Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) announced today plans for a new Accelerated Labour Market Opinion (A-LMO) initiative. This initiative is effective from 25 April 2012.

In order to hire a temporary foreign worker, a Canadian employer is usually required to first apply for and receive a positive Labour Market Opinion. However, processing times for these Opinions have risen in recent months as provincial offices work hard to reduce backlogs.

The A-LMO presents an option for some employers to circumvent these long processing times. In order for an employer to be eligible for the A-LMO process, they must:

• Have been issued at least one positive LMO in the previous two years;
• Have a clean record of compliance with the LMO program within the last two years;
• Not have been the subject of an investigation, infraction, or serious complaint; and
• Not have any unresolved violations or contraventions under provincial laws governing employment and recruitment

Employers who qualify for and submit an application to the new A-LMO process can expect to receive an Opinion within 10 business days.