In the temporary foreign worker plan (TFWP) and Foreign Mobility Program, Sean Fraser, minister of immigration, stated that temporarily granting work permits to members of the family of primary applicants (IMP). Canada’s ongoing labour shortage will be reduced by this solution.
- They are a work permit holder’s spouse, cohabitant, or dependent kid.
- Works in a position that falls under any of the Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER) categories (0 to 5), or
- Possesses a work permit that is currently open and is the lead applicant (example: post-graduation work permit holders at all skill levels).
TEER 4 or 5 workers in the limited stream of the Seasonal Agricultural Employee Project and the Agricultural Stream of the Interim Foreign Worker Program are not currently eligible to apply, nor are their spouses, common-law spouses, or dependents.
New licences will facilitate integration.
Work permits were previously restricted to wives and other close relatives of primary candidates for high-skilled jobs, and the change became effective today. The government intends to relieve some of the strain on workers by enhancing financial stability and making it simpler for families to remain together and integrate into their communities by allowing TFWs’ spouses, minor children, and common-law spouses to work on a temporary basis.
Canada issued more than 645,000 work permits between January and October 2022. The 163,000 issued during the same period in 2021 were nearly four times as many as this.
The policy will be in effect for the following two years and will apply to all principal applicants’ working-age children who are 16 or older. This comprises the families of those who work in the medical field, trades, and tourism. According to estimates, this initiative will enable the families of more than 200,000 foreign employees to work in Canada.
Employers across the country continue to name a labour shortage as their biggest obstacle, the minister said in Edmonton in December. By giving family members of all skill levels work licences, today’s decision will help businesses fill their labour shortages. Because of this, Canada will be able to provide jobs for over 200,000 international employees’ families. The government will continue to support businesses in their efforts to hire competent personnel while also advancing worker welfare and reunifying families.
The three phases of implementation for the measure
In three phases, the measure will be implemented.
To guarantee successful execution, the interim measure will be applied in three stages. Phases two and three’s start and end dates are pending announcement:
Phase 1 Family members of workers entering Canada under the high-wage stream of the TFWP or the IMP may apply for an open work permit during.
Phase 2 After consultations, will try to extend the measure to relatives of employees from the Temporary Migrant Worker Program’s low-wage stream.
Phase 3 Of the project will involve discussions with partners and stakeholders in agriculture to see whether it is practical to extend the measure to agricultural workers’ families.
