Justin Trudeau: How to fix the broken temporary foreign worker program. Throughout our history, Canada’s immigration policy has brought people here who had a pathway to citizenship. They were — and are — nation builders. It has been supported by political parties of all stripes, and promoted by successive governments over generations. With their mismanagement of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the Conservatives have done serious damage to that commitment. Since taking office, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party have transformed the Temporary Foreign Worker Program — which was originally designed to bring in temporary workers on a limited basis when no Canadian could be found — into one that has brought in a large pool of vulnerable workers. As a result, the number of short- term foreign workers in Canada has more than doubled, from 1.
There were nearly as many temporary foreign workers admitted into the country in 2. At this rate, by 2. This has all happened under the Conservatives’ watch, despite repeated warnings from the Liberal Party and from Canadians across the country about its impact on middle class Canadians: it drives down wages and displaces Canadian workers. Most concerning, the program has grown dramatically in regions facing high unemployment, like southwestern Ontario. In Windsor, the number of unemployed workers has risen by 4. Unemployment in London has risen by 2. Liberals proposed a motion to conduct a full Parliamentary investigation into the program and propose solutions to remedy instances of abuse a year ago.
One Woodbine racetrack groom and her four extra kids. The Canadian temporary foreign workers’ program was recently in the. Temporary Foreign Worker Program Can be Costlier for Small Business. But as Carol Goar pointed out in an article in the Toronto Star. Canada Immigration Programs . Getting a visa is an exciting milestone in your life. Your belongings are packed and your goodbyes are said, your Canadian journey has officially begun. Information Technology Association of Canada About Us; Membership.
Canada may make it easier for temporary foreign workers to get permanent residency and. TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada. Canada's Liberal government has said it is revamping the program, which brings in workers who are.
- In the midst of a fresh eruption of abuse allegations surrounding the government's troubled temporary foreign worker program. Temporary Foreign Worker program.
- June 20, 2014 a significant overhaul of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. There are a number of different paths (also referred to as .
Every single Conservative MP voted that motion down, saying no review was necessary. Now, because of bad press, the government claims it is taking action. Even still, the minister responsible for the program, Jason Kenney, seems confused about where he stands on the issue. Kenney suspended the program for the food service industry the same day he said that program abuse is “rare.”Abuse is not rare.
It is far too common, and it must end immediately. Here is how to do it. First, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program needs to be scaled back dramatically over time, and refocused on its original purpose: to fill jobs on a limited basis when no Canadian workers can be found. Second, Canada needs to re- commit itself to bringing permanent immigrants here who have a path to citizenship.
This would return us back to first principles and the purpose of immigration: nation building. Third, we must also create real transparency and accountability in the program. This should begin with a full review of the program by the Auditor General. We must tighten the foreign worker approvals process, through the disclosure of applications and approvals of temporary foreign workers.
This can be facilitated with the public disclosure of information concerning what jobs are being offered to temporary foreign workers and in what communities. Fourth, we must require that employers applying to the program have clearly attempted to fill job vacancies with Canadian workers, particularly young Canadians whose unemployment rate is nearly twice the national average. We require Canadians who are collecting EI benefits to prove they are looking for work. It’s only fair that we require employers looking to benefit from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to prove they really need it.
Finally, the government should tighten the Labour Market Opinion approval process to ensure that only businesses with legitimate needs are able to access the program. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is broken. Action must be taken, and the government must explain to all Canadians why it took a series of high profile examples of program abuse before the Conservatives acknowledged the flaws in their Temporary Foreign Worker Program. In the end, this is a basic issue of fairness.
Fairness for Canadians who need work, and for vulnerable people who travel to Canada from abroad in search of a real opportunity to succeed. It cuts to the heart of who we are as a country. I believe it is wrong for Canada to follow the path of countries who exploit large numbers of guest workers, who have no realistic prospect of citizenship.
It is bad for our economy in that it depresses wages for all Canadians, but it’s even worse for our country. It puts pressure on our commitment to diversity, and creates more opportunities for division and rancour. We can and must do better. Justin Trudeau is the Member of Parliament for Papineau riding and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.
Temporary Foreign Workers . Furthermore, temporary foreign workers can enter Canada pursuant to a Canadian provincial nominee program.
Business visitors can work in Canada provided they are not paid by any employer in Canada and are not entering the Canadian labour force. Foreign nationals who come to Canada to be trained, to do training or to attend meetings are considered business visitors. A temporary foreign worker is eligible for a Canadian work permit if an intra- company transferee (specialized knowledge worker or senior manager / executive) and has been employed by a foreign employer for at least one year prior to being transferred to a related Canadian employer. Temporary foreign workers entering Canada pursuant to work permits based on Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) must have skills that are either senior managerial (NOC- 0), professional or semi- professional (NOC- A)or where a minimum of two years of post- secondary education is required for the position (NOC- B). Work permits are also issued to temporary foreign workers who have been nominated by a Canadian provincial nominee program.
In Ontario, the Ontario Provincial Nominee Program requires that an Ontario employer make an offer of employment to a temporary foreign worker who has at least two years of experience in his or her profession or occupation. Stories about foreign workers are often in the news in Canada. If interested, click here to read an article by Mr. Haroon Siddiqui, the Editor Emeritus of the Toronto Star. The Toronto Star is the newspaper with the largest daily circulation in Canada.