Alberta’s immigration minister says retiring baby boomers and an economic boom predicted for western Canada has created “perfect storm” conditions for a severe labour shortage.
To ease that looming shortage, Thomas Lukaszuk wants Ottawa to allow more temporary foreign workers to remain in the country past the current four-year limit so that they can settle here on a permanent basis.
The temporary foreign worker program effectively trains workers in Canada, but when the workers’ visas run out they must leave for four years before being eligible to re-apply for another four-year term.
Many of them end up moving to other countries to settle, taking their skills and experience with them—something Lukaszuk finds problematic.
“We need more of a permanent solution,” he says. “Having our employers pay a lot of money for finding them, attracting them, training them, and then releasing them after four years so that they can go to Australia … is not investing in our economy.”
To ease that looming shortage, Thomas Lukaszuk wants Ottawa to allow more temporary foreign workers to remain in the country past the current four-year limit so that they can settle here on a permanent basis.
The temporary foreign worker program effectively trains workers in Canada, but when the workers’ visas run out they must leave for four years before being eligible to re-apply for another four-year term.
Many of them end up moving to other countries to settle, taking their skills and experience with them—something Lukaszuk finds problematic.
“We need more of a permanent solution,” he says. “Having our employers pay a lot of money for finding them, attracting them, training them, and then releasing them after four years so that they can go to Australia … is not investing in our economy.”
Australian companies recently hosted a large-scale recruiting campaign in Alberta to entice skilled workers in engineering, mining, and the oil and gas industry, offering sponsorship and immigration status to workers with the required skills.
Lukaszuk warns that short-term stays produce a transient population and an underclass of illegal immigrants, adding to social problems.
“They’re sending up to 80 percent of their income and remittances back home, not investing themselves in our economy and our communities.”
He is concerned that with the current policies, Canada will be unable to retain a competitive labour market.
“If there’s another jurisdiction that allows them to earn money and yet bring their family and re-establish themselves permanently somewhere, that is an attractive proposition,” he says.
The NDP has criticized the temporary foreign worker program, saying it drives down wages and employment conditions in Canada by soliciting cheap labour overseas.
Lukaszuk warns that short-term stays produce a transient population and an underclass of illegal immigrants, adding to social problems.
“They’re sending up to 80 percent of their income and remittances back home, not investing themselves in our economy and our communities.”
He is concerned that with the current policies, Canada will be unable to retain a competitive labour market.
“If there’s another jurisdiction that allows them to earn money and yet bring their family and re-establish themselves permanently somewhere, that is an attractive proposition,” he says.
The NDP has criticized the temporary foreign worker program, saying it drives down wages and employment conditions in Canada by soliciting cheap labour overseas.
‘More responsive’ immigration program
In a recent address to the Vancouver Board of Trade, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said 32,000 temporary foreign workers had immigrated to Canada permanently last year, a 130 percent increase since 2005.
“Our Temporary Foreign Worker Program is another way we’ve made our immigration program more responsive to meet several labour market needs,” he said.
Canada currently has the highest immigration rates per capita in the world, accepting 254,000 new immigrants per year.
Kenney said Canada does not have the resources to absorb a significantly higher number of immigrants, and noted that 80 percent of Canadians polled were opposed to higher levels of immigration.
He said this makes it essential to be selective about “the type of immigrants we welcome.”
“If the size of the immigration pie is more or less fixed, changing the mix will mean tradeoffs ... within each of the categories.”
Kenney said he will make it a priority to help immigrants find “long-term success” in Canada’s labour market and allow provinces a bigger role in selecting their own economic migrants. But this has yet to translate into firm policy.
Lukaszuk suggests that in order to fill current and future shortages, Canada’s immigration policy needs to emphasize bringing in needed compatible job skills rather than focusing heavily on immigrants with higher education.
“You have to ask yourself a question: do you want to do nothing and simply put up with shortages of workers which will drive the cost of labour through the roof and make us as a country not competitive with other jurisdictions, or are you going to do something about it,” he says.
“Our Temporary Foreign Worker Program is another way we’ve made our immigration program more responsive to meet several labour market needs,” he said.
Canada currently has the highest immigration rates per capita in the world, accepting 254,000 new immigrants per year.
Kenney said Canada does not have the resources to absorb a significantly higher number of immigrants, and noted that 80 percent of Canadians polled were opposed to higher levels of immigration.
He said this makes it essential to be selective about “the type of immigrants we welcome.”
“If the size of the immigration pie is more or less fixed, changing the mix will mean tradeoffs ... within each of the categories.”
Kenney said he will make it a priority to help immigrants find “long-term success” in Canada’s labour market and allow provinces a bigger role in selecting their own economic migrants. But this has yet to translate into firm policy.
Lukaszuk suggests that in order to fill current and future shortages, Canada’s immigration policy needs to emphasize bringing in needed compatible job skills rather than focusing heavily on immigrants with higher education.
“You have to ask yourself a question: do you want to do nothing and simply put up with shortages of workers which will drive the cost of labour through the roof and make us as a country not competitive with other jurisdictions, or are you going to do something about it,” he says.
“Make sure that there’s no Canadians that can take those jobs first, because obviously any jobs should first always be given to Canadians. But at the end of the day, when you realize that you have more jobs than workers, create a permanent solution.”
Lukaszuk plans to raise the issue at the annual ministers’ conference in the fall, and has already met with Kenney on “a number of occasions” to discuss his concerns, he says.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada is currently conducting cross-country consultations on immigration issues. Kenney has been meeting with stakeholders and the public throughout July to discuss the issue of immigration levels and mix. Online consultations will take place later this summer and will be open to the public.
With additional reporting by Joan Delaney
