Canadian government eases rules for temporary workers

The government of Canada announced important changes to Canada's temporary worker rules.

The government will now publish lists of occupations which are "under pressure" in Canada on a province-by-province basis. Employers who wish to hire foreign workers for jobs on this list will be subject to very simple advertising requirements.

For professional positions, the employer will need to advertise the job for just seven days on a government Web site, or demonstrate an ongoing pattern of recruitment. For unskilled work, the employer will have to advertise for seven days, and also show a pattern of recruitment. The employer must offer the prevailing rate of pay for the occupation and locality.

This is much easier than the amount of advertising often required in the past.

If the job cannot be filled by Canadian citizens or permanent residents after this brief advertising period, the employer may hire a foreign worker.

So far, lists have been published for Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. The list of jobs for some provinces are very extensive. Click here to see these lists.

In order to apply for a work permit under this program, the foreign worker must have a job offer from a Canadian employer. We can help with all the necessary legal work to advertise the opening and obtain the work permit after a job offer has been made.