The Government of Canada today (March 27, 2023) made two separate announcements on enhancements to immigration programs, as part of continued improvements to meet labour market needs and respond to humanitarian commitments.

The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that Canada will launch a new economic pathway under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) to help employers hire skilled refugees and other displaced individuals.

The EMPP pairs skilled refugees and other qualified displaced individuals with Canadian employers who need to overcome labour shortages in key occupations; tourism and hospitality workers were specifically noted as being in-demand.

The full news release can be read here.

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, has extended temporary measures introduced during the pandemic and through the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) Workforce Solutions Road Map.

The continued measures, intended to provide greater stability for employers and workers, include:

• permitting employers in seven sectors with demonstrated labour shortages (including accommodation and food services) to hire up to 30 percent of their workforce through the TFWP for low-wage positions;

• keeping the Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) validity period at up to 18 months; and,

• maintaining the maximum duration of employment for low-wage positions at up to two years.

The full news release can be read here.

Tourism HR Canada President and CEO Philip Mondor noted, “These are welcome announcements for tourism employers across the country, who are continuing to face challenges in finding the talent they need to fully recover and be able to showcase Canada as a world-class travel destination during the upcoming summer season. These programs also help with building a diverse and inclusive tourism workforce, one which thrives on having internationally trained workers who can offer a range of cultural experiences and speak multiple languages.”

Tourism HR Canada has just launched Hiring International Talent for Summer Jobs, a series of infographics to help employers navigate the suite of immigration programs available. The downloadable resources can be found at TourismHR.ca/InternationalTalent.

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