Canada is known as a favorite place among international workers. According to 2021 reports in Canada approximately 18% population is Indo-Candian. Canada offers better working options with better wages, which is the reason of everyone needs a Canada work Visa.
In 2024, the government of Canada has made significant changes from September 2024, in the rules of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program or work visa to Canada from other countries such as limiting international workers from 20% to 10% and visa duration reduction to one year. In this article, we will walk through these important changes, and new work visa rules in Canada, and will talk about the impact on Indian workers with the process to apply.
Work Permits in Canada
Before knowing about the changes in Canada work visas you should be aware of the type of work permits in Canada.
Open Work Permits
In this type of working permit, you can work in Canada for any employer as long as they are compliant and do not offer adult entertainment services. An open work permit allows the eligible international worker to prefer their company and profession while there are restrictions on job location and type.
Closed Work Permits
This type of work permit allows you to get a work permit for a reputed Canadian company for a specific time duration and work industry.
$500 Rent Assistance In Canada
Canada Old Age Security (OAS) Payment Dates
Changes in Canada Work Visa
Due to the increasing number of applications and immigrants, the Canadian government is concerned about the work opportunities for local workers. Keeping this in mind, Canadian PM Justin trudeau is going to make some important changes in the Canada Work Visa, adding some restrictions to the TFW program.
Key changes in Canada work visa 2024 include:
- 10 percent Ratio of foreign workers
- Refusal to Process (RTP) LMIA Application
- Time Duration is Reduced
Limiting 10% cap on the ratio of low-wage positions:
The Canadian government has limited the ratio of allowed foreign employees in Canadian organizations, which was 20% before this change. It has been reduced to 10%. This is the ratio of workforce in the organization of their citizens and foreign workers.
This is a measure of a major change in Canada’s Work Visa policy. This will the directly on several types of industries like Food, Textile, Hospitality, IT sector, and the sectors that are dependent on foreign workers in Canada. However, two sectors are not included in this implementation including construction and healthcare. Â
Refusal to Process (RTP) LMIA Policy
This RTP policy aims to target the sectors that provide higher unemployment rates like healthcare, the food processing sector, and contraction & public development. This disallows the hiring of international workers in census metropolitan areas with more than a 6% unemployment rate. Moreover, this policy supports to preference of Canadian citizens allowing foreign wages to be hired in shortage-facing sectors.
What is LMIA? Its Importance
LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) is an important certificate for foreign workers who are looking for job opportunities in Canada. Employers require an LMIA permit before hiring international workers in Canada. A good LMIA indicated that the position is better to fill the job and no Canadian is available to do that particular job.
Work Visa duration is compressed
Following the new Visa rules of Canada, the Visa duration for workers is reduced to 1 year from Sep. 2024. Under this rule, international workers with low wages will be allowed through LMIA only for one year, earlier which was 2 years. After completing this period workers will have to return to their home country and again apply to work in Canada. This shortening will impact the employees who want to do long-duration and long-term employment. Additionally, this will increase the burden of the renewal process of their Visa every year.
Impact on Indian Immigrants of Changes in Canada Work Visa
It will have a great impact on international workers with low wages and Indian Workers. They will have to face many challenges like:
- Managing with a 10% proportion in Canada will be so challenging because it becomes difficult to secure jobs for foreign workers after this ratio.
- Indian workers will need to renew their visas every 1 year and grapple with the immigration process again and again.
- Higher-wage employees are less affected by these changes and wage workers are
Trying to handle these restrictions.
- It is easy to find jobs in high-demanding sectors like healthcare, construction, and engineering for high-wage professionals.
How to Apply for a Work Visa Under the New Rules
If you are planning to apply for a Canada Work Permit, here is a guide on how to apply for Canada Work Visa. Let’s go with the important steps:
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- Know Your Eligibility: First of all, ensure that you are fit for the eligibility criteria for the job type, or profession that you are willing to apply for. Check your industry is not affected by these new changes in 2024.
- Avail LMIA Document: The employer where you are going to work will need to apply for LMIA which will prove that no Canadian is ready to do that job. You can not go forward with a Canada work visa without this LMIA certificate
- Work Permit Application: When you are done with the LMIA certificate, submit a work permit application on the website of IRCC(Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada). Submit all the required documents on the portal.
- Duration Guidelines: If you are for a low-wage job you should know the time duration for validity which is 1 year from now. You will need to return after one year.
Sum up: The modifications in the Canada Work Visa Rule applied in September 2024 and will have a significant impact on Indian workers and other countries’ low-wage workers. High-wages and highly skilled workers are not affected by these changes and guidelines. Read the LMIA process before applying to work in Canada. And stay connected with us and for more correct and updated information go to the official website or consult with a visa expert.
Riya Claire is the Editor-in-Chief of the East Hampton Chamber Portal. She holds a degree in Mass Communication, an MBA in Finance, and a diploma in HR, making her a versatile professional for an online portal