Immigration Canada

4 Year Maximum Working Rule for Temporary Workers in Canada

by Jessica

He came to Canada from India on a work permit in May 2011 and has been working as assistance managercustomer care. While trying to extend his work permitlast year, he found that he can stay in Canada for only four years as temporary foreign workers and he will have to leave once he has completed four years work in Canada. The most worrying aspect of this 4 years working rule was that he can return to Canada only after waiting for four years.

Many temporary foreign workers may not know about this new 4 year working rule that restricts their stay in Canada to a maximum period of four years.

Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations:

Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations R200(3)(g) under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations establishes the maximum period of 4 years for foreign temporary workers which states:

(3) An officer shall not issue a work permit to a foreign national if

(g) the foreign national has worked in Canada for one or more periods totalling four years, unless

(i) a period of forty-eight months has elapsed since the day on which the foreign national accumulated four years of work in Canada,
(ii) the foreign national intends to perform work that would create or maintain significant social, cultural or economic benefits or opportunities for Canadian citizens or permanent residents, or
(iii) the foreign national intends to perform work pursuant to an international agreement between Canada and one or more countries, including an agreement concerning seasonal agricultural workers

All Work Counts:

The work performed by a foreign temporary worker since April 1, 2011 is counted towards the accumulated four year work. The work regardless of whether or not it was permitted by a work permit or exempt from work permit counts towards a temporary foreign worker’s 4-year total. Temporary foreign worker must include all the following work:

volunteer work,
a self-employed individual,
work in all occupations falling under all categories in the National Occupation Code (NOC) list,
work done while under implied status
work done while on an open work permit.

Exclusions:

International students can exclude any work performed during a period in which they were authorized to study on a full-time basis in Canada.

Some situations in which there was a gap between employment such as time spent outside Canada, or maternity/paternity leave spent in Canada can be excluded from total work.

The restriction of 4-year accumulated work in Canada was introduced to encourage temporary foreign workers to explore options of Canadian permanent residency if they want to reside in Canada for prolonged periods.

Foreign temporary workers after living some time in Canada may have good English/French language skills, skilled work experience and ability to integrate in the Canadian society. They may take advantage of Canadian Experience Class for Canadian permanent residence after gaining 12 months of work experience and meeting other selection criteria.

Source: http://www.visato.com/canada/4-year-maximum-working-rule-temporary-workers-canada-20140105

Alberta accounts for “lion’s share” of annual national employment growth

BY MARIO TONEGUZZI, CALGARY HERALD MARCH 7, 2014

Year-over-year employment growth in Calgary has been strong.

Photograph by: Leah Hennel , Calgary Herald

CALGARY - The unemployment rates in both Calgary and in Alberta dipped in February as the province accounted for the “lion’s share” of annual national employment growth, according to Statistics Canada.

The federal agency reported Friday that the unemployment rate in the Calgary census metropolitan area was down to 4.7 per cent from 4.8 per cent in January while at the provincial level it fell to 4.3 per cent from 4.6 per cent the previous month.

Employment was basically unchanged in the Calgary region with a loss of 200 jobs from January but year-over-year employment was up by 3.5 per cent or 27,000 positions. In Alberta, there were 18,800 new jobs created from January, up 0.8 per cent, and year-over-year employment grew by 82,300 positions or 3.8 per cent.

It was the highest pace of monthly job creation in nearly three years and well above the average gain of about 6,000 since the end of the 2009 recession.

“Alberta’s better job prospects, if you don’t have one, and higher wages, if you do, continue to draw migrants from almost every other province in the country,” said Robert Kavcic, senior economist with BMO Capital Markets.

Todd Hirsch, chief economist with ATB Financial, said February’s job report puts to rest any lingering notions that Alberta’s labour market is shifting into lower gear.

“If anything, it may sound the alarm that the economy is galloping ahead too quickly,” he said.

Hirsch said Alberta now accounts for 87 per cent of all the jobs created in the entire country since February of last year.

Most of the new jobs in Alberta were in construction (23,300), retail and wholesale trade (7,300), and oil and gas (6,800). These gains were partially offset by a drop in professional, scientific and technical occupations (15,200), and health care and social assistance (10,600), explained Hirsch.

