Canada Aims to Address Labour Shortages- Further Changed Temporary Foreign Worker Program Rules

In an attempt to quick economic recovery from the pandemic, the Canadian government announced the latest Solutions Road Map for Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program Workforce.

This initiative has been taken by Canada's Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough. A few fundamental policy changes will be implemented to improve the TFW Program further.

These changes will help meet the labour market needs, enhance worker protections, and build a more robust workforce across Canada.

Five key policy changes are being implemented to the TFW Program to help Canadian employers easily hire and retain temporary foreign workers.

Changes effective immediately:

• The Seasonal Cap Exemption, which has been functional since 2015, will become permanent. There will be no upper limit to the low-wage positions in seasonal industries, like fish and seafood processing. Employers can now fill these positions through the TFW Program. Additionally, the maximum duration of these positions will be increased from 180 days to 270 days annually.
• Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) to be valid for 18 months, an increase from 9 months. (Before the Pandemic, the validity period for LMIA was 6 months).
• Maximum employment duration for workers under High-Wage and Global Talent Streams to three years, up from two years. It'll help workers to qualify for the Canadian permanent residency pathway and enable them to be a part of the Canadian workforce for the long duration.

Changes to be effective from April 30, 2022:

• Employers can hire up to 30% of the workforce through the TFW Program for low-wage positions for a year under seven sectors facing labour shortages, like Accommodation and Food Services. While other employers can hire up to 20% of the workforce through the TFW Program for low-wage positions until further notice. There is a remarkable increase from the earlier 10?p for most Canadian employers.
• The automatically LMIA application refusal policy for low-wage occupations will come to an end in the Accommodation and Food Services and Retail Trade sectors in regions where the unemployment rate is higher than 6%.

For the latest Canadian immigration updates or to move to Canada in 2022, you may contact our team of advisors on Toll-Free No. 78-18-000-777 or drop an email at info@visasavenue.com.

Alternatively, you may fill out our free assessment form online and discover your chances of moving to Canada this year.

- Rajneesh Kumar