Reforms creating a Band-Aid solution with temporary foreign workers
A ALEX MCCUAIG
lberta’s exceptions to the federal Temporary Foreign Workers program may have offered some reprieve to some but for others,
the situation with reforms to the program continues to be felt.
“We are losing pretty much all of our foreign workers this year,” said Brent Fraser, human resource manager at Red Hat Co-op.
“Last year, when we had 60 foreign workers, we ran with 10 to 20 vacancies that we couldn’t fill, we couldn’t even get applications from the local workforce. So when we lose our foreign workers, we’re looking for 70 to 80 people and we couldn’t fill 10 jobs last year.”
Changes to the TFW program enacted in 2014 will see those coming to the end of
their current work term unable to renew their permits starting this year.
That is, except for those who have not had their application processed, filed prior to July 1, 2014, under the provincial nominee program — an exemption announced in February.
That extension is for one year.
Previous reforms to the program will also limit a company from employing more than 20 per cent of their workforce with low-skill TFWs in 2015 and then 10 per cent in 2016.
A Lethbridge-based immigration consultant said while the new bridging work permits for temporary foreign workers is a good start, more should be done to settle these workers in Canada.
"It has the potential to help over 1,000 people," said Cassandra Conacher, Mosaic Canadian Immigration Consulting
owner, of the program which will allow eligible TFWs remain in the country while their residency applications are being processed.
"But they are just making this announcement now and there were 201 people whose work permits expired in January. What about the 117 in February."
Information regarding the bridge work permits for TFWs wasn't formally released but came by way of a leaked letter to Alberta MPs from then federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney. Provincial officials have confirmed the bridge program came into effect on Feb. 1 but eligible candidates have yet to be notified of their acceptance.
"It just seems like the bureaucracy made something that should have been happening months ago taken until now to come about," said Conacher.
"That is unfortunate."
She added that she is stumped by why only those who applied to the provincial nominee program prior to July 1, 2014 are eligible, with 329 having applied between that date and December.
"This is a Band-Aid, it's not a permanent fix," said Conacher.
"It is not going to address the thousands and thousands of applications in the Alberta government's pool."
She added that while the push to allow for more TFWs to remain in Alberta has softened in recent months due to dropping oil prices, the province continues to have a low unemployment rate.
Marijana Agicic, senior manager at Saamis Immigration, said while her agency isn’t directly involved in the TFW program, they are hearing more from
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