Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Temporary Foreign Worker Program replacement

According to the latest proposal by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business a visa program should be used as a Temporary Foreign Worker Program replacement. The visa program being proposed will include the opportunity for foreign workers to eventually become eligible for permanent Canadian residency. According to Dan Kelly, the president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business “Canada was built by people who decided to take a chance, come here and work hard to make a new life for themselves and their families. The Introduction to Canada Visa would open up those opportunities once again. You shouldn’t need a PhD to live the Canadian Dream.” One argument used by the organization for the visa program is that this would eliminate any current problems and relieve the worker shortage at the same time.

Canadian Federation of Independent Business president Kelly discussed Temporary Foreign Worker Program replacement with a new visa program, saying “Given the massive cost of turn-over, small businesses would much rather hire someone who is not temporary, but the permanent immigration system largely prohibits anyone with more junior skill sets. We need workers at all skill levels, including for entry-level jobs, and that need isn’t going away.” Some, like Jason Kenney who is the employment minister, do not see such a pressing need for the change. A spokesperson for Kenney provided an email response “The cap will significantly restrict access to the Program, while ensuring that Canadians are always considered first for available jobs, reducing employer reliance on the program and increasing wages offered to Canadians. We believe that employers must do more to hire under-represented Canadians like youth, Aboriginal people, and Canadians with disabilities, rather than bring in temporary foreign workers to fill jobs.”