Canada is continuing to process Temporary Foreign Worker applications in spite of COVID-19 measures

The Canadian immigration system is not one to accept defeat. Officials are continuing to work alongside Canadian employers in order to find eligible temporary foreign workers who can be allowed into Canada. However, they are giving priority to occupations that will contribute to food security. The purpose is to process the applications that have been submitted under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program streams. This will also help Canadian employers at the same time.

Since the coronavirus measures led to the closure of the border for most non-residents, it posed a problem for industries that heavily depend on temporary foreign workers. These industries requested the government to maintain the flow of essential labour to the country so that the economy can continue to flourish.

LMIAs gaining priority

According to information sourced from CIC News, Canada will be giving priority to Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) at the moment. The LMIAs come from employers of industries that are important for maintaining the country’s food supply. These include occupations related to agri-food, primary agriculture, trucking, and food processing.

New LMIAs will also be issued, and they will have a validity of nine months as compared to the earlier six months. If the applicants are coming through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) or other agricultural stream positions, the validity period extends until 15th December 2020, or 9 months, depending on which is longer. People with approved LMIAs will be granted an extension of three months, so the total validity period is nine months.

Additional measures

The COVID-19 crisis will lead to the relaxation of certain administrative reporting requirements. Canadian workers will be allowed a certain degree of flexibility when it comes to reporting layoffs or amendments to their terms of employment. Moreover, new compliance reviews are not being undertaken currently. There will be no inspections or onsite visits.