Many Canadian employers in the food and hospitality industry are experiencing serious problems finding and keeping good workers. The low wages, physical labour as well as the long evening and weekend hours makes many hospitality jobs unattractive to most Canadians.  Furthermore, over-time hours, training costs and efficiency resulting from high turnover rates and understaffing can significantly reduce profits for employers.

Hiring foreign can greatly reduce turnover, costs and improve productivity. Foreign workers are extremely hard working and are genuinely grateful for the opportunity to work and live in Canada. Also, turnover is extremely low for the foreign workers since they are only allowed to work for the employer identified on their work permit.

Employers who wish to hire foreign workers must usually obtain a positive Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from Service Canada which indicates that the employer tried to recruit Canadians. The LMO also indicates that the employer will pay the “prevailing wage” to the foreign worker.

Most foreign workers require a valid work permit to work in Canada which is normally obtained at a Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Visa Post responsible for the country where the worker resides.  Foreign workers must usually undergo a medical examination with a “Designated Medical Practitioner” if the work permit is longer than six months or if the occupation is one where the “protection of health is essential.”

Many foreign workers on work permits can obtain Permanent Residence (PR) in Canada if they have a job in Canada.  There are various federal and provincial immigration programs that enable foreign workers to get PR within a year or two.  This means employers who hire workers on foreign work permits may be able to keep their workers indefinitely.

Finding and interviewing qualified foreign workers can be time-consuming.

As the demand for workers in Canada increases it will become even more important for Canadian employers to develop and implement a foreign worker program today. It is important to plan ahead and get help from professionals.

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Quebec Immigration Minister Yolande James has announced a new program that will facilitate the process of immigration to Quebec for international students and foreign workers.

In her announcement, Minister James cited the importance of attracting and retaining skilled workers and international students through immigration for Quebec’s economic growth.

Though specific details have yet to be released, the following information is known:

The program will actively select candidates who can best respond to Quebec’s labour market needs, as divided into three categories.

International Students: In order to retain international graduates in the province, the Minister intends to issue Certificats de sélection du Québec (CSQ) to international students who earn either a high school diploma in vocational training, a college or technical training diploma, or a university degree from an educational institution recognized by the Quebec Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sport.  Minister James highlighted the fact that these students have already settled into Quebec society and have Quebec educational certifications that Quebec employers are familiar with.  She also expects that the program will increase the number of international students who choose to study in Quebec.

Specialized temporary workers: Temporary workers who are currently working in Quebec in certain specialized sectors, such as information technology and scientific research, will also be given CSQ’s for immigration to Canada.

Immigration applicants with work experience in high-demand occupations: Quebec immigration applicants who have work experience in occupations that are considered in high-demand by the province of Quebec will have their immigration applications fast-tracked.  Quebec’s labour market is in need of applicants at all skills levels, from welders to laboratory technicians, to nurses, and aeronautical engineers.  Applicants with work experience in Quebec’s in-demand occupations have the best employment prospects and will therefore receive priority processing.

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Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), in partnership with the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) and The Alliance for Sector Council (TASC), has recently launched a new resource to guide Canadian employers through the process of hiring internationally-trained workers.

The Employer’s Roadmap (available at www.credentials.gc.ca) is an online tool designed to assist those Canadian employers who cannot find the employees they need among Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents, and need to bring in foreign workers to staff their growing businesses.

“This is a practical resource that employers in any sector will find useful in helping to meet their staffing needs and improve their competitiveness in a rapidly changing economy,” said the executive director of TASC, Andrew Cardozo. “The Employer’s Roadmap is exactly what is needed to make the process of hiring and retaining internationally trained workers a lot more efficient.”

Though hiring from abroad is more complicated than hiring locally, the process is not quite as complicated as many Canadian employers may think.  The goal of the Employer Roadmap is to educate employers and give them the tools they need to hire and retain workers from abroad.

Included in the Employer Roadmap are the following:

• the benefits of hiring internationally trained workers;
• how to hire and recruit them;
• how to assess qualifications (credentials and competencies);
• how to integrate and retain employees with different professional and cultural backgrounds into the work force.

“The Government of Canada is committed to improving the labour market integration of internationally trained workers – this is essential to building a strong Canada: socially, culturally and economically,” said Canada’s Immigration Minister Jason Kenney. “Employers are key partners in helping internationally trained workers find jobs in their areas of training, and this resource makes it easier for employers to assess their qualifications.”

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