Blog - Red Swan Immigration Consultancy

September 24, 2024

What is LMIA and the eligibility to work in Canada

Canada is one of the most sought-after countries for foreigners to find employment. But there are several legal procedures one has to go through before finding a job in Canada. The most prominent ones are LMIA and work permits. If you want to find work in Canada, this article will answer some of your questions about LMIA and help determine if you are eligible to work in Canada.

What is LMIA?

LMIA (Labor Market Impact Assessment) is a legal document issued by the ESDC (Employment and Social Development Canada) an employer might need before hiring a temporary foreign worker. It encompasses the ESDC’s decision if an employer should be allowed to hire a temporary foreign worker, which can be positive, neutral, or negative. It is issued after Service Canada evaluates the effect the employer’s hire of a foreign worker may have on the labor market.

When can an employer apply for a LMIA?

The Canadian government urges employers to use LMIAs only as a last resort. Employers may only apply for LMIA if they have attempted to fill the position with a Canadian or permanent resident but have been unsuccessful. For that, an employer has to advertise the position for a month. If they can not find a local employee then they can begin recruiting for TFW (temporary foreign worker) either already in Canada or living elsewhere but meets the qualifications.

What happens when an employer gets a LMIA?

In all, for an employer to hire a foreign worker and for a foreign national to work in Canada, they must satisfy two bodies – ESDC and IRCC.Once the employer gets a LMIA, they provide its copy to the foreign national they intend to hire. The foreign national then includes the LMIA in their work permit application.

Once the work permit application process is complete, the IRCC or CBSA issues a work permit and VISA depending on the foreign national’s country of origin. In case when the applicant already resides in Canada, they will have to go through the in-Canada application process.

July 27, 2024

Canada faces immigration concerns with the rising number of temporary residents

By Red Swan Immigration Immigration Updates

Immigration has become a pressing issue in Canada, with even the immigrant community urging a temporary halt. In a recent interview, opposition leader Pierre Poilievre highlighted that immigration levels have surged under the Liberal government, from 271,000 in 2015 to a projected 500,000 by 2025. Additionally, unmonitored temporary residents, including international students and asylum seekers, have swelled to 2.8 million as of early 2024. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Immigration Minister Marc Miller have acknowledged that the number of temporary residents is unsustainable, emphasizing the need for immediate action to reduce these figures.

July 24, 2024

British Columbia held new invitation rounds under the BCPNP

By Red Swan Immigration Immigration Updates

On July 23, 2024, the Government of British Columbia held new invitation draws under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) and issued invitations to apply to skilled candidates in the general draw and to candidates with work experience in healthcare, childcare, construction and veterinary care occupations. In the general draw, the province invited 35 candidates. The minimum score for candidates invited in this draw was 110 points. BC issued 37 ITAs to candidates under the childcare-targeted draw for early childhood educators (NOC 42202). In the Healthcare-targeted draw, British Columbia invited 19 candidates who scored 104 points. The province also issued 17 invitations to candidates working in the construction sector and up to five invitations to candidates working in veterinary care occupations. In total, British Columbia issued up to 113 ITAs in this draw. This year, British Columbia has already invited up to 3,867 candidates.

July 23, 2024

Canada updated immigration inventories and backlogs

By Red Swan Immigration Immigration Updates

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated the data on immigration inventories and backlogs. According to the last update, there were 2,292,400 applications for permanent residence, temporary residence, and citizenship approvals in all IRCC inventories. According to the update, 59.1% of applications in the inventory are within service standards. IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within their service standard, though some complex cases may require a comprehensive assessment. Currently, 46% of temporary residence requests – including ones for visiting, studying, or working and 40% of permanent residency applications are in backlog. Additionally, 17% of citizenship applications also exceed service standards.

December 19, 2022

Targeted Express Entry Draws – Changes coming to Express Entry Program in 2023

By Red Swan Immigration Express Entry Program

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) indicated that the department was considering introducing targeted Express Entry draws that will select candidates best suited to meet Canada’s labor market needs. IRCC has now confirmed, in an email to CICNews, that these targeted Express Entry draws will begin in early 2023.

According to these changes Canada’s immigration minister will have new powers to invite candidates based on factors including occupation, language ability, or educational background. This may be done in combination with a candidate’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

Using the new targeted Express Entry draw system, Canada could choose to invite nurses from the Express Entry pool by using a draw that targets candidates with experience in National Occupational Classification (NOC) Code 3012 (Registered Nurses). Targeting candidates based on certain educational backgrounds offers a similar opportunity as targeting based on occupation. In this case, the Government of Canada may choose to target candidates who have completed certain types of educational credentials.

As aircraft mechanics are a skilled trade requiring a license to practice in Canada, these positions can be hard to fill. In order to become an aircraft mechanic in Canada, workers must go through an official licensing process which includes a compulsory educational component. In order to address the shortage of aircraft mechanics, IRCC could target Express Entry candidates who indicate they have obtained their license to practice as an aircraft mechanic in Canada, which includes the requisite education component.

Any candidate in the Express Entry pool knows that high language test scores are already a crucial component of a competitive Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. However, targeting candidates based on language abilities would allow Canada to address one major challenge in its immigration strategy: attracting French-speaking immigrants to regions outside Quebec.