“Three months ago, Alberta saw a one-month drop of nearly 10,000 jobs. That led to some concern about an economic slowdown,” he said. “The longer-term trend points to anything but. With a falling unemployment rate and employment rising more quickly than the pool of available workers, the true worry could be that more Alberta employers will feel the pinch of labour shortages.”

Alberta’s unemployment rate is the second lowest in Canada behind only Saskatchewan’s 3.9 per cent which fell from the previous month’s 4.3 per cent.

Douglas Porter, chief economist with BMO Capital Markets, said the job gap between “powerhouse Alberta” and the other nine provinces has widened.

“Looking through the typical see-saw pattern in Canadian employment, there is little doubt that underlying trends are cooling, with job totals up a modest 0.5 per cent from a year ago and the unemployment rate seemingly stuck at 7.0 per cent,” he said. “We wouldn’t expect job conditions to improve markedly in the year ahead - the expected rotation of growth to exports and business investment is not especially favourable for job growth. But perhaps the biggest story in (Friday’s) figures is the extreme gap in job growth between Alberta and everybody else.”

Nationally, Statistics Canada said employment was little changed in February, and the unemployment rate remained at 7.0 per cent.

“There has been little overall employment growth in Canada since August 2013,” it said. “Compared with 12 months earlier, employment increased by 95,000 (0.5 per cent) and the unemployment rate was unchanged.”

On a monthly basis, employment was down by 7,000 positions across the country.

Sonya Gulati, senior economist with TD Economics, said contraction of jobs in February “caught us, and the market, by surprise.”

“However, we have become accustomed to significant monthly swings in the Labour Force Survey. In turn, it is becoming increasingly hard to accurately pinpoint what the monthly print will be,” she said. “Stepping back, employment growth in Canada has now stalled over the past six months. Some comfort will be had that full-time positions and the private sector have been holding up reasonably well beneath the headline.”

mtoneguzzi@calgaryherald.com

Twitter.com/MTone123

Strengthening Immigration in Ontario

English: Ontario Province within Canada. Français : Situation de la province d'Ontario au Canada. ---- Español: Provincia de Ontario en Canadá. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

New Legislation to Help Attract More Skilled Immigrants, Boost Economic Growth

February 19, 2014 9:45 a.m.

Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration

Ontario is taking steps to strengthen its role in immigrant selection by introducing legislation today that would, if passed, help meet the province's future labour market needs and support economic growth.

Building on the government's Immigration Strategy, the proposed Ontario Immigration Act would, if passed, assist the province in working with the federal government to maximize the social, cultural and economic benefits of immigration by:

Helping meet future labour needs by legislating the province's ability to set immigration targets to attract more skilled immigrants.
Preventing fraud by improving compliance and enforcement measures in the immigrant selection process, such as introducing penalties for applicants who misrepresent personal information or for those that may take advantage of immigrants.
Enabling Ontario to work more closely with the federal government on recruitment, selection and admission of skilled immigrants to the province.

The province will also redesign the Provincial Nominee Program to help facilitate expected increases in the federal government's allocation of economic immigrants. Ontario has called for an increase in its provincial-nominees allocation from 1,300 to 5,000 to support the province's highly-skilled workforce.

Strengthening immigration in Ontario to help build our knowledge economy is part of the government's economic plan that is creating jobs for today and tomorrow. The comprehensive plan and its six priorities focus on Ontario's greatest strengths -- its people and strategic partnerships.

Quick Facts

Ontario remains the number one destination for newcomers to Canada, receiving more immigrants than the combined total of all the provinces and territories west of here. Newcomers make up 30 per cent of Ontario's labour force.
Over the next 25 years, immigration will account for all of the increases in Ontario’s working age population and is expected to be a major source of future labour force growth.
Ontario’s Immigration Strategy sets a goal that five per cent of newcomers be Francophone.
The federal government makes key decisions about immigration that impact Ontario. Federal decisions over the last 10 years have reduced the proportion of economic immigrants coming to Ontario to 50 per cent, while the average for other provinces is 70 per cent.
Ninety-eight per cent of Ontario’s provincial nominees remain in the province.
The Provincial Nominee Program is for employers who would like to fill skilled positions that they have not been able to fill domestically with foreign workers and international students who want to live and work in the province.

