Quebec faces unprecedented staff shortages: Canadian Govt initiates open work permits for foreign nationals
Ottawa: Canada’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is well underway. In February 2022, Canada added 337,000 jobs, bringing the unemployment rate to 5.5%—the lowest since the start of the pandemic, officials said.
To support Canada’s continued economic growth, the Government of Canada is focused on building a strong, resilient workforce in all sectors through the implementation of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program Quebec Pilot Project, and the introduction of province-restricted open work permits for foreign nationals selected for permanent residence by Quebec.
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, and the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, announced a planned implementation of the next phase of the pilot project—the inclusion of National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level C occupations (known as intermediate-skilled work) into the Traitement Simplifié. This facilitated process will allow for additional flexibilities for Quebec employers under the TFW Program to address their labour needs. Previously, the Traitement Simplifié included only higher skilled occupations. This measure will be implemented on May 24, 2022, finalizing the implementation of Traitement Simplifié in Quebec.
The introduction of lower-skilled occupations into the Traitement Simplifié will not affect the already established worker protections for those currently under the Program. In addition, these worker protections will now also apply to all low-wage positions — meaning those with wages below the Quebec median wage, applying under Traitement Simplifié, no matter the skill level (0, A, B or C) — in order to further strengthen the protection of TFWs’ rights in Quebec.
The pilot project for employers in Quebec will run until December 31, 2023. The Government of Canada will continue to monitor the outcomes of this pilot project to help evaluate future decisions.
In addition, Canada will move forward with issuing work permits to foreign nationals selected for permanent residence by Quebec.
