Canada extends measures to help employers hire foreign workers

Canada has extended special measures to help employers hire more temporary foreign workers, and enable employers to respond to labor and economic conditions in the country.

Randy Boissonnault, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion of Canada, announced the extension to the Temporary Foreign Workforce Solutions Road Map in order to address labor shortages in the country. 

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program will enable employers to hire temporary foreign workers to eradicate the problems of labor shortages in the country. 

What is the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)?

Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is a program launched by the Government of Canada. The program helps employers in Canada to hire foreign workers. The workers hired under the TFWP are referred to as Temporary Foreign Workers. These foreign workers fill labor shortages in Canada.

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Special measures to the Temporary Foreign Workforce Solutions Road Map

Randy Boissonnault has announced special measures to the Temporary Foreign Workforce Solutions Road Map. Through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), employers in Food Manufacturing, Wood Product Manufacturing, Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing, Accommodation and Food Services, Construction, Hospitals, and Nursing and Residential Care sectors will hire up to 30% of their workforce in low-wage positions. 

From 2024, employers will be required to analyze their temporary foreign worker’s wages. Labor Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) have reduced validity from the previous 18-month maximum to a 12-month maximum.

The special measures are set to be in place until August 30, 2024. Under this program, Canadian companies hire foreign workers to work in Canada. If foreign nationals receive a positive Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), they will be hired in Canada.

In August, Canada also launched a special work permit for foreign workers who already have the H-1B visa, the most common entry permit for immigrants working in the tech sector in the United States. Canada agreed to recruit immigrants, mainly from Silicon Valley to boost the economy. The Canadian work permit was aimed at America H-1B visa holders at the Collision tech conference in Toronto. The work permit also included study permit options for the accompanying family members of US H-1B visa holders.