Today Sean Fraser, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC), and Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, announced a new measure to help solve the labour shortage that will come in effect beginning January 2023.
Moving Forward in January 2023, Canada will extend work permit eligibility for spouses, common-law partners, and working-age dependents of temporary workers in all skill levels.
According to Fraser, this announcement will help employers find the workers to fill their labour gaps by extending family work permits.
As a result, over 200,000 foreign workers will be able to work in Canada.
What’s New?
Previously, the spouses were only eligible for a work permit if the primary applicant was working in a high-skill occupation, that is a job coming under TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3.
However, today’s new announcement will help the working class emotionally, physically and financially by keeping their families together.
Now work permit holders working in any skill levels (TEER 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) can apply for spousal open work permit for their spouses or dependent children.
Furthermore, they can also apply for an open work
Children qualify as dependants if they:
- are under 22 years old, and
- don’t have a spouse or common-law partner.
Children 22 years old or older (also known as an overage dependent children) qualify as dependants if they:
- have depended on their parents for financial support since before they were 22, and
- can’t financially support themselves because of a mental or physical condition.
The New 2-year Temporary measure has 3 phases
Moving Forward in January 2023, Canada will expand eligibility to work in Canada for spouses and working-age children.
It is a phased approach for workers at all skill levels. The Policy would include workers’ families in healthcare, trades and hospitality.
It is an incredible opportunity for foreign workers seeking to work in Canada and employers addressing their labour needs.
The 3 phases
- 1. Phase 1 enables family members of workers coming to Canada by applying for an open work permit through the high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or the International Mobility Program.
- 2. Phase 2 aims to expand the measure to the family members of workers from the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program following consultations.
- 3. Phase 3 will include consultation with agricultural partners and stakeholders to assess the operational feasibility of expanding the measure to family members of agricultural workers.
The government of Canada is not holding back from addressing the Nationwide labour shortage. According to IRCC, Immigration will play a crucial role in helping the economy for this cause.
And the government will be implementing new measures to support employers with their staffing needs across all skill levels.
Source: IRCC
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