government's elegant (or should I rather say sneaky?!) way of cutting down the foreign worker market and forcing employers to prioritize Canadian applicants even if they are less qualified. Just because it is easier and cheaper.
 
praneet87 said:
See the reason why LMIA is required for EE is because they want to make sure that when people apply for EE they have jobs that help the economy. This will eradicate the scenarios where even a store manager job qualifies. CEC applicants are generally NOC A or NOC B and they almost always pass the LMIA.
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No it doesn't say that. High skilled (NOC 0,A,B) jobs are also subject to LMO requirements when an employer hires TFW. That means, both employers of grocery store bagger and professional accountant and engineers has to pay their respective prevailing wage (because that's one of the requirement for +ve LMIA) if they were to hire from outside of Canada. Now, is it easier, from employer's perspective, to pay a Timmy coffee maker the prevailing wage, or an accountant, or heavy-duty mechanics?
 
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