As the media reports on Canada’s economic problems from the looming labour shortage, there is also what appears to be an incongruous concern about the overwhelming challenges that skilled immigrants face when attempting to enter the labour market in Canada. All too often we hear the stories of engineers and doctors driving taxis or working in unskilled labour jobs without hope of practicing their professions in Canada. There is an obvious gap that has resulted from Canadian immigration policy actively seeking skilled professionals to immigrate to Canada without a view to how they will integrate and use their education and skills to contribute to Canadian society. Based on some recent announcements, the Canadian government seems to be taking some steps to try to address both of these challenges.
On February 18, 2007 Diane Finley, Canada’s latest Minister of Citizenship and Immigration issued a statement on the Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) program, reiterating the government’s commitment to establish an office to assist qualified foreign-trained professionals become accredited in Canada. The announcement simply recognizes that the integration of new immigrants to the Canadian labour market is essential for Canada to continue to attract and retain skilled immigrants and highlights that the government has allocated $18 million over two years in the 2006 Federal Budget towards establishing this office. However, it does not mention that it is the provincially mandated regulatory agencies that must make a commitment to facilitate foreign credential recognition if the FCR program is to have any real impact. One regulatory body in Saskatchewan has recently received funding from the FCR to initiate a foreign credential recognition program and although there have been no similar announcements in Ontario, the Immigration Minister did promise to make future announcements in the coming weeks.
Another way to facilitate the successful integration of skilled prospective immigrants to Canadian society while satisfying Canadian business labour requirements is to simplify the ability for employers to “sponsor” foreign workers to Canada. New changes to the Foreign Worker Program were made with a view to create a more streamlined process for employers to hire foreign workers. At the end of 2006, a “List of Regional Occupations Under Pressure” were published for three provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. The lists are intended to shorten waiting times for employers who are experiencing labour shortages to expedite the issuance of work permits for prospective foreign workers. There was also the latest announcement that “additional changes” had been made to the Foreign Worker Program. These changes consist of extending the duration of Labour Market Opinions (LMO) issued by HRSDC including LMOs for live-in caregivers; an online LMO application form; and permitting concurrent processing of LMO applications and a work permit application. We will have to wait to see if these changes are effective in their purpose to make it easier for employers to bring in the foreign workers they need.
The question remains, however, whether much of the foreign labour needed is already right here in Canada working in positions that do not recognize their skills or simply unemployed? Perhaps what Canada really needs to do is overhaul the business and skilled immigration program rather than building on what is plainly not working for new immigrants or Canadian businesses.
Achtari, Negar
(416) 972-9001
clientservices@heydary.com
Primero, Maria Margarita L.
(416) 972-9001, Ext. 206
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