The federal government is all set to announce further changes to the country’s immigration system for temporary residents, less than a month after Ottawa reduced the number of temporary foreign workers being let into the low-wage stream.
Wednesday’s announcement by Immigration Minister Marc Miller and Labour Minister Randy Boissonnault will be centred around “the strengthening of our temporary resident programs and migration pathways,” a statement from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said.
Last month, Boissonnault said the temporary foreign worker program was being used by errant employers to “circumvent hiring talented workers in Canada.”
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To hire a foreign worker in Canada, an employer must secure a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) that says they were unable to hire Canadian workers for certain roles.
Last month, the federal government said it would limit the number of LMIAs issued in metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of six per cent or higher.
The changes come amid mounting unemployment rates in Canada and growing pressure on the government to hit pause on large increases in immigration amid the cost-of-living crisis, the lack of affordable housing and challenging job markets across the country.
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