Around 1,30,000 Indians secured work permits in Canada under the international mobility program last year, while reports also suggest that 100,000 moved there as temporary foreign workers. The massive influx is a result of Canada’s move to ease immigration, as it aims to attract 300,000 immigrants by March 2023. Even before the Indian expats get permanent residency in Canada, they can call their spouses there thanks to work permits for family members of temporary workers.
Eyeing more contribution for the workforce
The policy introduced for a limited time period of two years, is aimed at mitigating the labour shortage in Canada, as the impact of the pandemic fades away. The government is facilitating employers in the country to find the staff according to their requirements, and spouses as of now get work permits if the applicant is in a high-skilled job. Working age children can also be called to Canada on work permits in a phased manner.
Which jobs are available?
The scheme will cover those working in the healthcare, hospitality and trading sectors, and about two lakh families will be able to benefit from it. The Canadian government wants to make sure that immigrants contributing to the local economy can stay with family members. With one million unemployed in the face of 958,500 openings, Canada also plans to bring in five lakh immigrants each year till 2025.
Wants to speed up visa processing further
Canada’s High Commissioner in India has also mentioned that they are processing 10,000 visa applications for Indians every week, and are planning to accelerate the procedure. Compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019, volume of applications went up by 55 per cent this year, as restrictions have been lifted globally. As of now, about 14 lakh people of Indian origin are living in Canada, and developer, project manager as well as nurse, are the most preferred employment options for them.
