Canada seeks easier residency for foreign workers

Canada is looking at ways to make it easier for temporary foreign workers to become permanent residents of the country.

Speaking on CTV programme ‘Question Period’ on Sunday, Canada’s Immigration Minister John McCallum announced that the government is currently seeking to provide a clearer pathway to permanent residence for temporary foreign workers.

“We think that those who come, in general, should have a pathway to permanent residence more so than is the case today,” he said. “If they’re on a pathway to permanent residence, they’re only temporary for a while, and then they become full Canadians.”

A parliamentary inquiry into the merits of the temporary foreign worker program is currently ongoing, with the results of the report set to be announced later this month. The conclusions will ultimately revamp the program, which brings in workers who are needed in in-demand occupations throughout Canada.

The program has come under scrutiny in recent years, following criticism that it lowers wages and takes jobs away from Canadian workers.

Article published 12th September 2016