Canada’s  Temporary Foreign Worker Program is an effective measure  to address the immediate shortage of labour, but discussions on improving the program are going on. Experts opine that these improvements will have an overall positive effect on the labour market.

54% of Canadian businesses face labour shortages. To increase their competitiveness in the job market, some small businesses have made changes such as increasing wages, but only 22% of those found it effective. Most have reported that the main problem was shortage of candidates with necessary skills or experience. Before the pandemic, small firms were experiencing a serious labour shortage and the pandemic has only made the situation even worse – employers are struggling to find right employees. Workers upskilled or shifted to other professions or sectors in industries that were shuttered for lengthy periods of time, such as hospitality.

The main source of concern right now is that there aren’t enough new workers coming in to replace those who are retiring or changing careers. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)  is an effective way to bring in more workers and deal with labour shortage. But the utilization of TFWF in businesses is low. If the program was extended to other sectors also, it could be a promising solution for Canada’s labour shortages.

Seasoned immigration lawyers & consultants hold the opinion that the government must make the following changes to make the current version of TFWP more effective, across applicable sectors:

1. Simplifying and speeding up TWFP and Permanent Immigration system .
2. Ensure compatibility between immigrant job seekers and Canadian jobs market.
3. Open the TFWP to all types of jobs and sectors, regardless of regional unemployment rate as an immediate action.
4. Implement a Trusted Employer system to ease the application process for Canadian businesses hiring temporary foreign workers to meet labour shortages, while also assuring those smaller businesses with lower-wage jobs may qualify.
5. Waive off Employer fees for small business who use TWFP temporarily.

Government policy support to small businesses will boost economic recovery.

Check out Owlspriority Immigration’s Canada Settlement Resources to learn more about ways to finding a new job in Canada, making your initial days in Canada stress-free and confident.