.Many Canadian businesses rely on foreign workers to stay in business because it is often difficult to find local talent to fill positions, whether they are low skill, high skill, agricultural, or seasonal. Many sectors of the Canadian economy rely on foreign workers.
So, if you are a business owner/staffing manager looking to expand your horizons by hiring foreign workers, or if you are a foreigner looking for work in Canada, read on to learn how work permit processing can affect your process.
Work permits: What you need to know
Remember that work permits allow your foreign workers (or you as a foreign worker) to work in Canada for a maximum of 24 months and can be extended in certain circumstances.
Work permits may be open or closed. A foreigner with an open work permit can work for any Canadian employer, whereas a foreigner with a closed work permit can only work for the company named on the work permit.
Unless your company hires only seasonal agricultural workers, the work permit is only valid for a maximum of 9 months, from March to November. Every immigration program in Canada has exceptions and special cases (like the 180-day seasonal work permits and international mobility to name a couple).
How long does the application take to process?
The million-dollar question is: How long will it take for my employees to be able to come to Canada? The average processing time for a work permit is 1 to 38 weeks, depending on the country from which they apply and any restrictions that may have been imposed.
There are longer places, such as the UAE and Nigeria. That are over that amount, so check the times as they do fluctuate. No matter what the local processing time is, Global Talent Stream LMIA-supported work permits should be processed in 2 weeks from anywhere in the world.
Before you can bring in international workers, as an employer, you must first apply for a labor market impact assessment (LMIA) and receive approval from Service Canada. Without going through this process, your company will be unable to hire foreign workers from outside of Canada.
To be eligible for a work permit as a foreigner, you must have a job offer from a Canadian employer with a positive LMIA, demonstrate that you will return to your home country when your work permit expires, demonstrate that you can support yourself while in Canada, demonstrate that you can obey the law, and be in good general health.
As previously stated, the average processing time for a work permit ranges from one week to 38 weeks. Keep in mind that this varies depending on the industry sector.
The table below shows how long it takes for employers to get approval to hire foreign workers after submitting an LMIA application. Read more about how much time it takes to get visa for Canada.
These totals are from the time the application was submitted to the time it was approved. If the application has not yet been submitted. Then you must add this time to the most recent average processing times as of December 2020.
What factors influence processing times?
Another factor influencing work permit processing times is the applicant’s home country. In some cases, an employer may only consider hiring employees from one country. Such as Mexico, because processing times for work permits from Mexico are much faster than hiring people from another country. Such as Brazil, which has slow processing times.
It is critical to understand that each country has a unique set of conditions or exceptions based on economic relationships such as NAFTA. Processing is typically based on the type of work permit application. But other factors such as the quality of the application submitted. How many additional government requests are required, for information verification? And how long it takes the consultant or applicant to respond to such requests can all affect processing.
Important things to remember
Knowing how long it will take to process a work permit application from outside. Canada is critical for any company looking to hire foreign workers, especially during peak operational seasons. This is especially important for businesses in agriculture, construction, and tourism. Which may be constrained by short work seasons from March to November.
In addition to the different processing times for a work permit depending on the country. Canada has many different travel restrictions, including new COVID-19 required testing and a 14-day mandatory quarantine or isolation. The pandemic has made it more difficult to hire international workers. But with proper planning, it can be completed on time. The higher the quality of the plan, the higher the quality of the product.
How We Can Assist
So, if you are an employer interested in learning more about the process of hiring foreign workers. Please contact one of our Registered Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC) to find out how we can assist you.
For employers, we can assist you in developing an immigration strategy. That will give your company the best chance of success, as well as provide you with hiring options. Our software will keep you updated throughout the process so you know when to expect your new employees. Learn more about 67 points Immigration Canada.
