The Government of Canada strongly believes that foreign workers can help employers meet their labour needs when Canadians and permanent residents are not available. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program was established in 1973 as the Non-Immigrant Employment Authorization Program (NIEAP).
In 2002 Liberal government created the Low-skill Pilot Project to address labour shortages in that
field. The definition of Low skill back then was a high school requirement and up to two years of training or directly related work experience. From 2005 to 2012 Temporary Foreign Worker Program was based on the LMO (Labour Market Opinion) applications. This program has helped Canadian employers to address labour shortages in many fields such as retail, hospitality, farming, manufacturing, and other service industries. In 2013 Conservative Government implemented some changes to the program implementing certain restrictions and increasing fees. LMO program eventually changed its name to LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment).
By the end of 2012, there were more than 340,000 Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) in the country, mostly in Provinces such as British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. Temporary foreign workers (TFWs) have played an increasingly important role in the Canadian labour market in recent years (Lu and Hou, 2019). Close to 470,000 foreign nationals have a work permit that became effective in 2019, compared to 340,000 in 2017 and 390,000 in 2018.
In 2017, there were about 550,000 temporary foreign workers in Canada, accounting for 2.9% of total employment. Although the overall percentage of temporary foreign worker program participants may not be large, they were particularly important in agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting, accounting for 15.5% of the employment in that sector. In contrast, the share of TFWs in other goods-producing sectors was generally small, amounting to 1.0% of employment in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, and 1.7% in manufacturing.
Among services-producing sectors, the highest proportion of TFWs was observed in
accommodation and food services at 7.2%, followed by 5.8% in administrative and support services, waste management and remediation services, 3.8% in professional, scientific and technical services, and 3.8% in arts, entertainment, recreation, information and cultural industries. The shares of TFWs were relatively low in transportation and warehousing (1.7%), finance and insurance (1.6%), healthcare and social assistance (1%), and utilities (0.5%). All four industries have been providing essential services during the pandemic. *
Reference: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/45-28-0001/2020001/article/00028-eng.htm
Skilled immigrants are an essential part of Canada’s population growth. As the Canadian population ages and fertility rates decline, natural increase accounts for less than one-third of Canada’s population growth. Migratory increase accounts for other two-thirds.
As part of this process, the government supports low-skilled and high-skilled foreign workers
based on their potential to become economically established in Canada and to assist employers in meeting their skilled labor shortages.
We specialize in Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) based work permits applications.
There are many of them available to Canadian employers, such as:
Each stream has its own requirements regarding advertisements, recruitment, the median pay
rate, and more. Please get in touch with us today, and one of our experienced team members will
guide you through the process.
Some Canadian companies wish to hire international employees due to labour shortages and high turnover, while others seek to improve or expand their companies. There are numerous benefits to utilizing a global workforce, no matter the reason.
The process of hiring foreign workers is not without challenges, and there will be a certain wait time, especially nowadays, during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most employers find that it is well worth their time and effort. From our experience and the experience of our numerous satisfied clients, there are significant benefits to hiring internationally trained employees.
– Highly Skilled positions
It is not a secret that the world is a global market where numerous countries compete for top talent. Fields such as IT, Software Development, Coding, Cloud Services have been
overgrowing in the past 50 years and Canadian employers are experiencing labour shortages. The other fields, such as Science or Engineering, lack homegrown talents as well. Canada should be the world leader in clean energy development and attract top-world entrepreneurs, inventors, and scientists.
– Trades, Hospitality, Retail Sector and Farming industry
Other fields have been experiencing labour shortages as well. Canadian farms depend on foreign workers. The hospitality Industry has been welcoming staff from all over the world to bring their diverse culinary experience and strong work ethic.
The following RBC article covers anticipated labour shortages in the Trade sector:
‘Canada will face a shortage of at least 10,000 workers in nationally recognized Red Seal trades
over the next five years — a deficit that swells tenfold when 144 provincially regulated trades
are included, according to a new report that was released recently by the thought leadership
group at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). The most severe shortages will be among trades critical to the coming infrastructure boom, including industrial mechanics, welders and boilermakers.
Over 700,000 skilled tradespeople are expected to retire by 2028. Meanwhile, an outdated
perception of the trades has hobbled recruitment efforts’*
*Reference: https://thoughtleadership.rbc.com/powering-up-preparing-canadas-skilled-trades-for-a-post-pandemic-economy/
Bringing foreign workers can change that same mindset on how we do things. New perspectives
and methods of work can be very beneficial for your organization. Foreign workers come from
different places and countries. The blending of ideas from various cultures is the proven recipe
for Creativity and innovation that can lift your company to a new level.
This open flow of ideas benefits both immigrant and non-immigrant employees. It can enrich a
corporate culture and lead to higher employee morale and a positive reputation.
You would like to have somebody in your company speaking a foreign language. You might have customers or clients using the same or similar language or terminology. There are groups of some world languages that are very similar.
