Alberta, highest demand for temporary workers
Alberta is currently in demand for temporary workers. As one of Canada’s most quickly growing provinces, they are at a shortage of workers.
As a result, and to facilitate faster processing and entry of foreign workers into the province, Alberta is expanding their pilot project for specific occupations.
If your occupation is listed below and you have a job offer from an employer in Alberta, your employer will be exempt from having to obtain an LMO (company approval to hire foreign workers). The LMO process normally takes 2 to 4 months. Once an LMO has been issued, the foreign worker may apply for a temporary work permit. A job offer in an occupation below will exempt the employer from having to obtain approval, in turn reducing the overall processing time by approximately 3 months.
Occupations under the expanded Pilot Project:
- Carpenter
- Estimator
- Heavy duty equipment mechanic
- Ironworker
- Millwright and industrial mechanic
- Steamfitter and pipefitter
- Welder
This pilot project is due to expire on July 31st, 2013.
For further information or if you have a job offer and would like to confirm if you qualify to apply directly for a work permit, please contact our office to speak with our immigration council.
Canada- True North Strong…and Attracting Americans…Come Work Here!
In a recent article posted on the MarketWatch section of the online edition of the Wall Street Journal, Bill Mann discusses how the current economic state of Canada is attractive to Americans and American workers.
According to the Globe and Mail, Canadian immigration lawyers are reporting a dramatic increase of calls from Americans looking to move to Canada.
Statistically, a record number of Americans had applied for temporary work visas last year, as demonstrated by the latest Immigration Canada statistics, largely driven by the contrasting health of the two countries’ labor markets.
Take into consideration that the jobless rate in the U.S. is 9.1% while in Canada it is 6.3%.
Other factors that are attracting American immigration aside from work opportunities include affordable healthcare, a stronger banking system and a stable housing market.
At the immigration consulting firm of Can-Am Immigration, our experienced team has helped many individuals with their immigration needs. We specialize in immigration to Canada. We are experienced with helping people complete the necessary documentation and gain the knowledge needed in order to immigrate. We help families and individuals. We help those looking to work in Canada, study in Canada and those looking to sponsor family members.
Contact us today for a consultation. We also provide Facebook consultations.
Increase in Americans Working in Canada
Normally you would hear of people fleeing to America. Blame it on the melting American economy, but now you hearing of people heading to work in Canada.
The unstable U.S economy is driving an increased number of Americans to search for better employment opportunities up north. Citizenship & Immigration Canada say that the number of Americans entering Canada as foreign workers has doubled between 2008 and 2010.
On Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama will unveil a plan to reduce the unemployment rate across the country. A stimulus that will include, money to refurbish schools and provide state aid for teachers and first responders, and tax incentives for small businesses to hire the long-term unemployed and military veterans, which to me is basically another gamble with $445 billion dollars that can only increase what is already a sky-high U.S debt.
Canada was lucky to have escaped the economic meltdown, and that is primarily due to Ottawa who was committed to refusing deregulation of the banking sector.
Immigration lawyers and consultants working in the Windsor-Detroit area are claiming an increase of business from American clients who have secured job offers in Canada and are applying for work permit and permanent residency.
Americans make up the second-largest group of foreign workers in Canada, behind Filipinos, most of who are nannies and caregivers. But there isn’t just an increase in American foreign workers; we are seeing a greater number of American students coming to learn in Canadian post-secondary institutions.
Even tuition, at 3 or 4 times the rate for Canadian students, American students are choosing Canadian schools for financial reasons, they are still a fraction of the cost of the majority of U.S. post-secondary institutions.
Although there are many traveling to Canada for work, there are those Americans who have been unemployed since 2008 and are still hoping that they can find a Canadian employer who will sponsor them. Many of these people find themselves stuck with the most common dilemma: in order to get a work visa, you must have a job offer. But in order to get a job offer, you need a work visa.
In Canada, to apply for a work permit (work visa), foreign workers must first secure a job offer from a Canadian employer. Once a job offer has been presented, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) will make the determination of whether a visa should be issued or not.
Useful Resources for Canada
Useful Resources for U.S.
Our Local Immigration Services