News Release

Government expands temporary foreign worker services in Ontario and Atlantic Canada to help employers meet labour market needs

Ottawa, February 11, 2008 — The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced an expansion of services to help employers in Ontario and Atlantic Canada meet their labour market needs with temporary foreign workers.

Two units are being established in Toronto and Moncton to serve as main points of contact for companies wishing to hire foreign workers in the two regions. These are in addition to three already established in Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal.

“The addition of these two new temporary foreign worker units means that employers across Canada now have a dedicated point of service where they can get help getting the workers they need,” said Minister Finley. “The units will help make the process easier for employers, and will help strengthen local and regional economies.”

Like the units in Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal, the units in Toronto and Moncton will, among other things:

• provide advice to employers who plan to hire temporary foreign workers;
• facilitate the entry of workers in certain professions who do not require a visa and verification that there are no Canadians available;
• make the entry process smoother and more efficient by providing employers with accurate and up-to-date information;
• pre-screen supporting documents from employers to streamline the application process for such workers; and
• work with provinces to better meet regional needs.

Requests for temporary foreign workers for whom visas are required or who are in other professions would still be directed to Service Canada.

“Temporary foreign workers help support Canada’s economic growth and prosperity, and I’m pleased that all regions of Canada will benefit from the exceptional service the units provide,” added Minister Finley.

The units are one aspect of the Government of Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which allows employers to hire foreign workers to meet their human resources needs when sufficient numbers of Canadian workers are not readily available. Recently, the government has taken a number of steps to improve the program. The 2007 budget provided $50.5 million toward measures to further reduce processing delays and to establish mechanisms to monitor employer compliance with the terms and conditions of the program and address non-compliance.

Backgrounder

Temporary foreign worker units

Canada took in an estimated 125,000 temporary foreign workers in 2007. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) works with other federal departments, provinces and stakeholders to respond to labour market needs across Canada.

The Government of Canada tries to maximize the benefits foreign workers bring while at the same time protecting the interests of Canadians who may already be ready and willing to do the job.

The temporary foreign worker units will serve as optional first points of contact for any employer wishing to hire temporary foreign workers. They advise employers whether they can benefit from the service and, if so, the procedures to follow.

In general, the units provide facilitation services to employers to hire workers who do not require visas to come to Canada for professions that are not subject to verification that there are no Canadians available to do the job.

For those who do require visas or who want to work in jobs that require what is known as a labour market opinion, which verifies that there are no Canadians available, the units can advise employers on the process.

The labour market opinion is rendered by Service Canada. The opinion also ensures that the offer is consistent with Canadian wages and working conditions. Subsequent steps may include the issuance of visas and work permits by CIC overseas posts and the Canada Border Services Agency.

Finally, it should be noted that some jobs do not require a work permit. The units provide advice on those that might qualify for an exemption.

Occupations that do not require a labour market opinion include workers who enter Canada under international labour mobility agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. This includes such professionals as accountants, engineers, architects, dentists and geologists, to name a few. In-house company transferees, workers with specialized knowledge, senior managers and professors participating in academic exchanges may also be exempt. Foreign workers who are part of reciprocal employment arrangements and those who intend to perform work that would be of significant benefit to Canada may also be exempt.

Occupations that may not require work permits include adjudicators in the arts, emergency services personnel responding to a disaster, visiting university lecturers, flight crew and civil aviation inspectors. In addition, some journalists, business visitors, performing artists, guest speakers, religious leaders and their support staff may not require a work permit.