The Canadian govt has expanded its work permits to family members of temporary international workers from next year. This initiative will benefit Indian professionals and other foreigners.
While addressing the reporters, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada Sean Fraser announced that his department is extending work permits to family members of temporary foreign workers on Friday.
“Expanding the eligibility for work permits to family members accompanying the principal applicant to Canada will help address labour shortages by assisting employers in finding the workers they need," as per the official statement.
Prior to this, only spouses were eligible for a work permit if the principal applicant was working in a high-skill occupation. This temporary measure aims to improve the emotional well-being, physical health and financial stability of workers by keeping families together. As a result, it is expected that the worker will better integrate into their overall work environment and community, according to the press statement released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Starting in January 2023, through a temporary 2-year measure, Canada will expand eligibility to work in Canada to spouses and working-age children through a phased approach for workers at all skill levels. This would include families of workers in health care, trades and hospitality, for example.
As a result of this new approach, it is estimated that family members of more than 200,000 foreign workers could begin working in Canada, offering a greater opportunity for both foreign workers seeking to work in Canada and for employers addressing their labour needs.
The temporary measure will be implemented in 3 phases to ensure its successful implementation:
Phase 1 will enable family members of workers coming to Canada through the high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or the International Mobility Program to apply for an open work permit .
Phase 2 aims to expand the measure to the family members of workers from the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, following consultations.
Phase 3 will include consultation with agricultural partners and stakeholders to assess operational feasibility for expanding the measure to family members of agricultural workers.
As per Sean Fraser, "Our government is going to continue helping employers overcome labour shortages, while also supporting the well-being of workers and uniting their families."
"Labour is the number 1 challenge facing Canada's tourism sector as we position ourselves for post-pandemic growth. Today, our government is bringing in innovative, family-based solutions to resolve this issue and help our tourism partners grow to meet the global demand for Canadian experiences from coast to coast to coast," he added.
Meanwhile, the economy added just 10,100 jobs in November, while the unemployment rate dipped to 5.1 percent as the participation rate fell, Statistics Canada reported in Ottawa. The employment gains were in line with the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey, with economists expecting a jobless rate of 5.3 percent.
