Are you a Canadian Employer struggling to hire or retain staff?
Employers across multiple industries reach out to us with huge gaps in finding the right people for their business. This problem exists and is increasingly becoming a major hurdle to client service delivery and eventually business growth for businesses in a number of industries including technical services, healthcare, accounting, food manufacturing, trades, hospitality, technical sales, agriculture, research and production laboratories etc
After months and months of failed attempts to retain workers- running ads on indeed, linkedin, employers reach out to us, seeking assistance to hire or retain full-time or part time workers to fill important positions in their businesses.
Often foreign workers, who may be in Canada or overseas apply to such jobs as well, and while they may seem to be a great fit, can you hire them? What does the process look like?
This post is meant to help employers understand how the Canadian immigration system can support their needs, and what your options as an employer are to hire foreign workers (non Canadian PR’s/citizens) who may be inside Canada or outside.
Here’s a list of some common questions we get asked from our employers and how we can help
I have a potential employee who has a closed work permit. Can I hire him?
A closed work permit is one that allows the holder work authorization to work only for the employer listed on the work permit. While the employee cannot work with you while still being on their previous closed work permit, you may be able to support the employee to get a closed work permit to work with your business under the Temporary Foreign Worker program or the International mobility program.
How can an employee get an open work permit-so I don’t need to do an LMIA?
Not all employees would be eligible for an Open Work Permit, however some might be. This is based on a number of factors of the employee (not the employer), for example, their age, nationality, marital status, etc.
If an Open Work Permit is not an option for your employee, applying for an LMIA may be the right option for you- it’s not as hard as you think. Talk to us to know more.
I have identified a person who I want to hire who does not have the right work permit. How long will it take to get one?
Based on what route is identified to be the most efficient one for your employee- whether it is the Temporary foreign worker (TFW) program or the International mobility Program (IMP) or other, the timelines may wary. Another factor that impacts this is which province you are located in, and if the province requires you to have a registration in place to hire foreign workers.
Typically, LMIA process may take up to 3-4 months
However, if the position and the employment was being applied under the Global talent Stream, the processing times for an LMIA could be as low as 10 days.
Work Permit under the IMP may take about 3 months as well.
Please note that these timelines change as per processing times of ESDC, IRCC and provincial bodies for example in BC, the BC Foreign Workers Protection Unit.
How can I hire workers for a long term?
As an employer, you can support your employee for a closed work permit (one which gives them work authorization to work with you exclusively) and/ or also support them for Canadian Permanent Residency. In this way, you can have your employees work with your business long term, without having to worry about immigration/ work authorization issues.
How we can help:
For employers our services include:
- Immigration Services
We are a full service immigration consulting firm and can help you and your employee find the right way forward. We work with you to develop strategy and assist you every step of the way.
- Recruitment Services
We are licensed Recruiters in the Province of British Columbia and can assist you with finding the right talent globally for the exact position you need.
Let us help you find your next star employee!
We offer complimentary consultations for employers.
If you are an employer, and would like to know more about how we can help your business, contact us now