Employers now face wait times of 100 days if they wish to hire non-skilled migrant workers, meaning labour shortages in some industries are becoming increasingly difficult to address.
The record low unemployment rate in Canada means businesses have to work harder to attract and retain employees - however, those hiring migrant workers must still prove they have exhausted all efforts to hire employees from within Canada, and new biometric screening requirements may be causing more delays.
Although the Chamber of Commerce has suggested setting up a “trusted employer” program to expedite processing for trusted companies, no such legislation is yet in place. Meanwhile, a recent study revealed that 2017 saw 1,800 vacancies in fish processing plants in the Atlantic region, with the number expected to rise as current workers retire. Hiring newcomers is increasingly necessary to fill the labour gap, especially in Atlantic Canada, where large families aren’t the norm they once were.