The Temporary Foreign Worker Program in Canada: An Introduction
According to the Government of Canada, the Canadian born workforce is on a steady decline. Employers across the country are experiencing skilled labour shortages, and Stats Canada foresees that before the middle of the next decade, almost all labour force growth will come from immigration (Government of Canada, 2014).
Enter the utilization of foreign recruitment to fill this gap – but how does the foreign recruitment process work in Canada?
Perhaps it’s best to start off with a quick background. To begin with, only Canadian citizens and permanent residents have the right to work in Canada. Anyone who is not a Canadian permanent resident must obtain authorization from Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC) to work in Canada, and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). These two departments admin the Temporary Foreign Worker (or TFW) program.