Canada has rolled out stricter rules beneath its Short-term International Employee Program (TFWP); employers now should pay increased wages and might rent fewer overseas employees.
These adjustments have created fear and worry of deportation amongst expert overseas employees.
Canada is altering its immigration and labour insurance policies by tightening the foundations within the Short-term International Employee Program (TFWP).
The brand new rules compel employers to lift wages and restrict the variety of overseas employees they’ll rent, and this has left many expert employees uncertain about their job safety and apprehensive about being deported.
These adjustments are additionally shaking up Canada’s labour market and elevating questions on the way forward for overseas employees coming to the nation for jobs.
In late 2024, the Canadian authorities launched stricter rules geared toward lowering reliance on overseas employees and prioritizing Canadian labour by elevating wage necessities and limiting the variety of overseas hires.
Excessive-Wage Jobs: From November 8, 2024, employers should pay employees at the very least 20% greater than the regional median wage. This increase, between $5 and $8 per hour, is supposed to encourage corporations to rent Canadians as a substitute of momentary overseas employees.
Low-Wage Jobs: From September 26, 2024, corporations can solely rent overseas employees for as much as 10% of their workforce in low-wage positions. This forces employers to rely extra on native employees and cuts down on reasonably priced overseas labour.
About 34,000 jobs are anticipated to maneuver from the high-wage group to the extra restricted low-wage group, the place overseas employees get fewer advantages and fewer job safety.
The Short-term International Employee Program helps Canadian employers fill jobs quickly once they can not discover certified Canadians. It covers sectors like agriculture, hospitality, development, and healthcare. However the brand new Labour Market Impression Evaluation (LMIA) guidelines are making corporations rethink how they rent.
Many Canadian companies warn that increased wages and limits on overseas employees might trigger labour shortages and make them lose expert staff.
They’re asking the federal government to rethink these guidelines due to the monetary stress and doable enterprise disruptions.
Whereas the federal government desires to guard Canadian jobs, these new guidelines might harm Canada’s picture as a welcoming place for expert employees.
Potential candidates would possibly select different international locations with easier immigration insurance policies due to fears about deportations as work permits expire.
The Canadian authorities now faces the problem of defending Canadian jobs whereas maintaining a gentle provide of overseas employees wanted in lots of industries.
The following few months will present how these adjustments have an effect on Canada’s labour market and immigration system.
