Politics

Federal government fast-tracking temporary foreign worker approvals to fill
labour gaps

   The federal government is fast-tracking approvals for temporary foreign
   workers already in Canada, to make them available to fill labour gaps
   in critical sectors such as agriculture and health care during the
   pandemic.

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Changes allow workers to switch employers immediately while permits are
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   Kathleen Harris · CBC News · Posted: May 12, 2020 4:34 PM ET | Last
   Updated: May 12
   Many foreign workers with employer-specific permits lost their jobs
   this spring due to COVID-19. Some have left Canada, others remained
   here because of travel restrictions. (CBC News)
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   The federal government is fast-tracking approvals for temporary foreign
   workers already in Canada, to make them available to fill labour gaps
   in critical sectors such as agriculture and health care during the
   pandemic.

   Many foreign workers with employer-specific permits lost their jobs
   this spring due to the pandemic. Some have left Canada but others are
   still here because of travel restrictions.
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     * Food, trucking industries race to reverse provincial ban on
       temporary foreign workers

   Under the temporary new rules, a foreign worker can start a new job
   before being issued a new work permit. The approval process normally
   takes 10 weeks or more; the government plans to shorten that to 10 days
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   said.

   Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough said temporary foreign workers are
   an "integral" part of Canada's work force and support its ability to
   deliver essential goods and services during the global pandemic.
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   "While there will always be jobs for Canadians who choose to work in
   these sectors, these changes help support our economy by ensuring that
   temporary foreign workers already here can contribute during these
   extraordinary times," she said.

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   work permit exemptions.

   An employers hiring a temporary foreign worker still needs to have, or
   obtain, a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) from Employment and
   Social Development Canada.

   In 2019, about 190,000 employer-specific work permits were issued to
   foreign nationals. Mendicino said this measure will affect about
   200,000 workers this year.

   With farmers and fish processors worried about filling jobs during the
   pandemic, the federal government already has announced $50 million to
   help finance the added costs of covering temporary foreign workers
   while they comply with a mandatory 14-day quarantine period upon their
   arrival in Canada.
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     * Food, trucking industries race to reverse provincial ban on
       temporary foreign workers
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