the CanadaVisa Team - 18 July, 2015
As businesses in Western Canada continue to experience shortages of labour, the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, announced changes to make it easier for companies to hire foreign workers.
The main change announced to the federal program for temporary foreign workers is to create regional lists of occupations in high demand—for example 170 jobs in Alberta and 129 in British Columbia. Saskatchewan is also in the process of developing a similar list. The lists include a wide range of employment, from trades people to professionals. When looking to hire a foreign worker in these high priority occupations, employers will not need to advertise as extensively for the position domestically. The program aims to reduce the length of the process by over 25%.
Another measure announced will ensure employers are better informed about the process. Citizenship and Immigration Canada will be publishing a step-by-step guide written specifically to assist employers seeking to hire temporary foreign workers. The federal government will also be consulting with its provincial counterparts to seek out other means to improve the immigration process. Minister Solberg announced the creation of federal-provincial working groups to identify areas of demand alongside new solutions to ensure needs are met.
Many industry leaders hailed the move. "This change will allow the immigration system to respond better to the business community's needs," said Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. The construction industry in particular has been particularly welcoming, feeling the effects of long-term labour shortages.
