The Government has announced special provisions for some occupations, which are aimed at facilitating certain Labour Market Impact Assessment ("LMIA") requests. Effective March 20, 2020 and lasting until October 31, 2020, the LMIA program is offering priority processing of occupations related to agriculture, food processing and trucking in Canada. These provisions apply to all pending and future LMIA applications, until October 31, 2020.
Employers looking to hire in these sectors will not have to complete the normal recruiting requirement and will be able to apply for an LMIA without having to post the position for a minimum of 30 days. In addition, LMIA applications for key occupations in agriculture, food processing and trucking, will be processed on an expedited basis.
The occupations listed under these new provisions are:
6331 - Butchers, meat cutters and fishmongers - retail and wholesale
7511 - Transport Truck Drivers
8252 - Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
8431 - General Farm Workers
8432 - Nursery and Greenhouse Workers
8611 - Harvesting labourers
9463 - Fish and seafood plant workers
9617 - Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing
9618 - Labourers in fish and seafood processing
9462 - Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
Other occupation requirements such as licensing, certification, etc. are still required, as is the need to apply for a work permit once a positive LMIA is received.
The provisions are designed to assist in Canada's need for skilled labour in these critical sectors.
Further information on the new provisions may be found here: Requirements for LMIAs
We encourage anyone who has any questions or wishes further information, please contact a member of the Gowling WLG Immigration Group if you have any questions.