Temporary Foreign Worker Program
When Canadian citizens are not available for a certain job, the federal government’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) enables Canadian firms to employ foreign citizens to cover urgent labour and talent shortages.
The program, initially, was a collection of four distinct work programs, which were developed at various times and grouped together because they share some fundamental characteristics. The 4 types of Temporary Foreign Worker Programs are:
Live in Caregivers
This program was made for foreign nationals to come to Canada and work as caregivers for children, kids with special needs, and the elderly. Usually, most of the workers that came through this program were women. The foreign workers had to live with the people they were taking care of for 2 years at least before having a path to permanent residency.
Seasonal Agricultural Workers
People with experience in farming, like planting and harvesting crops, came to Canada with their skills to help the local farmers in agricultural seasons. The workers were allowed a maximum of 8 months to stay in Canada, after which they had to return home.
Skilled Workers
This program was introduced to accommodate labour needs in skilled professions that require specializations. International corporations brought in foreign workers working for them in other countries to Canada in order to fill in due to a shortage in local skilled labour.
Low Skilled Workers
This program dealt with people with low skill and specialization levels who were brought in for jobs that didn’t require many skills as well.
![Construction workers working]()
Changes in TWFP
Recently, the Canadian federal government introduced a few changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program due to requests from corporations and organizations because of the shortage of local labour. The five changes to the program are:
- Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)will now be valid for 18 months instead of 9.
- The max duration of a skilled worker and high-wage employee will be extended from 2 to 3 years
- No limit on low-skilled worker positions in seasonal industries like seafood processing, fishing, etc. Max duration for these jobs will also be increased, from 180 days to 270 days annually.
- Employees of industrial sectors that have labour shortages are allowed to hire up to 30% of their workforce through TWFP. The industries include only low-skilled industries like wooden product manufacturing, food processing, construction, etc.
- The government’s policy of automatic rejection of LMIA for low-skilled jobs for retail trade and food services in places with a 6 percent or higher unemployment rate has ended.
Hire a Lawyer in Canada
If your business or organization is facing any difficulties getting a foreign national approved for immigration, make sure you work with a legal consultant to solve the issue. Nanda & Associate Lawyers provides experienced immigration lawyers who can help you with your immigration issues. Moreover, we also offer real estate litigation lawyers, divorce lawyers, mortgage lawyers, personal injury lawyers, and more. Contact us now for further information
Disclaimer: This article is only intended for educational purposes and shouldn’t be used as a substitute for legal advice.