Food Counter Attendants Required

Ayam! — KFC Royal Plaza (Photo credit: Ikhlasul Amal)

IMG_9880 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Experience: None Years

Education: Other

Location: Regina, SK, Canada

Job Description:

28 food counter attendants required

Full time year round work – split shifts and weekends

$10.00 -11.50 per hour depending on experience.

Job Duties:

- Taking customer orders; receive payment for food items purchased
- Portion and pack food for service to patrons
- Package takeout food; sweep and mop floors, clear and clean tables
- Clean, peel, slice and trim food stuff using manual and electrical appliances
- Prepare food such as chicken, fries, sandwiches and salads
- Wash work tables, cupboards, appliances, remove trash, unpack and store supplies

Job Requirements:

Previous food service experience is an asset but prepared to train the right candidates.

For more information, please visit our website at www.nexuscanadaimmigration.com and send us your up-to-date resume/CV to our email: nexuscanadavisa@gmail.com

20 Food Service Managers Needed

Moose Jaw City Hall, SK, Canada (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Experience: 3-4 Years

Education: Other

Location: Saskatchewan , SK, Canada

Job Description:

20 Food Service Managers Needed

7 positions in Regina, 7 Saskatoon, 2 Prince Albert, 1 Yorkton, 1 Nipawin, 1 Moose Jaw, 1 Fort Qu’Appelle

Full time year round work includes various shifts (Day, Mid, Evening and Weekends)

$30,000 – 36,000/year depending on experience.

Job Duties:

- Oversee staff training and make decision as to when training is completed.

- Plan and monitor daily operation of the restaurant.

- Resolve customers and employers complaints to the restaurant satisfaction.

- Possess ability to run effectively the front and the back of the restaurant operation when necessary

- Make sure that the restaurants meet all the standards and goals set for each location.

- Control inventory, set employees schedules and monitor employee’s performance.

Job Requirements:

Minimum requirement - 3 years experience as a manager in the food service industry is a must.

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.nexuscanadaimmigration.com and send us your up-to-date resume/CV to our email: nexuscanadavisa@gmail.com

Job Opportunity : 40 food service supervisors required

Regina Saskatchewan (Photo credit: kevinmklerks)

14 positions in Regina, 14 Saskatoon, 4 Prince Albert, 2 Yorkton, 2 Nipawin, 2 Moose Jaw, 2 Fort Qu’Appelle

Full time shift work and weekends

$ 11.50 – 13.50 per hour depending on experience.

Job Duties:

- Supervising, and scheduling the activities of staff

- Ordering inventory and stock required for meal preparation

- Maintaining records of stock

- Training staff in job assignments

- Preparing food summaries for chef

- Ensuring quality control standards are met

- Establishing methods to meet work schedules

Job Requirements:

3 years experience required

For more information, please visit our website at www.nexuscanadaimmigration.com and send us your up-to-date resume/CV to our email: nexuscanadavisa@gmail.com

Canadian Work Opportunities for Mexican and American Nationals through NAFTA

English: A North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Logo. Español: Logotipo del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN). Français : Logo de Accord de libre-échange nord-américain (ALENA). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada, United States (US) and Mexico liberalizes and protects trade among these three countries. In meeting the trade objectives, NAFTA allows for the temporary entry of selected professionals and investors of American, Mexican and Canadian citizenship to work and engage in business across borders more freely than workers from other countries. It is a reciprocal agreement, and thus allows Mexican and US citizens to work in Canada and for Canadians to work in Mexico and the US.

If you are from Mexico or the US and have an interest in working, trading or investing in Canada, you may qualify under NAFTA for temporary entry or a temporary work permit. NAFTA provides great opportunities for Mexican and US professionals to temporarily work or do business in Canada with ease. It is important to understand each category and the requirements before assuming you qualify. What is outlined here is only a brief overview of the program. For more information, visitwww.cic.gc.ca or contact your local Canadian consulate or embassy.

