I write to you in support of the establishment of The Canadian International Workforce Program (CIWP), a proposed new immigration program to support employers looking to fill low-skilled and labourer positions. Recent changes to reduce immigration are having a negative impact on local employers who genuinely have had difficulty finding labour to fill a position.
Immigration has become a workforce imperative for employers to fill critical, consistent gaps in our labour force. Canada’s aging demographics, low fertility rates and highly educated labor force is leaving critical gaps in low skilled and labour positions that represent over one-third of all jobs in the Canadian economy. We need workers of all skill levels, operating across all sectors of the economy and regions of the country.
The Guiding principles of CIWP include:
- Protection of foreign workers who come to Canada
- A pathway to permanent residency for foreign workers who wish to stay in Canada permanently via a low skilled point system
- Certainty for employers who need workers from a variety of skill levels
- Canadian confidence in our immigration system
- Reputation for Canada as a viable and promising destination for immigrants of all skill levels
The CIWP envisions 2 distinct streams:
CIWP 1: A temporary stream that reflects seasonal and temporary low-skilled jobs
This stream would be for workers to come to Canada temporarily for strictly seasonal, low-skilled jobs. These workers come to Canada at a certain time during the year and return home when the season finishes.
CIWP 2: A stream for low-skilled, year-round jobs
These jobs are not temporary nor seasonal in nature. They are in occupations that are consistently vacant year over year and known jobs that Canadians and Permanent Residents do not apply for. Given that no immigration program exists for this circumstance, employers have patched together a system of TFW’s getting Permanent Residency via the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This new stream would include better integration of pathways to permanent residence for foreign workers.
The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is joining with dozens of other associations across this country in supporting the establishment of a new immigration program. I invite you to read the attached discussion paper entitled Reimagining Immigration to better understand the challenges employers are facing and a potential solution that will re-instill trust and confidence in Canada’s immigration system for employers, workers, and the Canadian public
Canada needs a permanent immigration path for workers in low-skilled positions and businesses need an immigration system they can rely on to fill longstanding vacancies in jobs that Canadians are not willing to take. We need smart and responsive immigration policies that recognize the unique labour market realities for rural and remote regions and certain occupations. The time is now to reimagine immigration.