For some companies like international restaurants, it is simply impossible to create an
international menu without bringing a cook or a chef from a foreign country. Sushi Chefs, Asian
Cooks, Teppanyaki Chefs, or Pizza masters bring their international flair to this country.
Many immigrant families experienced crisis and change in their mother countries, making them
more proficient at anticipating crisis, adopting and handling stressful situations. They are hard-
working people who have been building our great country for centuries! They usually come to
Canada to stay permanently- that means they will be working very hard to deserve their
Permanent residency during their temporary resident status. Their work permit will be employer-specific and occupation-specific which means they will be able to work for one employer for a specific period.
You will submit an employer offer to ‘sponsor’ a foreign worker. A worker will then apply for an employer-specific work permit. That means he/she will be authorized to work for your company only. Even though foreign workers can change employment by going through the sponsorship process again, they are less likely to do so. By the time they get used to the company and the town they live in, by the time they settle down and learn about a new work environment, they will tend to stay with the employer who will assist them with the Permanent Residency application. We estimate that foreign workers will remain with one employer for at
least 24 months. Our company offers an 18-month free replacement guarantee for any client.
Mr. Nikola Misina, President of Premier Immigration Services, is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC). Colloquially known as the Wolf of Immigration by clients in Google reviews, Nikola Misina is an experienced and dedicated immigration practitioner and recruiter. He has extensive experience in the field of immigration, recruitment, food service and hospitality.
Nikola Misina is now a naturalized Canadian citizen and his expertise in hospitality ranges from an education at the Swiss Hotel Management School, to working in the kitchens and dining rooms on cruise ships in international waters, working in the United States for the Marriott Hotels and Resorts, and ultimately resettling in Canada and becoming a successful manager and partner for one major restaurant chain. He used the Temporary Foreign Worker Program as an employer. He started working in the Immigration field in 2017 after obtaining RCIC licensing.
Mr. Misina is an Author of several books published on Amazon.ca such as Owner Operator LMIA Guidebook, How to Find LMIA Jobs in Canada, Start-up Visa Guidebook, Intra Company Transferees (ICT) Guidebook and Immigrating to Alberta as a Business Investor.
Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikola-misina-482732168/
Mr. Misina is Licenced Recruiter under BC Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act # IS-0009115
Premier Visa and Immigration Services Ltd. is an authorized national and international Employment Agency operating under License / Registration Number 354226 issued by and under the authority of the Government of Alberta.
How can Mr. Misina assist you with hiring foreign workers in Canada
Over the last several years, Mr. Misina and his team have been exclusively focused on immigration for foreign workers and the recruitment of skilled workers for his network of employers facing labor and skills shortages. We have rapidly built a strong reputation in the industry amongst his employer network as a reliable and knowledgeable recruiter based on integrity and positive results for both employers and foreign workers. For temporary workers seeking employment in Canada, the employment division at Premier Immigration Services, led by Mr. Nikola Misina, has assisted hundreds in finding the appropriate pathway to deploy their skills assisting in their resettlement to Canada.
The Federal Government of Canada created the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to facilitate economic growth in Canada by responding to labour shortages.
The TFWP was created in 1973 by the Government of Canada.
We mostly use the LMIA stream to support Permanent Residency in case of skilled positions (NOC 0, A, or B). With this stream, Work Permit will have two-year validity. Most of the other streams support two-year work permits as well.
If your occupation falls under skilled positions (NOC 0, A or B), your spouse may be eligible for an open work permit. In the case of semi-skilled and low-skilled positions (NOC C or D) your spouse may not qualify. In that case, he/she would need to find a separate employment offer supporting LMIA. Where to check if your occupation is skilled or not: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/eligibility/find-national-occupation-code.html
Yes, kids can apply for Study Permits and enroll in Elementary or High School in Canada. You will be paying the same fees as Canadians and PRs. If kids are eligible to enroll in post-secondary institutions such as Colleges or Universities, they will need an acceptance letter before applying for a Study Permit. They would need to pay the International Tuition fee as well.
Basic Health Insurance is free in Canada. Every province has a different wait time for such insurance, so please double-check on the provincial website before traveling to Canada. Your employer would need to apply and pay for your private health insurance until provincial health insurance becomes available. In addition, check with your employer to confirm whether they provide additional and extended health care coverage such as dental, vision, and hospital care. On your paycheck, you will see your deductions such as EI (Employment Insurance) and CPP (Canada pension plan)
Most NOC codes are eligible for PR application. NOC 0, A, and B positions are suitable for the Express Entry system. Other NOC codes may be eligible under PNP or other streams.
Yes, you can keep extending your work permit indefinitely. However, your goal should be to apply for PR as soon as possible. The temporary Foreign Worker program is subject to change, and you don’t want to risk your ability to stay in Canada. Once you receive your PR number after a successful application, you may be eligible for an Open Work permit.
Premier Visa and Immigration Services is providing immigration consulting services on various categories of immigration including permanent residence visas and temporary residence visas. We specialize in temporary foreign worker program and business immigration.
Our consultants are registered members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants.
Premier Visa and Immigration Services, Inc. – Copyright © 2023
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