New Project Intended to Speed-Up Temporary Work Permit Processing

Canadian Immigration Minister Monte Solberg announced yesterday his government's plan to facilitate the entry of foreign workers.

The new initiative will make it much less complicated for employers to source workers from abroad. The pilot project will address key issues in the temporary work permit process enabling Canadian companies to have facilitated access to international workers. Streamlining how foreign workers are recruited will go a long way in tempering the significant labour shortages threatening to stall the Canadian economy, Mr.Solberg says.

The project calls for the deployment of two-person units in Calgary and Vancouver which will advise potential Canadian employers on how to effectively screen and recruit foreign-trained workers against Canada's temporary Work Permit criteria. "Without the talent of newcomers, companies and industries cannot grow and meet their potential [...] and Canada could lose its competitive edge," Mr. Solberg explains.

Effectively, the "units" will act as arbitrators between the Canadian government and the private sector to ensure employers understand the applicable immigration processes before they enter foreign markets in search of workers. Previously, companies scouting-out potential foreign recruits would sometimes get caught up in administrative complications that would lead to potential foreign staff being denied access to Canada.

The program is based on a pilot project first established in the province of Quebec three years ago. "The program has been so successful [in Quebec] that employers across Canada, including here in Calgary, have contacted the Quebec unit for advice and guidance," Canada's Immigration Minister says.