This new measure proposed in December 2022 is for foreign workers who already have a Canadian work permit & are applying for another permit to continue working in the same profession. However, IRCC hasn’t confirmed this data. Thus, it remains to be seen whether it will proceed with this proposed idea of processing work permits or not. 

 

The Plan For Reducing Inventories

The proposal is offered as part of an IRCC action plan to reduce inventories, reduce labor shortages, and improve client services. 

In addition, it falls in the category of ESDC, i.e., Employment and Social Development Canada, to simplify the processing of work permits for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. 

The new process involves daily application pulls by GMCS, i.e., Global Case Management System. However, the process would not be automated. 

Generally, the procedure of processing work permits involves an officer evaluating the applicant to determine if they are approved. This further includes a review of the applicant’s experience, language capabilities, education, and other licensing requirements.

In addition, the officer also assesses if the offer of employment is genuine or not. They do this by checking if the recruiter is actively engaged in business. Further, they note if they can pay the employees’ wages and that they are compliant with federal & provincial employment laws. 

The new method will apply to any applicant returning to the same employer and profession, whether they are applying from abroad or Canada itself. 

 

Who Is Eligible? 

The information collected from ATIP shows that between January 2017 & August 2022, IRCC received almost 71,955 applications from foreign workers who obtained two or more work permits with the exact employer and profession, so IRCC expects that the proposed measures will prove to be beneficial. 

Applicants should meet the following criteria to be eligible. 

  • One needs an employer-specific work permit once every five years with no issues/ discrepancies from the previous application. 
  • They must submit the work permit application for a new employer-specific work permit. 
  • The applicants must return to the same profession with the same NOC, i.e., the National Occupation Classification code. 
  • Furthermore, biometrics must be provided before or with new applications. 
  • Finally, all admissibility requirements must be met throughout the screening process. 

 

Temporary Foreign Worker Program 

Canada’s TFWP, i.e., Temporary Foreign Worker Program, helps Canadian employers hire employees when they can’t seek qualified individuals for vacant positions. 

Employees who come under the TFWP have closed work permits. This implies that they can only work for one employer/ company in Canada. 

Most employers who choose to recruit through the program get positive or neutral LMIA, i.e., Labor Market Impact Assessment. This document is given to ESDC & outlines the employer’s hiring plan and why they must hire international workers. Further, it must demonstrate that hiring international workers can positively or neutral impact Canada’s economy.

In addition, employers also need to provide evidence that they tried to find qualified Canadian permanent residents to fill the vacant job roles before seeking international workers. 

Additionally, employers might be inspected for compliance with government regulations after the employee has begun working in Canada.