Temporary foreign worker program

Notice: Effective April 27, 2009, employers who wish to retain a Temporary
Foreign
Worker (TFW) beyond the term of their current work permit must apply for a
NEW LMO
at least four months before the permit expires. Service Canada no longer
issues
Extensions to a Labour Market Opinion (LMO).

To learn more about this change and what it means for employers and TFWs,
call me on
879-0307 ot my mobile number 09186947835



Employers interested in hiring temporary foreign workers are required to
go through
a specific process to bring them to Alberta. The Temporary Foreign Worker
Program is
a federal program. It is designed to meet temporary labour needs – the
workers are
in Alberta to fill short-term gaps in the labour force. Several government
departments are involved in the process and it is important to understand
what roles
the federal and provincial governments play. In general, the process
includes the
following steps:

Employers must advertise the job opportunity to Canadians first.

If there are no Canadians or permanent residents available for the job,
the employer
can recruit a qualified foreign worker.

The employer can then make an offer of employment to the foreign worker.

The employer then completes the application for a Labour Market Opinion.

If the Labour Market Opinion is positive, the employer sends a copy to the
foreign
worker.

The foreign worker then applies for a work permit in their country of
residence
(outside Canada).

The foreign worker must then prove that he / she meets the job and
admission to
Canada requirements.

The role of the Government of Canada

1. Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) is the Government of
Canada
agency that processes and assesses employers' applications to hire
temporary foreign
worker applications and issues Labour Market Opinions (LMO). HRSDC ensures
that
employers have made every effort to hire and train Canadian citizens or
permanent
residents and that hiring a foreign worker does not affect employment or
career
opportunities for Canadians and permanent residents. Therefore, if
employers want to
hire a foreign worker they need to receive a positive LMO from HRSDC
before they can
bring a worker from abroad to work in Alberta.

To find out about the new minimum advertising requirements for the LMO
application,
visit: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceski ... n_workers/
communications/advertrecrutment.shtml


2. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is the Government of Canada
department that
manages immigration policies and programs. This includes the processing
and issuance
of permanent and temporary resident permits, including work permits.
Foreign workers
must obtain a work permit before entering Canada to work.


The role of the Government of Alberta


1. Alberta Employment and Immigration (E&I)

Alberta Employment and Immigration (E&I) supports and helps educate Alberta
employers in recruiting and retaining temporary foreign workers, responds to
immigration enquiries, and administers the Alberta Immigrant Nominee
Program (AINP).

2. Alberta Advanced Education & Technology (AAET)

Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT), the section of the AAET ministry,
assesses qualifications of internationally trained individuals in trades
occupations
to determine if they meet Alberta’s journeyman standards or trades
qualifications
requirements.