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Employers face long delays for temporary foreign workers as demand spikes

Some employers looking to hire temporary foreign workers are experiencing significant delays due to an increase in demand this year for migrant workers in Canada.

The federal government says the volume of applications is up almost 25 per cent over last year — a development it says is partly because of Canada’s low unemployment rates.

Employers who want to hire migrant workers in the “low-skill stream” are now waiting more than 100 days to find out if their labour market impact assessments (LMIA) will be approved. These assessments are necessary to prove the employer needs to hire temporary workers and that there are no Canadian workers available for the jobs.

Processing times for the “high-wage stream” are 85 days.

“Unemployment is at a historic low, reaching levels that have not been seen since 1976. While this economic success is good for business, it is also creating challenges for employers who are struggling to find enough workers to meet demand,” said Veronique Simard, a spokeswoman for Labour Minister Patty Hajdu.

“The temporary-foreign-worker program continues to experience an increased volume of labour market impact assessment applications across Canada. Recognizing the urgency of the labour shortage in Quebec and the rest of Canada, our government is taking steps to improve service delivery for the TFW program.” | For the full story, CLICK HERE.