A new “approved employer” program has been launched by Ottawa to facilitate the recruitment of temporary foreign workers for companies accustomed to using these workers.
According to the Ministry of Employment, Ottawa intends to reduce the amount of documents companies must send to justify their need for foreign workers.
Previously, companies were required to submit a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before hiring, which demonstrates that the job cannot go to a Canadian or permanent resident.
Now, employers who can demonstrate compliance with these requirements will receive a three-year accreditation and will no longer need to submit an LMIA for each application.
To qualify, you must have already obtained three LMIAs in the last five years for the same occupation, the ministry said.
“These employers must undergo a very rigorous initial assessment based on their history and track record in the program,” it said in a statement.
The pilot program will open to agribusinesses in September and then to other employers from January.
Two changes in one year
This is the second change to the program in nearly a year, with Ottawa already specifying that up to 20% of their employees can be hired in the “low-wage” stream, up from a previous limit of 10%.
The ceiling was raised to 30% for sectors experiencing major labor shortages, such as catering or construction.
The most sought after post in this scheme is Agricultural Labourer.
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