Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - May 2008
Alberta’s government is not doing enough to counter the labour shortage in the province, according to many employers and immigration experts. Critics argue that the fast-track immigration program set up to facilitate the use of foreign skilled labour, has fallen short in its mandate.
The program in question is Alberta’s Provincial Nominee Program. It is currently much easier and quicker for employers to bring in temporary labour to fill their needs, as opposed to waiting for workers whose permanent residency applications could take years to process. The PNP was set up so that employers could fast-track the immigration applications for certain workers, who are already employed in the province.
However, the government has fallen short of its own targets for the program. Last year, only 1,600 applications were processed, which is significantly under the 2,500 goal. Furthermore, the nearby province of Manitoba boasted over three times that amount, 7,680 processed, despite a comparatively stable labour market.
Though many recognize that there has been an improvement (in the year prior, only 981 applications were processed in Alberta) there is still much to be done.
In an interview with the Calgary Herald this week, Alberta government spokesperson Katrina Bluetchen stated that the Department of Employment and Immigration intends to examine the situation closely in an effort toward improvement. For example, the government is considering allowing employees to nominate themselves rather than placing the onus solely upon the employer.
Source: Calgary Herald