NAFTA is open to professionals that fall under four categories:

Intra-company transferees
Professionals
Business visitors
Investors and traders

Intra-Company Transferees (ICT)

This category is quite common between the US and Canada, especially among major American companies that have subsidiaries or branches in Canada. As an intra-company transferee, you can apply for a work permit without a Labour Market Opinion (LMO). In most cases when a Canadian company wants to hire a foreign national, it must apply for an LMO from Service Canada and demonstrate it cannot find a permanent resident or Canadian for the position. Service Canada then issues a positive LMO, which is submitted along with a work permit application by the foreign national. This can take weeks or months to obtain and a positive LMO is not guaranteed.

In addition, as an ICT, a work permit can be valid for up to 5 years for executives and senior managers, or 7 years for specialized knowledge workers. To qualify, the core requirements are:

Employment with US or Mexican company that has a branch, subsidiary, parent or affiliate company in Canada,
Work for at least 1 year of the last 3 years with the foreign company,
Maintain an executive or senior management position, or be considered a specialized knowledge worker with essential and unique skills,
Hold an offer for a position with the Canadian branch, subsidiary, parent or affiliate similar to the role in the related foreign company.

Canadian companies can be start-ups or expansions of a foreign company. These foreign companies send a senior or skilled person to help establish or expand the Canadian branch or subsidiary.

Professionals

Professionals are those that have pre-arranged employment with a Canadian company and are in one of the 60 occupations listed under the NAFTA agreement, which includes accountants, architects, land surveyors, many science-related professions, and even post-secondary instructors. They do not require an LMO, but a work permit along with proof of education and experience in that field.

For a list of NAFTA professionals, visit the NAFTA Secretariat website.

Business Visitors

Business visitors come to Canada to conduct business with an international scope, involving activities like research and design, distribution, marketing and sales. Their business is predominantly outside of Canada and they have no intention to enter the Canadian labour market. As a result, they do not have to obtain a work permit, however they do need to declare their status as a business visitor upon entering Canada.

Traders

Traders can apply for a temporary work permit and work in Canada to facilitate the trade of goods and services between Canada and their home country. The initial work permit is granted for up to one year, but can be extended for a duration of two years.

Traders must be employed by a Mexican or US company in an executive or supervisor role, or have essential skills. Over 50% of total volume of trade by the company must be between Canada and the US or Mexico. Furthermore, the trading must be considered substantial. ‘Substantial Trade’ is determined by the volume and monetary value of the trade.

Investors

Investors can apply for a temporary work permit to come to Canada and invest, develop and direct an enterprise. The person seeking entry should usually be in an executive or supervisory role with the foreign company. While there here is no minimum dollar amount to invest, the investment must be considered substantial. To determine if an investment is substantial, officers are directed to conduct a ‘proportionality test’, which is based on the amount invested vs. the total value of the company or the amount deemed necessary to establish the type of business. For example, an investment of $50,000 for a small business with few operating costs may be deemed substantial; or a $1 million investment for a plant valued at $8 million may qualify.

Like the trader category, the initial work permit is granted for up to one year, but can be extended for a duration of two years.

The advantages of working under NAFTA are:

Many professional workers are exempt from needing a LMO.
Business visitors are not required to apply for a work permit.
It allows for quick processing of professionals and intra-company transferees who need a work permit, since applicants can apply and be issued a work permit by an immigration officer at the Canadian border upon entering the count

Source: http://www.bellallianceglobal.com/skilled_workers/nafta-opportunities/?goback=%2Egde_2066926_member_5831128263795163139#%21

4 Year Maximum Working Rule for Temporary Workers in Canada

Canada (Photo credit: palindrome6996)

By: Jessica

He came to Canada from India on a work permit in May 2011 and has been working as assistance manager customer care. While trying to extend his work permit last year, he found that he can stay in Canada for only four years as temporary foreign workers and he will have to leave once he has completed four years work in Canada. The most worrying aspect of this 4 years working rule was that he can return to Canada only after waiting for four years.

Many temporary foreign workers may not know about this new 4 year working rule that restricts their stay in Canada to a maximum period of four years.