Alberta To Introduce More TV and Film Jobs

Undoubtedly, the world is a fan of Canadian talent and has seen Alberta in some of the record-breaking films and TV series. Canadian province, Alberta had recently announced to add more TV and film Jobs. Great movies like Interstellar, Ghostbusters and The Last of Us are a few of the big-name productions that were shot in the province. The provincial government is keen to invest more in this sector. Recently, in an interview, Alberta’s minister of jobs quoted that ‘Alberta’s film industry is one of the fastest growing industries of the province’.

The province budget includes a total of $70 million for the film and television tax credit program for 2022-2023 and $225 million through 2024- 2025. The increased investment in the film and television credit will promise to offer more growth for the province in the future. The major goal of the province is to increase the film sector by $1.5 billion over the next 10 years.

Since 2020, the film and television tax credit has welcomed 62 productions to the province that are expected to spend $621 million in Alberta and generate more than 12500 jobs. It also presents a refundable Alberta tax credit certificate on the qualifying Alberta production and labour costs to organizations that produce films, television series, and other screen-based productions in Alberta.

The Film and Television Tax Credit promises to grow Alberta’s cultural sector by 25% in the coming 10 years.

Work Visas and Permits for Film Production

The federal government of Canada has exclusively created a work permit to make it convenient for important production staff to work in Canada. Film crew members who stand eligible for the TV and Film Production Work Category can be exempt to do a labour market test (LMIA).

Qualifying for the LMIA exemption totally depends upon whether the worker’s role in production is essential or not. The essential role can vary from situation to situation and can be determined on a case-by-case basis. The result will totally depend on the evidence provided. Occupation is just one factor of many taken into consideration. For those who would need an LMIA, most of the workers in the TV and film industry will be granted an assisted process where the position does not need to be advertised. A few of the workers working in the entertainment sector may require a Business Visitor visa instead of a work permit. Here’s the breakdown of the three categories of entertainment industry professionals who may receive consideration as business visitors:

Film producers are the ones travelling to Canada to work on an internationally-financed movie, TV show, or documentary. The project is supposed to be completely funded from abroad, and thus any alliances between international production companies and Canadian entities are not eligible.

Essential personnel are the ones travelling to Canada to work on an international-financed commercial shoot. These entertainment workers must be entering Canada for short durations not more than two weeks. The essential role can vary from situation to situation and can be determined on a case-by-case basis. In most cases, it largely depends upon what evidence is provided by the production company.

Performing artists are the ones who are performing at a show, concert, or appearing in a guest spot on a TV series or film that is being shot in Canada. For the artists who are looking to enter Canada for a limited-time engagement, they will require business visitors. If the visits are frequent, regular performances that performing artists will require a work permit.